On Friday, August 26, 2016 at 7:32:30 AM UTC-4, Dave Nadler wrote:
On Friday, August 26, 2016 at 2:32:43 AM UTC-4, wrote:
Alignment suggestion: how about a simple sight gauge?
A removable fixture sitting on top of the fuselage (maybe 1” pvc pipe
attached to a FG saddle) which "fixes" two vertical “whiskers” aligning
perpendicular to the fuselage center-line. These “whiskers” would be spaced
as far apart as possible without interfering with walking out the wing. With the fixture on the fuselage top “sweet spot", just "gun sight" the
whiskers while out at the tip until properly aligned with a reference
point on your wing. Wing should then be positioned close enough to align
dead on within the adjustable travel of the rigger base if needed.

Hi Marshall - Perhaps I don't understand? A sight-gauge on the fuselage
won't help if my eye (at the root) is in the right location, but the
center of the wing (in the dolly) is not.

Sorry Dave...laughing at myself because I left out the most important piece of the rigger locating concept. Pull the fuselage out and ready it to put the wings on. Place the "whisker saddle" on the top of the fuselage. You know the rigger vertical post will always be "X" paces out from the fuselage when you are ready to slide the spar into the fuselage. So before you pull the wing out, walk out from the fuselage those same "X" paces, "gun sight" the whiskers to create an imaginary alignment plane and position a marker on the ground at intersection of X paces and alignment plane. Now just jockey the rigger vertical post until it is over the marker you placed on the ground and you should be aligned within the travel adjustment of the rigger base. With both wings on, remove whisker saddle and pick up ground markers. Very simple and very few pieces.


I think you could also fashion a simple battery powered "fan line laser" rig to create the alignment plane. Position the laser rig (dollar bill footprint) in the fuselage spar box, shoot the fan line, and place the ground marker. Remove laser rig before inserting wing. Laser would have to be bright enough to see in the daytime. Watch this video for concept of fan laser rig. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxf7_bRIIWw . Here is one of many laser parts house http://www.greenlasermodules.com/index.html .

Beauty is this would work for any sailplane and any rigger.

Bests.