The next step is preparing the counterweight ribs and fitting them to the counterweight skin and spar.

Counterweight skin fitted to spar

I had to spend an entire evening trying to get this skin fitted correctly. I eventually found out that the skin wasn’t bent correctly at the factory and while I was able to get the skin fitted, the incorrect bends made the leading edge of the counterweight slightly skewed. Van’s says it’s ok, and I decided to use the skin as-is. The skin can be easily checked for a correct bend by simply setting it down on a flat surface with the skin sides vertical. If the skin’s bottom edges sit flat against the surface, it’s probably ok.