MacGyver

Uh oh. Chalk me up for a "DUH!". Of course, if the .125 plates did not have tapered bores, the pin installation from the bottom side would not have ended up as the pic showed. Back up the truck... If you can acquire a virgin set of wing fittings, you can accurately match drill them to the existing composite spar structure. This entails making some drill jigs using potted drill bushings. Based on the previous post, a good soul has a ste of fittings. If you go this route, email me for specific instructions on ensuring you accurately match all the existing .250 holes in the spar structures. You do not need a machine shop to do this, and I probably have sufficient .250 drill bushings to loan you for the task. email: ezejoe@comcast.net -Joe Person EAA Tech Counselor 4418 VariEze N79JN Bothell, WA (KPAE)

Drop the pin in from the opposite side and double-check - in the picture, you are putting the pin in from the "wrong" side of the fitting. Contact me offline if you wish to discuss options if the bores are truly not tapered. I have a 10-degree included angle mill for cutting the tapered bores (a machine shop would have to do the work), and if there is adequate edge distance ("meat" between the edge of the plates and the closest approach of the final bore), you may be fine. -Joe Person EAA Tech Counselor 4418 VariEze N79JN Bothell, WA (KPAE)

The standard VEZ wing attachment facilitates fairly quick wing removal & reinstallation. Only a few Jiram winged VEZs exist. These airplanes are unique, and trying to convert a completed "standard" VEZ to the Jiran config would entail far more work than desireable, much less the fact that you'd be pretty-much entirely on your own, regarding overall engineering design of the configuration. Jiran wings were prefabricated, and are of a hollow (inner & outer skin) type of composite construction. The centersection spar for the Jiran config would have to be built-up, and mated to the existing fuselage (lotsa work/re-work). In short, if all is well with the standard wing config & attach structures on the airplane, I'd leave it be. Jerry Gardiner has over 4000 hours on his stock VariEze (standard wing attach), and he has trailered his airplane (which requires wing removal & installation each cycle) pretty-much since day one. Properly maintained (cleaned, lubed, through-bolts torqued to 36-40 inch-pounds), the standard VEZ wing attach scheme is fine, and works very well. the fittings are good to about 16 gs, too, for what it is worth. Cheers, -Joe Person EAA Tech Counselor 4418 VariEze N79JN Bothell, WA (KPAE)

Mark, I have a nice, light VariEze based at Paine Field in Everett, WA (Home of the 747, 767, 777 and 787) - not too far from where you live, if you wish to have a look. -Joe Person VariEze N79JN Bothell, WA (KPAE)