Originally Posted by iva

Just removed the wing and made a few photos. It is amazing what macro can reveal!

Macro lenses are bad A$$ would love to get one for my T3I, but a 300 zoom for going to the field is first on my list.

#19 rubber bands are available at office supply stores...they are the long skinny ones that Andy recommended. I used 6 on a side and tossed them after each flying session, electric or wet.
The 70" .40 wet version used 2 #64's x 6 on each side.
FWIW, art

Miss the close-up adaptors I used to use on my Olympus OM2n! A lot cheaper than a true macro lens, but good enough and they delivered. My present Canon T2i - the 3i is cool, but I've been looking through a viewfinder too long to take photos while looking at a screen - does pretty well on close ups with its 18 - 55 but sometimes I fell an urge to splurge on a lens for close-ups. Am still using my 'ancient' 75 - 300mm tele from my 35mm Canon days!

Good to hear about those bands. If I ever need anotherBee, would probably revert to #19s vice bolts. My presentBee uses the Clancy Aviation ply hooks at the front. It's secure enough, but the wing tends to wobble a little at the front - cured by a couple of small patches of foam wing tape on the upper longerons topsides.

D

IVA, Okay I love it. Lets do it!

So, how did you reinforce the center rib ( W1) so you could drill a hole in it? I see some triangle pieces under the covering. Are they ply. Do you have some hard wood glue on each side of the center rib?

Does the wing wobble any front left to right? I was thinking maybe using two bolts to stabilize the front. Am I over thinking this? A little over kill. I have a tendency to do that. Let me know what I'm screwing the bolt into. If it's hardwood I could tap it and screw the bolt into it.

This is my idea for attaching the screw to the bottom of the wing.
I'll attach a piece of hardwood to the leading edge cut into the W1 Rib
I can then tap it. You think I'll need two screws rather than the one?

I did it seven years ago, so the memories are a bit fuzzy. Anyway, If I am to do it today I would use 1/8" aircraft ply wood (decent quality lite ply should also be acceptable) to make a doubler on each side of the W1. They start at LE and go just behind the main spar. It is helpful to cut a vertical slot in W1, where you plan to position the bolt, before gluing the doubler. The slot should make drilling the hole for the bolt easier. The triangles are hard balsa only. Watch the grain orientation! If you are using lite ply, make certain to soak the area in thin, fresh, CA before and after tapping the hole. I usually repeat it a couple of times, so the whole area is quite hard. Doing (using) two bolts would be the same as using one but quite a bit more complicated. The wing on my Bee does not noticeably wobble and I believe that you should be fine as long as you make all the parts reasonably accurate.

It looks good also! I would just taper the hardwood block toward the end to spread the load.

Okay, I used some very hard balsa, soaked it in CA Thin, tapped a hole for the bolt. I did as suggested, by tapping, and applying CA, then tapping again. I cut W1 so the piece would fit up front and glued it in place. A little sanding to be sure all was level. So now the hole on the fuselage is next.

Dillion, I do not want to sound negative but your sketch and description used hard wood and not hard balsa. The assembly could be strong enough but again, for this size of the plane, it may not be. If you decide to keep it the way it is, I would definitely cast the nut (so that you can still unscrew the bolt) in some good quality, slow curing epoxy and reinforce the joint of the mount and LE by generous epoxy fillet. What you built so far is too nice and you do not want to put it at risk!

Okay, I'll take it out and build it with some bass wood. Thanks for caring.

I got it out, I'll see what I have in Hard wood. Do you think I could laminate soome together or would it just be best to get a half inch by half inch bass wood?

Found some red oak, 1/4" X 1/2" I'll laminate them together with Tilebond III That sould do the trick

Originally Posted by Dereck

Miss the close-up adaptors I used to use on my Olympus OM2n! A lot cheaper than a true macro lens, but good enough and they delivered. My present Canon T2i - the 3i is cool, but I've been looking through a viewfinder too long to take photos while looking at a screen - does pretty well on close ups with its 18 - 55 but sometimes I fell an urge to splurge on a lens for close-ups. Am still using my 'ancient' 75 - 300mm tele from my 35mm Canon days!

Good to hear about those bands. If I ever need anotherBee, would probably revert to #19s vice bolts. My presentBee uses the Clancy Aviation ply hooks at the front. It's secure enough, but the wing tends to wobble a little at the front - cured by a couple of small patches of foam wing tape on the upper longerons topsides.

D

I know what you mean about looking at a screen. My wife loves the screen but I still find it easier to use the viewfinder, especially when I am at the field taking shots of planes in the air. The only time I use the screen is when using the tilt feature on it getting weird angles that I just can't get to the viewfinder to look through.

Laminating it to 1/2" sq. should be fine!

Iva, I glued two pieces of red oak together with Titebond III, clamped them together and let them dry overnight. Drilled a hole and tapped it. This should do it. If you have any other concerns please voice them, I'm all ears.

I then positioned the brace in the wing, glued it to the rib and leading edge. Clamped it and let it dry a few hours. Looks tight and secure.

Guys, This system works nicely. It's a bit of work, but it is tight. Iva, Thanks for sharing this system. It just works well with the Bees wing configuration.

Looks very nice and I am glad that you took the effort to change it from your original version.
The system works with any shoulder mounted wing when there is no bulkhead to secure the front dowel.

Hi Dillion
Front hold down looks a neat idea. Suggest a little gusseting between FS1 and the fuselage sides - it's not a very long joint. Adequate for flying as long as it's well made, but a caught wingtip or similar could overstress it. My presentBee has 1/8" square in there.

D