Flap Faring

This blog covers the installation of the flap faring into the wing

Overview
The Tucano is fitted with a semi Fowler flap and the inside face has a shroud fitted to smooth the air flow and also to support the faring from the wing.

Installation
The factory supply a pair of shrouds pre-cut ready for installation, manufactured from a commercial grade of aluminium these are very soft and therefor must be handled carefully.

The first task was to open the edge of the trailing edge allowing insertion of the shroud when ready to install.  A standard 65 mm stainless steel scraper was modified to allow the edge to be eased out slightly.

Note: All sharp edges from manufacture of the scrapper were polished out with wet / dry paper

The shroud was next inserted under the trailing edge skin and then was clamped to the trailing edge supported by aluminium angle to create a straight trailing edge. With the skin inserted under the trailing edge skin ensure the fold line is straight before drilling the fixings. This was done using a #80 pop rivet drill [short flutes] by using the factory holes and a slow speed to jog the drill through the shroud material.

Note: The soft metal allow this to be undertaken as described.

Note excess skin.

Outer bay ready to have skin fitted and match drilled

Marking offset for cutting to correct overall length

Angle creates a straight reference for the trailing edge
Marking trailing edge for triming

With the skin marked it is removed and clamped to the work table to and trimmed using the Olfa knife.

Note: Before cutting the cutting edge is marked 5 - 6 mm from the marked edge to allow final installation. Gaffer tape was applied to the work table before clamping as this material is very soft

With all the preparation done the skin is inserted under the trailing edge skin and then under the lip under the trailing edge. When installed the angle is now reinstalled to pull the trailing edge into alignment.

Note: The red line is the edge that must be carefully aligned before match drilling for the trailing edge pop rivets

The trailing edge will be crimped using a duck bill pliers at a later time.

Comments

This builder missed the alignment of the edge in red and this may have to be revisited just for reason of personal pride.

Franco from Flying Legend schooled me in the trailing edge - thanks.