Here's How We Are Building Our Nieuport 11s, Page 9 -- fuselage refinements
 
The great cold of the winter of 1999-2000 slowed progress in the hangar. Though this was supposed have been the warmest winter on record, we had several weeks of 20 - 30 degree weather (which is unconscionable in the South!) Also, the fuselage jig is still up (taking space in a room that's able to be heated and cooled) since Leroy hasn't done much since his wedding last summer. Members are doing wing work in their home workshops and also adding refinements to their fuselages. Everyone's tailwheel assembly is different -- no one is using a skid since those flying Nieuports extensively have discarded them in favor of wheels. John made special gussets for his belly ribs.
 
1/2 inch to 7/8 inch gussets
belly ribs going onto special gussets
These are three of the eight gussets formed with an hydraulic press and some round steel rods. Much better than squished tubes. The first two ribs going on the fuselage. Note how the gussets fit around the 7/8" tubing. 

 
belly ribs going on
side view of belly rib assembly
Another view of the two ribs going on the fuselage. Note how the gussets fit around the 7/8" tubing. A side view of all the belly ribs.

 
lengthwise view of belly ribs
 Ray is working on his cabane struts
A lengthwise-view of the belly ribs. Since neither the plans nor other builders focused that clearly on these, this should help those who are building the N11 see where everything goes.  Ray is working on one of the rear cabane struts on his Nieuport. Note that our struts are made out of 4130 Chromolly. In the plans the aluminum was used so that welding would not be needed in the construction. We can weld and the chromolly is stronger and just about as light as the aluminum.

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