With the tail kit nearly complete, we ordered up the wing kit for pick-up over Christmas break 2000. We took the 1.5hr drive over to Mexico, MO on 28 December to retrieve our next major component. Although it was a bit of a tight squeeze, we got the complete wing kit packed in our trusty Dodge Dakota. The wing spars were the toughest challenge since they are each 14 feet long. Fortunately, they slid nicely through the pass-thru window and onto the dashboard with very little overhang in the back.
The tip to Mexico was made complete with another demo ride in the 801! It was kind of like a booster shot to keep reminding me what we're working toward.
During the next two weeks, I studied the wing manual and began collecting lessons learned from other 801 wing graduates. I also asked ZAC for any updates to the manual that had not been posted recently. Having incorporated all the best background available into my wing manual, we began the wing fabrication on 13 Jan. 2001. We conducted our second EAA Technical Counselor inspection on 1 June prior to closing the wing's upper skin. The wing was completed and stored in it's holding cradles on 3 June 2001. The following pages chronicle our progress on the Right Hand Wing. |
