While fitting the outrigger assembly to the outboard double-W18 plates
in the wing, I discovered that the fit was not very snug. It appears
that I might not have clamped the plates properly when I bonded the
W18's into the wing long time ago. The plates are not perfectly
parallel; the leading edge of the W18's are fine, but the trailing edge
is 1-2mm wider than necessary. If I bolt the outrigger assembly this
way, it may pull the W18 plates inwards and cause undue stress. The
thought of removing one of the W18 plates with a heat gun and
re-bonding did cross my mind, but that seems a bit extreme. Is there
anything wrong with shimming the gap with some aluminum sheets? Any
advice would be appreciated.
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