Hard to assemble glider

The big Kestrel is a pain to rig. Fortunately it happens relatively
seldom. Somehow it never seems to just come together.

That said, the tight fit means that even after 30+ years there is no
play at the wingtips, and she feels rosk solid. YOu just have to have
very good friends if you want help rigging.

On 2014-07-22 06:37, Tim Taylor wrote:
I found with the Ventus and Nimbus it is good to clean the pins on the end of each spar root and wing root should be cleaned with 00 steel wool every few years and then lubed carefully. The spherical bearings on the fuselage and on the wing roots should be cleaned until they move freely. They can be rotated and removed if installed correctly (incorrectly and they go into the tubes). Q-tips and solvent will help free then up.

I have found many ships have never been cleaned in years.

Usually the tightness for the last 1/4 to 1/2 inch are from lack of cleaning as long as the flaps, spoilers and dump valves are set correctly.


--
Bruce Greeff
T59D #1771

I find my Discus 2 can be a dog to get the last inch of the wings in on a hot day (common in Arizona), but much, much easier on a cool day. Presumably thermal expansion plays a role?

The spoilers are what usually hang up, so I give the handle a last tweak to clear them before the final push. The manual says to rig the left wing first, but most owners do it the other way round so they can easily access the cockpit. Otherwise, clean, grease and push!

Mike (WA)

Apart from being heavy I always found my old Kestrel 19 a very
easy rig. You can see and get to the top of the spars so you
can see where all the pins should be and there are studs on the
top of each spar stub so that you can use the special rigging
lever to draw them together. I sold the glider almost 30 years
ago but still have the lever. If you have the studs but not the
lever let me know Bruce.

John Galloway

At 04:44 22 July 2014, BruceGreeff wrote:
The big Kestrel is a pain to rig. Fortunately it happens
relatively
seldom. Somehow it never seems to just come together.

That said, the tight fit means that even after 30+ years there
is no
play at the wingtips, and she feels rosk solid. YOu just have
to have
very good friends if you want help rigging.

On 2014-07-22 06:37, Tim Taylor wrote:
I found with the Ventus and Nimbus it is good to clean the
pins on the
end of each spar root and wing root should be cleaned with
00 steel wool
every few years and then lubed carefully. The spherical
bearings on the
fuselage and on the wing roots should be cleaned until they
move freely.
They can be rotated and removed if installed correctly
(incorrectly and
they go into the tubes). Q-tips and solvent will help free then
up.

I have found many ships have never been cleaned in years.

Usually the tightness for the last 1/4 to 1/2 inch are from
lack of
cleaning as long as the flaps, spoilers and dump valves are
set correctly.


--
Bruce Greeff
T59D #1771

I don't have my Ventus so I can't measure where the hole is located. The location is not critical however. From the fully locked position, pull the airbrake handle aft so that it is not locked. From this position, pull the handle aft gently to where you just start to feel resistance against the airbrakes. This position is the sweet spot. If you don't have a hole, another option might be to cut a piece of small aluminum angle to the correct length and use this to block the airbrake handle open to this position.

On Monday, July 21, 2014 11:40:50 AM UTC-7, HGXC wrote:
Hi



I fly a older Ventus and my glider wings are difficult to slide tight to the glider for pinning.



I have a 1 pin set up and start with my left wing. I keep my brakes open and flap in 3.



I can line up the inserted arm fine and line up the controls but, once I get to a couple inches it bogs down and is quite a workout for my wing man and me.



Any tips or suggestions on making this easier? I notice that even on the same glider type and model they can vary on ease of assembly.





Dennis

I've rigged my new to me Ventus B five or so times now. I rig it by the book with flaps as S and pin in airbrake hole. It has gone ok, better each time, and I think I have it figured out pretty well now. The main issue with getting the second wing on is to line up the main spar pin into the opposite wing hole. You can't line it up visually so you just have to feel for it from the wingtip. So, I get the drag pins and flap torque tube matched and inserted while I'm on the root, then go to the tip and feel for the spar pin hole and pin connection with the wingtip I don't even try to insert it all the way (sometimes that pops out the opposite wing), only just enough so that the tool can be inserted in the main spar pin holes, then lever the wings together. It only takes a slight pull on the tool and presto, wings are in.
It may be that you have yet to find the right fuselage and first wing height, you might try experimenting with that, but I'm not sure it matters that much if the wingspar is centered in the fuse cutout. Hope that helps.
Jim

On Tuesday, July 22, 2014 1:14:07 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Monday, July 21, 2014 11:40:50 AM UTC-7, HGXC wrote:

Hi







I fly a older Ventus and my glider wings are difficult to slide tight to the glider for pinning.







I have a 1 pin set up and start with my left wing. I keep my brakes open and flap in 3.







I can line up the inserted arm fine and line up the controls but, once I get to a couple inches it bogs down and is quite a workout for my wing man and me.







Any tips or suggestions on making this easier? I notice that even on the same glider type and model they can vary on ease of assembly.



An old trick that works with the gliders that use the pin in the end of the spar is to make a wedge that is glued onto the bottom of the spar box that supports the spar end just slightly below the perfect height when assembled. This sets one wing and the relationship to the fuselage. With that set, it is much easier to line up the second wing.
UH







Dennis



I've rigged my new to me Ventus B five or so times now. I rig it by the book with flaps as S and pin in airbrake hole. It has gone ok, better each time, and I think I have it figured out pretty well now. The main issue with getting the second wing on is to line up the main spar pin into the opposite wing hole. You can't line it up visually so you just have to feel for it from the wingtip. So, I get the drag pins and flap torque tube matched and inserted while I'm on the root, then go to the tip and feel for the spar pin hole and pin connection with the wingtip I don't even try to insert it all the way (sometimes that pops out the opposite wing), only just enough so that the tool can be inserted in the main spar pin holes, then lever the wings together. It only takes a slight pull on the tool and presto, wings are in.

It may be that you have yet to find the right fuselage and first wing height, you might try experimenting with that, but I'm not sure it matters that much if the wingspar is centered in the fuse cutout. Hope that helps.

Jim

At 17:14 22 July 2014, wrote:
On Monday, July 21, 2014 11:40:50 AM UTC-7, HGXC wrote:
Hi=20
=20
=20
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I fly a older Ventus and my glider wings are difficult to slide tight
to
=
the glider for pinning.
=20
=20
=20
I have a 1 pin set up and start with my left wing. I keep my brakes
open
=
and flap in 3.
=20
=20
=20
I can line up the inserted arm fine and line up the controls but, once
I
=
get to a couple inches it bogs down and is quite a workout for my wing
man
=
and me.
=20
=20
=20
Any tips or suggestions on making this easier? I notice that even on
the
=
same glider type and model they can vary on ease of assembly.=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
Dennis

I've rigged my new to me Ventus B five or so times now. I rig it by the
bo=
ok with flaps as S and pin in airbrake hole. It has gone ok, better each
t=
ime, and I think I have it figured out pretty well now. The main issue
wit=
h getting the second wing on is to line up the main spar pin into the
oppos=
ite wing hole. You can't line it up visually so you just have to feel
for
=
it from the wingtip. So, I get the drag pins and flap torque tube
matched
=
and inserted while I'm on the root, then go to the tip and feel for the
spa=
r pin hole and pin connection with the wingtip I don't even try to
insert
=
it all the way (sometimes that pops out the opposite wing), only just
enoug=
h so that the tool can be inserted in the main spar pin holes, then lever
t=
he wings together. It only takes a slight pull on the tool and presto,
win=
gs are in.
It may be that you have yet to find the right fuselage and first wing
heigh=
t, you might try experimenting with that, but I'm not sure it matters
that
=
much if the wingspar is centered in the fuse cutout. Hope that helps.
Jim


I have never had a ventus ,but I had a discus for 10'years and a duo the
last
3 ,
Left first ,then the pin goes in part way against the parcel shelf ,put
that wing
on a stand and do not be tempted to move it.
Right wing second brakes closed but not locked
Use synthetic super lube on the pins

On the duo my syndicate partner and I use a imi wing lifter that has a gas

strut,he thinks the best assistance is a vicious dog to keep the helpers
away
,because opinionated glider pilot helpers can cause more trouble than help

On Tuesday, July 22, 2014 2:00:15 PM UTC-4, Jonathon May wrote:
...opinionated glider pilot helpers can cause more trouble than help

Words to live by from RAS!

Dennis,
The pin is @ 10" long and @ 3/16" dia with one end turned down to a reduced diameter that fits the hole in the inner sleeve of the airbrake as well as the water caps. The length helps insure that you don't inadvertently leave it in the hole as it crosses much of the instrument panel when inserted. This pin and the alignment pin that helps bring the wings in the last 1/2" should have come with the glider. My trailer has a dedicated place for these tools inside on the left rear rail.

In a decade and a half of soaring I've somehow never ended up being involved in the assembly of a glass SH glider so could someone clarify something for me? By the sound of it the SH system uses a single pin to hold the wings together laterally and spigots extending out from each spar end that engage with fittings in the root of the opposing wing to take up the bending loads on the spars - much like a Glasflugel - but they don't include a rigging tool that draws the wings together the last couple of inches? Seems like an odd omission. I thought Grob was the only manufacturer that did something like that, though they do at least use those locking collars instead of a pin which does allow you to secure the first wing in so you don't have to worry about pushing it out when trying to slide the second wing home.