Today's goal was to finish up what I could on the landing light for the left wing.  Basically, I had to finish the following:

• Drill the plexiglas to the wing skin holes.
• Dimple the wing skin and countersink the plexiglas mounting holes.
• Mount nutplates to the reinforcement plates used to attach the plexiglas to the wing.
• Mount the XenDrive HID Ballast.
• INSTALL IT ALL IN THE LEADING EDGE.

The Duck states to use some fiberglass reinforcement strapping tape to pull the plexiglas tight up against the leading edge skin.  I made two tape handles for Tami to pull on to tighten the plexiglas up against the skin.  I applied a hair dryer up to the plexiglas to warm it up above 70 degrees.  I just wanted that extra margin to prevent, if I could, cracking the plexiglas.  I am beginning to "see the light at the end of the tunnel" and I don't want anymore fabrication set backs....

The Duck's instructions state that you can dimple the skins plexiglas attach holes this to a #30.  Well, I didn't like the fit!!!!  So I had a test hole on some scrap aluminum that I dimpled with a #6 dimple die and the fit of the screw head was MUCH BETTER.  After drilling the holes for the plexiglas, I drilled out the wing skin attach holes to #26 so that I could fit the #6 screw dimple die into the hole.  A quick test fit with the attach screws proved I had a nice fit.

I didn't take any pictures of countersinking the plexiglas lens.  Two points of advice include:

• Leave as much tape around the hole as possible so that the countersink cage doesn't scratch the plexiglas lens.
• Take it slow.  The lens is curved so it makes it a slight challenge to get a nice even countersink.

Now that the plexiglas lens is ready for the leading edge, I moved on to the light bracket.  One thing that I didn't totally solve on the right wing is how to route the wiring from XenDrive igniter to the lamp.  In the picture below to the right of the lamp, I mounted a nutplate to which I could attach a cushion clamp on the back of the lighting bracket.

The idea here was to route and immobilize the wiring between the lamp and the XenDrive ballast.

This is what my wire routing looks like so far.  I still have to figure out how I want to get the wire permanently routed out to the igniter so that it doesn't chafe the wire as it passes through the outboard rib.  I have an idea or two, but that is going to be a log entry for another day.....

Okay, I have the plexiglas countersunk, the weather stripping installed, and the aluminum reinforcement mounting plates stuck to the back with double sided tape.  Now how to get it in that hole in the wing without scratching it.

A few tense moments sliding it through the hole and viola...  the lens is attached to the wing skin.

My gap(s) between the lens and the skin are consistent with the results I got on the right wing.  There is a ever so slight gap between the two, but I also have to remember / keep in mind that there is weather stripping installed between the two surfaces.

Overall, I am pretty happy with the form fit and function of the landing light.  All I have to do is solve my permanent wire routing to the igniter and mount the igniter to the outboard leading edge like I did for the right wing.

I am still wrapping up a lot of little wings tasks at this point.  I am getting more and more anxious to get started on that Fuselage.