Fitting the fuel tanks to the wing is a relatively simple task. You will need to make the choice between pulled rivets or machine screws to attach the tanks to wings before starting the process. You should fit the tanks before you fully rivet on the inboard wing skins. We recommend fitting the tanks while the wing is still in the fixture. If you have not assembled the tanks prior to wing construction you can assemble the tanks with clecos and proceed with tank fitment. This allows you to easily dimple and counter sink the wing and fuel tank parts if using flush hardware.
Note: We recommend not permanently installing the tanks until much later in the build, after wing rigging and possibly painting.
Rivets vs. Screws
On our test wings and prototypes we have installed the tanks “semi-permanently” with the appropriate pulled rivets for many reasons. Below are a few thought to help you decide on whether you should use screws or rivets?
Pulled rivets
•Much less cost
•Short prep time
•Best appearance/smoother skin due to close pitch of rivets
•To remove tanks the rivets will need to drilled out. They drill out fairly easily, but will damage the paint
MS screws
•Much more expensive
•Much more prep time to install the nut plates
•More care needed to ensure good appearance
•Tanks “easily “removable but paint will still be damaged.
In the end the decision is yours, and we show the fastener pitch and specs for either choice. If you go with the machine screws we recommend painting the tank and wing separately, then installing with a stainless steel screw. This will give the best chance of not hurting the paint if tank is removed in future. In our experience removing tanks for repairs on other aircraft, either way, you will likely mess up the paint and it’s very likely a few of the screws will give you trouble coming out (strip out, break off, or destroy the nut plate). We suggest running the appropriate tap through the nut plate before installing the screw, and using “never seize” on the screw to help in removal if necessary.
