A shot of a critical rib attach point. The 4 vertically placed clecoes are the focus of this pic. I had to use a 12 inch long drill bit to drill these 4 holes. The instructions said that using an angle drill is best, and I have one of these for my air drill. But, I could not get the drill bit to line up correctly when using the angle drill, so I opted for the long drill bit.
This step is the source of lots of controversy and discussion about how to do it correctly. Van's does not pre-drill any of these holes, and two of them go through two additional layers of metal to connect the ribs to the forward spar flange and the two angle support brackets, so correct measurements and precise trimming of parts, as well as precise drilling of the holes, is absolutely critical here. I had to bend and support the long drill bit with one hand, while running the drill with the other, which also means that the entire part had to be completely secured. I was able to put the leading edge up against the peg board wall to keep it from moving while I applied pressure on the the drill bit against the rib, drilling it from the rear side, or opposite side than the one shown here in this pic. I want to thank Ron and all the others on Van's Air Force that provided valuable info about how this should be done.
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