Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Ailerons structurally complete, on to rigging

I finished up the priming and riveting of the flaps this past week.  Nothing new in the pictures but I did remember to take a picture of the backing bar I use for the back-riveting of trailing edges.  This 1/2" x 1" x 48" stainless steel bar really makes the job much easier and quicker with less chance of warping along the trailing edge.

Update to the 9A oil cooler project.  Last weekend I was sitting at the run up area for an extended period of time on a moderately warm day with the engine running.  During that period the oil temperature got up to about 201 but as soon as we got some air moving over the cowling the temperature dropped to 185 and stayed there.  I am curios to see how this will change on a hot day with a long taxi like we see at Oshkosh.  I may have to go back to the larger inlet ring and restrict the outlet (already planned) when needed.  All that said 201 degrees is not bad,  the caution alert doesn't come on until 220 and the red line is 240 I think.

Now its on to rigging the aileron controls and then starting work on the flaps.

One of the ailerons as I was riveting the skins on.
Weighted down and almost ready for back riveting of the trailing edge.  Notice that I am using a continuous 1/2" stainless steel bar as a back rivet surface.  I purchased this a while ago for this purpose and it allows me to do all of the rivets without moving the aileron around.  Works very well.

"Acorns in a hole" as the Van's plans describe it.  This is the back side of the double flush rivets.  Because you are forcing the rivet into a hole it tends to bend the dimples a bit as you can see from the reflection of a few.

Almost perfectly straight!

Top side of the aileron.  Nicely set back rivets.