Making the Wing Roots

Making a set of presentable wing roots turned out to be one of the easiest tasks. By the time we managed to start this part of the F-100 project, we had a much better handle on the process that lead from a set of paper drawings to the metal cutting, forming, and assembly. (Aside from those facts, these parts were really simple ... so there were no surprises.) Therefore, I decided to keep this page really brief.

Figure 1, cell 01 shows the steps in the process ... from the paper drawings to the ribs and skin. (Yes, I plead guilty to simplifying the much more complex internal structure of the real thing, but the main ribs and small spars are accurate, as is the presentation of the wing root skin surface.)

Cell 02 shows the completed wing roots, while cell 03 shows how one of the wing roots is displayed in my F-100 building. (The hanging wall sign was made by a friend of ours, Joanne Kallenberger, who presented it to me as a birthday present. The painting is one of many in the F-100 building. This one is by John Kocon.)

Note: You can enlarge the pictures by clicking on them. Many of the pictures can be enlarged some more by placing the cursor on them and clicking again. Then maximize the window to get an even closer look.

Figure 1 Tracing the Wing Root Manufacture
Cell 01
Basic Steps
A composite picture that shows the basic wing root manufacturing process. Click on the picture to enlarge it.
Cell 02
Completed wing roots
Picture of the completed wing roots. Click on the picture to enlarge it.
Cell 03
Display
A picture of the wing roots displayed in the F-100 building. Click on the picture to enlarge it.

At this point, I have not yet decided if I want to attach these wing roots to the fuselage. For one thing, when we move the fuselage from Steve's place to the F-100 Building, the display space is limited. Still, attaching these wing roots will probably make the fuselage display more impressive and a bit of re-arranging of the current displays will probably make it possible to preserve the necessary bit of "walk-around" space. Anyway, I'll update this page if the wing roots will be attached to the fuselage ...

While the rebuilding and restoring efforts are important, please remember that the main focus of the F-100 project is its database. If you can supply stories and pictures that reflect your experience with the Hun, please do so. (You can click on the Contact me link to send me an email.) The objective is to develop a very comprehensive personal history of the Hun and of the people who flew and maintained her. You and the Hun deserve to be remembered in your own words.

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