Thorp Air Command - T18.net

Can anyone direct me to the plan where the strip that seals the gap between the outboard and the inboard wing is set up so that it is stretched across the gap instead of screwed on?

Give me a bit. I’m on a camping trip. I’ll have something next week.
Cubes

Hello All,

Getting closer to Getting N2WB back into the air, I am at installing the outer wing panels. I ordered the wing joint covers from Thorp Central and have no idea how they are installed. The plans I have show nothing that I can find on this. Can anybody send some pictures for installing these? I was hoping to have this answered at Oshkosh but, well you know....

Can you confirm you have a T? The S gap cover plan number is 230.
Cubes

Hello Cubes,

Yes it's at T, SN 151 early one. I have the angle aluminum you told me to get and the bare aluminum strips I ordered from you. Wanted to get these cut and fitted before it is too cold to paint here in Michigan.

Thank you!

I'll sketch up a solution .. there are several. Standby please.

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Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD

Hello Lee,

Thank you! That would really help

These sketches are admittedly crude but perhaps with a bit of explanation.

Upper attach, the gap cover gets a piece of 3/4 angle riveted on the aft rear such that it falls about 3/4 from the rear spar. This angle should have a 10/32 nut-plate facing aft. At the rear spar a piece of 3/32 - 1/8 aluminum is fabricated such that the rear spar now consists of the each of the outer and inner spar attach and this plate. The rear spar bolt captures the new plate. The plate has a hole drilled for an AN3 bolt to pass just above the center of the rear spar plates.

Lower attach, at the aft end attach the gap cover to the lower skin with <6> 8/32 nutplates they should line up with the area around the aileron control rod.

Assembly, attach the lower side with <6> 8/32 machine screws, at the aft end of the upper side of the cover place an AN3 bolt through the fabricated plate, capture the angle with the nutplate on the cover and tighten until the cover is acceptably tight (this is adjustable so the cap cover will most likely not bottom out on the plate).

_________________
Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD

Hello Lee,

Ok! Thank you. I will start getting the hardware. What about tie down loops in the wing joint? I have seen them on other Thorp's but mine doesn't have any provisions in the wing joint for this.

Thanks again,

Mike

You have to build them in.

_________________
Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL

I can post a pic. Basically a piece of heavy angle trimmed down to capture the main spar attach bolts either threaded for a loop or with a "loop" integrated into the angle itself.

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Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD

OK! I thought it would be something like that. A picture will really help!

Thanks again...

Here's one way to do it ...

_________________
Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD

The gentleman who built my plane, N12055, was Robert Kiergard and he used what appears to be a very simple solution. At each end of the wing gap assembly he riveted angle stock with nut plates to accept a screw to tighten the gap seal to the rear spar.

His attachment method uses only two screws to hold the gap seal in place. He put his small plate aft of the rear spars. It has holes that accept one screw at the aft end of the upper side of the gap cover and one screw at the bottom side. Note that there is a rivnut on the upper end of the plate which is drilled out and so that the screw is guided through it to a nutplate or rivnut in angle stock riveted to the upper side of the gap seal. The lower end of the plate is just a hole for the lower screw. Hopefully the pictures will help clarify for you. These are the best I could find in my photos. If you would like better ones, let me know and I'll post them when I get a chance.

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John Twigg N12055 SN.79 Pittsburgh, PA (KFWQ)