Rib Bending Template

This is a grid drawing, by Dick Lemons, of the two bending fixtures we used to bend the ribs on the upper and lower wings of the Nieuports.

The "fence" on the left side is from a broken hockey stick. The piece of wood the bending templates are screwed is 3/4" ply and the templates are from 3/4" ply. Make two templates, one for each style wing. The little block to the upper right on the lower wing rib template is the STOP for the rib. That's as far as you need to bend it. This pattern, or course will probably have to be fine tuned a little bit but it should work.

Here's a step-by-step demonstration by Dick Lemons of the Rib Bending jig
making an upper wing rib for the Nieuport 11.
(You can click on the thumbnails to get a larger image)

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Here Dick shows you the template.

rib-bend-2.JPG (47223 bytes)
The fence on the left of the board under Dick's right hand is from an old hockey stick.

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Here Dick is showing the directions we have written on the jig.

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The blank rib is marked in two places: the bitter end and the point where the fish-mouth for the leading edge is going to be cut.
rib-bend-5.JPG (60549 bytes)
The rib is placed in the jig and by pulling OUT AND DOWN you can bend the rib without kinking.		 rib-bend-6.JPG (59928 bytes)
Still pulling out and down, Dick starts to finish the bend by approaching the stop on the board.		 rib-bend-7.JPG (67377 bytes)
The rib is held in position for about 15 seconds to allow the metal to "sit" and start to remember what just happened to it.		 rib-bend-8.JPG (58564 bytes)
The finished rib shows the amount of "spring back" that is built into the jib to give you the desired final result.