Will,

 

While the fuselage is still upright, carefully level it both in pitch and laterally using the longerons.  The lateral level location on the longeron should be marked, say at the same fs location as the face of the main spar.  Choose a consistent way to locate the level for pitch on both longerons.  Make any "level relevant" markings you like on bl 50 ribs, wing tips, firewall and/or tail.  Remember that the first line the designer drew was the longeron.

 

When you are preparing the jig supports (all of them), you may want to transfer a level line to the jig (away from the wing camber cut-out) and then screw two blocks on that line so that each jig can be also leveled in pitch.  You should make a simple (but long) water level for a variety of uses as you continue - i.e. wing tip to wing tip jig for a lateral level check.

 

When inverted and resting on supports, the longeron should not be padded since that is one of your crucial leveling surfaces and you will probably be using shims to get everything set up.

 

Good luck,

 

In a message dated 4/24/2009 10:10:09 P.M. Central Daylight Time, w.holden@insightbb.com writes:

Hey, everyone.  I am leveling my fuse inverted to get started on the wings.  I bought by project second-hand and I was wondering how you all have done this, getting the fuse level that is.  The book says that a table or two saw horses will do.  Which has worked best for everyone?  My center section is already bonded.  Should I use the marks on the BL50 ribs to level the plane fore and aft and side to side?  I can't get to the the hole the manual states is on the firewall to check with the tail reference for the fore/aft level.  The metal is already installed over the wood firewall.  I have a super fast build kit with just about all of the wing structure done.  So I need to make the jig support at the BL50 rib or will just the tips work?  What kind of padding should I use on the longerons once the plane is inverted?  Seems to me that anything is going to deform and make subsequent measurements a little bit off.  If anyone has pictures, comments, tricks, or lessons learned, I greatly appreciate it!

 

Will