Trimming the Stiffeners for the Elevators

I started work on the elevators tonight.  I have the rudder parts ready for priming, so I tucked it away on the shelf to get the elevator to the priming stage then I will do them together to save time.  Like the rudder, the elevators use stiffeners that have to … Continue reading

Fitting the Rudder Counterweight and Beginning Metal Prep

I only spent about an hour on the project tonight.  All I have left on the rudder is to fit the counterweight and then start the process of deburring, dimpling, and edge finishing so I can get the parts ready for priming.  I am seriously considering building an air tight … Continue reading

Assembling the Rudder Skeleton

After a short break, I started on the second work session for tonight.  I had finished up the rudder stiffeners prior, and now its time to construct the rudder skeleton.  The assembly starts off by clecoing R-904 rib to the spar R-902.  Once its clecoed, we need to wide the … Continue reading

Finishing the Rudder Stiffeners

Tonight I finished up the rudder stiffeners.  I filed down all the corners and smoothed the edges down.  After that I ran them over the scotchbrite wheel to get the edges completely smooth and burr free.  Once I had the edges and corners took care of, I moved on to … Continue reading

Fitting the Stiffeners to the Rudder

I started on the sections of the plans labeled “Building the Rudder” and more specifically, the sub-section “Fitting the Stiffeners to the Rudder”. The rudder is made of thin .016″ aluminum, so Vans uses tiny L-shaped brackets called stiffeners to help support the skin, and keep it from wobbling.  In … Continue reading

Assembling and Riveting the Vertical Stabilizer

Tonight I worked about 4 hours and completed the Vertical Stabilizer, except for the rear spar, which I am leaving off until the EAA Tech Counselor can come by and take a look at my work.  This will give them access to view and check my riveting and assemblies.  Once … Continue reading

Riveting the Vertical Stabilizer Rear Spar

I worked about 2 hours tonight on the vertical stabilizer rear spar. I also spent a few minutes coming up with a way to mount my horizontal stabilizer on the wall to keep it safe and out of the way.  For about 2 bucks in hardware, here’s what I came … Continue reading

Finishing the Horizontal Stabilizer Skin

I was able to finish up riveting on the skins of both sides of the horizontal stabilizer.  I had only planned to rivet on the right side skin to HS-702 front spar and HS-708 rib, but that only took about a half hour to complete.  So, I decided I should … Continue reading