After all that work match drilling, deburring, and priming it is time to get back to the really fun part – assembling it all permanently with rivets. This really is the fun part, if not the most challenging. You really do need to keep focused on the task at hand and make sure you are following the steps in the right order or else you’ll be spending more time drilling out rivets.
It all started by clecoing the parts back together that would need to be assembled with rivets. Here is Anne going to town on the right elevator. Also, I do recognize that once again I will be making the promise here to clean up my shop and make it easier to get work done. I’ll get there – I promise. In the meantime, while Anne was clecoing those parts together I made the stunning realization that I did not follow my own advice of reading ahead and knowing what you are doing at all times in advance. So here is the next wonderful revelation:
I did not scuff and clean the spots where the foam ribs would go at the trailing edge of the elevators. So I had to tape off the areas, sand them down with 150 grit aluminum oxide sandpaper, clean the area with acetone, then remove all of the tape and see how I did. Not bad I’d say. It looks like a great bonding surface for the tank sealant to mate up with the foam ribs. In the grand scheme of things, not a huge whoops at all.
Riveted together Anne’s handiwork, but also remember it is x2. Everything you see here on the elevators is being done to both the right and left elevator (unless pictured together of course). That’s a good looking row of rivets if I do say so myself!
I ended the day with adding the reinforcement and nut plates (x2) to each of the leading edge elevator spars. Then I riveted on the white horns you see pictured above. So far it has been pretty smooth sailing with no drill-outs or significant setbacks to speak of. I have come to the place where I need to dimple some nut plates but I don’t have a narrow body female die for my dimpler. I’m reviewing my options, but it’s likely going to involve just ordering one from Cleveland Tool since I’ll be out of town for the next week. That will leave plenty of time for it to come in and I don’t need to spend any serious amount of time trying to sand down and existing bit to the detriment of it ever working well again.
Just a preview into the coming weeks – I will be spending a good bit of time when I’m out of town researching what I want to do about ordering my wing kit. It is just about time to consider that with the lead times being what they are. More to come!
Total time today = 4 hours
Total time empennage = 99 hours
Total time aircraft = 99 hours