After much back and forth, I decided that for the process of attaching the trim tabs to the piano hinge and subsequently to the elevators, I needed to make a call to the bullpen and bring out a real ace. I think you’ll see I made precisely the right call.
She uses cleco pliers like a grizzled veteran and slides rivets into place with the poise of champion. Okay, so maybe she isn’t exactly an EAA Counselor (yet), but my daughters have been some of my biggest supporters throughout this whole process. Anytime they want to come out and help the answer is always yes. As you can see we finished drilling out the piano hinges and prepared to rivet them to the elevators and to the trim tabs before lining them up and joining them together permanently (well, at least with the piano hinge wire itself). This is one trick as well – keep the wire in place when you are riveting each side of the hinge. This keeps the individual links aligned and prevents them from drifting ever so slightly during the riveting process. The result is a smooth bending hinge that will not rub and cause failure over time. This turned out really well.
And there you have it. Two elevators joined to their trim tabs. Looking to be in great shape! Just some counterweights to shape and install and then I’m off to work on the tailcone.
Total time today = 1.5 hours
Total time empennage = 126.5 hours
Total time aircraft = 126.5 hours