This entry starts the building of the fuselage side skins on Van's Aircraft RV-12 airplane. Bending and forming the Longerons can be challenging. It's not hard but it is a little unnerving to be beating on a piece of your new airplane! Take it slow and work your way through it. If still worried try picking up a piece of 1/2" aluminum angle from Home Depot and practice bending it. I'm still playing caught up with these postings, but it's all good!
Step 1: Cut the F-1255-L and -R Longerons from AA6-125X3/4X3/4 per dimensions in Figure 1 on page 23-02 of the RV-12 plans.
Step 2: Mark the end of the twist start and end of the curve, aft end of template and start of bend ines on the Longerons.
The picture above is taken at an angle so the parts look like they are marked in the wrong places.
Step 3: Open the angle of the longeron as shown in Figure 4 from the start of the longeron to the end of twist & open line as shown in Figure 1. Clamp the longeron in a padded vise at the end of twist & open line as shown in figure 1. Use a crescent wrench as shown in Figure 3 to twist the longeron inboard as shown and per the dimensions in figure 1. When finished the top faces of the longeron both fore and aft of the end of twist & open should lay flat against a table.
Durning this operation I found I needed a bigger hammer! The larger one you see pictured here is a 56 oz. soft face hammer from Home Depot. Yes it worked well.
Below are the before and after pictures of opening up the front ed of the longeron.
I found using a electronic level very helpful.
Well, that gets this section of the RV-12 airplane started. In addition to the above steps I started deburring some of the parts used for the side skins. Just remember walk softly and carry a big hammer!
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