Lots of action today in a pretty good sized build session, so let’s jump right in. I started by looking back from the very beginning of the elevators section of the manual to make sure that I have accomplished every task along the way since I had jumped around a little bit while waiting to prime parts or waiting on tools or rivets. Along the way, I realized that I could finish up the access panels for the elevators. That is, until I discovered this little issue:
That’s right. I forgot to dimple the holes for the bolts to enter. I dimpled all of the rivet holes but neglected to do the center ones. Therefore, the picture above is one that you see AFTER I drilled out all of the rivets on this particular access piece right here. In all honestly, it was nothing terrible and I had them all out in a matter of minutes. It became frustrating however when my squeezer wouldn’t fit into this gap and make the appropriate dimples. Back to the drawing board. I found a dimple die set that can be used with a pop riveter (the exact same kind you can use for 3/32in holes) for these 1/8in holes. While I wait for that particular product to arrive, it is off to another task.
Ok, first question (and incredibly fair to ask): what exactly am I looking at!?! Well the base layer of this image would be a dining room table covered in puzzle pieces of a Light Aircraft of the 20th Century puzzle. Literally everything I do relates to aviation these days (feel bad for my wife yet? You should…). The image I would like to draw your attention to though is the trim tabs that are clamped up and placed inside for a more consistent temperature and humidity space to cure in. I was able to get the foam ribs placed and tank sealed in place. This ended up being easier than expected, but just time consuming as so many things have become. I look forward to getting these unclamped and riveted to the elevators!
Speaking of which, this is where they go. I attached the piano hinge to the trailing edge and drilled out the holes to match the elevators so far. Once the trim tabs are done, I repeat the process with the trim tabs to make sure they are lined up well and fit in place snugly. You’ll also notice the clecos still in place… still waiting for those rivets. Plenty to do while I wait, but that’s for another day. The hinges fit in place perfectly and drilled out easily. I was definitely happy with the result.
Total time today = 3 hours
Total time empennage = 125 hours
Total time aircraft = 125 hours