WIX-W11 Wing Substructure; Detail Section A-A, B-B, and C-C - rivet orientation

Aircraft Legacy Waiex
1

I had been building a Waiex and took time off to (a few years) to prep for retirement. Now that I am officially retired I am back to building. A week into getting back to it and it is taking a bit to wrap my head around everything again. And of course I have a question already.

My right wing was done and I am working on my left wing and noticed this: On plan sheet WIX-W11 Wing Substructure; In Detail Section A-A, B-B, and C-C, the plan shows the rivets going through the aft rib flange, spar, forward rib flange, from aft to forward (rivet shop head against the forward rib flange) … except the bottom two rivets which go in from forward to aft.

  1. I do not see the reason why those bottom two rivets need to be oriented opposite of all the others, it does not seem to be a structure thing (shop head being on the side with the thicker material, or anything like that), and It does not seem to a clearance issue either … and the kicker …

  2. On my right wing (complete and buttoned up), they are in the same way as all the others - from aft to forward (!!!)

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2

It never hurts to follow the instructions. I understand the common rivet wisdom but honestly those rivets are not going to know or care if they are back to front. Welcome back!

3

Excellent. Thank you!

4

Just so there is closure on this (as if it wasn’t obvious), I heard back from Sonex support:

“With that particular assembly there’s no structural issue, I’m thinking that when riveting you’ll find that the aft rib is easier to push out if the way.

As you likely know, the rivet head would typically to go on the side where the material is the thinnest on the stack up and being that the stack up of the spar is the same in that area you would make your choose based on interference issues.”