Now it's time to begin the Dan Checkoway method of fitting the tank to the wing, specifically, fitting the joint between the tank and the leading edge precisely. The first step is to drill the z-brackets to the wing spar. These are the brackets that are riveted to the back of the fuel tank, and then bolted to the wing spar. It's an ingenious way to mount the tank securely to the wing but still have it removeable if it ever becomes necessary. Positioning everything precisely so it all fits perfectly is the name of the game, and Dan's method worked very well on the left wing, so I'll do it again this time.
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Above, you can see the brackets all drilled, deburred, and ready for nutplates to be riveted on. Months ago, I had marked and drilled the center hole in each bracket when I did the left wing, and was I glad that part was done. I was able to temporarily bolt each bracket to the wing spar through the center hole, square it up on the spar, drill the other two holes using the pre-drilled holes in the spar as a guide, and then take it off and move on to the next one. These brackets are now ready to have nutplates riveted on, but I'll have to do that tomorrow. I only had a short amount of time today.
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