 |
| using my pop rivet dimpler to dimple the elevator skins |
 |
| I ran out of AN4-3 rivets. I have to order more and this will help remind me to put it in when I get them. |
After finishing up the elevator dimpling I moved on to the rudder assembly. For some reason I thought I was about done with the rudder, but here it is 8 pm in the evening and I am still not done. I am close. I am ready to epoxy the trailing edge and let it sit while I am out of town this week. By the time I get back it should be ready for the riveting. I guess I will find out if its as hard as they say to get and keep a strait trailing edge.
I will say I goofed twice today. I riveted the bottom of the rudder without installing the fairing attach strips. So, I had to drill out about 20 rivets and re-install them with the strips in place. I also got my first chance to use the blind rivets (pop rivets) that are beveled. In the picture below you can see how narrow the trailing edge gets, well I couldn't get a bucking bar in there, nor could I get my squeezer in there. So, Van's conveniently includes the option to use the blind rivets. They came out pretty good.
The other goof was when I riveted the counter balance rib to the wrong side of the spar. Drilled out two rivets and put it in correctly. Sometime it seems no matter how many times I look at the plans I miss things.
 |
| Angle cleco'd on and ready for epoxy tomorrow morning |
 |
| Rudder mostly assembled and riveted. Waiting on trailing edge. |
Its miller time...well I guess that Coors light time since that's all I have. :-)
