Now that the left main wing spar has been disassembled from the temporary rivets installed by Van’s for shipping, I can now dive deep into the Harmon Rocket II plans as well as additional changes identified in the F1 Rocket plans to modify these RV-4 wings into F1 Rocket Sport Wings.
Main Spar Reinforcing Web Modifications
The cutout in the center of the spar mating area is slightly different than RV-4 plans. In the picture below you can see the layout for this area is marked on the spar reinforcing web. You will also note that I’m doing the layout as identified by the HR II drawings. The reason for this is because it has more details as to the changes that need to be made then shown on the F1 Rocket plans. The F1 drawings only really show specific changes layered upon the HR II drawings, or corrections. (Are you getting confused yet…haha!)
These changes also need to account for the wider fuselage of the F1 Rocket (and HR II) over the RV-4 fuselage. In the image below, you will see where I need to remove some additional material on the spar reinforcing web.
Part Identification
As I indicated above, it can get pretty crazy trying to work from 3 sets of plans for the same parts. One way I found to help keep everything straight is to identify all the parts with all 3 part numbers. This way, when I look at a particular set of prints, I can easily identify what I’m looking at.
Main Spar Web Modifications
The main wing spar is modified similar to the spar reinforcing web as described above. Trimming the spar web caps to account for the wider fuselage, and also cutting the access hole in the center of the mating areas.
Additionally, as the F1 Rocket Sport Wings (and HR II wings) are shorter than that of the RV-4, on the tip end, you also need to cut off about 7 inches. Shown in the picture below, I have this all measured out. It’s also important to note that all measurements are taken from the lower side of the spar, not the upper side!
I knew that I’d have to cut the spar shorter, but hey, why not jump in with both feet right at the beginning! I’m not ready to cut this yet, so I’m going to knock it off for today.
My playlist
On a side note, I’ve been appraoched by some of my followers as to what music am I listening to while I’m working away here in the shop. I’m going to start to include a link to my playlists as some of you might be interested in the music I listen to.
I enjoy many different styles, but have made some of my own playlists on Spotify of the music I keep coming back to. It may not be for everyone, but it works for me when I’m in the zone.
For lack of a better name, my go-to is simply named Plane Building Playlist. Click on the link to check it out.
Please comment. I love to hear from my readers. Thanks again for coming along for this ride, you make my work worthwhile.
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