With match-drilling and priming complete, I started riveting the aforementioned aileron brackets, gap seals and flap hinge braces onto the wings. The only gotcha on finishing and riveting the brackets together is that some rivets require countersinking to to avoid interference with the aileron as it moves, and it’s easy to countersink the wrong side of the bracket. Ask me how I know.

So after riveting the brackets themselves together *and making sure to insert those spiffy little captured bearings you see in the picture below) it was time to rivet them onto the rear spars. I was able to do some of these by myself, but some of them required a two-person approach. Captain John was able to come up for a few hours and provide some always-appreciated help. Here are the same two brackets featured in the March 7 installment, except now they’re permanently attached. Cool.

The right wing mirrors what you see above. The aileron gap seals go on after the brackets, and John helped here as well…

…and also with the flap hinge braces.

With all that complete, it’s off to the ailerons.