Panel, some more trimming

Trimmed a bit on the elevator. Started investigating on panel. Got the XPanel software and tried lots of different configurations. I ended up (for now... ) on analog flight instruments and the rest digital.

Deburred and primed elevator ribs

Deburred and primed left elevator ribs and left elevator stiffeners. Also had to cut out from the aft spar to make space for the control horn. Definitely should have done that before everything was riveted together, but it worked out OK. Had to prime the HS after cutting, so I primed the whole aft end. Stupid thing with two component primer, there is a minimum amount when mixing, so there will allways be too much, and if it is too litle, I have to mix another batch, so it will be too much no matter what. Will do the same with the VS, it looks so much better when all the pen marking are (almost) gone.

Put some blue anti fouling on the boat as well on one side. Soon it will be on the water.

Riveted right elevator skeleton, started on left

Riveted together the the tip ribs on the right elevator. Had some primer left in the gun, so I primed the pop rivets in the rudder skeleton as well. Started on the left elevator, simply studying the drawings and parts trying to figure out how this all fit together.

More priming

Did some more priming. Riveted on the brackets for the elevator hinges and the hinge nut.

Priming elevator parts

Primed some elevator parts. Ordered a bunch of vareous CherryMax rivets after looking at some videos at EAA "Hints for Homebuilders". Replaced the sole 4/32 solid rivet with a 5/32 rivet in the R-410. It simply looked way too strange with three different kind of rivets there.

Rudder and elevator

I was going to prime, but run out of gloves. Have to put pop rivets (LP4-3) in R-410 because none of my tools fit inside, and I have already riveted the assembly together. Due to some drilling difficulties, I will have one 4/32 and one 5/32 solid rivet, and two LP4-3 rivets. This looks strange, but is perfectly OK.

Drilled holes in elevator hinge plate

Drilled the holes in the attachment plates for the elevator hinge. Then I did a cleanup of the whole shop (long overdue). Wrote into the build logbook all the things done last year(copyed from this blog). This logbook will follow the airplane throughout its lifetime.

Elevator hinges and horn

Drilled the tip ribs of the right elevator spar together. Drilled it to the spar with the angle. Position the horn and drilled it to the spar, then made holes for the hinge bolts and started fine adjusting the elevator in to its proper position on the HS.

Details on elevator

Couldn't figure out how to position the bend on the lower flange on E-404 to mate with the spar. Instead I made an angle that I will rivet on to the spar and E-404. Marked rivets and fluted the elevator ribs.

elevator stiffeners and horn

Riveted on the stiffeners to the right elevator skin.




Started fitting the elevator horn and went straight into problems again. The elevator horn has pre punched holes. The problem is that the inner most holes are punched at least 3-4/16 too far in, so they interfere with flange of the E-409 rib. I didn't notice that before the spar and rib already was riveted together. Had to drill the rivets out and file 3/16 off the flange, and rivet together again. From the drawings and manual it is obvious that the horn originally was not pre-punched. Not a big deal, but still.

Elevator skeleton and priming

Made the skeleton for the right elevator. Primed the skin, stiffeners, skeleton and the rest of the bits for the rudder.

Elevator skin ready for priming and dimpling

Finished the right elevator skin and all the stiffeners. Drilled all the holes and deburred. It is now ready for priming and dimpling.

Elevator and rudder

Finished the rudder. Deburring and dimpling and fine trimming. My controller has to come and look at the rudder and VS before I rivet on the skin.

Started on the right elevator. Measured up and fabricated the stiffeners.