Apr 21, 2024     25-06 - Bulkhead Reaming - (0.5 hour)       Category: 25 Mid-Fuse

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
04/21/24 – 0.5h
The final step in this section is to ream a handful of holes from the forward and aft center bulkhead assemblies through bulkhead webs and side angles. The instructions laid out a specific process to complete this task, which worked well. My only addition to the procedure was to use a Drill Guide to help ensure no side loads on the holes during the reaming process.
[.311 Reamer, .375 Reamer, Drill Guide]

  Apr 20, 2024     25-05 - Forward Center Section Bulkhead - (9.8 hours)       Category: 25 Mid-Fuse

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
3/9/24 – 1.3h
3/12/24 – 1.2h
3/13/24 – 0.9h
This step starts with two pieces that are split apart to make a total of four parts. I separated the parts for this step when I separated parts in the first step of this section. The band saw made quick work of separating all of the parts for this section. Fine-tuning the parts with files and grinder wheels, followed by deburring, yielded nicely finished parts.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, Band Saw, Flat File, Bench Grinder with 6” Scotch Brite Cut and Polish Wheel, Dremel with Metal Cutting Disk]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
3/14/24 – 0.3h
3/23/24 – 0.3h
Most of the final prep was countersinking holes in the top and bottom flanges of the Forward Center Section Bulkhead. The #40 holes in the top flange are countersunk for rivets to attach nut plates. The #30 and #40 holes in the bottom flange are countersunk to accept dimples in the bottom fuselage skin. There are also three holes in each bearing bracket brace to countersink prior to attaching the bearing bracket angles.
[#30 Countersink Cutter, #40 Countersink Cutter; Microstop Countersink Cage]

Prime
3/14/24 – 0.4h
3/23/24 – 0.1h
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
3/23/24 – 0.2h
3/25/24 – 1.1h
4/15/24 – 0.6h
4/19/24 – 0.6h
4/20/24 – 2.8h
The two bearing brace assemblies are each made by riveting a bearing bracket angle to the end of a bearing bracket brace. The bearing brace assemblies are installed between the two inboard cover ribs on each side of the airplane, and provide a rigid structure for the bearing brackets attached to the cover ribs.

I installed the nutplates to the top flange of the Forward Center Section Bulkhead at the same time as I did the Aft Center Section Bulkhead. I was in nutplate mode, and this was an efficient way to quickly complete both. I hung the spar from the edge of the workbench, clamped it securely in place, and used the pneumatic squeezer with flat sets to set the rivets for the nutplates.

Attaching the side angles to the forward bulkhead was similar to the process used on the aft bulkhead. The side angles have one bolt installed at this time near the top of the bulkhead, and rivets in the top and bottom most holes help keep things aligned. Clecos do the rest to hold everything together during riveting. Like before, I used the C-Frame for the universal head rivets with excellent results.

The final assembly step was attaching the cover ribs and bearing brace assemblies to the Forward Center Section Bulkhead. I started by inserting bolts in the top and bottom holes of the cover ribs, and then ensured the ribs were aligned using rivets in the remaining top and bottom holes prior to tightening the nuts to the final torque. The easiest setup for me to install the bolts and rivets was to lay the bulkhead across two saw horses with the cover ribs hanging down. I set all of the rivets on the cover ribs with the pneumatic squeezer, but had to use varying yoke sizes to get clean looks at each rivet through the bulkhead lightening holes.

After the cover ribs are completely installed, this step is finished with the attachment of the bearing brace assemblies to the cover ribs and bulkhead. I started by attaching the bearing brace assemblies to the cover rib with the bearing bracket by installing two structural screws with washers and nuts in each. I used the torque wrench set to 25 in-lbs to torque the nuts on the screw. There are 2 rivets opposite the screws that get set next. The pneumatic squeezer did a nice job with these, but clearance on the rivet closest to the bulkhead is very tight. I set the final three rivets in each assembly to the bulkhead with a rivet gun and bucking bar. One note on the final three rivets - they are longer than the rivets used to attach to cover ribs to the bulkhead. The rivet size is specified in the drawing, but it is easy to overlook. I figured it out after using the shorter rivet and noticing that the shop head was not formed correctly. I drilled out the short rivet, and continued with the longer rivets - all good!
[Pneumatic Squeezer, 1” Yoke, 2 1/2" Longeron Yoke, 3” Yoke, Flat Squeezer Set, Torque Wrench, C-Frame, Cupped Set, 3x Rivet Gun, Long Cupped Rivet Set, Tungsten Bucking Bar]

  Apr 19, 2024     25-04 - Cover Ribs - (7.2 hours)       Category: 25 Mid-Fuse

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
4/7/24 – 3.0h
This step is all about preparing the cover ribs that attach to the forward side of the forward center section bulkhead. I waited to start this step until the replacements for my laser-cut cover ribs arrived from Vans. Vans recommended replacement of the cover ribs since the center two ribs on both the left and right sides of the airplane support the control sticks, which means lots of cycles and additional loads.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
4/7/24 – 0.5h
One cover rib each on the left and right side is prepared a little differently than the other six. The different cover ribs have three nutplates on the top flange, and are used to mount the bearing brackets built in the previous step. Most of the #40 holes in the top, forward, and bottom flanges of all eight cover ribs are dimpled, and the holes that are not are clearly marked in the plans drawing.

The top flange of the left and right cover ribs that are different from the rest have two #19 holes that are drilled #17 and dimpled for.a #8 screw. Due to the large dimples in the top flanges of these two ribs, a relatively small forward flange near the bottom of the cover rib, and the close proximity of several #40 holes, I went with a reduced diameter #40 dimple die. The reduced diameter cleared the large dimples, small flanges, and adjacent close holes, and is definitely the way to go to avoid damaging the part.
Pneumatic Drill, #17 Drill Bit, Pneumatic Squeezer, #8 Screw Dimple Die, #40 Reduced Diameter Dimple Die]

Prime
4/7/24 – 0.6h
4/8/24 – 0.5h
4/10/24 – 0.5h
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
4/10/24 – 1.7h
4/19/24 – 0.4h
This step doesn't have much in the way of assembly - attach a few nut-plates and a couple bearing brackets to the cover ribs. There are, however, some assembly considerations during this step.

First, the top flange of each cover rib gets nutplates attached. Most cover ribs get two nutplates - one near the forward end of the flange and one near the aft end of the flange. Two cover ribs get three nutplates, which are different than the ones used on the other cover ribs and are relatively close together. For these cover ribs, I started with the nutplate in the center, then moved to the forward and aft nutplates. Pay attention to the rivet specs, the length changes depending on the nutplate that is getting attached. I found the pneumatic squeezer with a short yoke did a really good job setting the rivets on the all the nutplates on all of the cover ribs.

The second assembly step is to rivet the bearing brackets to the cover ribs with the 3 nutplates on the top flange. I switched to a longer 3” yoke to provide better access to the rivets, and used the pneumatic squeezer to set these rivets, too. The rivets are long (AN426AD4-8) because the bearing brackets are relatively thick. I had to use thin squeezer sets to give the pneumatic squeezer enough clearance to set the rivets. Another option that I used on the second bearing bracket was to back rivet the bearing assembly to the cover rib. That also worked really well, but one rivet still had to be squeezed because it is just too close to the two adjacent rivets for the back rivet set to fit.

The thing that jumped out at me during this process is the large number of AD4 rivets used to attach bearing brackets to one left and one right cover rib. There are a total of eight rivets that are closely spaced on this fairly small part. The bearings will support the control sticks, and need to be strong to avoid a control issue in flight. Given the loads and loading frequency on the bearing brackets, braces, and cover ribs; it makes sense that these parts are made from thick pieces of aluminum, anchored with lots of rivets and screws to multiple cover ribs and the bulkhead, and that Vans replaced the laser cut cover ribs with punched parts to avoid potential part cracking and failure issues.
[Pneumatic Squeezer, 1” Yoke, 3” Yoke, Flat Squeezer Sets, Small Back Rivet Plate, 3x Rivet Gun, Back Rivet Set, #19 Drill]

  Apr 05, 2024     25-03 - Aft Center Section Bulkhead - (8.3 hours)       Category: 25 Mid-Fuse

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
3/3/24 – 1.1h
This is the first of two steps to prepare the aft-center and forward-center bulkheads. Eventally, these two bulkheads will sandwich the wing spar to attach the wings to the fuselage. The two bulkheads are prepared (alodined and critical/large rivets set) and delivered just like the wing spar. This step is focused on the aft-center section bulkhead. There aren't many parts for this step, so initial prep goes pretty quickly. [Hole and Edge Deburring Tools]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
3/6/24 – 0.8h
3/8/24 – 0.3h
3/9/24 – 0.2h
3/23/24 – 0.4h
Every part in this step has holes to countersink. I hung the bulkhead from the edge of the work bench and secured it with clamps to countersink the flanges. This technique kept the work at bench level, and was more secure than clamping the bulkhead to the top of the bench. I countersunk the top flange holes for flush rivets to attach nut plates, and flipped the bulkhead over to countersink the bottom holes for the bottom fuselage skin dimples. The guideline to go 0.007” (seven clicks) deeper for the dimpled skin countersinks than the flush rivet countersinks worked well for me.

Each side angle gets two countersunk holes in the web of the angle. Take time to study the drawings to identify the correct two holes. The other parts in this step are the bearing bracket assemblies. There are two bearing bracket assembly drawings on the sheet for this step. At first glance, I didn't notice a difference, but upon closer inspection the drawings are mirror images of each other - one is for the right assembly and one is for the left. I started with the #40 holes, and had some problems countersinking the forward-most holes in the bearing brackets. The holes are very close to some irregular shaped edges, and there wasn't enough surface to hold the countersink cage square to the hole. The result was a couple of bad countersinks and a trip to the Vans webstore to purchase some more. The bearing brackets will eventually carry loads from the control sticks, so it's worth it to make sure these are prepared and assembled correctly to preserve their strength.

After I sorted out the #40 holes in the bearing brackets, I moved on to the #30 holes. This is where the left and right assembly drawings matter. The exterior sides of the #40 holes are countersunk in both the inboard and outboard parts for double-flush riveting. The #30 holes are only countersunk in the outboard part of the assembly. Countersinking the #30 holes went smoothly - no issues like I had with the #40 holes.

The bearing brackets also have two #19 holes that are countersunk for the head of AN509-8R12 screws. Like the #30 holes, the #19 holes are only countersunk on the outboard side of the assembly. I countersunk the #19 holes by hand using a hole deburring handle with the #19 countersink cutter attached, and inserting the deburring tool into a 5/8” drill guide to keep it square with the part. The bench setup for this technique took a little thought, but ultimately worked out well. I deburred each hole slowly, regularly checking the depth with a screw head. A little care and patience resulted in really good countersunk holes.
[#30 Countersink Cutter, #40 Countersink Cutter; Microstop Countersink Cage; Electric Drill, #19 Countersink Cutter; Deburring Tool, Drill Guide]

Prime
3/8/24 – 0.2h
3/9/24 – 0.9h
3/12/24 – 0.3h
3/23/24 – 0.1h
Priming followed my standard process of scuffing, cleaning, degreasing, and priming parts after they are fully prepped and ready for assembly. In addition, I used a Q-Tip to prime the holes that had been countersunk in the aft-center bulkhead flanges.
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
3/17/24 – 0.5h
3/24/24 – 2.4h
4/5/24 – 1.1h
The first assembly step was installing the nutplates to the top flange of the aft-center bulkhead. Once again, I hung the spar from the edge of the workbench and clamped it securely in place. I then used the pneumatic squeezer with flat sets to set the rivets for the nutplates.

Attaching the side angles came next. The instructions specify inserting 4 AN-6 temporary bolts through the side angle and spar webs. I decided to get some 5/8” bolts at the hardware store for this, so I wouldn't damage the AN-6 bots and nuts that will be used for final assembly. I started riveting with the 2 flush AN426 rivets. That allowed me to back-rivet with a small back-rivet plate before the universal head rivets were in the way. From there I switched to the C-Frame for the universal head rivets using the same technique as the previous step.

The bearing bracket assemblies, which had counter-sinking issues earlier, also had some riveting problems that led to yet another trip to the Vans webstore for replacement parts. The first issue is the AN426AD3-7 rivets specified for the bearing brackets are too long to double-flush rivet. The shop head complete fills the countersink and leaves a significant tail that has to be filed flush with the bracket. I used 3-6 rivets during my second attempt, which worked much better. The 3-6 rivet still leaves a tail, but it is much shorter and easier to file flush. The other gotcha is the riveting method. I chose back-riveting with the part securely clamped to a small back-rivet plate. This method works well as long as you account for the actual bearing that sits just proud of the bracket. In other words, the assembly has to be clamped to the back-rivet plate in a way that allows complete back-riveting without affecting the bearing. I didn't account for that correctly the first time and the result was a very stiff bearing sandwiched inside the bearing bracket assembly. I ended up removing the rivets to pull the assembly apart and inspect the bearing. The bearing was fine, and moved freely and smoothly outside the bearing assembly. I was more careful with the bearing placement relative the back-rivet plate for the second attempt, and the bearing now moves freely in the assembly.
[Pneumatic Squeezer, 1” Yoke, 3X Rivet Gun, Back Rivet Plate, Back Rivet Set, C-Frame, Cupped Set]

  Apr 04, 2024     25-02 - Bulkhead Bottom Channel - (11.9 hours)       Category: 25 Mid-Fuse

NOTE: This step contains several laser-cut parts that Van's determined should be replaced. Therefore, I will only be able to prep the punched parts in this step for now. I will finish the parts prep and assemblies when Van's sends the replacement parts to me.

The laser-cut replacement parts arrived on 3/28/24! I got quite a bit done in several steps while waiting for them, and the shipment of replacement parts timed out well to keep the build sequence on track. I'm back into full-on build mode :).

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
2/26/24 – 0.8h
2/27/24 – 1.0h
3/2/24 – 1.1h
3/3/24 – 0.3h
3/29/24 – 1.9h
A few parts in this section, including the bulkhead bars for this step, are manufactured from a single piece of aluminum and have to be separated. I set up the bandsaw and separated all of the parts for the mid-fuselage bulkhead section. After the standard hole and edge deburring of all the parts for this step, I skipped forward a bit to complete the bulkhead bar assemblies. I bought a handful of 3/8” bolts and nuts at the hardware store, and used those to temporarily bolt the bulkhead bars together, I then inserted a 3/8” bolt with 1/4" worth of nylon and metal washers into the outboard-most hole of the bulkhead bars to prepare for double-flush riveting later in this step.
[Band Saw, Flat File, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
3/3/24 – 0.4h
3/22/24 – 0.1h
3/31/24 – 0.4h
The two pairs of F-01405B Bulkhead Bars are assembled by double-flush riveting them together before they are bolted to the Bulkhead Bottom Channel and eventually bolted to the rear spar of each wing. The plans make it very clear that the bars are to be double-flush riveted, but the plans omitted the step to countersink the holes for the rivets flush on the exterior surface of each of the bulkhead bars. It's been awhile since I've done any countersinking, but the eight countersinks (two on the exterior face of each bar) went well.

After the bulkhead bar assemblies are riveted together, the outboard hole that attaches to the bulkhead bottom channel is reamed to final size with a .311” reamer. The plans recommend using a drill press at low speed for reaming whenever possible. That is certainly an option for this hole, but is more problematic as the bulkhead assembly comes together and is more difficult to position and secure for drilling. I decided to use an electric hand drill and drill guide with a 5/16” guide hole to ream all of the holes in this step. I found that to be a really good technique to keep the drill square with the holes, while maintaining flexibility to reposition for other holes relatively quickly.

The other final prep operation in this step is dimpling the outboard holes on the side channels and the bottom flange holes in the bulkhead bottom channel. The drawings for this step clearly outline the #40 holes in the side channel that are not dimpled as well as the 3 #30 holes in the side channel that are dimpled. The pneumatic squeezer clamed to the work bench with standard diameter dimple dies did a nice job with the dimples.
[#30 Countersink Cutter; Micro-stop Countersink Cage; Electric Drill; 0.311 Straight Flute Reamer; Drill Guide; Pneumatic Squeezer, #30 and #40 Standard Diameter Dimple Dies]

Prime
3/3/24 – 0.3h
3/12/24 – 0.2h
3/31/24 – 0.6h
Priming followed my standard process of scuffing, cleaning, degreasing, and priming parts after they are fully prepped and ready for assembly.
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
3/16/24 – 0.9h
4/3/24 – 2.4h
4/4/24 – 1.5h
I started the assembly step with double-flush riveting the bulkhead bars to make bulkhead bar assemblies for the port and starboard sides of the bulkhead. As mentioned above, I prepared the bulkhead bars by countersinking the exterior face of the rivet holes. I used a small back-rivet plate and back-rivet set in the rivet gun to do the double-flush riveting. I found that the shop-head side of the rivet was not quite flush when the rivet was set, so I filed the shop-head side down flush with the face of the bulkhead bar and reprimed that area. The result was flush and tight rivets on both sides of the bulkhead bar assemblies.

The remainder of the riveting for this step used AN470 rivets, so back-riveting on a plate was not an option. Most rivets are also out of reach for a squeezer, so this became an opportunity to try a different riveting technique. I've primarily used my 22” C-Frame for dimpling, but it can also be used to set rivets. For this step, I inserted a 1/8” cupped set in the base of the C-Frame and a flat set in the C-Frame ram/arbor, which was attached to the 3X rivet gun. I used some scrap lumber to level the parts with the cupped set in the C-Frame, inserted the rivet, aligned it with the C-Frame cupped set, and set the rivet. This technique worked really, really well. All the rivets were set successfully with no re-dos and no “smiles”. I definitely recommend this technique to everyone who has access to a C-Frame. There are a couple of things to consider, though. First, my cupped set, which I also use with the pneumatic squeezer, is now a permanent attachment to the C-Frame die holder. All of the rivet hits and pressure on the set and holder made it impossible to separate the tools, and I had to buy a new cupped set for my squeezer and a new die holder for the C-Frame. The flat set in the C-Frame arbor also needed to be replaced. The stem of the flat set broke off inside the arbor, and there is no way to get it out. The flat set still works with the arbor, but nothing else will fit. Once again, a quick visit to the aviation tool supplier was needed for a new arbor and flat set. Even with the tool issues, riveting with the C-Frame was totally worth it!

The final task in this step is to ream the bolt holes in the bulkhead and bulkhead bars, and install the bolts that attach the bulkhead bar assemblies to the bulkhead. The directions on the order to ream the holes makes a lot of sense when you're actually completing this step. First you ream the outboard holes in insert that bolt, then secure the bulkhead bars in place with a cleco (a bit difficult since the cleco hole in the bars and the bulkhead didn't align very well), ream and bolt the inboard holes, then finish by reaming and bolting the two center holes. Once again I used the electric drill on low speed and the 5/16” drill guide to keep things aligned during the reaming process. The AN5 bolts, washers, and nuts are installed with a torque wrench set to 100 – 140 in-lbs (I used 130 in-lbs based on a 15 in-lb drag measurement). Pay attention to the drawings in the plans – the inboard bolts use three washers, and the outboard bolts only use two.
[Pneumatic Squeezer, 1” Yoke, 3X Rivet Gun, Back-Rivet Set, Back-Rivet Plate, 22” C-Frame, Cupped Set, Flat Set, Torque Wrench, 1/2” socket]

  Feb 25, 2024     25-01 - Forward Mid-Fuselage Bulkheads (Plans) - (2.5 hours) Category: 25 Mid-Fuse

2/25/24 – 2.5h
It's time to start working on the fuselage kit! I received the fuselage kit nearly a year ago (March 30, 2023), and I put all the parts in temporary storage after completing the inventory and initial sorting. Finishing the wings took longer than I had planned for, but it turns out the delay on starting the fuselage kit worked out for the best.

Vans is working through a number of issues right now that affect my build. The Chapter 11 bankruptcy and business reorganization delayed delivery of my finish kit, which gave me time to finish the wings and start the fuselage without being rushed by another kit coming in. The finish kit was planned for crating and delivery in March/April 2024, but that date is likely slipping due to the company reorganization efforts. I have re-ordered the kit at the new (higher) prices and I hope Vans is able to get it out soon.

The second issue at Vans that affects my fuselage build is the inclusion of laser-cut parts in my fuselage kit. Vans has analyzed the inventory of laser-cut parts to determine their service lives, and categorized each part to either be replaced or used as is. In my case, 32 parts need to be replaced, including several used in this first step. I've ordered the replacement parts, and Vans is working through the orders to get parts shipped. Once again, my delayed start on the fuselage kit worked to my benefit. I don't have to re-do a lot of steps to remove and replace laser-cut parts that have already been assembled. The down-side, of course, is that I'm limited in what I can do now while I wait for the replacements.

The delay and issues at Van's resulted in other changes that I'll need to work through as part of the fuselage build. One of the biggest changes is the landing gear parts are now delivered with the fuselage kit and not the finish kit. My fuselage kit was delivered before that change took effect, so I have to work with Vans to get the landing gear parts with my finish kit as originally planned.

I stumbled across another change while reviewing the service bulletins, notifications and letters, and revisions and changes in the Service Information and Revisions section on Van's Website. Seven chapters in the build instructions, including this one (chapter 25), were updated last week (February 15th, 2024) for a flap motor update. The updated flap motor was not delivered as part of my fuselage kit, so it's time to get with Van's to see if I can return the motor I received for a credit on the new one, and also to see if I can get updated plans. It appears the only change to this chapter of the plans is the reference to the Mid Fuselage Brace as F-01405F-1 instead of F-10405F on sheets 25-01 and 25-02. This part is not permanently assembled in this step – just temporarily cleco'd in place to help brace and align other parts that are riveted and bolted together in this step of the build. I reviewed plan OP-65, RV-14 Flap Motor Retrofit to see if I could find the difference in the “dash 1” version of F-01405F-1. The difference is the gap in the flange of the F-01405F Mid Fuse Brace has been widened by 3/32” on each side (total 3/16”) to provide clearance for new Flap Motor Brackets. It doesn't look like the change will appreciably affect section 25 of the build, but it is definitely something that has to be addressed as the flap motor and housing come together in later steps.

*****
UPDATE: I asked Van's technical support about the flap motor retrofit, and the implications for my build. The short answer from Van's is the ES 85615-10 linear actuator supplied with my fuselage kit will “give you years of trouble free service” and the ES-FA-PA-270-12-5 Flap Motor is provided as a retrofit kit if the supplied flap actuator needs to be replaced in the future. I plan to go with the motor and parts I have, and ignore the plans updates that apply to the retrofit kit.
*****

The Section 25 plans don't appear to contain any new build techniques with the exception of several holes that are reamed .311 in the assemblies. The plans recommend reaming using a drill press set at low speed and lubricant, and cleaning the reamer before every hole. The plans also included the following guidance for best results while reaming:

“Lube the reamer, then insert it into the hole in the bar of the bulkhead assembly.

Begin slowly turning the reamer while pushing it through the web of the bulkhead assembly. Avoid applying any side load.”

Incorrect reaming technique has apparently led to some issues in the build, so I'll take extra care to make sure I get it right. There are also a couple steps for machine countersinking that appear to be missing - notably countersinking the bulkhead bars so they can be double-flush riveted.

  Feb 17, 2024     20-04/05 - Attach Bottom Wing Skins - (80.2 hours)       Category: 20 Bot Skins

Parts Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
2/24/23 - 0.4h
This step of the build starts by deburring and dimpling the nut plate holes in the inboard wing ribs. Access is a little off for the hole deburring tool, but it is do-able with the extension. The pneumatic squeezer did a good job with the dimples. I started with the larger #19 holes, and then switched to a reduced diameter #40 dimple die that did not interfere with the larger dimples.
[Hole Deburring Tools, Edge Forming Tool (Vise Grip Style), Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, 22” C-Frame with #40 Reduced Diameter, #30, and #40 Standard Diameter Dimple Dies, Pneumatic Squeezer with #40 Reduced Diameter and #8 Screw Dimple Dies]

Assemble
2/26/23 - 0.3h

10/23/23 - 0.4h
10/26/23 - 0.9h
11/8/23 - 0.9h
11/9/23 - 0.7h
11/10/23 - 3.1h
11/12/23 – 1.4h
11/13/23 – 1.3h
11/15/23 – 1.3h
11/16/23 – 1.6h
11/19/23 – 4.9h
11/20/23 – 1.8h
11/21/23 – 2.3h
11/22/23 – 0.7h
11/24/23 – 1.4h
11/26/23 – 4.2h
12/01/23 – 2.7h
12/02/23 – 1.4h
12/03/23 – 0.9h
12/04/23 – 1.9h
12/08/23 – 1.7h
12/09/23 – 1.2h
12/10/23 – 2.9h

12/13/23 – 1.2h
12/15/23 – 1.2h
12/16/23 – 1.2h
12/22/23 – 0.6h
12/23/23 – 3.1h
12/24/23 – 0.8h
12/27/23 – 1.8h
12/29/23 – 1.1h
12/31/23 – 1.8h
1/6/24 – 2.3h
1/12/24 – 1.5h
1/13/24 – 3.1h
1/14/24 – 1.5h
1/27/24 – 2.5h
1/28/24 – 2.4h
2/2/24 – 2.4h
2/3/24 – 2.1h
2/4/24 – 1.8h
2/09/24 – 0.9h
2/10/24 – 2.1h
2/11/24 – 1.6h
2/15/24 – 0.5h
2/16/24 – 0.9h
2/17/24 – 1.5h

ADAHRS Mounting Bracket (0.3h)
The main assembly on this page is riveting the bottom skins in place, but before that happens the ADAHRS mounting bracket gets riveted to the left inboard J-Channel. A hand squeezer with a longeron yoke had good access to the rivets, and made quick work of setting them with no issues. I'll set the ADAHRS mounting bracket and J-Channel aside until I'm ready to attach the inboard wing skin.

Inboard Bottom Wing Skins (39.6h)
Attaching the inboard bottom wing skins is a time-consuming process. There are a lot of rivets, and access to the majority of them can be difficult. The best advice is to give some thought to setting each individual rivet, find the best bucking bar for that rivet, and be patient. I found one of the most difficult aspects of this task was ensuring the bucking bar was positioned correctly. I used the adjacent cleco in most cases to help align the bucking bar on the rivet to be set. The downside of this method is you need to inspect the rivet shop head before removing the cleco in the next hole in case you need to give the rivet a few more taps or drill it out and try again. Fortunately, I didn't have to re-do many rivets. I bought an inexpensive endoscope camera that works with my phone on Amazon to do a lot of the shop head inspection. The attached pictures of rivet shop heads were taken with that camera. I taped the camera to the end of a large paint stirring stick, and fed it through the lightening holes to take a look. The other inspection method was to push my finger against the shop head, and then measure the indentation with the rivet sizer.

The area around the flap hinge has four rivets that are very close to the hinge on each side. I used the arbor from my C-Frame dimpler with a flat squeezer set to make a small diameter rivet set I could use with the rivet gun. This technique worked great for these rivets, which all set very nicely. Another tricky area is the rivets just forward of the J-Channel. The right wing was easy – I simply set the row of rivets just forward of the J-Channel before I inserted the J-Channel. That technique does not work on the left wing, though, since the ADAHRS mounting bracket is attached to the J-Channel. The small foot on my footed bucking bar was the best option to get under the J-Channel for the rivets on the left wing.

Finishing the inboard bottom skins also had some challenges. Before I riveted forward of the J-Channel, I clecod the forward skin in place to check the clearance between the wing skin and the fuel tank skin along the forward wing spar. There were a couple of areas that were just a bit too long, which prevented the skin from sitting flush with the tanks. I removed the clecos, filed the edge of the inboard skin a bit and deburred, and tried again until I got a clean fit between the two skins.

I completed the aileron pushrods prior to installing the bottom skins, and I really wanted to leave the push rods in place rather than trying to install them through the wing access panels after the skin was riveted to the bottom of the wing. Unfortunately, you need that space to set the bottom row of rivets on the forward wing spar flange. I reluctantly removed the pushrod so I could complete the riveting. I was concerned about damaging the rivets that were already set in the wing spar flange just forward of the ones I needed to do here, so I fabricated a “bridge” to help align the bucking bar and protect the rivets that were already set. The bridge worked really well, and I plan to use it for the outboard skins as well. It also protected the wiring that runs along the forward spar flange from the bucking bar.

The final step was to set the rivets on the inboard wing rib, install the wing rib nut plates, and install the nut plates for the wing access panel. I used a hand squeezer for the inboard rib and nut plates, which worked really well. I also went ahead and installed the nut plates around the outboard wing skin access panels.

Outboard Bottom Wing Skins (39.9h)
The outboard bottom wing skin installation starts at the rear spar and moves forward, just like the inboard skins. The rear spar rivets are a long reach, even with the forward part of the skins pulled forward for additional access. There are also a lot of set rivets along the rear spar from previous steps (e.g. gap seals) that complicate accurate placement of the bucking bar. Fortunately, the lessons and techniques learned from the inboard skins apply to the outboard skins, which seemed to speed things up a bit.

Riveting the outboard bottom skins starts with the rivets on the rear spar adjacent to the outboard flap hinge bracket. Rivet gun access is tight in this area, so I went with the small diameter flat set on the end of my C-Frame arbor. I made some rivet gun guides from several layers of duct tape to help hold the very long and narrow rivet set straight, and I drew lines parallel to the rivet set on tape affixed to both sides of the flap hinge to help line things up. That setup provided plenty of clearance for the rivet gun, and the rivets went in nicely. I continued inboard from there, but ran into a problem on the last rivet before the two skin over-lap rivets. I set my rivet gun and bucking bar just a smidgen too far inboard, and ended up with a nice ding where the outboard skin overlaps the inboard skin. After looking at the dent for about two days, I drilled out the rivet next to the dent to attempt to at least minimize the damage. I worked a lot of the dent out, but it is still visible. I decided to stop rather than risking additional damage, set a new rivet, and continued with the two skin overlap rivets on the rear spar. All three rivets went fine this time.

Riveting continued along the rear spar all the way to the outboard end. I learned that I could improve my access and riveting position by standing in front of the hole rather than to the side, and using my shoulder to hold the wing skin out of the way. I also used that technique on the aft half of the wing ribs. Riveting the wing ribs stops just past where the J-Stiffener is riveted into place This makes it easy to set the rivet that will eventually fall just under the J-Stiffener, and there is still plenty of room in the wing rib channels to install the J-Stiffener even though the rivets just forward and aft of the J-Stiffener are already set.

The way the plans are written implies that the overlap joint between the bottom outboard and inboard wing skins should be done last. However, I think the intent is actually to do the overlap joint at the same time as the rest of the ribs since the instruction is in the same step as the other rivets. I did the aft over-lap rivets after I installed the J-Channel on the left wing, but I set the overlap rivets on the right wing without delay and without any issues. Setting the skin overlap rivets at the same time as the rest of the rib rivets is definitely the best approach.

One of the unique aspects of the left wing is the pitot mast. I saved that for the very end to avoid blocking access to other rivets along the main spar. The main spar rivets, toward the middle of the outboard section are some of the most difficult to reach on the entire skin, and any obstruction significantly complicates setting those rivets. I calculated the lengths of the rivets needed to install the pitot mast as shown below, and then riveted it in place according to the manufacturer's directions. One thing I planned to do was to put a small bead of tank sealant around the hole where the pitot mast comes through the skin to prevent water from getting in the wing at that point. I pulled out my remaining tank sealant only to find that it had turned into solid rubber about the consistency of an eraser. The old sealant went into the trash, and I proceeded without it. I'll put some silicon sealant around that area before the wing is exposed to the weather. Overall, the pitot mast installation seems solid.

Rivet Length Calculation:
Rivet Length (RL) = Total Material Thickness + (1.5*Rivet Diameter)
Thicknesses
- Spar Flange = 0.0625” = 1/16”
- Pitot Mount = 0.0625” = 1/16”
- Bottom Outboard Skin = 0.025” = 1/40”
- Rivet Diameter (AN426AD3-?) = 0.09375” = 3/32”

Pitot Mount and Skin:
- RL = 0.0625” + 0.025” + (1.5 * 0.09375”) = 0.228125” = 3.65/16”
- Result: AN426AD3-4 Rivet

Spar, Pitot Mount, and Skin:
- RL = 0.0625” + 0.0625” + 0.025” + (1.5 * 0.09375”) = 0.290625” = 4.65/16”
- Result: AN426AD3-5 Rivet

This page of the plans took nearly 2 years to complete start to finish. There were some significant breaks in there when I worked on other things, but this step is significant and takes time and patience. I got a lot of practice with both left-handed and right-handed riveting, and lots of callouses on my finger tips from measuring the diameter of set rivets to ensure they were set adequately. A lot of people put this step off for later in the build, which is understandable. Just don't underestimate the time and effort it will take to complete!

[Hand Rivet Squeezer, 3" Squeezer Yoke, 4" Squeezer Yoke, 3x Rivet Gun, Flat Swivel Rivet Set, Small Diameter Flat Rivet Set, Rivet Set Arbors (Short and Long), Assorted Bucking Bars, Endoscope, Inspection Mirror]

  Jan 22, 2024     24-01 - Wing TIp (Plans) - (1.7 hours) Category: 24 Wing Tips

1/21/24 - 1.0h
1/22/24 – 0.7h
Fitting the wing tips will likely be a stop-and-go step for me – essentially a filler for gaps in my build schedule that won't get finished until much later in the build process. I plan to take the EAA Sportair Workshop “Fiberglass Techniques for RV Aircraft” in the near future to learn about how to work with and finish fiberglass parts on the RV-14A including the wing tips. Until then, there are some things I can do now on the wing tips.

Like every step in the build process, I started with a review of service bulletins, notifications and letters, and revisions and changes in the Service Information and Revisions section on Van's Website. My plans are up to date, and there weren't any changes or safety notices for the wing tips.

The wing tip plans are relatively short at only 4 pages total, but they cover a lot of ground. The plans also leverage Section 5.18 of the plans, which contains several important notes when working with pre-molded fiberglass parts like the wing tips. One note in particular discusses the alignment of the trailing edge of the wing tip with the trailing edge of the elevator, and how the alignment can lead to inconsistent gaps between the aluminum wing and fiberglass wing tip. The note also cautions against allowing the metal edge of the wing to ride up onto a fiberglass edge radius. There should be a 1/8” to 1/16” gap between the metal edge of the wing and the fiberglass edge radius. That gap will get filled in later with some epoxy resin and cotton flox, and then sanded smooth for a seamless transition from aluminum to fiberglass. Section 5 also recommends having some dedicated tools for fiberglass work since the fiberglass is very abrasive and will quickly dull drill bits and cutting blades. Finally, there is a note in Section 5 to “use soft rivets or do not fuly set normal rivets (shop head height approximately 1.2x the hole diameter). Section 5 has lots of important tidbits!

The plans involve a lot of fitting, trimming, and drilling to install the navigation light lens, nutplates for mating with the wing, and aft wing tip rib. The primary difference with this section of the plans is working with plexiglass and fiber glass instead of aluminum. The plans did not specify the type of screw to attach the navigation light lenses, so I'll probably go with the same screw used to attach the wing tip to the wing – AN507-6R6. The instructions to install the wing tip rib into the wing tip were also a bit confusing – the instructions start by attaching the wing tip to the wing, and then inserting the wing tip rib into the aft edge of the wing tip. I'm not sure how that will work with the wing tip attached to the wing, but perhaps it will be clearer when I get to that point.

The plans for this section call out a special tool, a 10 foot ratchet strap, to help snug the wing tip into the wing prior to drilling the mating holes. I have also set aside some drill bits and a counter-sink bit for this section and future fiberglass work. In addition, I acquired a set of drill bits for plexiglass from a former builder, and I decided to buy a nut plate jig and rivet layout fan. Each wing tip takes 44 nutplates, and I think the nut plate jig will really help with the task of locating, aligning, and drilling the holes for the nut plates. The rivet layout fan should come in handy when I layout the rivet pattern for the wing tip rib, and I'm sure it will get more use later in the build.

  Oct 20, 2023     20-04 - Miscellaneous Projects - Attach Bottom Wing Skins - (20 hours)       Category: 20 Bot Skins

There are several projects that may be easier to complete before the bottom wing skins are installed. The idea is to complete all of the wing internal systems like pitot plumbing, wiring, and subsystem brackets/mounts while access to the inside of the wing is wide-open; and avoid doing a lot of work through the small wing access panels later. The projects include:
- Garmin GAP 26 Pitot/AoA Probe Installation
- Construct the ADAHRS/Magnetometer bracket (Section 62)
- Assemble, temporarily Install, and adjust the aileron control system (Section 23)
- Assemble, temporarily Install, and adjust the aileron trim system (Section OP-38)
- Assemble and install the autopilot roll servo bracket and wiring (Section 56)
- Assemble and temporarily Install landing and taxi lights and wiring (Section OP-52A)

NOTE: I highly recommend building the ADAHRS/Magnetometer bracket before installing the lower wing skins. It is much easier to test fit and adjust the bracket and mount when it is completely accessible. The fit on my bracket was incredibly tight, and required several adjustments to both the bracket and mount.

GAP-26 Pitot/AoA Probe Installation – Completed 10/20/2023
I decided to install a Garmin GAP 26 heated (unregulated) pitot/AoA probe instead of the plans pitot tube. The probe is installed with a mast, which requires modifications to the bottom wing skin as described previously in 20-03. The three tasks remaining for the pitot/AoA probe installation are interfacing the probe with the mast, electrical wiring, and pneumatic plumbing in the wing.

The Garmin pitot/AoA probe comes with tapped mounting holes, which have to be matched to screw holes in the pitot mast. The trick is to figure out how to very accurately and precisely transfer the location of the mounting screw holes from the pitot/AoA probe to the mast that overlays the pre-drilled holes – essentially blind match-drilling. I believe the installation of the Dynon probe is opposite of the Garmin probe since the holes in the Dynon probe are not pre-drilled, which requires the builder to match drill through the mast into the probe, and then tap the holes in the probe. Both probes have their challenges that the builder has to analyze and work through.

The fore and aft edges of each mounting hole was the easiest measurement to find and mark on the pitot mast. I inserted long screws in the probe holes to account for the angle of the holes and how that angle translates to the hole locations on the mast. I marked the fore and aft edges of the holes on the main body of the probe, and then transferred those locations to the mast with the probe inserted in the mast.

The top/bottom location of the hole centers was more difficult to figure out. I ultimately required 3 tries to get this measurement right. The first two attempts resulted in misaligned holes, which required me to cut off the end of the mast with the bad holes and try again. That was not a very effective approach, and I had to pay attention to how many times I could trim the mast and still maintain the minimum 4” distance between the probe and wing as specified in the Garmin G3X Touch Installation Manual. Fortunately, my second attempt was really close on at least one hole on each side of the mast, and I could make accurate measurements of those holes before trimming the mast for the final attempt. Eventually, I had good markings for the fore, aft, top, and bottom edges of each hole on the pitot mast.

I started each hole in the mast with a very small #53 pilot hole. I used a center punch and drill guide to get the pilot hole as close to the center point as possible along the angle created by the curved mast. I also used the pre-drilled holes in the probe as targets to see what adjustments needed to be made as the mast holes were upsized. I made the targets by covering the pre-drilled probe holes with masking tape, and then tracing the outline of the holes with a pencil. I then inserted the probe into the mast and pushed the drill bit through the pilot hole to see where it broke through the tape below. That gave me an indication of how to adjust the location to drill the next size hole up. As the holes were upsized, the locations became more accurate; and the final holes were right where they needed to be. I completed the pitot mast by countersinking the holes by hand, and priming the drilled and cut areas.
[Hole Deburring Tools, Assorted Drill Bits (#53 to #27), Dremel with Metal Cutting Disk, Hack Saw, Files, Hobby Files]

The next task was the pneumatic connection to the pitot and AoA nylon tubing that was already routed through the wing ribs. The aluminum pneumatic tubing on the probe is very long, and must be sized to fit inside the wing cavity by trimming the aluminum tubing and/or bending the tubing to fit. I wanted to minimize trimming and bending as much as possible, while making it possible to insert the final result into the pitot mast.

The Garmin G3X Installation Panel states, “For heated probe installations where the installer desires to shorten the provided aluminum tubing, a minimum of 8 inches of aluminum tubing should remain between the probe and any transition to non-metallic tubing to protect the non-metallic tubing from excessive heat.” The aluminum tubing for the pitot and AoA lines are just over 13” long. That length is increased with the fittings to transition from the aluminum to nylon tubing, and I trimmed off about 5 1/2” from each tube. I then used a flaring tool to flare the ends for the fittings.

The tubes needed to be bent to ease the transition between the nylon tubing and the probe, so I used a 1/4" tube bender to put a 45-degree bend in the aluminum tubes approximately 6 inches from the end. Minimizing the bend, and strategically locating the bend made it possible to insert and remove the completed probe / transition fitting assembly in the pitot mast.
[Tubing Cutter, Flaring Tool, Tubing Bender, Deburring Tools]

The final task was setting up the wiring for the pitot heat. I ran 14 AWG twisted pair wiring from the wing root to the pitot tube for the pitot heat power and ground, which is connected with the power and ground wires on the probe. The probe has four wires (2 each power and ground), which are connected in parallel to the aircraft wiring for a 14V installation. I watched a couple of SteinAir videos, and decided to try a “window strip” and splice to set up the probe wiring. The window strip essentially creates a gap in the insulation away from the end of the wire, where another wire can be attached. I started by stripping about 3/4" of insulation from the end of one power wire and one ground wire. Next, I moved the stripping tool about 4 inches from the end and stripped about 3/8” at that location. The stripper essentially pushed the insulation toward the end of the wire, and I ended up with a 3/8” gap about 4 inches from the end and another 3/8” stripped section at the end of the wire. I cut the second power and ground wires to the length of the window strip, stripped the ends of those wires, and then made the parallel connection at that point with a solder sleeve covered with a shrink-wrap sleeve for some extra strength and protection. At this point, I essentially had one ground wire and one power wire, which could then be fitted with a connection fitting to match the ground/power wires installed in the wing. It sounds like a complicated solution, but it was not difficult to do, and I think it is a better approach than trying to crimp 2 wires together in a connector.
[Flush Cut Wire Trimmer, Wire Stripper, Solder Sleeves, Heat Shrink, Heat Gun, Red Faston Male and Female Connectors, Crimping Tool]

  Sep 29, 2023     23-10 - Bellcrank-to-Aileron Pushrod Installation - (3.3 hours)       Category: 23 Pushrods

9/22/23 – 2.1h
9/29/23 – 1.2h
The bellcrank-to-aileron pushrod installation is the final step in the aileron control system. The installation includes the final aileron rigging step to ensure the pushrod is the correct length to set the aileron to the neutral position when the bellcrank is in the neutral position. The pushrod is initially set to 25 1/4" between the center of the bearings at each end of the rod. That distance is adjustable by simply threading the rod end bearings in or out on the threaded rod ends. Once the distance to correctly align the aileron is dialed in, the jam nut is tightened against the rod end to hold everything in place.

Van's updated the plans in December 2020 with a new method of aligning the aileron. Previously, Van's supplied a template piece (W-00026 Alignment Template) that was placed over the outboard aileron rib to align the aileron with the wing skin. That method was improved in the RV-10, and the improvement was incorporated into the RV-14. Essentially, the W-00026 Alignment Template is no longer used to align the aileron, but don't throw it away since it is used several times later in the build! The new method uses the W-730 bellcrank alignment jig to set the neutral position of the bellcrank. Then, the flap is placed in its full up position and the aileron trailing edge is aligned with the flap trailing edge. I found that the initial 25 1/4" length set on each of the pushrods was slightly long, and ended up shortening each rod by 2-3 full turns of the bearing ends.

Finally, after all of the internal systems in the wings were installed, I final-torqued everything in preparation for installation of the bottom wing skins.
[Torque Wrench (in-lbs), 1/4" and 3/8” Sockets]

  Sep 20, 2023     23-03 - Bellcrank-to-Aileron Pushrod Fabrication - (12.8 hours)       Category: 23 Pushrods

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
7/23/23 - 0.3h
7/24/23 - 0.2h
7/28/23 - 0.3h
7/29/23 - 0.5h
8/9/23 - 3.3h
8/10/23 - 0.3h
8/16/23 - 2.0h
8/29/23 - 1.3h
9/18/23 – 2.4h
The Bellcrank-to-Aileron pushrods are made from 1/2” outside diameter powder-coated steel tubing with threaded rod ends riveted to each end. I measured and cut the rods to length just like the larger pushrods in the previous step with a tube cutter. I deburred the cut ends, and then used a bench grinder with a Scotch Brite wheel to get the rod ends to fit.

Drilling the rivet holes in the rods, and match drilling the holes in the rod ends was extremely difficult. I went through three sets of rods before I finally got an acceptable result with the drilling. The first issue is finding the absolute dead center of the rod, and then drilling perpendicular through that spot. The other issue is the slippery finish of the powder coat and the hard steel tube to drill through.

My plan on the first attempt was to use a drill press to drill each of the pilot holes individually, insert the threaded rod ends, and then final drill the holes as specified in the plans. The problem here was the pilot holes were not exactly aligned, so when the holes were match drilled the exit hole didn't hit the pilot hole on the opposite side. Time to trash two sets of rods and ends, and order new parts.

I used a much higher quality drill press on the second attempt, and planned to drill the pilot holes all the way through the tube to keep the holes on the opposite sides perfectly aligned. I failed to consider, however, that the drill bit will go off course due to the small diameter hard steel rod with a slippery powder-coated finish. I went wrong by trying to eyeball the center of the tube, and the very slight misalignment in this attempt meant the rivet holes did not go straight across the axis of the rod, but veered off to the sides. Time to trash two more sets of rods, and order new parts.

I ordered material for two complete sets of rods for my third (and potentially fourth) attempt at this step. Once again, I cut the rods to length, deburred everything, and went back to the drill press. The drill press I used was actually a milling machine with the table connected to a computer that could provide measurements to the 1/10,000th of an inch in the X, Y, and Z directions. The owner of the mill and I had never tried the computer function before, but with parts for 2 tries it was worth an experiment to see if we could make it work. I used a wobble bit in the drill to find one edge of the rod, and set that Z location to zero. I then repeated the process on the other side of the rod to find the width of the rod. Finally, I divided the number on the screen in half, and cranked the Z control to that location. Bingo! Now I'm on the dead-center of the rod! I had previously marked the X distances (6/32” and 13/32”) from the end of each rod for the hole center, so it was a simple matter of aligning the drill with those markings to make the holes. I started drilling the #40 pilot holes by lightly touching the bit to the rod to remove the powder coat finish. I then went slowly through both sides of the rod to get straight holes aligned with each other down the axis of the rod. The next step was to swap out the drill bit for a #30 bit without moving the rod, inserting a threaded rod end and holding it tight in place, and then final drilling the rod and threaded rod end. The result was a clean, straight hole aligned with the axis, that I could immediately drop a rivet into without any resistance. I left the rivet (unset) in the first hole to keep the threaded rod end aligned, rotated the rod 90 degrees, aligned the bit with the new X-location, and drilled the second hole on the first rod end. I repeated the process for the other three rod ends (two rods with two ends each), with good results on each. The computer-aided center measurement on the milling machine made all the difference!

After getting all of the holes drilled, I deburred the holes in the rod and the threaded rod ends to complete the initial parts preparation.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, Tubing Cutter, Ruler, Bench Grinder, 6” Scotch Brite Wheel, #40 Drill, #30 Drill, Drill Press, Computer-Aided Milling Machine]

Prime
9/19/23 – 1.0h
I primed the insides of each of the rods similar to the process for the previous set of control rods. I also primed the threaded rod ends where I had re-sized them to fit in the rods and removed the alodined finish in the process.
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
9/20/23 – 1.2h
The trick to final assembly was working with the very long rivets used to attach the threaded rod ends to the pushrods. The plans not that, “These rivets can be difficult to set without them leaning over. Use a hand squeezer to squeeze them a little at a time. If the rivet begins to lean over, adjust the position of the rivet in the squeezer dies to oppose the leaning tendency.” I found the note to be very helpful as the long rivets do tend to lean while they are being squeezed. I went slow with a hand squeezer, adjusted as needed, and came out with decent and acceptable (not perfect) rivets. I did have one rivet that got away from me when my clamping system failed and the part moved dramatically in mid squeeze. I had to drill that one out and set a new rivet, which was successful.

The final step was to thread the rod end bearings and jam nuts onto the threaded rod ends to arrive at the 25 1/4" length between the centers of the bearings. I will wait to tighten the jam nuts until after the aileron rigging is complete so that I can adjust the lengths as needed to establish the neutral position for all of the push rods in the aileron control system.
[Hand Rivet Squeezer, 3/8” Cupped Squeezer Die]

  Sep 14, 2023     OP-38-06 - Trim Servo Wiring - (2.1 hours)       Category: Controls

8/25/23 - 1.1h
8/26/23 - 1.0h
This should have been a standard wiring step, but it was complicated by the incorrect installation of the micro-molex connector for the aileron trim system on the WH-00013 wire harness. The first problem I ran into was the micro-molex sockets were installed backwards into the 6-pin housing, which made it impossible to connect to the micro-molex pins and housing I attached to the trim servo. To make matters worse, I also installed my micro-molex connector backwards. Additionally, I learned after the fact that crimping micro-molex connectors is slightly different than crimping larger molex connectors. The difference is the aft and center set of wings are crimped together, and the forward set of wings does not get crimped at all.

Micro-Molex Crimping Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCU86Yxnnac

Standard and Mini-Molex Crimping Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4xdpWOKBr0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXg3koRHdTQ

After I came to the realization that the connectors were installed incorrectly, I used my micro-molex pin removal tool to pull the wires and pins out of the connectors. This was a difficult process since the pins were installed incorrectly. I wanted to see if there was a better way to pull out the pins, and I stumbled across the spec sheet for my pin removal tool. It had instructions for use as follows:

Molex Application Tooling Specification Sheet for HT60923A Extractor Tool
1. Insert the tip of the tool on either side of the terminal until it stops.
2. Rotate tool clockwise then counter-clockwise approximately 25 to 30 degrees in each direction, once or twice.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 on the opposite side of terminal.
4. Pull on the wire and remove the terminal from the housing.

The spec sheet also included the following note about micro-molex connectors:
NOTE: When a terminal is removed in this manner the locking tangs are damaged and the terminal is not reusable.

The result? I crimped the male pins incorrectly, I removed the pins from both the male and female connectors, I damaged the connectors in the process of removing the pins, and I damaged the pins in the crimping and removal process.

The solution? It was clearly time to start over with this connector, and install new hardware. I also decided to install new wires since the original wires on the harness don't have any excess to clip off old connectors and install new ones.
I decided to order new parts from SteinAir, since they were the builder of the original wire harness. I could not find any of the micro-molex hardware on the SteinAir website (they are on the Van's web store), so I called and was surprised when Stein answered the phone. After a brief intro, he knew exactly what I was working on and what the problems are. He recommended cutting the micro-molex connectors off of the harness, and replacing everything with d-Sub pins and sockets. He directed me to a you-tube video he made for exactly this type of application.
https://youtu.be/f8DCvBV2V4M

Taking the micro-molex connector out of the equation worked great for me, and I think the d-Sub approach will end up working better than the original. The d-Sub pins and sockets are much easier to work with than the micro-molex pins and sockets. The installation is clean, and should be easy to work with. When I connect the aileron trim servo to the springs and wires for the final time, I'll install heat-shrink tubes over each individual d=Sub connection to give them some extra pull strength and insulate the wires from each other. I will also put a second layer of heat-shrink over the entire d-Sub wire connection bundle to keep everything neat and together. I don't anticipate ever disconnecting the aileron trim servo wires, but it should be easy enough to cut off the heat-shrink and disconnect the d-Subs if I need to.

There are a couple of final checks to ensure the trim servo is operating correctly after the wings are attached to the fuselage, but for now I'm calling this section of the build complete.
[Wire Stripper, Flush Cutters, Open Barrel (Molex) Crimping Tool, High Density D-Sub Insertion Tool, D-Sub Crimping Tool, Heat Shrink, Heat Gun]

  Sep 08, 2023     OP-52A-01 - Landing Light Brackets - (4.8 hours)       Category: Lighting

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
9/3/23 - 1.2h
9/4/23 - 1.6h
Another project I want to complete as much as possible before installing the bottom wing skins is preparing the landing lights for installation. The lights are forward of the spar, so there's really no advantage to doing this step before the bottom wing skins are installed, but it will be nice to have most of the tasks on the wings buttoned up before the wings go into storage. There is also good access to the wiring aft of the spar if any work needs to happen there. The lights won't be permanently attached until after the wings are mated with the fuselage.

I ordered the AeroLEDs Sun Spot LX bracket kit from Van's. The bracket is made from two primary parts - a mounting bracket and a retaining bracket, and the kit includes all the associated hardware and electrical connectors to complete the landing light installation. There are a lot of PAR 36 lights, including non-aviation lights, on the market; and it pays to shop around for the lights that will best meet your mission needs. I landed on the Whelen Aerospace Technologies (WAT) Parmetheus G3 landing lights rather than the AeroLEDs Sun Spot series.

The first step in preparing the light brackets is to fabricate spacers that will go between the mounting and retaining brackets. The AeroLEDs Sun Spot lights require a 10mm spacer, but my WAT Parmetheus lights are a little thicker and required a longer spacer. In my case, I needed a set of 7/16” spacers. I tested the spacers after cutting the first set of four from the provided tube material, and the length worked very well. Confident in the length, I then fabricated the spacers for the second light.

The next step was to clean up the parts for the bracket. The rear piece has a couple of tabs to remove and file smooth, and then the parts get deburred and prepped for primer as usual. I decided to test fit the lights, and was a little concerned that the hole in the aft brackets was slightly too large. My lights were delivered with a rubber gasket that goes around the perimeter of the light if needed for installation; so I pressed on, hopeful that the final assembly would work out.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, Tube Cutter, Dremel with Metal Cutting Disk, Files]

Prime
9/5/23 - 0.8h
9/7/23 - 0.1h
Prepping and priming followed my standard process of cleaning, scuffing, degreasing, and priming. The difference this time is I planned to spray a matte black topcoat on the parts since they'll be visible in the landing light bay. The plans for the landing light bay recommend white or matte black paint, and I went with the black option when I put the leading edges of the wings together. I lightly scuffed the primed parts to help the black paint adhere to the parts. The first black coat, however, didn't turn out great. There were lots of bubbles and imperfections, so I wet-sanded the parts with a gray Scotch Brite pad, cleaned the debris away, and sprayed a second very light coat. The second coat came out much better - not perfect, but perfectly acceptable.
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can), Rust-Oleum Automotive Matte Black Spray Paint (Rattle Can)]

Assemble
9/8/23 - 1.1h
Assembly of the landing lights with the brackets was straight-forward. The first step is to rivet the nut-plates to the aft bracket part using AN470AD3-3 rivets (i.e. no dimpling required). Once the nut-plates are attached, the landing light gets sandwiched between the forward and aft brackets, and they are screwed together using the spacers to keep the parts from deforming into the nut-plates. Now that the landing light assemblies are complete, they'll go into storage until after the wing is mated to the fuselage.
[Rivet Squeezer, 3/32” Cupped Squeezer Set, Cleco Clamps, Screwdriver]

  Sep 04, 2023     56-02 - Garmin Autopilot Servo Pushrods - (2.7 hours)       Category: Controls

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
9/1/23 - 0.6h
9/3/23 - 1.8h
This is my first opportunity to use a tap to cut threads on the inside of a tube. The first step in the fabrication of the autopilot servo pushrods was to cut a couple of pieces of tube to the specified length. The tube cutter did a nice job of making accurate and square cuts to the tubing. I also cut the short (15/32”) stand-off spacer for the roll servo installation since the tube cutter was out and ready.

There was a short piece of tubing left over, so I decided to use that to practice the rest of the fabrication steps starting with drilling out the center of the tube with the #3 droll bit. The #3 bit tracks with the tap guide in my tap and die kit. I wrapped the tube in a layer of duct tape, and then clamped the tube into a bench vise to hold it still and steady. The tape did a good job to keep the outside of the tube from getting damaged by the vise, but it can slip. I found I had to reclamp the tube several times throughout the drill and tap process when it started to slip. My main concern with drilling was drilling straight and center on the tube.

The next step was to tap the tube 1/4-28. I used some cutting fluid on the tube and the tap, and started turning the tap very slowly. The tap does not need a lot of downward force, and the main concern is starting the tap straight with the tube. Once the tap is going, I would complete one turn with the tap, and then back it out two or three turns to help clear the shavings. This process continued until the tap was to the correct depth. After taping the tube, I pushed a couple q-tips through to help clean out the debris from the process. I also pulled a thin cloth with alcohol through the tube to clean it out. The process worked well on the test part, and I was able to repeat that success with the real parts.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, Tube Cutter, #3 Drill, 1/4-28 Tap, Boelube, Tap Cutting Fluid]

Prime
9/3/23 - 0.2h
Priming was similar to other pushrods in the build. I started by priming the interior and ends of the pushrods, and then primed the exterior. I also primed the stand-off spacer.
[Scotch Brite Pads, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
9/4/23 - 0.1h
Assembly went very quickly after giving the primer the evening to cure. The jam nuts get threaded onto the rod ends, and then the rod ends get threaded into the push rods. The drawings in the plans are scaled 1:1, so it was easy to size the pushrods using the drawings on the page.

  Aug 30, 2023     56-01 - Garmin Autopilot Servo Installation Plans - (1.7 hours) Category: Avionics

This section will jump around a bit since I plan to work on the roll and pitch servos at different times, and I can't complete either until I actually have the servos in hand and ready to install. I'm not ready at this stage to actually install the servos, since they'd just sit idle while I continue the rest of the build. My plan is to get as much as possible done while I still have easy access to the servo locations. Then it should just be a quick and easy job to install the servos when I get them.

The plans to prepare and install the servos are illustrated and documented well. I don't anticipate any issues or confusion with any of the steps. I reviewed the service information and revisions posted on Van's website, and confirmed I have the latest set of plans and there are currently no additional changes.

A note early in the plans refers to the WH-00125 RV-14 Common Fuselage Harness drawing available on the Van's Aircraft website on the downloads page for autopilot wiring diagrams (including the WH-00118 and WH-00119 harnesses). The plans also refer the builder to the Garmin "G3X Installation Manual" as a reference during servo installation.

https://www.vansaircraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/WH-00125.pdf

https://static.garmin.com/pumac/190-01115-01_at.pdf

  Aug 25, 2023     OP-38-05 - Trim Spring System - (2.7 hours)       Category: Controls

Initial Prep and Prime
8/22/23 - 0.6h
8/23/23 - 1.2h
The aileron trim servo connects to the control system using a couple springs attached from the aileron trim arm to small brackets attached to the torque tube-to-bellcrank pushrod. I separated the trim spring brackets with a hack saw, cleaned up the cut edge with a file, and then deburred the edges and holes on each bracket. Priming the trim spring brackets was also straight--forward and relatively quick with my well-practiced process.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, Hack Saw, Files, Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
8/25/23 - 0.9h
The real trick to this step is locating the trim spring brackets and assembling the system. The first step is to mark the centerline of the trim arm, and then transfer that line to the pushrod while the pushrod is in its neutral position. I used the neutral template for the bellcrank to position the pushrod and hold it in place. I then attached the trim servo assembly to the spar with clecos through the wing access panel attached to the trim servo. This is one instance where it is helpful to have access to the interior of the wing without the bottom skins in place. If the skins were attached, there would be no way to see the centerline of the trim arm to transfer that location to the pushrod. Given unencumbered access to the wing interior, I had room to use a laser line to find the trim arm centerline location on the pushrod.

Another benefit of doing this step prior to attaching the bottom wing skins is the installation can be completed without removing the pushrod. Once the centerline was marked, I used 6” strips of tape to locate the edges of the trim brackets, and I used the laser to find the centerline of the pushrod to align the brackets. From there a couple taps from the center punch located the first hole for each bracket. I match-drilled the brackets to the pushrod, and then riveted the brackets in place.

The final step prior to attaching the wings to the fuselage is to test fit everything. The springs are insanely tight, but I got the springs attached to the trim arm and the spring brackets after a lot of time and effort. After attaching the springs, I cleco'd the trim assembly back to the wing, and noted that the springs held the pushrod in the neutral position. I struggled to disconnect the springs after completing the test fit, and discovered that I could use my duck-billed pliers to open up the end coil slightly to make the spring easier to connect and disconnect. I inserted the pliers inside the connection coil for the trim arm, and then opened the pliers to provide enough clearance to remove the spring. I plan to leave the springs permanently connected to the spring brackets, and I'll squeeze the connection coil shut after I reinstall the trim assembly for the final time.
[Laser, Center Punch, #30 Drill, Rivet Puller, Duck-Billed Pliers]

  Aug 22, 2023     OP-38-04 - Trim Access Plate - (1.9 hours)       Category: Controls

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
8/19/23 - 1.1h
The aileron trim actuation assembly is mounted to the inboard access panel on the right wing. The location on the panel is specified in the plans, and from there it is a matter of match drilling and final drilling the holes from the trim assembly to the access panel.

After the holes are drilled, the access panel and trim assembly need to be dimpled to accept flush screws through the access panel into nut plates on the trim assembly. The instructions are abbreviated at this point in the build (“Dimple the holes in the bottom flanges of the Aileron Trim Actuation Assembly flush on the bottom side.”), so you need to recognize that the center hole for the nut plates gets dimpled first followed by the rivet holes with a reduced diameter dimple die. You also need to dimple the nut plates.
[#30 Drill, #19 Drill, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, 22” C-Frame with #8 Screw and #40 Reduced Diameter Dimple Dies]

Assemble
8/21/23 - 0.5h
8/22/23 - 0.3h
The assembly process starts by riveting the nut plates to the aileron trim actuation assembly. The assembly can be clamped to the bench with good access to the nut plate rivets. After the nut plates are in place, the wing access panel can be attached to the trim assembly with #8 flush screws, and then the entire assembly can be test fit into the wing skin to insure no interference between the skin and the trim assembly. If there is interference, the trim assembly can be removed from the access plate and filed as needed to fit. Fortunately, I didn't see any fit issues with mine.

The other step in this section is to center the aileron trim arm to the neutral position. I drew a centerline on the trim arm, and then attached a battery to the white and gray servo wires to move the arm to a 90-degree angle with the trim assembly housing. That will be my neutral position for the aileron trim.
[Rivet Squeezer, Flat Squeezer Set, Cleco Clamp]

  Aug 19, 2023     OP-38-03 - Trim Actuation Assembly - (0.8 hour)       Category: Controls

8/18/23 - 0.1h
8/19/23 - 0.7h
This is a relatively short step in the aileron trim build, starting with final drilling the holes to mount the servo to the bracket built in the previous step. After the holes are drilled, the servo is attached with screws and nuts. The clearance between the nut and servo was too tight for a socket wrench, so I ended up holding the nuts with a needle-nosed pliers while I turned the screws until they were tight. The other prep task in this step is to strip the five 24-gauge wires from the trim servo, which is easy to do since the wires are completely accessible at this point.
[#28 Drill, Screwdriver, Needle-nosed Pliers, Wire Strippers]

  Aug 19, 2023     OP-38-02 - Aileron Trim Brackets - (3.5 hours)       Category: Controls

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
8/16/23 - 0.5h
8/18/23 - 1.4h
The aileron trim system starts with two brackets, eight trim links, and the trim arm. The brackets and trim links are all final drilled #30, and then each part needs to be deburred for final assembly.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, #30 Drill, Dremel with Metal Cutting Disk]

Prime
8/18/23 - 0.7h
Priming the parts followed my standard process of cleaning, scruffing, degreasing, and then priming. The trim links were a little tricky to prime because they are so light that the primer spray blew them off the table! I eventually managed to get the trim links back under control and primed.
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
8/19/23 - 0.9h
The first assembly step sandwiches six trim links and the trim arm between the two brackets. I found that cleco clamps between the rivet holes on the trim links did a good job holding the parts tightly together. I also inserted the trim arm with its washers and clevis bolts before riveting the parts together. You could probably insert the trim arm after riveting, but I think the washers would be difficult to install in that tight space. It was a little cumbersome keeping everything together before riveting, but doable. After the riveting was finished, I used a needle-nosed pliers and small side cutters to finish off the clevis pin.
[Rivet Squeezer, 1/8” Cupped Squeezer Set, Needle-Nosed Pliers, small side cutters]

  Aug 19, 2023     OP-38-01 - Electric Aileron Trim Plans - (0.4 hour) Category: Controls

8/16/23 - 0.4h
There are a few tasks I want to complete before installing the bottom wing skins, since I think having unimpeded access to the interior of the wing will make these tasks easier and hopefully turn out better. First on the list (starting with the right wing, and working from the root to the tip) is the aileron trim system. I have found the neutral position for the aileron torque tube - to - bellcrank pushrod, which the trim system connects to, and I inserted the neutral template to hold the push rod in the neutral position for this task.

I reviewed the plans for any potential problem areas, and went through the Bulletins, notices, and change pages on the Van's website to make sure my plans and parts are up to date. I didn't find any changes to my plans or parts, and I was able to download an electronic copy of the aileron trim plans from the change pages section of the website. The actual assembly of the aileron trim system looks pretty standard. There is some electrical work at the end with micro-molex pins (time to get out the magnifying glass!), and the spring brackets for the system have to be mounted on the pushrod requiring precise measuring and drilling of the tube. The trim system mounts to the inside of an access panel, which will require some modification to add dimpled screw holes to hold the trim bracket to the panel.

  Aug 16, 2023     23-09 - Torque Tube-to-Bellcrank Pushrod Installation - (3.2 hours)       Category: 23 Pushrods

8/14/23 - 0.7h
8/15/23 - 2.3h
8/16/23 - 0.2h
The objective of this section is to install the aileron control system from the torque tube in each wing root to the aileron bellcrank attached to the main spar about mid-span down the wing (directly above the tie-down location). All of the parts are prepared in the previous sections, including installation of the bellcranks and torque tubes. This step fine-tunes the length of the pushrods using a supplied template to determine the neutral position of the bellcranks and torque tubes.

The aileron control system installation starts by temporarily attaching the pushrod to the bellcrank and torque tube in each wing. The W-730 Bellcrank Jig (aka neutral template) is also temporarily attached to the bellcrank to lock it into its neutral position. When the pushrod is attached at each end, both the bellcrank and torque tube should be in the neutral position. If the torque tube is not at neutral, the pushrod gets lengthened or shortened as needed by twisting the rod end bearings in or out until the torque tube is neutral. Once the pushrod is adjusted to the correct length, the jam nuts can be tightened against the rod ends to keep the rod end bearings in the correct position.

I waited to do the final torquing of the nuts and bolts for the aileron control system until the entire system was complete and installed. I wasn't sure if I would have to remove the push rods to make other areas accessible, but I wanted the option just in case. As it turns out, I disconnected and reconnected the push rod several times. The plans details for proper installation of the bolts, washers, bushings, and nuts can be a bit confusing. I didn't get it quite right the first time, which is another reason to delay the final application of the torque wrench. The note in the plans to install one washer inside the torque tube clevis arm along with the pushrod rod end bearing and to install the other washer under the nut refers to the two NAS1149F0363P washers on the bolt that attaches the pushrod to the torque tube in the wing root. There are also two NAS1149F0363P washers on the bolt at the bellcrank, but they are both on the outside of the bellcrank under the nut. The other potential area of confusion is the location of the large AN-970-3 washer, which is placed on the bolt between the bushing and the pushrod end.
[Torque Wrench (in-lbs), 1/4" and 3/8” Sockets, Short 1/4" Wooden Dowel]

  Aug 14, 2023     23-08 - Torque Tube Assembly and Installation - (0.9 hour)       Category: 23 Pushrods

8/13/23 - 0.7h
8/14/23 - 0.2h
I'm counting this step as complete even though I still need to go back and properly torque all of the nuts on the left and right aileron torque tubes. I decided to leave things finger-tight until the aileron rigging is complete. I will probably have to assemble and disassemble the aileron control system a few times while I finish up various wing systems like the autopilot servo bracket and the aileron trim system.

This step in the plans is straight-forward, but it does take a little patience. Essentially, the aileron torque tubes are installed through the large hole in the wing spar, and the ends of the torque tubes go into the flanged bearings that were attached to the inboard ribs at the start of the wing build. In order to install the torque tubes, the forward and aft torque tube assemblies need to collapse toward each other on the torque tube collar. The forward torque tube assembly and torque tube collar go in first, and then the aft torque tube assembly goes on the collar after it is routed through the wing spar. I pushed the aft torque tube assembly on the collar beyond the bolt holes to get clearance to align the torque tube with the flanged bearings attached to the inboard wing ribs. The torque tubes need about an inch of clearance, which means the collar has to go about an inch further into the forward and/or aft torque tube assemblies. Once I had the forward and aft torque tube assemblies on the torque tube collar and aligned with the flanged bearings, I could extend the total assembly to align the bolt holes and re-insert the torque tube assembly bolts.

Both the left and right torque tubes had just a little play fore and aft, which was remedied with a washer on each end between the torque tube and the flanged bearing. I had to remove the torque tube bolts one more time to collapse the assembly to allow me to slip in the washers. In my case, one NAS1149F0463 washer on the aft end and one NAS1149F0432 washer on the forward end resulted in a really good fit of the torque tube extended to full length and bolted (finger tight) together. The movement of the torque tube is silky smooth with negligible friction, no binding, and no out-of-plane rotation. The only issue I noticed was the aft torque tube assembly may rub against the wire harness connected at the root rib, so I'm going to try to pull those wires away from the torque tube arm with some wire lacing anchored to the ground wire next to the bottom wing skin.

The final task in this step is to find the “neutral position” of the forward torque tube subassemblies. The plans specify a distance of 2 17/32” from the center of the torque tube clevis arm (note the language here - it'll come up again in the next step! :-) ) to the fuel tank. I set up a small square to that distance, that I can clamp to the clevis arm to easily measure the distance. The next step will set the neutral position of the bellcrank, which is when the torque tube clevis arm neutral position measurement will also come into play. For now, I'm happy to have a quick and repeatable way to measure the distance.

  Aug 13, 2023     23-07 - Torque Tube Final Preparation - (1.7 hours)       Category: 23 Pushrods

8/12/23 - 1.0h
8/13/23 - 0.7h
A couple of simple jigs really help this step move along. The first one is the 1 1/64” spacer block described in the plans that will be used to clock the aft torque tube assembly to the correct angle. The second one isn't specified in the plans, but it is very helpful to set the length of the torque tube assembly. I started with a small wood block clamped to the end of my flat surface, and then clamped a second block 17 3/4" away from the first. If the spacing between the blocks is correct, you can simply place the torque tube assembly between them and extend the assembly to the stop blocks. Definitely take an extra measurement directly from the torque tube assembly to ensure the length is right!

Drilling the aft torque tube holes is identical to the process with the forward torque tube holes. I drilled the first hole with the torque tube extended to the stop blocks, the forward torque tube arm clamped flat to the workbench, and the aft torque tube arm clocked with the spacer block. The initial #30 holes are relatively easy to drill since the steel torque tube is pre-drilled. After drilling and clecoing the first hole, I removed the assembly from my flat surface so I could rotate it and drill the next hole. I found that clamping the assembly in a “V” tube holder at the corner of the work bench worked well to provide a stable drilling surface while allowing the protruding parts of the assembly to hang over the corner edges of the table.

The final drilling step was to upsize the holes to #12. This took a bit more drilling effort to drill both the steel torque tube and the aluminum torque tube collar. With two opposite holes cleco'd, the two other opposite holes are open to drill. I drilled one side, then flipped the assembly to drill the other side. I inserted a temporary bolt in the two upsized holes to hold things in place, which allowed me to remove the clecos and drill the remaining two holes. I removed the bolts from the aft torque tube assembly after drilling, slide the aft torque tube assembly off the torque tube collar, and deburred the holes
[#30 Drill, #12 Drill, Hole Deburring Tools, White Lithium Grease]

  Aug 10, 2023     23-06 - Torque-Tube Initial Assembly - (5.7 hours)       Category: 23 Pushrods

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
7/28/23 - 0.3h
7/29/23 - 0.7h
8/2/23 - 0.2h
8/5/23 - 2.5h
The torque tube assemblies are each built from 3 main sections plus caps on each end. The completed torque tubes will be installed in the wing root, and connect the pushrod system from the control stick to the pushrod system for the ailerons. Initial prep includes match and final drilling holes to assemble the parts, cutting the center tube to length, and preparing the parts for priming.

The torque tubes, end bearings, and torque tube collars all need minor adjustments / deburring to ensure a tight, but manageable fit. Most of the adjustments happened on the torque tube collar, which is 7 5/16” piece of tube that connects the forward and aft torque tube assemblies. I discovered during the deburring and cleaning process, that I could wrap a clean cloth around a dowel rod, and insert the cloth / dowel into the tube with enough force to hold the torque tube collar. I then attached a drill to the dowel to spin the torque tube collar against a piece of sand paper and a Scotch Brite pad to adjust the diameter of the torque tube collar to fit in the torque tube ends. This turned out to be very effective, and made it easy to fine-tune the torque tube collars for a good fit.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, #40 Drill, #30 Drill, Drill Press, Electric Drill, Wooden Dowel Rod]

Prime
8/5/23 - 0.6h
8/9/23 - 0.3h
The parts for the torque tube assemblies are relatively short, and the rattle can primer spray works well to prime the inside of the tubes as well as the inside and outside of the torque tube collars. The bearing ends are already riveted in the forward and aft torque tube assemblies, so they are essentially primed in place.
[Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
8/4/23 - 0.8h
8/10/23 - 0.3h
The torque tube end bearings are attached to the forward and aft torque tube assemblies with two pulled rivets each (8 total). Pulled rivets are also used to plug two unused holes on each of the aft torque tube assemblies. I was actually short 2 rivets, so I had to “borrow” some from my fuselage kit. I'll order more rivets later if needed for the fuselage.

The torque tube collars are also attached to the forward torque tube assemblies with AN-3 bolts, washers, and nuts. I used a white lithium spray-on grease on the torque tube collars before inserting them into the forward torque tube assemblies. The grease minimizes binding between the parts and provides additional corrosion protection to the primed parts as they rub together during assembly. The nuts are only hand-tight for now in case the assembly needs to come apart when it is installed in the wing.
[Rivet Puller, White Lithium Grease]

  Aug 03, 2023     23-03 - Torque Tube-to-Bellcrank Pushrod Fabrication - (6.5 hours)       Category: 23 Pushrods

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
7/20/23 - 0.8h
7/21/23 - 1.7h
7/29/23 - 0.9h
7/30/23 - 0.4h
The torque tube-to-bellcrank pushrods are made from 1 1/8” O.D. aluminum tubing that has to be cut to length. I tried a couple different methods to measure the length of the tube, and eventually settled on my 40” aluminum ruler and a couple of blocks clamped at strategic locations on the work bench. One block was clamped to the end of the bench as a backstop, and the second was clamped 24 1/4" from the first block as a stop for the 40” ruler. The result was the end of the tube placed against the end backstop lined up with the end of the ruler placed against the other block for a total length of 64 1/4" as specified in the plans. This setup made accurate measurements very easy. After marking the distance on the tube, I used a tubing cutter to make a straight, clean cut at the distance mark.

The next task was to drill the 6 pilot holes in each end of the tubes according to the template provided in the plans. I taped the templates in place, and marked the center of each hole with a center punch. I went to the drill press after marking the hole locations to drill the pilot holes followed by some light deburring to allow the threaded rod ends to slide into the tubes.

The threaded rod ends went into the tubes without any drama or additional sanding to make them fit. After aligning the top of the cylinder section with the end of the tube, it was back to the drill press to final drill each of the holes. I then marked each rod end and tube so I could align the holes the way they were drilled for final assembly, removed the threaded rod ends, and deburred the holes. I found a Dremel with a barrel sanding bit was a good way to debur the inside surface of the holes.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, Tubing Cutter, Ruler, Center Punch, #40 Drill, #30 Drill, Drill Press, Dremel with Barrel Sanding Bit]

Prime
7/30/23 - 1.0h
8/1/23 - 0.1h
8/2/23 - 0.2h
I decided to focus on priming the inside surfaces of the pushrods first, starting with the threaded rod end interiors and exterior cylinder sections. I inserted the rod end bearings to prevent primer from clogging up the threads, which also made a good handle for priming. The surfaces were scuffed lightly with a Scotch Brite pad, cleaned, and degreased. I taped off the rod end bearing and cone portion of the threaded rod ends. The plan was to rivet the threaded rod end into place after priming the interior sections and the interior of the tube, and then prime the completed pushrod exterior.

Priming the tubes is interesting. They are long and narrow, so you can't apply direct spray inside the tubes beyond a few inches. I started by scuffing the inside with a flap wheel that I made from a Scotch Brite pad on the end of a long piece of PVC. I inserted the PVC into a drill, and then ran the Scotch Brite pad through the tubes a few times to scuff the insides for primer. Scuffing was followed up by ramming a clean cloth through each tube a few times to clean out any debris from cutting, drilling, scuffing, and deburring the tubes. I held the tube up to the light and looked down the interior length to confirm it was clean. I degreased the ends a few inches into the tubes to clean up areas that I had touched before spraying.

I tried to spray the tubes in a vertical position as much as possible. I went very heavy with the spray from each end, and rotated the tubes between spray blasts to help spread out primer runs. The runs were intentional in this case to help insure coverage toward the middle of the tube. I noticed a cloud of primer exiting the opposite end of the tube I was spraying from, which gave me confidence that primer reached the entire length of the tube from both ends. It was hard to see if the primer coated completely, but I didn't see any shiny areas inside the tube like I did before spraying, so I feel like I got some coverage everywhere.
[Maroon Scotch Brite Pads, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
7/31/23 - 0.4h
8/1/23 - 0.7h
8/3/23 - 0.3h
The parts for the Torque Tube to Bellcrank Pushrod go together very quickly. Each end cap is secured with six blind rivets, the jam-nuts get threaded onto the rod end bearings, and then the rod end bearings are screwed into the threaded rod ends. The job is finished by adjusting the rod end bearings to a total length of 67 7/16”. That length may need to be fine-tuned later, so I decided not to torque down the jam-nut until after the aileron control is rigged properly.
[Rivet Puller]

  Jul 26, 2023     23-05 - Bellcrank Preparation and Installation - (2.7 hours)       Category: 23 Pushrods

7/24/23 - 1.8h
7/25/23 - 0.7h
7/26/23 - 0.2h
I am jumping around a bit in the plans during this section depending on the tools and parts I have available as well as the work session time. This step is out of order since I need to get to a drill press to prepare the various pushrods.

Installing the aileron bellcranks is very satisfying, since you finally get to see some moving parts attached in their final position. The bellcranks need a little preparation before installation into the wings starting with riveting a nutplate for a future autopilot servo onto the right wing bellcrank. The holes for the nutplate have to be final drilled and countersunk, and then the nutplate is riveted in place. The bellcrank has two sets of nutplate holes, and the drawing in the plan says both sets are to be countersunk even though only one nutplate is installed. I countersunk both sets, primed the countersunk holes to prevent corrosion, and then attached the single nutplate to the bottom arm of the bellcrank.

Each bellcrank rotates around a pivot tube, and the pivot tubes receive brass (I think…) bushings. The length specification for the bushings is between 69.9mm and 70.6mm, and both of my bushings were delivered around 71mm long. A couple light passes with a flat file, fine sanding, and final cleanup with a Scotch Brite pad did a nice job of reducing the length to the specified length. I twisted a 1/4" reamer by hand in each bushing to allow an AN-4 bolt to slip in without binding, and then deburred both the pivot tube and bushing to allow the bushing to easily slide into the pivot tube. The pivot tube must be 0.8mm - 1.6mm shorter than the bushing, and both of my bellcranks met that spec without any additional modification required.

The final step is installing the bellcranks into the wing brackets, and securing the bellcranks with the specified AN-4 hardware. The installation is straight-forward as long as you pay attention to the bellcrank orientation in the plans. Once the bellcranks were in position, I torqued the nuts to the value in Plans Section 5 (85 in-lbs + drag) to complete the installation
[#40 Drill, #21 Drill, 1/4” Reamer, #40 Microstop Countersink Cage, Rivet Squeezer, Flat Squeezer Set, Flat File, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, Torque Wrench, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

  Jul 19, 2023     23-02 - Aileron Attachment - (1.2 hours)       Category: 23 Pushrods

7/19/23 - 1.2h
Step one in this section is installing the hardware to attach the ailerons to the wing. This was just a temporary attachment in my case since I plan to remove the ailerons before installing the bottom wing skins. I installed all of the hardware, but just left the nut finger-tight.

The drawings in this section of the plans are very good to show exactly how the hardware is arranged within each of the aileron hinges. The washer closest to the bolt head on both the inboard and outboard hinges has the potential to be installed incorrectly, though. Those washers do not go directly under the bolt heads, rather they go in the very narrow space between the aileron hinge brackets and the wing hinge brackets. I noticed that arrangement after installing the first bolt incorrectly, and it should definitely be inspected for correct installation every time the aileron is removed and installed.

I started each hinge installation by using a thin pick to get all of the washers in place before installing the bolt. The first trick (working from the outside in) was the set of double washers on the outboard hinge. I threaded a strip of wire lacing tape through the washers, and then used the lacing tape to suspend the washers in line with the hinge holes while I inserted the thin pick. The washer just inside the hinge from the bolt head is the next tricky one to deal with since it is tough to get to. I used a small standard (flat blade) screwdriver to hold the washer in place while I threaded the pick through the hinge holes and the washer. Once I had all of the washers and bushings inserted in the right areas on the pick, I slowly pushed the pick out of the holes with the bolt to get the washers on the bolt. The end result is an aileron installation that moves freely with very little length-wise play due to the tight tolerances of the washers. Nice!
[Standard (Flat Blade) Screwdriver, 3/32” Pick, Wire Lacing Tape, Needle-Nosed Pliers]

  Jul 12, 2023     23-01 - Aileron Actuation (Plans) - (1.0 hour)       Category: 23 Pushrods

7/12/23 - 1.0h
I found a12-22-2020 update to the Aileron Actuation plans during my review of the Service Bulletins, Notifications and Letters, and Revisions and Changes for the RV-14 on the Van's website. The revision changes the procedure for aileron alignment. I downloaded the changed section from the website to update my electronic plans, which I purchased in early 2020,

There are a number of “clean-up” items I want to square away in the wings, like the final fit and installation of the pitot tube, final systems routings, and installation of the autopilot servo bracket and magnetometer mount before I install the bottom wing skins. I waited on those items to install the aileron control components to ensure I didn't inadvertently interfere with the bell cranks and push-rods for the controls. The idea was to complete the control systems and all the other miscellaneous tasks with the bottom skins off to make it easy to access the inside of the wing.

The plans start with the installation of the ailerons. I can't do the final installation until the bottom wing skins are done, so that will be added to the list of “clean-up” items for later. I plan to temporarily install the ailerons with some throw-away hardware to set up the actuation system, and then remove the ailerons at the end of this stage of the build.

The large pushrods are made from aluminum tubing that has to be primed inside and out. I've heard other builders say they had problems priming the inside of the large pushrod, and was advised to use “val-oil” instead of priming. Val Oil is not easy to find, so I'll probably give priming a try. The other thing I noticed are several holes that need to be drilled into the pushrods to accept threaded endcaps. I think free-hand drilling the curved tubing would lead to problems and disappointment, and the plans specify use of a drill press on the bellcrank-to-aileron pushrods. I don't have a drill-press to drill those holes, so I'll have to impose on a builder buddy to use his drill press. One other item to note is the hole location dimensions for the bellcrank-to-aileron pushrods is incomplete in the plans. The center of the inboard hole is 13/32” from the end, but the outboard hole distance is not specified. Fortunately, the RV-10 plans have the exact same diagram, with the outboard hole distance specified at 7/32”.

The design of the aileron control system is not overly complex - it starts with a torque tube at the wing root connected to the bellcrank in the center of the wing by a pushrod, and then another pushrod from the bellcrank to the aileron. Actually preparing and assembling the parts, however, is a bit more involved and will require following the instructions and drawings in the plans very closely. I will admit that some of the instructions after simply reading them aren't perfectly clear to me, but they should be crystal clear when I start test-fitting and adjusting the various control system components. The keys to this section appear to be accurate measurements (measure twice, cut once!); identifying parts and marking them adequately for final assembly; test-fitting, aligning, and adjusting parts as needed and/or directed; and ensuring all the hardware is installed and torqued correctly.

  Jul 10, 2023     22-09 - Trailing Edge and Final Assembly - (5.7 hours)       Category: 22 Ailerons

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
7/7/23 - 0.2h
7/10/23 - 0.2h
I left the trailing edge wedges just a little long with the intention of filing them to final length after finishing the trailing edge riveting. That approach worked well, resulting in a good match between the wedge and the skins at the trailing edge of the aileron.
[Small Flat Hobby File, Scotch Brite Pad]

Assemble
7/2/23 - 0.8h
7/4/23 - 0.6h
7/6/23 - 0.8h
7/7/23 - 1.5h
7/8/23 - 0.7h
7/10/23 - 0.9h
The trailing edge of the ailerons is finished the same way the flap trailing edges were in the previous section of the build. Review the recommendations in Section 5 to improve my odds for straight trailing edges on the ailerons. I again went to the recommended back-rivet technique described in Section 5 for the ailerons. Back-riveting kept the trailing edges tight against the flat back-rivet plate, which helps keep the trailing edges straight while riveting. I started with my medium diameter flush set to “lightly” set each of the rivets working from the center out, and setting every 10th rivet, then splitting the difference left and right until all of the rivets were initially set about halfway. I then went back to the center rivet and used roughly the same pattern with the flush set to finish the rivets. I used a relatively low gun pressure of 30 - 35 psi to set the trailing edge rivets. I also noted that you don't need to be too heavy handed with the rivet gun as long as the trailing edge is held firmly to the back-rivet plate. Finally, I used a strip of masking tape next to the trailing edge to keep notes on which rivets had been completed to help keep things moving along.
[Blind Rivet Puller, 3x Rivet Gun, Flush Rivet Set, Back-Rivet Plate, Spring Clamps, 3M VHB Tape]

  Jul 01, 2023     22-08 - Nose Rib and Spar Assembly - (11.2 hours)       Category: 22 Ailerons

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
6/20/23 - 1.0h
This is the last time to access the inside of the aileron counterbalance tube before it is permanently installed in the leading edge of the aileron. I took the opportunity to ensure the screws holding the counterbalance were tight. I could not get a torque wrench on the screws due to the limited access inside the flange of the nose ribs, but I feel good that they are tightened down adequately to not come loose. I also gave the holes in the counterbalance tube one more pass with the coarse grit sandpaper to remove drilling burrs and pushed a couple of clean paper towels through the tube to remove as much debris from drilling and deburring as possible.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools]

Assemble
6/21/23 - 2.1h
6/22/23 - 1.0h
6/23/23 - 0.7h
6/24/23 - 0.6h
6/25/23 - 2.4h
6/28/23 - 0.3h
6/29/23 - 0.8h
7/1/23 - 2.3h
Assembly starts with installing the nose ribs and counterbalance into aileron nose skin. The skin holds its final shape well where it is cleco'd to the ribs or where the workbench stands hold the top and bottom of the nose skin in shape. In other areas, the skin bows out significantly, so I used strips of tape to hold the nose skin in its roughly final shape. That makes aligning the ribs for rivets a little easier, but I found the ribs still need a fair bit of cajoling to get them into position where the rivets sit flush in the dimples.

I started riveting from the trailing edge of the nose skin forward beginning with the bottom rivets on the middle rib, then the top of the rib, then repeating the bottom / top riveting on the two end ribs. The hand squeezer has good access to all of the rivets, and I followed the note in the plans to use a 1/2” tall squeezer die on the interior shop head on the top rivets. I found access to the manufactured head on the bottom end rivets was limited by the aileron hinge brackets, so I swapped the squeezer set to put the 1/2" squeezer die on the manufactured head on the bottom end rivets. That provided the clearance needed from the hinge brackets to set the bottom end rivets squarely.

The two forward-most rivets on the top side of the aileron nose skin are pulled rivets due to the curvature of the nose skin. After setting all of the solid rivets for the nose ribs, I final drilled #34 the two forward-most rivets for the slightly larger pulled rivets, and then set the rivets with a hand rivet puller. The blind rivet process didn't present any special issues or surprises.

Pulled rivets are also used to attach the spar to the nose ribs. The holes are already final-sized, so no additional drilling is required. I set the center rivet on each rib first followed by the top and bottom rivets for a total of nine -- three rivets for each of the three ribs.

On to the top skins… This step is reminiscent of the flaps starting with inserting the top skin between the nose skin and the spar. Also like the flap, remember to keep the small tab on the inboard and outboard ribs inside the spar flange. The detail for how the rib, skin, and spar fit together is shown earlier in the plans (sheet 22-06). I didn't see a reminder or new detail drawing on the assembly sheet 22-08, so you have to remember how things go together on your own. The plans also specify clamping “a straight board to the Top Skin Assembly near the trailing edge (to hold the top skin straight while riveting).” I clamped the skin between some new paint stir sticks on the exterior side and my aluminum “U-Channel” on the inside of the skin. The U-Channel provides the straightness and some structure, and the paint sticks contribute to the straightness and provide a good place for the clamps. That setup is also relatively light, which is nice while the skin is sticking up out of the cradle. A lot of weight like a heavy board (which may or may not be straight) might also damage the skin with an unfortunate crease or bend.

Per the plans, I cleco'd every other hole in the skin to the spar. I riveted the open holes between the clecos with the gun and bucking bar from the center of the aileron out. The rivets went really well thanks to the experience from building the flaps. The trickiest area is at each end of the aileron where there is a close grouping of two (outboard) and three (inboard) holes. The nose skin does not attach to those holes, so you end up with an uneven area where the nose skin stops and the top skin continues. I came up with an experimental approach, which is an admittedly risky move but ended up working really well. The wing kit came with several small sheets of aluminum at various thicknesses. I clamped a sheet the same thickness as the nose skin over the closely spaced rivets in the top skin, and then set the rivets with the gun on the shim.

Riveting the main ribs to the spar turned out to be a whole lot harder than the top skin flush rivets. I tested a squeezer yoke to see if that would work, but clearance from the hinge brackets is not wide enough to accommodate the yoke. I went with a long, cupped set on the rivet gun, which had the best (not perfect) access to the rivet head. The longer rivets on the inboard doubler end were the easiest to get to, so I started there. I put the manufactured head on the exterior doubler side since that had the most clearance for the rivet gun. The inboard rivets went pretty will, but that was not the story on the outboard side. I repeated the manufactured head on the outboard side because there was no room for a bucking bar between the outboard aileron hinges and no room for a rivet gun next to the top skin. In addition to the very tight quarters for the rivet gun, the holes are biased slightly to one side, which prevented perfectly straight alignment of the rivet set between the hinges. Three of the rivets went reasonably well with some minor “smiles” that cannot be avoided. One of the rivets, however, was a total mess. I allowed the rivet set to come off the manufactured head, which effectively destroyed the rivet head and bent the area slightly. I decided to drill the rivet out, which ended up elongating the hole a bit. Fortunately, the interior of the hole wasn't damaged, and the new rivet fit reasonably well. The result wasn't pretty, and I've decided to build a new left aileron at some point. It's airworthy right now, but I'll have to keep an eye on it for cracks.

The last step on this sheet was installing the bottom aileron skins and riveting them to the spar. The process is nearly identical to the flaps, which helped move things along relatively quickly. The tabs on the end main ribs go inside the spar, which took a little maneuvering but wasn't difficult to get in place. The skin goes between the nose skin and the spar flange, which again isn't difficult.

Once the bottom skin was cleco'd in place, I cleco'd the main ribs together to check for twist. I was happy to see almost no twist in either aileron, and riveting the bottom skin in place didn't introduce any twist to the aileron. I removed the main rib clecos prior to riveting to help with the clearance between the skins for bucking the skin/spar rivets.

I started at the center of the aileron and worked my way inboard and outboard with every 10th rivet, and then splitting the difference from the middle out until all of the rivets were set. I used the RV-14 Elevator Bucking Bar, which had excellent access to buck the rivets without me bending the skins to get my arm inside the aileron. The only area that this method didn't work was near the stiffeners. I saved those rivets for last and used a smaller tungsten bucking bar that I could lay on the spar below the stiffeners. I had to reach in to hold the bar, but it was only for 8 or 9 rivets as opposed to all of them down the line.

The final rivets I set were the inboard and outboard rivets that are beyond the bottom skin, but hold the ends of the nose skin in place. Like the top, I couldn't set these rivets with my standard rivet set without damaging the adjacent bottom skin, but unlike the top the area on the bottom is also constrained by the hinge brackets. That negated my top-side method of sandwiching the rivet. My technique for the bottom was to remove the spring guard from my back-rivet set, and just use the very small diameter portion to set the rivet. This takes a lot of care to ensure the rivet set is square to avoid damage, and I was actually surprised at how well it turned out. I won't hesitate to go to this method again for the next tight area with flush rivets.
[Hand Squeezer, Flat Squeezer Set, #34 Drill, Blind Rivet Puller, 3X Rivet Gun, Flush Rivet Set, 1/8” Cupped Set, Tungsten Bucking Bars, RV-14 Elevator Bucking Bar, Back-Rivet Set (without spring guard)]

  Jun 19, 2023     22-07 - Trailing Edge Wedge Preparation - (7.7 hours)       Category: 22 Ailerons

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
6/5/23 - 1.8h
6/8/23 - 0.6h
This is the final parts-preparation step for the ailerons. The first task is to lay the aileron top-side-up on the flat work table with the nose hanging over the edge and the aileron weighted down on the table to keep is straight. With the aileron in place, you use a straight-edge held spanwise midway between the leading edge and spar to check and correct any bowing. I used a 40” aluminum ruler, which did not show any appreciable bowing in either the left or right aileron.

The next task is to cleco the trailing edge wedge into place and mark the inboard and outboard edges even with the top of the ailerons. The wedges will be trimmed to length later in this step. The other item to take care of while the trailing edge wedges are in place is to final drill the holes common to the wedge and top and bottom skins. When building the flaps, the plans specified final drilling at an 84-degree angle to the top skin in order to drill perpendicular to the centerline of the wedge. Rather than trying to drill accurate angles with the wedges in the ailerons, I used a trailing edge wedge countersink jig to hold the wedge straight while I drilled perpendicular to the centerline. I then put the wedge in the aileron and did some “light” drilling perpendicular to the wedge centerline to finish the wedge and skins.

The aileron's were disassembled at this point to debur the holes and to cut the trailing edge wedge length. I deburred all of the parts (holes and edges) earlier, so this round of deburring was simply cleaning up the holes in the trailing edge as needed. I decided to leave the trailing edge wedge just a little long for now, and I'll file off any excess length after the aileron is assembled.
[Straight-Edge, Trailing Edge Countersink Jig ,Hole Deburring Tools, #40 Drill]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
6/9/23 - 2.7h
6/10/23 - 1.7h
The plans specify putting an edge break in the trailing edges of the top and bottom aileron skins as well as the trailing edges of the nose skins. I did that in the previous step, so I went directly to dimpling the remaining holes, which went pretty quickly. Most of the skins were already dimpled prior to riveting the stiffeners. The C-Frame did a good job dimpling the leading and trailing edges of the skins.

I turned to the Pneumatic squeezer to dimple the spar flanges and nose skins. I used a reduced diameter dimple die in the squeezer to avoid damaging the curved surface of the nose skins and the flange bends in the spar. The forward two holes in the nose skin required a 4” yoke to reach. While that ultimately worked for me, a better approach in hindsight may have been to use a reduced diameter rivet-puller dimple die. Also note, the leading edge holes drilled for the aileron counterweight do not get dimpled. The pulled rivets for those holes are not flush.

The trailing edge wedges are countersunk to accept the dimples in the trailing edges of the aileron skins. Countersinking generally goes well when the pilot hole is deeper than the countersink, and can keep the countersink cutter from wandering. In the case of the trailing edge wedges, you have to countersink both sides of the wedge, which enlarges the hole slightly to make a countersink deep enough for the dimples. I discovered a technique to countersink trailing edge wedges while keeping the hole circular (no wandering). I cleco'd a second wedge facing the opposite direction to the wedge I was countersinking. The second wedge provided the pilot hole depth I needed for a non-wandering countersink, and the opposite direction orientation gave me a level surface to drill. I was really happy with the final result using this method - I wish I'd thought of it earlier!
[Edge Forming Tool (Vise Grip Style), 22” C-Frame with #40 Standard Diameter Dimple Dies, Pneumatic Squeezer with #40 Reduced Diameter Dimple Die, #40 Countersink Cutter]

Prime
6/10/23 - 0.6h
There was a little final priming to do after disassembling and deburring the ailerons. The inside of the nose skins and the spars were the last unprimed pieces for this step of the build. Note - the trailing edge wedges and the stainless steel counterweight tubes do not get primed.
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
6/10/23 - 0.3h
Assembly for this step is pretty simple - rivet the doubler to the end of each spar. Each doubler uses two AN426AD3-5 flush-head rivets, which fit into the doubler holes that were countersunk earlier. I lightly clamped the spars to the work bench, elevated on wood paint-stirrer sticks to keep the flanges above the table to avoid damage to the spar. I left the doubler end of the spar hanging over the edge of the bench for access with the squeezer. After aligning the doubler and inserting both rivets, I used a clamp to hold the doubler tight to the spar while I set the first rivet. I then removed the clamp and set the second rivet.
[Hand Squeezer, Flat Squeezer Set]

  Jun 03, 2023     22-06 - Skin Fitting - (1.6 hours)       Category: 22 Ailerons

6/3/23 - 1.6h
Unlike the last step, there wasn't much to this one. Essentially the step was to cleco all the aileron parts and assemblies together in preparation for final drilling and trimming the trailing edge wedge in the next step. With the exception of the closely spaced inboard and outboard holes, none of the spar and associated skin holes have been dimpled yet. That also occurs in the next step. The ribs, skins, and spars took just a little coaxing to get everything in place, but eventually came together without any major issues. The only surprise for me was the gap between the nose rib and main rib hinge brackets. In my mind those were much closer together, but I held the aileron next to the hinge brackets on the wing and things appear to line up just fine.

  Jun 03, 2023     22-05 - Skin Stiffener Assembly - (37.3 hours)       Category: 22 Ailerons

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
5/10/23 - 2.1h
5/11/23 - 2.1h
5/12/23 - 2.0h
5/13/23 - 3.8h
5/15/23 - 1.5h
5/16/23 - 3.2h
5/17/23 - 1.2h
5/18/23 - 1.7h
5/20/23 - 4.1h
5/21/23 - 3.0h
5/24/23 - 2.3h
The time and number of work sessions spent on this step indicates a lot going on. The first item is securing the aileron counterbalance to the nose ribs, which requires match-drilling holes from the nose ribs into the stainless steel tube counterbalance. The counterbalance is sandwiched tightly between the ribs and the nose skin, which helps to hold everything in place for the first hole. The bottom hole is drilled through the bottom hole in the aft and forward rib flanges. That hole is then cleco'd and the nose skin is removed to mark the upper hole with an extended #40 drill bit. The mark is drilled #40, and both #40 holes in the counterbalance and nose ribs are final drilled with a #27 bit. Drilling stainless steel takes time and lubricant. It also takes extra drill bits - I broke 2 #40 jobber bits on this step! After the holes are drilled and deburred, the ribs are attached to the counterbalance with screws and nuts. The drawing on the first page of the plans for this section shows the nut inside the tube, so that it is the orientation I went with. I found a cleco clamp did a nice job holding the nut while I turned the screw with an offset ratchet screw driver.

The ribs and counterbalance assemblies are re-cleco'd to the spars and nose skins to match drill the holes in the leading edge to the counterbalance. I used a drill guide with a “Vee” shaped bottom to help ensure the holes were drilled square to the curved leading edge. Each hole gets cleco'd to hold the counterbalance tight to the skin as the drilling proceeds, and the clecos are removed after the drilling is complete. The drilling operation left some major burrs inside the counterbalance. I attached a piece of coarse sandpaper to the end of a long wooden dowel rod to debur the leading edge holes inside the tube as well as I could. I also used the dowel rod to shove a cleaning rag through the counterbalance pipe to remove excess lubricant and drill debris.

The next item to work on are the aileron stiffeners. The stiffeners come in 8 strips with 4 stiffeners per strip (total 32 stiffeners). The stiffeners have to be separated into individual parts, and then formed to final shape by removing bits of flanges and trimming the stiffeners to length. Separating the stiffeners went quickly with the band saw. I also used the band saw to make the shorter shaping cut in the forward part of the flange. The bandsaw did not do well with the longer cut on the aft part of the flange, though, The cut is very steep, which made it hard to push the piece accurately through the saw blade. The saw blade was also easy to get off course. The result was 2 destroyed aileron stiffeners and an order with Van's for a replacement strip of 4 aileron stiffeners ($9.25 + tax and shipping). I changed my technique to using a dremel and metal cutting disk to make the initial rough cut. Next, a bench grinder with a 6” Scotch Brite wheel fine-tuned the rough cut close to the cut-line. I then used a large flat file anchored to the workbench to file the cut straight and to the cut line. A small modelling file and fine sandpaper removed the tool marks from the flat file, and then the cut was deburred with an edge deburring tool and Scotch Brite pad. The process was time-consuming, but the results were very good. The aileron stiffeners were finished by trimming the forward edge and cutting the trailing edge to the appropriate length.

My last prep step was to put a slight edge break in the aft edges of the top and bottom skins and top and bottom edges of the nose skins. I was a bit early with this process, but wanted to ensure it got done before priming and dimpling. I've learned that the edge break should be very slight (nearly imperceptible) for good riveting results later. The goal is to “coax” the part into going the right direction. If the edge break is too severe, the result will be a puckered edge when it is riveted - exactly the opposite of what you're trying to accomplish with the break.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, #40 Drill, #40 Extended Length Drill, #30 Drill, #27 Drill, Cleco Clamp, Offset Screwdriver, Long Wooden Dowel Rod, Band Saw, Hacksaw, Dremel with Metal Cutting Disks, Files, Edge Forming Tool (Vise Grip Style)]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
5/27/23 - 0.8h
5/29/23 - 1.0h
Dimpling the main ribs, stiffeners, and skins is straight-forward with the C-Frame (or DRDT-2) dimpler, but some thought needs to go into which holes to dimple at this stage of the aileron construction. The ribs and stiffeners are easy - dimple all of the holes where those parts will contact the skins.

The skins are a little tougher to figure out. First, you need to determine the orientation of each skin for each aileron. The best way for me to do that was to cleco the skins to each of the aileron spars. The inboard end of the spar has 3 closely spaced holes, and the outboard end has 2. That will help determine the top and bottom side of each aileron skin, which is what you need to know to dimple the skins correctly. The other thing to note is the leading and trailing edges of the skins do not get dimpled just yet. The next step cleco's all the parts together again, which is easier without dimples in the leading edge of the skins, nose skins, and spars. Following that, the trailing edge of the skins and trailing edge wedges are final drilled, which is done before the skins are dimpled and the wedges are countersunk. I did dimple the 3 leading edge inboard holes and 2 leading edge outboard holes in the skins. The most inboard and outboard holes need to be dimpled before riveting the main ribs in place, and the adjacent holes are very close and could be difficult to dimple later with the ribs riveted in place right next to them.
[22” C-Frame with #40 Standard Diameter Dimple Dies]

Prime
5/25/23 - 2.3h
5/29/23 - 1.9h
I primed the top and bottom skins and aileron stiffeners after they were dimpled. Priming 4 skins and 32 aileron stiffeners takes some time, but is manageable if things are organized and ready to go. One thing to remember is the area on the skins where the trailing edge wedge attaches should not be primed.
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
6/1/23 - 2.2h
6/2/23 - 1.3h
6/3/23 - 0.8h
Assembly at this stage consists of back-riveting the main ribs and stiffeners to the top and bottom aileron skins. Prior to back-riveting, I cleco'd the (uncut) trailing edge wedge to each skin to ensure the stiffeners didn't interfere with the wedge placement and the flanges were short enough to not interfere with the opposite skin. I ended up clecoing the trailing edge wedge, main ribs, stiffeners, and skins together to form a complete aileron, and then looked inside the cavity to check the clearance of the stiffeners at the trailing edge. I was able to insert a small piece of cardboard (a 12-pack soda box flap) between the stiffeners and the opposite skin, so I was confident that all the stiffeners were cut correctly. If not, there's still an opportunity to fine-tune the stiffeners before riveting them to the skins. Back-riveting went really well, and I was very happy with the results.
[3X Rivet Gun, Back-Rivet Set, Large Back-Rivet Plate]

  May 09, 2023     22-04 - Counterbalance Preparation - (3.5 hours)       Category: 22 Ailerons

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
5/6/23 - 1.2h
5/8/23 - 1.8h
5/9/23 - 0.5h
The aileron spars came out their vinyl coverings to start this step, and I decided to debur the spars now to ensure the aileron nose pieces go together smoothly for the remainder of this step. I am building both ailerons together, like I did with the flaps, and the first formal task for this step was clecoing the nose ribs and doubler to each spar.

The plans specify 879.5mm as the length of the stainless steel tube counterweights for each aileron. I measured each tube with some trepidation at attempting a straight cut accurate to 0.5mm, and was excited to see that Van's supplied the counterweights already cut to the proper length! The only thing I had to do was lightly debur the ends.

Preparing the counterbalances continues by clecoing the nose skins to the spar, which in turn holds the counterbalances in place. Once the nose skins and counterbalances are locked down, the holes at each end of the counterbalance are match-drilled to the nose skin. I used a drill guide to help me drill perpendicular to the hole in the curved nos skin, and then cleco'd the holes as I drilled them to ensure no movement while I worked on the opposite end holes. The spar is then removed from the assembly to complete this step.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, #40 drill]

  May 07, 2023     22-03 - Hinge Bracket and Main Rib Preparation - (5.6 hours)       Category: 22 Ailerons

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
4/30/23 - 1.7h
5/1/23 - 0.4h
5/6/23 - 0.5h
This step is really a continuation of the previous one. It starts by separating the main ribs into top and bottom sections, and cleaning up the cut edges. There is also a part that is separated into two doublers for the aileron spar after the #40 holes in the doubler are countersunk. The rib parts and doublers are easy to debur and prepare for dimpling, countersinking, priming, and assembly.
[Band Saw, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
5/2/23 - 1.2h
Dimpling and countersinking requires some care in this step to ensure it is done correctly. A technique to make the countersinking easier is to cleco the hinge brackets together back-to-back, and then countersink both exposed faces. In addition to ensuring the correct side is countersunk, the extra thickness of the cleco'd parts makes a good pilot hole for the countersink cutter.

Dimpling took a little thought since the instructions in the plans don't completely agree with the drawings. The plans specify dimpling the .098 (#40) holes in the ribs, which are the flange holes. However, the drawings show the #30 holes in the rib web getting dimpled. The flanges don't get dimpled for a couple more steps, but I went ahead and did them now since they are not used later for match/final drilling. I also dimpled the rib webs as shown in the diagrams.
[Pneumatic Squeezer, #40 Reduced Diameter Dimple Dies, #30 Dimple Dies, Microstop Countersink Cage, #12 Drill, #30 Countersink Cutter, #40 Countersink Cutter, #12 Countersink Cutter]

Prime
5/1/23 - 0.5h
5/6/23 - 0.7h
I leaned forward a bit too much in the last step and primed the inboard and outboard hinge brackets before countersinking them in this step. A quick primer hit on the countersinks in this step, and all is good! I also employed my standard priming technique (cleaning/scuffing, degreasing, and priming) on the main ribs. The cleaning / scuffing happened before dimpling the ribs, then degreasing and priming after the parts were completely prepped.
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
5/7/23 - 0.6h
This step, like the previous one, finishes by attaching the hinge brackets to the corresponding ribs. The squeezer has good access to all of the rivets, especially since the ribs don't have a bottom flange. I started by riveting the small A-1007-1C doubler to the A-1007-1B inboard hinge bracket, and then I riveted the inboard and outboard hinge brackets to the ribs as shown in the plans diagrams. One thing to keep in mind is the bottom two holes of each hinge bracket is unriveted for now, since the bottom flange of the main ribs has to go there later in the build.
[Pneumatic Squeezer, Flush Squeezer Dies]

  Apr 30, 2023     22-02 - Hinge Bracket and Nose Rib Preparation - (7.8 hours)       Category: 22 Ailerons

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
4/28/23 - 3.0h
4/29/23 - 1.2h
Preparation of the inboard and outboard hinge brackets started with separating the parts as shown in the plans. I then filed off the tabs at the attachment points and deburred all holes and edges. I checked the holes for proper sizing, and final drilled the holes as necessary.

The ailerons only use 3 nose ribs each (total six), so preparation went pretty quickly. I did not need to flute any of the ribs or adjust the angle of the flanges. I buffed the leading edge flanges of the inboard nose ribs as shown in the plans to reduce the faceted appearance when they are installed in the leading edge skin.
[Band Saw, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, #12 Drill, #30 Drill, #40 Drill]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
4/29/23 - 1.1h
The inboard and outboard hinge brackets (A-1006-1A and A-1007-1A) are countersunk for the head of AN426AD4 rivets, which attach the brackets to the nose ribs. Each inboard rib also gets a nut plate installed on the web inside the upper rear flange. The plans do not specify countersinking the corresponding nut plate holes in the hinge brackets, but the rivets used for the nut plates are AN426AD3, so countersinks for those rivets are clearly required in addition to the #30 rivets to attach the hinge brackets.

The top and bottom flanges of the ribs are dimpled for the leading edge skins. The reduced diameter dimple die in the pneumatic squeezer did a nice job on the dimples in both the inboard ribs and the much thicker/heavier nose ribs. The nose ribs have two forward flanges, in addition to the top and bottom flanges, where the counterbalance rod is screwed into place. I did not dimple the holes in the forward flanges since they will be upsized later to #27, and there is no need to dimple them to attach the counterbalance rod.
[Pneumatic Squeezer, #40 Reduced Diameter Dimple Dies, Microstop Countersink Cage, #30 Countersink Cutter, #40 Countersink Cutter]

Prime
4/29/23 - 1.1h
4/30/23 - 0.4h
Priming followed my now-standard method of cleaning/scuffing, degreasing, and priming. I did the cleaning before dimpling holes to ensure the holes were completely deburred and to make the cleaning/scuffing step easier. I waited to degrease and prime the parts until after the rib flanges were dimpled.
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
4/30/23 - 1.0h
Assembly of the inboard and outboard hinge brackets/nose ribs went relatively well. The pneumatic squeezer had good access to all the rivets including the AN426AD3-4 rivets for the nut plates on the inboard hinge bracket assembly. I riveted the brackets in place first, and then installed the nut plates as shown in the plans.
[Pneumatic Squeezer, Flush Squeezer Dies]

  Apr 27, 2023     22-01 - Ailerons (Plans) - (1.0 hour) Category: 22 Ailerons

4/27/23 - 1.0h
Once again, I started my plans review by looking for changes, bulletins, and updates on the Van's website. There was one change to the plans back in 2015, which was incorporated into the version I already have. I didn't spot any other relevant changes.

The first thing I noticed in the aileron plans is the structure is a little different than the wings, elevators, flaps, … The main difference is the counterbalance rod in the leading edge and very few leading edge ribs. The hinge brackets are also a different design than other control surfaces I've built so far.

Step 3 on the first page of instructions after the overview drawing appears to have some typos. Step 3 instructions abruptly end, followed by a repeat of the step with additional instructions labeled Step 7. Step 3 (7) is buffing the curved portion of the nose rib flanges to avoid a faceted appearance. I've done that in several previous assemblies, so it is easy enough to get the intent of the plans despite the typos. This page also does not instruct the builder to countersink the holes in the inboard hinge brackets where the nut plate inside the inboard nose rib attaches, but the figure specifies AN426 rivets for the nut plate, so the hinge bracket definitely needs to be counter-sunk.

It was interesting to note that the counterbalance rod is made of stainless steel, and the instructions say it need be primed. Similarly, the trailing edge wedge and trailing edges of the skins aren't primed since adhesive will be applied there for final assembly. It looks like some care is required in the initial steps to ensure countersinking, dimpling, and final/match drilling is done correctly. The final assembly appears to be very similar to the flaps, so hopefully there aren't any surprises there.

  Apr 24, 2023     21-12 - Flap Hardware - (0.4 hour)       Category: 21 Flaps

Assemble
4/24/23 - 0.4h
This turned out to be an abbreviated step, with a couple of items pushed to my “to-do” list later in the build. The only step I completed was to attach the control rod end to the inboard location on each flap. The rod end is secured with an AN4-11A bolt to the nut plate riveted to the inboard nose rib. The torque for the AN4 bolt is 50-70 in-lbs. I set my torque wrench for 60 in-lbs plus drag, which resulted in 70 in-lbs on the right and 68 in-lbs on the left. I also noted that Section 5 of the plans says to lubricate the shank of the bolt when you are torquing it rather than a nut. The other thing worth noting is the drawings show the thinner washer closest to the bolt head with the thicker washer closest to the threads.

Two items I did not complete at this point were press fitting the bushings in the wing hinge attach points and final attachment of the flaps to the wings. I plan to install the bushings after I attach the bottom wing skins. The bushings are wider than the hinge brackets, and could interfere with fitting the bottom skins over the hinge brackets. I'll complete the final attachment of the flaps after the wings are attached to the airplane. Until then, the flaps will go into storage with the wings at the airport.
[Torque Wrench]

  Apr 23, 2023     21-10/11 - Flap Assembly - Bottom Skin and Trailing Edge - (17.7 hours)       Category: 21 Flaps

Assemble
4/7/23 - 5.0h
4/8/23 - 3.6h
4/12/23 - 1.1h
4/13/23 - 0.8h
4/14/23 - 2.2h
4/15/23 - 1.3h
4/18/23 - 1.0h
4/19/23 - 0.5h
4/23/23 - 2.2h
I was worried about this step since the plans go into detail on how to avoid twist in the flaps and access to buck the bottom skin to spar rivets is extremely tight. I spent the time when I installed my workbench to ensure it was a level surface, and I confirmed the bench top is still flat and level. I also have a large, flat steel back-rivet plate (approximately 9” wide by 6' long) that I placed on top of the bench as a mount for the flap cradles. I put the flap in the cradles, cleco'd the bottom skin and nose skin to the bottom flange of the spar, and used a digital level to check the angles on the hinge brackets. With some very minor adjustments, both brackets on the right and left flaps came in at -4 degrees. I checked the angles periodically as I riveted the bottom flange of the spar to the nose and bottom skins, and the angles didn't change throughout the process. A final check after riveting confirmed no changes, so presumably I have no twist in the flaps.

The other worry in this step was actually setting the rivets along the spar on the bottom of the flap. I found that there simply wasn't enough clearance for me to reach the spar between the skins and maneuver the bucking bar into place. I've seen logs from builders who managed to do it, but I was not convinced I could get decent results with that approach. I decided to get creative, which generally is not a good thing, with my long elevator bucking bar. It had excellent access to the rivets, and the bar extended past the trailing edge of the flap about 3”, so I could easily maneuver the bar and apply appropriate pressure to set the rivets. I managed to align the flat side of the bar with the spar flange for evenly set rivets, and was extremely happy with the results using the long elevator bar. As a side note, I think this method put a lot of stress on my left wrist due to the way you have to hold the bar and then use your thumb to apply the pressure. I'll definitely use a wrist brace if I end up doing anything like that again!

One down side to the long elevator bar is it did not have good square access to the rivets inside the rib flanges. I needed another approach for those, so I used some gorilla tape to attach a small bucking bar to the end of some paint-stirrer sticks. I taped three stir sticks together to provide some rigidity to the handle, and then attached the bucking on top of the sticks at the bottom with about 3/4" of the bucking bar extending beyond the edge of the sticks. The portion of the bar sticking out fit into the rib flange to set the rivet, while the stir-stick handle provided enough leverage to hold the bar in place. This method worked really well for me, and I was happy with the rivets on the rib flanges.

According to Section 5 of the plans, “Building a truly straight TE is one of the more difficult things to do in aircraft construction.” I followed the recommendations in Section 5 closely to give myself the best chance for a straight trailing edge. That included using the recommended 3M VHB tape to bond the trailing edge components together before setting the rivets. Instructions for cleaning the parts and applying the tape are provided in Section 5. I allowed the tape to bond over night to give it a chance to completely adhere to the parts.

Section 5 also goes into detail on “double-flush” riveting. I used special squeezer dies to double-flush rivet the rudder and elevator trailing edges, but I went with the Section 5 back-rivet technique for the flaps. Back-riveting allowed me to keep the flap trailing edge tight against the flat back-rivet plate, which resulted in a straight trailing edge! I used a small diameter rivet set in the gun to initially set each of the rivets, and finished with a larger flush set to finish the double-flush shop heads on the bottom of the flap. Per the technique detailed in Section 5, I used weights to hold the flap trailing edge tight to the back-rivet plate, worked from the center out starting with every 10th rivet, and used a low gun pressure of about 30psi.

After setting the trailing edge rivets, I finished the bottom of the flaps with pulled rivets along each of the ribs. The rivets called out for this step require the holes to be upsized slightly to #33. Access to pull the blind rivets is about as good as you can get, so there were no issues there. The rivets on the outboard and inboard ribs are squeezed solid rivets, with the exception of the aft rivet, which is a blind rivet due to limited access for a squeezer. I also couldn't get my squeezer into the adjacent rivet forward, so I set a blind rivet there, too.

[3x Rivet Gun, Small Diameter Flush Set, Regular Flush Set, Large Back-Rivet Plate, Clamps and Weights, #33 Drill, Blind Rivet Puller, Hand Squeezer, Flat Squeezer Set]

  Apr 07, 2023     21-09 - Flap Assembly - Top Skin - (7.5 hours)       Category: 21 Flaps

Assemble
3/28/23 - 1.4h
3/29/23 - 1.7h
4/4/23 - 0.7h
4/5/23 - 1.7h
4/6/23 - 2.0h
You may have noticed there is a gap of about a week in this step. That is because my fuselage kit arrived on March 30th! I spent the week unpacking and inventorying parts, and disassembling the shipping crate. The fuselage kit was delivered about a month earlier than expected, and approximately 2 months before I'll complete the wing tasks. I definitely won't complain about an early delivery, and I'm anxious to get started on the fuselage!

Flap assembly continues with the nose and top skins. The nose and top skins are riveted to the top spar flange. I started in the middle of the spar and worked outward in both directions from there with the rivet gun and bucking bar. I switched to the hand squeezer for the final rivet at each end of the spar. It's important to note that the rivets at the main ribs are longer than the ones between the ribs.

Riveting the top skins to the ribs involves three different techniques. The forward six rivets on each of the interior ribs are set with the rivet gun and bucking bar. A lot of care is required to avoid damaging the skins since there isn't much surface on the rib flanges for the rivet gun and bucking bar. The rivet squeezer has good access to the exterior ribs with good results. Finally, the aft two rivets on each rib, including the exterior ribs, are set by back-riveting. The ribs have gaps in the flanges opposite the holes for back-riveting, but the gaps are not large enough for the back spring-guard. I ended up using a very small diameter flush set, and held the rib against the skin during the process by hand. The back rivets turned out good, and it's on to the bottom skin!
[3x Rivet Gun & Bucking Bars, Flush (Mushroom) Rivet Set, Back-Rivet Set and Plate, Hand Squeezer, Flat Squeezer Set]

  Mar 30, 2023     Fuselage Kit Delivered Category: Fuselage

  Mar 27, 2023     21-08 - Initial Flap Assembly - Nose and Main Ribs - (6.9 hours)       Category: 21 Flaps

Assemble
3/25/23 - 1.4h
3/26/23 - 4.2h
3/27/23 - 1.3h
The nose ribs and main ribs are riveted to the spar to form the flap skeleton. I started with the nose ribs, which were mostly accessible with the pneumatic squeezer. The main ribs were also mostly accessible with the pneumatic squeezer. The exceptions were the second main rib from the inboard edge and the outboard nose rib/main rib combo. The second main rib flanges face the nose rib flanges, which obstructs squeezer access, and the squeezer is too large to fit in the inset area of the end nose or main ribs. I bucked the rivets with a double-offset cupped set on the rivet gun with good results. The trickiest part of the operation is figuring out how to secure the parts to the work bench prior to riveting. I clamped some 1x2's to the work bench with the ends extended about 6” past the edge of the work bench. That provided a stable surface, which allowed access above and below the parts for the squeezer and rivet gun.

The final task on this sheet was to cleco the nose and top skins in place. The nose skin takes some maneuvering to get in position, but it eventually fit really well. I was also very pleased with how well the rivet holes in the skins and flap skeleton parts lined up. Clecoing everything together was easy for both flaps!
[Pneumatic Squeezer, 1/8 Cupped Squeezer Set, 3x Rivet Gun, Double-Offset Cupped Set, Tungsten Bucking Bar]

  Mar 25, 2023     21-07 - Flap Hinge and Nose Rib Assembly - (4.3 hours)       Category: 21 Flaps

Assemble
3/24/23 - 2.7h
3/25/23 - 1.6h
Flap assembly starts by building up the nose rib parts. The inboard rod end ribs each get doublers, and the outboard rod end ribs each get doublers and nut plates. Van's specifies the direction of the rivets in the drawings. In this case, the manufactured head goes against the ribs, and the shop head is set on the doubler. The nutplate rivets are set in the opposite direction to attach the nutplate inside the rib with flush rivets on the doubler. The pneumatic squeezer had good access to set all the rivets.

The hinge assemblies start similarly to the rod end ribs. The hinge brackets are riveted to their corresponding rib, with the manufactured head against the ribs, and the shop head set on the hinge brackets. The pneumatic squeezer had good access to set all of these rivets as well.

The final task in this step is to rivet left and right hinge/rib pairs to each other. This is a little different than previous riveting tasks because the rivets are set double-flush. The process starts by clecoing the hinge sub-assemblies together, and inserting the flap hinge bushing to keep the hinge brackets aligned properly. I was concerned that the clecos didn't hold the hinge pairs tight enough, which could lead to setting bad rivets, so I supplemented the clecos with c-clamps. The other thing to keep in mind is setting the pneumatic squeezer too tightly will prevent it from generating the maximum compression on the rivets. The shop head of the double-flush rivets completely filled the countersink, and ended up just very slightly proud. I sanded the flanges smooth, and was very happy with the results.
[Pneumatic Squeezer, 1/8 Cupped Squeezer Set, Flat Squeezer Set]

  Mar 24, 2023     21-06 - Flap Parts Prep - (30.9 hours)       Category: 21 Flaps

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
3/9/23 - 1.5h
3/10/23 - 3.8h
3/11/23 - 0.7h
3/17/23 - 0.4h
3/18/23 - 2.4h
Final preparation of the flap parts includes some match and final drilling. The upper flanges of the nose ribs get each get 2 holes match drilled to the pre-drilled holes in the nose skin. The joggled flanges in the hinge brackets also get match drilled to the holes in the opposite hinge brackets that were drilled earlier. The hinge brackets are aligned by inserting the hinge bushing on the hinge bolt at the bottom of the hinge. I also used a cleco clamp as I worked my way up the flange, and then cleco'd each hole as I went. The top hole is very close to the nose skin, so I used an angle drill attachment to get a straight shot at that hole. A 12” #40 drill bit would also work for the top hinge flange hole.

The trailing edge wedge is final drilled along with the trailing edge of the top and bottom skins. Just like the rudder trailing edge, the holes are match drilled at an angle to the skin rather than perpendicular. An 84-degree angle to the skin gets the drill perpendicular to the centerline of the wedge. I held an angle gauge set to 84-degrees against the drill to align the drill properly.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, #40 Drill, Angle Gauge, Angle Drill with #40 Bit, Cleco Clamps]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
3/6/23 - 1.1h
3/12/23 - 0.5h
3/14/23 - 1.7h
3/15/23 - 1.8h
3/17/23 - 3.1h
3/18/23 - 0.7h
3/19/23 - 0.6h
3/20/23 - 2.1h
3/22/23 - 0.6h
A couple of different countersink techniques/tools are required for the flap parts. The trailing edge wedge is countersunk on both sides perpendicular to the wedge. I have a wedge drill and countersink jig that makes it easy to countersink the wedge correctly.

The hinge brackets are the other parts that need to be countersunk for double-flush rivets. This is different because the countersinks are on the joggled flanges, which prevents directly using a microstop countersink cage. The plans have you fashion a drill jig to help countersink the joggle. I tried to use the joggle jig, but struggled to set up the countersink cage correctly. I eventually decided to countersink the holes on the joggled flanges by hand with the countersink cutter on an electric screw driver. This method was effective for me, but it takes time since you need to frequently check the countersink to ensure you don't inadvertently go too deep. I typically stopped countersinking when a rivet head would sit just proud of the surface (maybe a couple of thousandths), and then I finished the countersink with a hole deburring tool.

Dimpling also requires several different tools and techniques. The C-Frame is effective to dimple the top and bottom skins. The C-Frame is also good on the nose skin aft edge holes, and for the forward 2 or three holes on the top side of the nose skin. The other top and bottom holes on the nose skin are accessible with a hand or pneumatic squeezer. The pneumatic or hand squeezer is also required for the holes in the rib and spar flanges.
[Edge Forming Tool (Vise Grip Style), Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, 22” C-Frame with #40 Reduced Diameter and #40 Standard Diameter Dimple Dies, Pneumatic Squeezer with #40 Reduced Diameter Dimple Die, Trailing Edge Wedge Drill and Countersink Jig, Microstop Countersink Cage, #40 Countersink Cutter]

Prime
3/13/23 - 2.0h
3/19/23 - 2.0h
3/20/23 - 1.0h
3/21/23 - 0.7h
3/22/23 - 0.7h
3/23/23 - 1.5h
3/24/23 - 2.0h
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

  Mar 06, 2023     21-05 - Flap Trailing Edge Prep - (3.4 hours) Category: 21 Flaps

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
3/5/23 - 2.2h
3/6/23 - 1.2h
Trailing edge wedges, like the one on the rudder, are provided for the flaps (and ailerons). The flap is longer than the wedge, so a long piece and short piece are trimmed to form a but joint approximately 10 inches from the inboard edge of the flap. The initial cut locations are measured and marked, and then the wedges get cleco'd to the bottom flap skin for fine-tuning. The problem I had was deburring the cut ends of the wedges. The deburring process led to a small, but noticeable gap (less than 1/32” between the wedge pieces. I plan to try again and leave the wedges a little long so the deburred wedges fit closer.

The final task on this step is to put a slight bend in the long edges of the leading edge skins. This is a little tricky because the skins are hard to clamp to the workbench without damaging the bends in the skins. I ended up holding the parts in place by hand, and going very slowly with the edge forming tool. The bend is very subtle and even down the length of the skins, which is what I was going for. I also took this opportunity to debur the edges of the leading edge skins.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, Dremel with Metal Cutting Disk, Edge-Forming Tool]

  Mar 05, 2023     21-04 - Flap Skeleton - (1.1 hours)       Category: 21 Flaps

3/5/23 - 1.1h
This may be the quickest step in the build to this point. All of the flap parts, with the exception of the skins, spars, and trailing edges have been drilled, cut, and deburred as specified. The primary task in this step is to bend the spar flange of the inboard ribs to be parallel with the forward edge of the bottom skins. The inboard edge of the flaps flares out just a bit, which changes the angle of the inboard rib. The most challenging part of this step for me was figuring out the orientation of the bottom skins. The forward edge is shorter than the trailing edge, the square edge is outboard and the angled edge is inboard. Once I had that figured out, I cleco'd the inboard ribs to the angled edge of the skin and adjusted the spar flange angle.

The final task of this step was to cleco the flap skeleton together. The drawings in the plans are very clearly marked to show the orientation and location of each part. I marked each of the nose ribs (L-1 through L-8 and R-1 through R-8) from the inboard end of the spar to the outboard end. I did the same for the main ribs to help me maintain this orientation throughout the remainder of the build.

  Mar 04, 2023     21-03 - Nose Rib, Hinge Bracket, and Rib Prep - (5.5 hours)       Category: 21 Flaps

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
3/3/23 - 1.5h
3/4/23 - 4.0h
All of the nose rib holes are final drilled in this step, and the remaining modifications for the rod end rib subassemblies are completed in this step. All of my nose ribs were delivered with final-sized holes, which made quick work of this step. The main task was final-drilling the 1/4" hole in the outboard rod end subassemblies. I also had to do some final-drilling for the webs of the hinge pair subassemblies. The plans were not completely clear on whether or not all four (two left flap and two right flap) hinge pair subassemblies received the same treatment. There is a note after this step that says remaining steps refer just to the left flap, but I think that note also applies to the hinge pair assemblies and I final drilled all four sets.

The primary task on this sheet, other than deburring all of the nose and main ribs, is removing the small tab at the aft end of the upper rib flange. This is done to gain access to the hole just across from the tab on the lower rib flange. The task doesn't look overly complicated, but I learned a lesson from another builder that it is very easy to accidentally trim off the lower tab with the hole while trimming off the upper tab. I planned to clamp the rib to the work bench and use a Dremel with a metal cutting disk to remove the tab. I clamped a thin piece of steel under the tab to act as a backstop to protect the bottom tab. The backstop worked great, and I managed to remove all of the upper tabs without damaging the bottom flange of the ribs. I filed each cut even with the curve in the notch, put a small radius on the end with the file, and deburred each rib.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, #30 Drill, #40 Drill, 1/4" Drill, Dremel with Metal Cutting Disk]

  Mar 03, 2023     21-02 - Nose Rib and Hinge Bracket Prep - (5.0 hours)       Category: 21 Flaps

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
3/1/23 - 1.9h
3/3/23 - 2.1h
The flap, like all the other build steps, starts with preparing parts for assembly. The first job is to lay out a 4-hole pattern in the joggle of a left hinge bracket, drill the 4 holes, and then use that hinge bracket as a template for the other three left hinge brackets. Note that the right hinge brackets do not get drilled in this step.

Preparation of the nose ribs comes next. The faceted curved forward-edge flanges get buffed with a 6” Scotch Brite Cut-and-Polish wheel to “minimize the tendency for them to appear faceted instead of curved.” I didn't need to flute any of the ribs since they were all straight, so I moved directly to deburring the holes and edges.

The final parts that get some attention in this step are the rod-end assembly doublers. The doublers don't have any complex curves or crevices to complicate deburring, and I did most of the edge deburring with the 6” Scotch Brite Cut-and-Polish wheel since it was already out to buff the nose rib flanges. After I deburred the doublers, I cleco'd one each to the outside of a left and right nose rib to form the outboard rod end rib assemblies. There is a nut-plate pattern in the doubler that is used to match drill the holes in the ribs. The center hole of the nut-plate pattern is also match drilled with a 1/4" drill bit.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, #40 Drill, 1/4" Drill, Bench Grinder with 6” Scotch Brite Cut-and-Polish Wheel]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
3/2/23 - 0.7h
3/3/23 - 0.3h
The final task for this step was to countersink the nut-plate holes in the doublers flush on the exterior side. The rod end rib subassemblies are then disassembled to clean and debur the holes, and then reassembled with the clecos inside the flange of the ribs.
[Bench Grinder with 6” Scotch Brite Cut-and-Polish Wheel, Microstop Countersink Cage with #40 Countersink Cage]

  Feb 27, 2023     21-01 - Flaps (Plans) - (2.5 hours) Category: 21 Flaps

2/26/23 - 10h
2/27/23 - 1.5h
A quick review of the service information and revisions section of the Van's website confirmed I have the latest copy of the flap plans. I did, however, download an update to Manual Section 5. Section 5 updates include a note on cracks in dimpled holes, tips on nut-plates, a caution on isopropyl alcohol near acrylic edges and holes, and an additional set of torque values for shear-type nuts.

The plans start with a note on special tools required for this step of the build including #33 6 in. long drill bit, back riveting plate, and duck-bill pliers. I'm good with the back riveting plate, but I'll have to look into sources for the other specialty tools. The plans for the flaps also deviate from other wing build plans by recommending building both flaps at the same time to “help prevent mistakes and speed up the construction process.” Other sections leave it up to the builder if you want to work on the left and right sides together or consecutively. I've completed the other sections to this point at the same time for both left and right assemblies, so this isn't really a change for me. The other thing I noticed for the flaps is an emphasis on building flat and square assemblies to minimize twist in the flap. That will require some careful planning and additional preparation to keep things as square and level as possible. I have a friend who took extraordinary care building his flaps, and they still had some twist; so I'm not real optimistic on my chances for a flat flap. There are also a lot of instructions about the specific order in which parts are drilled, cleco'd, riveted, …; which will require a lot of care during the assembly to get it right.

  Feb 26, 2023     20-06 - Wing Access Covers and Nut-Plates - (1.8 hours) Category: 20 Bot Skins

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
2/26/23 - 1.1h
This step is out of sequence because I've decided to wait to rivet the bottom skins to the wing until the flaps and ailerons are built and I've done the initial installation of the aileron actuation parts. Most of page 20-05 is the rivet schedule drawings of the wing skins, but there is a very short step to final drill the holes in the six wing access covers. Sheet 20-06 continues the access cover preparation with deburring the holes and edges.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, #19 Drill, #28 Drill, Bench Grinder with 6” Scotch Brite Cut and Polish Wheel]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
2/26/23 - 0.2h
[Edge Forming Tool (Vise Grip Style), Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, 22” C-Frame with #40 Reduced Diameter, #30, and #40 Standard Diameter Dimple Dies, Pneumatic Squeezer with #40 Reduced Diameter Dimple Die]

Prime
2/26/23 - 0.5h
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

  Feb 25, 2023     20-03 - Wing Skin and ADAHRS Bracket Preparation - (28.9 hours)       Category: 20 Bot Skins

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
2/6/23 - 1.6h
2/7/23 - 0.8h
2/18/23 - 3.3h
2/19/23 - 2.9h
2/20/23 - 1.6h
2/21/23 - 1.7h
2/22/23 - 0.5h
The first task on this page is to match drill the ADAHRS mounting zee to the left inboard J-channel. The flange of the mounting zee where it attaches to the J-channel is slanted, and there aren't any specifics in the plan on how exactly to match drill the holes. I looked at several builder sites, and didn't get any hints there, either. My main concern was the eventual level installation of the GMU-22 magnetometer on the ADAHRS mounting bracket. In the end, I realized that the leveling would have to come after the wing was attached, and it would likely take some washers to shim the ADAHRS mounting plate to achieve a level installation. I decided to draw a line down the middle of the J-channel, and use that as a guide to match drill the holes.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, 12” #30 Drill, Cleco Clamps]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
2/9/23 - 0.8h
2/12/23 - 0.6h
2/16/23 - 0.7h
2/20/23 - 3.0h
2/22/23 - 0.3h
2/23/23 - 2.2h
2/24/23 - 3.3h
The dimpling description in the previous log mentioned taking a moment to visualize the final build and ensure the dimpling orientation is correct. That applied to this step as well. Dimpling the wing box J-Stiffeners is straight-forward, but the ADAHRS parts needed just a little thought to get things right. The six holes on the bottom of the ADAHRS mounting zee are dimpled inward to mate with the lower wing skin, and the middle three holes on top of the mounting zee are dimpled the opposite direction to mate with the ADAHRS mounting plate. The corresponding center three holes in the mounting plate are also dimpled to fit with the mounting zee. The outer two holes on the mounting plate and mounting zee top are not dimpled, because there is a flat part that mates above those parts. That brings us to what I think is an error in the plans. The plans say the ADAHRS retainers should be countersunk, but those are very thin parts and would be impossible to fully countersink without enlarging the rivet holes. The retainers sit on top of the ADAHRS mounting spacers, which are very thick parts. My solution is to machine countersink the top of the thick spacers to fit the dimpled retainers, dimple the thin retainers to nest with the spacer countersinks, and leave the plate and mounting zee below flat.

Several holes are final drilled from the inboard bottom skins to the inboard ribs for nut plates that will eventually be used to connect the wing fairings. The nut plate screw holes are final-drilled #19 as well as the #19 screw hole for the access plate attach locations. The newly drilled holes all need to be deburred after removing the skin from the wing.

This step references Section 16 of the plans to modify the lap joint between the inboard and outboard bottom wing skins to be the same thickness as the adjacent leading edge skins. Section 16 says to remove material thickness from the top outboard forward edge of the inboard wing skin and the bottom inboard forward edge of the outboard wing skin to be of equal thickness with the fuel tank skin upon installation. This task is a little easier for the bottom skins since the fuel tank is already installed making it easy to check your progress.

I took this opportunity to ensure the leading edges of the inboard and outboard bottom wing skins didn't overlap any of the leading edge skins at the spar. Some light filing and sanding made everything fit properly. Finally, section 16 instructs you to put a slight break in the leading edge of both inboard and outboard top wing skins, and the inboard edge of the outboard top wing skin. There is no instruction in this section to do that for the bottom skins, but I expanded the instruction to modify the lap joints to include putting the same edge break on the bottom skins prior to dimpling the holes.

I also planned to modify the bottom left outboard wing skin for my pitot mast. The pitot mast came with location and installation instructions, which I modified to suit my installation. The pitot mast goes just outboard of the rib that is outboard of the bellcrank inspection plate. My mast has a joggle to allow it to attach inside the spar flange with the mast plate on the bottom wing skin. I match drilled the pitot mast joggle to the spar first, and then transition to the skin to cut the hole for the mast. The trickiest part of the installation by far was ensuring everything was aligned before cutting the hole in the skin and match-drilling the top holes. My hole in the skin for the pitot mast isn't perfect, but it is really close, so overall I was happy with the way it turned out. I countersunk the holes in the aft side of the pitot mast plate and dimpled the corresponding holes in the skin. The end result will rivet the mast forward-edge joggle to the skin and spar in 3 places, and rivet the aft portion of the plate to the skin in 2 places.
[22” C-Frame with #40 Reduced Diameter, #40 Standard, #30 Standard, and #19 Dimple Dies, #40 Drill, #19 Drill, Micro-Stop Countersink Cage, #30 Countersink Bit, #40 Countersink Bit]

Prime
2/8/23 - 1.1h
2/10/23 - 0.8h
2/17/23 - 0.1h
2/22/23 - 1.2h
2/25/23 - 1.5h
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
2/17/23 - 0.9h
The ADAHRS mount assembly is essentially a mini practice project and a lot of fun to put together. I reviewed the assembly steps in the plans, and decided to back-rivet the majority of the parts together. I started with the center 3 rivets that attach the mounting zee to the mounting plate, and then went up a layer to back-rivet the mounting spacers and retainers to the mounting plate. I deviated from the plans by countersinking the mounting spacers dimpling the ADAHRS retainers rather than countersinking the thin retainers. That ended up working very well, and they all came together nicely.

I set the final three universal head rivets that attach the latch to the mounting plate with the pneumatic squeezer. It took a second to figure out a good way to clamp the assembly to the workbench before setting the rivets. I started with the center rivet with the holes on either side cleco'd, which worked fine. I had a little trouble getting a tight fit between the parts on the 2 outer rivets since there was nothing on the outer side to hold the parts together. I partially setting the rivets and noticed a small gap between the parts. I squeezed the parts back together using a nylon spacer with a hole slightly larger than the shop head of the rivets. The partially set rivets held the parts tightly together while I finished the final squeeze. I wasn't sure that method would work, but decided to try it on a non-structural part that could be easily replaced if things went bad. The experiment ended up working really well, and I'll keep it in mind if I run across similar situations down the road.
[3x Rivet Gun, Back-Rivet Set, Back-Rivet Plate, Pneumatic Squeezer, 1/4" Cupped Rivet Set]

  Feb 17, 2023     20-02 - Flap and Aileron Gap Fairings - (13.6 hours)       Category: 20 Bot Skins

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
2/5/23 - 1.3h
2/6/23 - 1.2h
It is really nice to be back into the “normal” build routine with no tank sealant in sight! Working with the sealant really wasn't too bad, but it added a layer of complexity to the process, which slowed things down. This section starts with the flap and aileron gap fairings that run the length of the wing and encloses the area from the aft edge of the wing skin to the aft spar. Each wing has a flap gap stiffener that gets trimmed to shape and deburred, and the flap and aileron gap fairings for each wing are also deburred.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, Band Saw, Bench Grinder with Scotch Brite Wheel]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
2/9/23 - 1.2h
Dimpling is a standard skill at this point in the build, but it is not without challenges if you don't pay close attention to the end goal. I have found it is a good practice to nest parts together whenever possible to confirm the orientation of all the dimples. The flap gap fairing is a good example. The plans say to dimple the fairings, and refer to a drawing of the fairing with an instruction to “DIMPLE THIS SIDE”. The figure does not mention that the dimples on the inboard edge of the fairing stiffener and the 6 inboard dimples for the rear spar doubler are opposite of the dimples along the upper skin. The orientations are not hard to figure out, but you need to take a beat and think about how the part is ultimately installed to ensure you have it right!
[22” C-Frame with #40 Reduced Diameter and #30, Dimple Dies]

Prime
2/8/23 - 0.8h
2/10/23 - 0.8h
[Grey Scotch Brite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
2/10/23 - 0.9h
2/12/23 - 2.0h
2/13/23 - 1.1h
2/14/23 - 1.1h
2/15/23 - 2.0h
2/17/23 - 1.2h
I may be reading too much into the plans at this point. For example, the plans say to “Rivet the gap fairings to the Rear Spar Assembly and the top skins.” The plans didn't explicitly state that the rear spar rivets are first, but its mentioned first in the instructions, so that's where I started. I'm glad I started with the spar rivets, because there are a couple that are a little tricky. I also found that I could set the rear spar rivets with the wing in the cradle, but I had to take the wing out of the cradle and lay it flat to set the skin rivets.

I decided to start with the longest rivets, and work my way to the shortest rivets. The six inboard rivets go through a couple layers of doublers, the rear spar, and the two inboard ribs, and are very long AN426AD4-8 solid rivets. I was nervous about working with the long rivets, since they are very easy to tip, but all of the rivets on both wings went in without any issues.

The next rivets to go in were the AN470AD4-5 rivets. That's a pretty standard length, so I wasn't as worried about successfully setting them without tipping. These rivets go through the areas on the rear spar with doublers near the flap and aileron hinge brackets. The pneumatic squeezer with a longeron yoke can get to most of the rivets easily, but not the rivets on each side of the inboard aileron hinge bracket. I decided to buck those rivets. The one on the inboard side of the aileron hinge bracket went fine. The real trouble came with the outboard rivet, which ends up right next to the hinge bracket doubler assembly. I did the best I could with the edge of the bucking bar pressed up against the doubler assembly, but as you can see in the picture the rivet did not set well at all. I only managed to “set” the outboard 2/3rds of the rivet, which I was not happy with. In a moment of insanity (trying the same thing and expecting different results), I tried to buck the rivet on the other wing. I was disappointed to end up with another poorly “set” rivet. I researched some builder log sites as well as the Van's Air Force threads, and found other builders had the same issue. Van's apparently said the ugly rivet is OK, but also weighed in on an alternate solution using pulled rivets. Van's said the MSP-42, and the lower-strength LP4 pulled rivets are acceptable substitutes in this instance for the AN470AD4-5 solid rivet. I also noted that the instructions for the quick build wings say, “When attaching the flap gap fairing, use CR3212-4-6 rivets for the six inboard locations and MSP-42 rivets elsewhere.” It appears there is good precedent and recommendations for going with the MSP-42 pulled rivet, so I drilled out the bad solid rivets to give it a try. The pulled rivets worked beautifully, and I'm very happy with the final result. I sent a note to Van's to recommend changing the plans to the MSP-42, since I can't see any way to get a solid rivet to set properly with almost no clearance from the hinge bracket doubler.

The rivets on the skin are all AN426AD3-3.5, which are probably the most commonly used rivets to this point in the build. I tried to set a couple of rivets while the wing was in the cradle, which essentially put me beneath the rivet and unable to see or control the squeezer on the manufactured head side on the top wing skin. The rivets went in very poorly, and it was clear I needed to take a different approach. I pulled the wing out of the cradle and laid it face up on a work surface. I had much better luck setting the rivets that way, and all the rivets for both wings went in without incident. The bad rivets were also easy to drill out and re-set with the wing out of the cradle.
[Pneumatic Squeezer with Flush and 1/8” Cupped Rivet Sets, 3x Rivet Gun with 1/8” Cupped Rivet Set, Tungsten Bucking Bars, Blind Rivet Puller, #30 Drill]

  Feb 05, 2023     20-01 - Wing Bottom Skins (Plans) - (3.0 hours) Category: 20 Bot Skins

2/5/23 - 3.0h
The plans to prepare and install the bottom wing skins don't appear to be overly complicated, but I have a feeling that execution will be a bit tricky given the limited access to buck rivets as the skins get attached. I did not see any revisions and changes to the plans, notifications and letters, or service bulletins related to the wings. I did find a typo on sheet 20-04, which refers to the W-00005-L Bottom Inbd Wing Skin (should be Bottom Outbd Wing Skin). I also plan to review some builder sites to see when they actually rivet the skins to the wings. It seems like at least some builders wait until all of the control and wiring systems are complete before riveting the bottom skins on to have unimpeded access to finish the internal work.

  Feb 05, 2023     19-07 - Additional Wing Systems - (2.5 hours) Category: 19 Sys Route

2/5/23 – 2.5h
I jumped around a lot on this section of the build. I installed, uninstalled, and reinstalled wire harnesses a few times, replaced and reinstalled wires that didn't meet spec, and made minor wire harness modifications. This final step was a great opportunity to step back and ensure I didn't miss anything in the previous steps. It also gave me a chance to clean up the wire harness installation by lacing the wire bundles together. The difference with nicely bound wire bundles is amazing! I also ran some wire lacing through unused snap busing for future wire installations if needed.
[Lacing Tape, Scissors]

  Feb 03, 2023     19-02 - Wing Lighting Harness - (16.6 hours)       Category: 19 Sys Route

Plans, Wire Diagrams, and Documentation
12/27/22 - 8.0h
I studied the lighting harness specs in the plans, integration with the RV-14 Common Fuselage Harness (WH-00125), and the various installation guides for the lights and sensors for each wing. My goal was to get as good an understanding of each wire in the harness as I possibly could before labeling the wires and routing the harness. I also wanted to see what (if any) modifications are required to the harness for the equipment I plan to install.

WH-00011 (Left Wing) Pin Out:
- - Pin 1 (L147, 14 AWG, Red): WAT P36G3L landing light power

- - Pin 2 (L148, 14 AWG, Yellow): WAT P36G3L landing light ground to fuselage

- - Pin 3 (L149, 22 AWG, White): This wire runs to the landing light bay, and then gets terminated with a butt-splice. It appears to be there in case you need an additional wire for the landing light to maybe control the wig-wag function or a second power source for a combined taxi/landing light. I don't need this wire, so I plan to remove it and replace it with a 14 AWG wire for my pitot heat ground. According to the G3X/G3X Touch Installation Manual, “Aircraft power wiring to probe should be a minimum of 14 AWG up to 12 FT … (AC 43.13-1B).”

- - Pin 4 (Empty): The WH-00125 wiring diagram includes a note for the empty pin on the WH-00011 harness that says, “Use this location for pitot heat wire.” The note also says Van's does not support or recommend flight into IMC, which is why they don't include a pitot heat power wire with the WH-00011 harness. I will use this empty pin to run a 14 AWG power wire, twisted with the pitot ground wire in Pin 3, to the pitot/AoA probe

- - Pin 5 (Q427, 18 AWG, White): Resistance reading from the IE F-385B Fuel Sender.

- - Pin 6 (L420, 14 AWG, Black): Wire Harness ground to the inboard wing rib.

- - Pin 7 (L423, 22 AWG, Green): AeroLEDs Pulsar NS strobe synchronization between the wing tip and tail strobe lights

- - Pin 8 (L424, 18 AWG, Yellow): AeroLEDs Pulsar NS strobe light power

- - Pin 9 (L425, 18 AWG, Red): AeroLEDs Pulsar NS NAV/POS light power

Connector C401J (Left Wing) Pin Out:
- - Pin 1 (L422, 18 AWG, Black): AeroLEDs Pulsar NS ground wire. The wire is routed to the ground terminal of the landing light, which is then returned to the aircraft fuselage ground location.

WH-00011 (Right Wing) Pin Out:
- - Pin 1 (L147, 14 AWG, Red): WAT P36G3L landing light power

- - Pin 2 (L148, 14 AWG, Yellow): WAT P36G3L landing light ground to fuselage

- - Pin 3 (Empty): I removed this wire from the molex connector since it will not be used with the lighting setup that I have planned.

- - Pin 4 (Empty)

- - Pin 5 (Q427, 18 AWG, White): Resistance reading from the IE F-385B Fuel Sender.

- - Pin 6 (L420, 14 AWG, Black): Wire Harness ground to the inboard wing rib.

- - Pin 7 (L423, 22 AWG, Green): AeroLEDs Pulsar NS strobe synchronization between the wing tip and tail strobe lights

- - Pin 8 (L424, 18 AWG, Yellow): AeroLEDs Pulsar NS strobe light power

- - Pin 9 (L425, 18 AWG, Red): AeroLEDs Pulsar NS NAV/POS light power

Connector C401J (Left Wing) Pin Out:
- - Pin 1 (L422, 18 AWG, Black): AeroLEDs Pulsar NS ground wire. The wire is routed to the ground terminal of the landing light, which is then returned to the aircraft fuselage ground location.

Wire and Connector Labeling, and Testing
12/28/22 - 0.9h
12/30/22 - 1.4h
The wire harness connectors are labeled before they are installed in the wing. The large inboard connector is “C400P” and the small connector for the wingtip lights is “C401J.” I also labeled the connector that mates with C401J. It is “C401P” according to the RV-14 Common Fuselage Harness drawing. The connectors for both WH-00011 wire harnesses (right and left wing) are labeled the same.
[Label Maker, 1/4” and 3/8” Heat Shrink Tube Labels, Heat Gun, Multimeter]

Wire Harness Installation
2/1/23 - 0.7h
2/2/23 - 1.8h
2/3/23 - 3.5h
I had to make a few changes to the wing lighting harness. The first change was to replace the wires to the wingtip nav/strobe. The wires in the supplied harness were about 10 inches short, and did not reach the nav/strobe molex connector when they were routed according to the plans. The wire harness spec says those wires should be 132 inches long, and mine were 122 inches. The new 132-inch wires worked great, and gave me 6 (3 on each wing) opportunities to crimp molex pins. The ground wire from the nav/strobe molex was also too short - 8 inches instead of 10. I installed new ground wires longer than spec to give me some flexibility when the ground wire gets connected to the negative terminal on the landing light.

I also added a ground and power wire for the pitot tube on the left wing harness. Pins 3 and 4 on the molex connector at the wing root are not used, so I repurposed those pins for the pitot heat wires. I ended up routing the pitot heat wires with the AoA tube, since the rest of the lighting harness wires maxed out the snap bushings without any additional space for the pitot heat wires. I think the routing I ended going with will work well.

The final task after routing the wires was to crimp a ring terminal on the wires for the fuel senders and connect those wires. I found it was easier for me to pop the pin out of the molex connector to give a few more inches to work with the fuel sender end of the wire, and then I pushed the pin back in the connector after it was attached to the fuel sender. I also attached the ground wire to the inboard rib as shown in the plan drawings.
[Flush Wire Cutters, Wire Stripper, Open Barrel (Molex) Crimper, Terminal Crimper]

  Jan 29, 2023     19-05 - Stall Warning Sensor Wiring - (0.3 hour) Category: 19 Sys Route

Assemble
1/29/23 - 0.3h
The ADAHRS wire harness includes a wire for the stall warning sensor. After the wire is routed through the spar, a spade terminal gets crimped onto the wire, and then that gets attached to the stall warning sensor. I decided to attach the wire to the sensor before attaching the left fuel tank, so I could access the wire and sensor through the leading edge lightening hole rather than trying to work through the access panel in the leading edge.
[Terminal Crimper]

  Jan 29, 2023     18-09 - Leak Test and Wing Attach - (20.6 hours)       Category: 18 Fuel Tank

Initial Leak Test
1/6/23 - 1.1h
1/10/23 - 1.6h
1/11/23 - 2.3h
1/12/23 - 1.8h
1/14/23 - 0.6h
1/15/23 - 1.5h
I wanted to leak test the tanks before installing the rear baffle. Discovering and repairing a leak after the rear baffle is installed could result in major tank surgery. The idea behind the preliminary leak test is to temporarily seal the tank as well as possible, so the tank holds enough pressure to test the rivets and fillets that are already finished. I wasn't worried about a perfect seal as long as the tank holds a little positive pressure long enough to spray the rivets with soapy water. Some minor leaks near the areas that are not yet finished are fine, and might be beneficial as a safety measure to not over-pressurize the tank.

I decided to start simple to see what would or would not work to provide a temporary seal. The first step was to install plugs in the finger strainer flanges. I used the two plugs supplied with the kit, wrapped each in Teflon tape, and inserted them finger tight. I turned my attention next to the rear baffle starting with the rivet holes for the aft rib flanges. I simply ran a piece of scotch tape over each line of holes on the inside and outside of the baffle. I set the baffle in position on the tank, and then ran a length of Gorilla duct tape down the top and bottom seams with the skin. I clecod through the duct tape to hold the baffle in place. The fuel caps are also installed, and can be covered with packing tape if the caps leak.

The first test failed because I didn't account for air escaping the tank through the rear baffle rivet holes. I sealed the top of the baffle and the holes on the inner flange of the baffle, but I didn't tape off the holes on the skin. The air worked its way between the skin and the baffle flange, and escaped out the rivet holes through the skin.

Test number two also failed. I taped off all of the baffle holes, but still had leaks in the corners formed by the exterior ribs and the rear baffle. The corners are very difficult to seal off with tape, especially where sealant is nearby preventing a good air-tight seal with the tape to the skin.

Success! I went for try #3 and managed to get the tank to hold enough air pressure to test for leaks with the soapy water. The corners and seams that are taped together still leak, but that is a good safety to ensure the tank isn't over-pressurized. I used a small bike tire compressor to provide the pressure, and I left it running while I did the test. I kept an eye on the balloon, which did not inflate, but had just a little air in it the whole time. The soap test confirmed the air leaks in the corners with lots of bubbles there. The areas with proseal (rivets and fillets) did not have any bubbles, so I feel good that I got a good test and that my sealant job is acceptable. There is always a possibility of finding leaks after the rear baffle is installed, but I think that possibility is minimized as much as I can. I will repeat the initial leak test on the right tank to get a good feel that everything there is OK, too.

Final Leak Test
1/14/23 - 1.0h
1/28/23 - 2.0h
I was anxious about this particular step in the build before I even signed up for the empennage kit. I wasn't sure I could build fuel tanks that didn't leak, and I nearly went with the quick-build wing option to avoid having to build the tanks myself. It turns out that building the tanks goes pretty well as long as you understand the process and the steps, plan, prepare, and take your time. The end result for me was 2 tanks with zero leaks!!! I credit a lot of my fuel tank success to the Van's fuel tank video. I highly recommend watching it all the way through before starting the tank build, watching again with the plans in front of you and stopping to make sure you understand what's going on, and watching it again for the step that you are about to start. There are some excellent tips in the video that are critical to build a leak-proof fuel tank. Two enthusiastic thumbs up for the video!

The leak test was pretty easy to conduct with the supplied test kit. The kit comes with some instructions that supplement the instructions in the plans, and the kit comes with a couple of extra items to test RV-10 fuel tanks. The test set-up diagram in the plans shows a hose clamp at each end of the air hose, but the clamps don't come with the kit. I found that I didn't need the clamps since the air-valve threaded tightly into the hose, and the hose threaded tightly on the fuel vent line union. The only other item to take care of before pressurizing the tank was to put a balloon on the end of the fuel pickup fitting. The balloon likely will leak under pressure, so you'll need something to hold it tightly to the fitting. I threaded some wire lacing tape around the end of the balloon, which worked well for me. The balloon is an important element of the leak test. The idea is the balloon will burst before the tank does if you over-pressurize the tank during the test.

After setting up the leak test, I hooked the air valve up to a small electric bicycle air pump. The balloon inflated almost immediately and stayed inflated after turning off the air pump, which indicated a good positive air pressure inside the tank. I then sprayed every rivet and every seam with soapy water to detect any air leaks. The only leak I detected was on the right tank fuel filler cap. That leak was very obvious, and left me feeling good that I didn't detect any other leaks in the tank. Leaks can always appear in the future, but for now, my tanks are in good shape!
[Leak Test Kit, Balloon, Electric Bicycle Pump, Spray Bottle with Soapy Water]

Assemble
1/28/23 - 4.1h
1/29/23 - 4.6h
The completed fuel tanks attach to the wing spars with AN3 bolts and wing skins with AN509-8R8 screws. The bolts go through the holes in the spar web to the nut plates in the tank attach zee brackets. I reviewed Section 5 of the plans for the appropriate torque (20-25 in-lbs + drag) and any relevant notes for inserting the bolts. This is a case where torque is applied to the bolt rather than the nut, so I accounted for the following note:
“When applying torque to a bolt be sure to have a washer under the bolt head and lubricate the bolt shank. Add to the overall torque value the torque required to overcome the friction associated with turning the shank of the bolt within the assembly.”
The lubricated bolts ended up with 2 - 4 in-lbs of drag, so I torqued all of the bolts to 27 in-lbs. I was very happy to see that all of the holes lined up well with the nut-plates on the zee brackets, and the bolts all went in without too much drama.

I clecod the skins in place to check the fit after installing the bolts in the attach zees. The tolerances are very tight, and plans specify a zero to 1/64” gap between the tank skins and the wing skins. I ended up filing a little on the right side to get the tanks to fit properly. I started by installing the screws in the leading edge splice strip from the leading edge back to the spar. The fit between the tanks and the leading edges is excellent. I then worked my way down the spar to the last inboard screw. The “Standard Aircraft Handbook for Mechanics and Technicians” that was provided with the empennage kit has a Standard Torque Table (Figure 6-13), that I used to determine the torque for the screws. The table specifies 12-15 in-lbs for 8-32 and 8-36 screws. Add 7-10 in-lbs for drag, and I came up with a final torque value of 22 in-lbs. The end result was a tight fit between the tanks skins and the spars, and good alignment and fit with the other wing and leading edge skins. Successful building, testing, and installing the tanks is huge milestone in the overall aircraft build!
[Socket Set, Torque Wrenches, Electric Screwdriver, Hobby File, Scotchbrite Pad]

  Jan 20, 2023     18-08 - Rear Baffle - (15.5 hours)       Category: 18 Fuel Tank

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
1/13/23 – 1.4h
1/15/23 - 2.0h
The rear baffle is the final major fuel tank part to install, and is also the point of no return for previous build steps. Once the baffle is in place, there is no easy way to get into the tanks to fix leaks short of cutting access holes in the baffle and then fabricating and installing leak-proof access panels. That would be a really big job, which I would like to avoid if at all possible. My approach was to perform an interim low-pressure leak test before permanently installing the rear baffle. I did not detect any leaks following the low-pressure initial test, but leaks may still manifest after the baffle is installed and the higher-pressure test is conducted. More detail on the low-pressure initial test is in section 18-09 of my builder log.

Installation of the rear baffle starts with deburring baffle edges and holes, and also scuffing the contact areas between the baffle, ribs, and zee brackets for good sealant adhesion. I cleaned and degreased the baffle and contact areas. I also blew out debris (loose sealant, dust, dirt, …) from the tanks before starting installation.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
1/20/23 - 0.7h
Description
[Edge Forming Tool (Vise Grip Style), Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, 22” C-Frame with #40 Reduced Diameter, #30, and #40 Standard Diameter Dimple Dies, Pneumatic Squeezer with #40 Reduced Diameter Dimple Die]

Assemble
1/13/23 - 3.7h
1/14/23 - 2.5h
1/16/23 - 2.2h
1/18/23 - 2.1h
1/20/23 – 0.9h
The Van's fuel tank build video is organized into chapters, and I reviewed the rear baffle chapter before starting the installation. There are a few differences from the video of an RV-8 tank and the rear baffle on the RV-14, but the basic steps are the same and very helpful to prepare. The sealant has a 2-hour working time, so it's important to get everything set up and ready to go before mixing the sealant. There is a lot to do, and not a lot of time after the sealant is mixed. Parts needed for this step included the rear baffle, the tank zee brackets, AD-41H and AD-42H closed end blind rivets, and AN426-AD4-4 and 4-5 solid rivets. Supplies included a pre-measured 3.5 ounce sealant cartridge, which turned out to be the perfect amount for one tank.

I was fortunate to borrow a SEMCO sealant gun from another builder, and the gun was absolutely fabulous to work with. The sealant cartridge fits neatly in the gun, and the gun at about 60 psi delivered a clean and even bead of sealant. I applied a bead of sealant just forward of the rivet holes for the baffle flange, and on the inside edges of the end rib flanges. The baffle engages the sealant bead when it is put into place. I also added an extra “glob” of sealant in the corners of the end rib flanges to seal off that gap. The video demonstrates a good tip to let gravity help get the sealant where it is needed, which made a lot of sense as I applied the sealant to the tank skins and ribs. The video also showed the application of a thin “smear” of sealant on the rivet holes of the rib flanges. The video only puts sealant on the top and bottom flange holes, but the RV-14 instructions have you put the smear on all of the holes.

The tank baffle was set in place after laying down the sealant. I initially cleco'd the holes that were not countersunk in the skin to ensure good alignment, and I cleco'd the holes in the baffle web for the zee brackets to align the baffle and ribs and to pull the baffle tight to the rib flanges. I then flipped the tank over (baffle side down) to let gravity help the sealant contact the skin and baffle while I cleco'd the rest of the holes in the skin.

The tank went back in the cradle after inserting all of the clecos to start setting the closed-end blind rivets at the top and bottom of the baffle web. Those rivets help pull the baffle tight to the rib flanges. A small amount of sealant is applied to the rivets before they are installed to seal the rivet holes. There are also solid rivets at the end ribs that get set with a squeezer, but don't require sealant since they are outside the sealed fuel area.

I finished this work session by installing the tank attach zee brackets to the baffle web/rib flanges. The zee brackets get a very thin smear of sealant around the rivet holes where they mate to the baffle, and then get riveted into place with AD-42H closed end blind rivets. Like the blind rivets at the top and bottom of the baffle flange, this rivets are also “twirled” in sealant to help seal the rivet holes. The sealant was starting to firm up a bit at this point, but I still got good squeeze-out under the rivet heads.

The end of the tank build process is finally in sight! The build wraps up with riveting the rear baffle to the skin, countersinking the screw holes in the attach brackets, and installing the fuel cap and quick drain. The pneumatic squeezer did a good job with the baffle rivets. There isn't any sealant for these rivets since they are outside the sealed fuel area, so letting the tank sit overnight before setting the rivets is not a problem. After setting the rivets in the countersunk holes, I countersank the remaining holes and riveted them as well. After that, I switched to the #19 (#8 Screw Dimple) countersink bit and finished the 5 holes on each of the attach brackets.

I used some Loctite 565 on the drain fittings to block the spiral leak path around the threaded portion of the fitting. I also skipped ahead a bit to the next step and installed the inboard rib plug at the top of the tank and the fuel filter at the bottom of the tank since I had the Loctite out. All of the fluid fittings are torqued according to Section 5 of the plans to 1.5 – 2 turns after finger tight. I could only get roughly 1 turn on the plugs before they were cleared tight enough, and I didn't want to risk breaking the plug by going for the additional 1/2 turn. I plan to let the tanks sit for another week to ensure the sealant is fully cured before I start leak testing. Fingers crossed that the testing goes well - I really don't want to tear the tanks apart to chase down a leak!
[SEMCO Sealant Gun, Blind Rivet Tool and Wedge, Rivet Hand Squeezer with 1/8” Cupped Set, 3/32” and 1/8” Clecos and Cleco Pliers, 3x Rivet Gun with 1/8” Cupped Rivet Set, Tungsten Bucking Bar, Pneumatic Squeezer with 1/8” Cupped and Flush Rivet Sets, Microstop Countersink Cage with #40 and #19 Countersink Cutters, Socket Wrench]

  Jan 05, 2023     Fuselage Kit Ordered Category: Fuselage

  Jan 03, 2023     19-04 - Pitot Tube Installation - (1.1 hours)       Category: 19 Sys Route

1/3 /22 – 1.1h
I am going to install a Garmin GAP 26 heated (unregulated) pitot probe instead of the pitot tube supplied with the wing kit. Most of the modifications related to the after-market pitot probe will happen when I work on the bottom wing skins, so the only thing to do now is route the pitot and AoA tubing in the left wing. I made a path for the lines through the ribs before I attached the ribs to the spar. The idea was to route the pitot and AoA lines as close to the top wing skin as possible to avoid potentially getting water in the lines. The pitot probe has drain holes built in, so the likelihood of getting water through the probe and all the way up to the top of the wing should be pretty remote. I plan to install the pitot probe near the same location as the wing kit pitot tube, so I ran the pitot and AoA lines to that point in the wing.

  Jan 02, 2023     19-03 - ADAHRS Wire Harness Installation - (5.6 hours)       Category: 19 Sys Route

Plans, Wire Diagrams, and Documentation
1/1/23 - 5.0h
The ADAHRS wire harness (WH-00012) that is supplied with the wing kit is designed to connect to the Dynon ADAHRS or the Garmin GMU 22 magnetometer. I planned to install a GMU 11 magnetometer in place of the GMU 22, which requires a change to the wire harness. The primary difference is the fact that the GMU communicates with the Garmin avionics via the CAN bus, while the GMU 22 uses a RS-232 communication network. That difference cascades into a number of electrical and mechanical changes to the plans. I reached out to Steinair about building a new WH-00012 for the GMU 11. Steinair responded very quickly with a recommendation to go with the GMU 22 per the plans. They confirmed that the RV-14 electrical and mechanical systems were designed for the GMU 22, and going with a GMU 11 introduces a lot of changes. In addition to sticking with a proven design, the GMU 22 removes the CAN bus from the left wing, which shortens the CAN bus overall length (limited to approximately 60 feet), and allows the CAN bus to be terminated at the roll servo in the right wing and the pitch servo in the tail. GMU 22 it is!

WH-00012 (ADAHRS/Magnetometer Harness) Pin Out:
- - C403J Pin 1 (F406, 22S AWG, WHT/RED)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 8
- - - Garmin GMU 22 RS-232 In

- - C403J Pin 2 (F404, 22 AWG, WHT/GRN)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 9
- - - Garmin GMU 22 +12V Power

- - C403J Pin 3 (F406, 22S AWG, RED)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 4
- - - Garmin GMU 22 RS-485 A

- - C403J Pin 4 (F403, 22 AWG, BLU)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 5
- - - Garmin GMU 22 Not Used

- - C403J Pin 5 (W401, 22 AWG, BRN/YEL)
- - - Stall Warning Switch (Spade Connector)

- - C403J Pin 6 (F405, 22 AWG, WHT/BLU)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 6
- - - Garmin GMU 22 Power Ground

- - C403J Pin 7 (F406, 22S AWG, WHT/BLK)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 2
- - - Garmin GMU 22 RS-485 B

- - C403J Pin 8 (F406, 22S AWG, BLK)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 7
- - - Garmin GMU 22 Not Used

- - C403J Pin 9 (F402, 22 AWG, GRN)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 3
- - - Garmin GMU 22 Shield Ground (RS-232)

- - C403J (F784, 22 AWG, GRN)
- - - WH-00107, Pin 1
- - - Garmin GMU 22 Shield Ground (RS-485)

Wire and Connector Labeling, and Testing
1/2/23 - 0.4h
[Label Maker, 1/4” and 3/8” Heat Shrink Tube Labels, Heat Gun, Multimeter]

Wire Harness Installation
1/2/23 – 0.2h
The ADAHRS/magnetometer wire harness (WH-00012) is relatively short and easy to install in the left wing. The molex plug snaps into the top receptacle, and the wires get routed through the snap bushings to their final destination.

  Dec 30, 2022     19-06 - Autopilot Servo Wire Harness Installation - (7.1 hours)       Category: 19 Sys Route

Plans, Wire Diagrams, and Documentation
12/28/22 - 0.5h
12/29/22 - 2.0h
The plans for this step and the WH-0125 schematic provide a lot of information on how the autopilot and roll trim servos are wired. I traced each wire through the diagrams and compared the diagrams to the physical harness supplied with the kit.

WH-00013 (Autopilot Harness) Pin Out:
- - C405J Pin 1 (C410, 22 AWG, GRN)
- - - C407P - - C403J Pin 1
- - - WH-00119, Pin 7 (C2285, 18 AWG, GRN)
- - - Garmin GSA 28 Roll Servo, ID Strap 3/RS-232 Out 1

- - C405J Pin 2 (C411, 22 AWG, WHT/BLK)
- - - C407P Pin 8

- - C405J Pin 3 (C412, 22S AWG, WHT/BLU)
- - - C407P - - C403J Pin 3
- - - WH-00119, Pin 2 (F2287, 22 AWG, WHT/BLU)
- - - Garmin GSA 28 Roll Servo, CAN Lo

- - C405J Pin 4 (C412, 22S AWG, WHT/GRN)
- - - C407P - - C403J Pin 7
- - - WH-00119, Pin 1 (F2287, 22 AWG, WHT)
- - - Garmin GSA 28 Roll Servo, CAN Hi

- - C405J Pin 5 (C414, 22 AWG, BLU)
- - - C407P Pin 5 - - C403J Pin 5
- - - WH-00119, Pin 8 (C2284, 18 AWG, BLU)
- - - Garmin GSA 28 Roll Servo, ID Strap 4/RS-232 In 1

- - C405J Pin 6 (C415, 18 AWG, RED)
- - - C407P - - C403J Pin 6
- - - WH-00119, Pin 10 (C2282, 18 AWG, RED)
- - - Garmin GSA 28 Roll Servo, Aircraft Power

- - C405J Pin 7 (C413, 22 AWG, YEL)
- - - C407P Pin 4 - - C403J Pin 4
- - - WH-00119, Pin 15 (C2277, 22 AWG, YEL)
- - - Garmin GSA 28 Roll Servo, AP Disconnect

- - C405J Pin 8 (C1029, 22 AWG, WHT/ORN)
- - - C406J /C406P Pin 2
- - - Roll Trim (26 AWG, ORN)

- - C405J Pin 9 (C1030, 22 AWG, WHT/GRN)
- - - C406J /C406P Pin 3
- - - Roll Trim (26 AWG, GRN)

- - C405J Pin 10 (C1031, 22 AWG, WHT)
- - - C407P - - C403J Pin 2
- - - WH-00119, Pin 11 (C2281, 18 AWG, WHT)
- - - Garmin GSA 28 Roll Servo, Trim In 1

- - C405J Pin 11 (C1032, 22 AWG, WHT)
- - - C407P - - C403J Pin 10
- - - WH-00119, Pin 12 (C2280, 18 AWG, WHT/RED)
- - - Garmin GSA 28 Roll Servo, Trim In 2

- - C405J Pin 12 (C1033, 22 AWG, WHT/BLU)
- - - C406J /C406P Pin 6
- - - Roll Trim (26 AWG, BLU)

Wire and Connector Labeling, and Testing
12/28/22 - 0.6h
12/29/22 - 0.5h
Labelling the autopilot servo wire harness is similar to the other harnesses in the section. One difference is the ES-00045 (C406J). That molex connector does not come with any wires inserted into it, so it is not included in the bag with the WH-00013 harness. The ES-00045 is packaged with other miscellaneous electrical components including ring and spade connectors.

I labeled the free ends of each wire with the names from the plans. This was a good time to also check the continuity of each wire prior to installation in the wing wire runs.
[Label Maker, 1/4” and 3/8” Heat Shrink Tube Labels, Heat Gun, Multimeter]

Wire Harness Installation
12/29/22 - 2.1h
12/30/22 - 1.4h
Routing the autopilot wire harness (WH-00013) in the right wing didn't pose any real problems. The molex plug snaps into place, and then it's a matter of feeding the wires through the snap bushings to their final destination. The real work is building the other two molex plugs (C406J and C407P) from the free ends of the routed wires. I'm glad I took the time to study the wiring diagrams and label each wire at the free end earlier. That up-front effort saved a lot of potential time and confusion building out the molex plugs.

The right wing wire harness (WH-00011) is installed after the autopilot harness is in place. It follows the same path as the autopilot wire harness and then continues to the wingtip rib. The red, yellow, and green wires for the nav/strobe light on my wire harness were too short to reach the wingtip connector (C401J). I can solve that issue by routing the wires along the spar for the entire length rather than jumping aft to the mid-rib pass-through at the ninth rib. There are pass-throughs by the spar for a couple ribs past the roll servo, but the three outboard ribs do not have pass through holes in them. I'll have to drill a hole and install a snap bushing in line with the other ribs to route the wires all the way to the wingtip connector.

  Dec 26, 2022     19-01 - Wing Systems Routing (Plans) - (4.0 hours) Category: 19 Sys Route

The fuel tanks in Section 18 of the plans are not complete yet, but the tanks need to sit for a couple of weeks to let the sealant cure before starting the initial leak testing. It is also way too cold to work in the garage this week, so I'm skipping ahead slightly to this section while I wait for the sealant and a warm front!

I started this step by scanning the safety directives and alerts, service bulletins, notifications and letters, and revisions and changes on the Van's support page to ensure my plans and parts are up to date. There is a revision for this step on the Van's website, and that revision matches the printed plans that Van's delivered with the wing kit as well as the electronic plans on the computer. With the latest plans in hand, I dove in to see what is involved in this section of the build.

Wing systems for this step in the build include the lighting harness for both wings, the ADAHRS harness in the left wing, the autopilot servo harness in the right wing and the pitot and angle of attack lines for the pitot tube. I have not 100% committed to an avionics suite, but I'm leaning toward a Garmin G3X system. I studied the plans for this section with the Garmin sensors in mind to get a handle on how the ADAHRS and autopilot wire harnesses integrate with the Garmin systems.

A question that involves the installation of the wing wiring is the location and wiring for the Garmin GMU 11 magnetometer. The G3X/G3X Touch Installation Manual includes a “Recommended Distance from Magnetic Disturbances” table for the GMU 11, which is identical to the table for the GMU 22. The left wing has an ADAHRS bracket in the left wing just outboard of the wing walk area, and Van's provides a mounting system for the GMU 22 that mates to the ADAHRS bracket (Plans Section 62). Based on the “Recommended Distance from Magnetic Disturbances” tables, the GMU 22/ADAHRS location should be suitable for the GMU 11. My plan is to modify the bracket to mount the GMU 11. It looks like other builders have successfully done the same thing with no magnetic disturbance issues.

Another question is the location of the Garmin GTP 59 Temperature Probe. The probe is wired directly to the G3X ADAHRS, so wiring isn't an issue at the moment. The primary consideration right now is a “clean” location for accurate temperature measurements. Van's East-coast demonstrator has the temperature probe adjacent to the aft, inboard corner of the inboard access panel on the left wing. I wonder if that is too close to the downstream engine exhaust for accurate temperature readings, but it's as good a starting place as any for placement options.

Finally, I am going to install a mast-mounted Garmin GAP 26 Heated (unregulated) Pitot/AoA Probe. I will dive more deeply into installation of the GAP 26 and after-market mast when I get to the bottom wing skins section of the build. Installation of the mast requires cutting a hole in the bottom wing skin and riveting the mast, wing spar, and bottom skin together. I will run the AOA and pitot lines now, and I will also try to run the power and ground lines for the probe heat.

  Dec 21, 2022     18-07 - Fuel Level Sender - (4.5 hours)       Category: 18 Fuel Tank

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
12/19/22 – 1.5h
The fuel level sender unit for each tank comes with a float attached to the end of a long 3/32” wire that has to be bent to fit the tank and provide a full range of motion from empty to full. The plans include a 1:1 scale isometric drawing of the wire geometry, which makes it easy to measure the bend locations. WARNING: The plans were updated with new dimensions for the float wire on 3/26/21. Make sure you are using the latest version of the plans! I used my electronic plans to lay out the bend locations, and fortunately noticed my electronic plans did not match my printed plans in the shop before I made any bends. The printed plans were correct, and the bend locations were updated on the float wires.

I looked at a few options to make the bends, and finally decided to go the simple route of clamping the wire in a bench vise at the bend point, and then hand-bending the wire with a wooden block to help keep the wire straight during the bending process. This method worked really well, and I ended up with nice 90-degree bends right where I wanted them. The bends for both the left and right float wires are the same, and the only difference between the two is the orientation of the float. The left float faces forward in the tank, and the right float faces aft.
[Bench Vise]

Assemble
12/20/22 – 0.9h
12/21/22 – 2.1h
I temporarily installed the fuel senders to ensure the float wire geometry was correct. Each wire needed a little tweak to avoid hitting the top skin, which I think was caused by the factory bend at the shepherd's crook not going quite far enough. The result was a slightly sharper than 90-degree bend at the middle of the wire. I also noticed the end of the float wire extends through the sender unit by about 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch. I'm a little concerned by that since the exposed end rubs against one of the sender wires. I'll either try to move the wire a bit to avoid the contact, or trim the float wire flush with the hole in the sender.

The temporary installation is also a good time to test the electrical function of the senders. I checked for continuity between the sender ground plate and the skin of the tank, and I measured the change in electrical resistance as the float travelled between the full and empty positions. The left sender had a range of 30 ohms full to 240 ohms empty, and the right sender was 30 to 246 ohms.

Final installation starts by applying sealant to the exterior of the aft inboard ribs where the fuel sender will be installed. The instructions call for a 1/16 inch thick layer of sealant, which will later be compressed to a 1/32 inch layer when the sender gets torqued down. I started by putting clecos into each of the nut plate holes to keep the sealant away from the fuel sender installation screws. The screws provide the ground path from the nut plates to the sender ground plate, and I didn't want sealant to interfere with the electrical continuity. I also wrapped the fuel senders in plastic to keep them free from excess sealant while I maneuvered them into place.

I removed the clecos after applying the sealant to the rib, and then visually aligned the fuel sender with the holes. I applied Locktite 565 to each of the screws to provide a fuel seal on the threads, and then tightened the screws evenly until the sender was firmly embedded in the sealant. I formed a fillet around the exterior of the fuel sender and confirmed there was a continuous squeeze-out bead of sealant around the interior hole. I may go back later and encapsulate the screws to add an extra layer of leak protection to the Locktite. The final step was to check for continuity between the ground plate on the fuel level sender and the skin, which checked good on both tanks.
[Allen Wrench, Multi-meter, Locktite 565]

  Dec 17, 2022     18-06 - Tank Vent Line and Inboard End Rib Installation - (11.8 hours)       Category: 18 Fuel Tank

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
12/6/22 – 1.9h
The vent lines are made from a coil of AT0-032 x 1/4 soft aluminum tubing. The tubing is coiled for shipping, so it took a little time to hand-straighten it. When the tubing was roughly straight, I measured two lengths of 54 1/16” tubing. I used a tube cutter to cut the pieces to length and deburred both ends before flaring the inboard end. I used a tube flaring tool to flare and burnish the inboard end, which I then fitted with a nut and sleeve to attach to the fitting in the aft inboard rib.

I noticed a problem at this point when I tried to dry-fit the aft inboard rib. The last rivet on the top and bottom of the tank attach bracket is also used in the aft rib. I remember thinking it was odd that the rivet schedule used a slightly longer rivet in these two 9(top and bottom) holes, but I missed the note that says not to rivet those holes in the previous step. The result was I had to drill out four rivets (two in each tank) before I could try to dry fit the aft inboard ribs again in order to align the vent lines properly.

Lesson learned… if something looks strange in the plans, look at all the notes on the page before proceeding!
[Hole Edge Deburring Tools, Scotch-Brite Pad, Tubing Cutter, Tube Flaring Tool]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
12/7/22 – 0.5h
The vent line needs some slight bends in the inboard and outboard tank bays to align the ends with the vent clip on the fuel filler flange and the vent fluid fitting on the aft inboard rib. The vent tubing is soft and easily bent by hand. I tried to maximize the bend radii to avoid creating kinks in the line. The bends also help set the gap between the end of the vent line and the outboard rib by the fuel filler.

Assemble
12/5/22 – 0.7h
12/11/22 – 2.0h
12/12/22 – 2.5h
12/13/22 – 1.0h
12/14/22 – 2.0h
12/17/22 – 1.2h
It was a nice break to get an easy step after 2+ months of riveting and sealant in the previous section. The bulk of the riveting and sealing is complete, so this was a good opportunity to inspect the sealant job and add sealant as needed to problem areas. I asked a fellow RV-14 builder to look at my tanks. In addition to pointing out a few areas for additional sealant, he noted that one of the problem areas on the tank is the fillet on the forward side of the tank attach bracket. That fillet is formed blind since you can't see that joint after the bracket is riveted in place. The fillet was mostly in good shape, but I put additional sealant in the corners to make sure that area was as good as I could make it. We also talked about leak testing the fuel tanks. The final leak test doesn't happen until the tank is complete, which means there's no way to make repairs (if needed) without cutting the tank open. I'd really like to find leaks prior to that point, so I'm brainstorming some ideas to do some limited leak testing before installing the rear baffle.

The first step in this section is to install the fuel vent lines. The vent line snap bushings, tubing, and fitting hardware goes in quickly, and then the tubing is shaped by hand to align with the vent line clip on the fuel filler flange and the vent line fitting in the aft inboard rib. I cleco'd the aft inboard rib in place, and dry fit the fluid fittings to help align the tubing and ensure the tubing had the appropriate gap by the vent line clip.

A quick return to riveting and sealing is required to install the aft inboard ribs. I biased the sealant toward the inside half of the rib flanges, and then riveted the ribs in place with a hand-squeezer. There are also 6 AN470 rivets that connect the aft rib, forward rib, and tank attach bracket. I managed to set the 4 center AN 470 rivets with the hand squeezer, but the access to the two end rivets required me to go to a double-offset cupped set in the rivet gun with an angled bucking bar to get into the tight corner. The rivet gun made quick work of the final 2 rivets on each aft inboard rib, which completed the riveting for now.

I like the way Van's gradually introduces new skills as the build progresses. The new skill in this case is working with fluid fittings. The plans have a cryptic instruction to, “Thread the nut onto the bulkhead union and torque the nut.” That brief instruction was the clue to review Section 5 of the plans for additional detail, which in this case is Section 5.27 – Fluid Fittings. There are 3 notes in section 5.27 that are particularly relevant to the installation of the vent line fittings:

1) Torquing the nut on the fluid fitting is different than the torque specs for AN hardware. The procedure is to, “Thread the fitting in with your fingers until you just begin to feel resistance and then an additional 1.5 - 2 turns.”

2) Special sealant is required on the fluid fittings. “Because we cannot always fully tighten tapered thread fittings, and because even after fully tightening the fitting a small spiral leak path remains along the full length of threads, a thread sealant must be used during assembly. Sealants appropriate for use on aircraft NPT fittings are Tite-seal, Permatex #2 and Locktite 565. Do not use RTV, Teflon tape or Fuel Lube on NPT fittings.” I ordered a small tube of Locktite 565 for my vent line fittings. I also plan to use a small amount of tank sealant between the web of the inboard rib and the flange on the fluid fitting. Locktite on the threads, and sealant on the flange.

3) The plans direct the builder to, “apply a small amount of sealant [Locktite] to 2 - 3 threads of the male fitting. Leave the first 2 bare to prevent contamination inside the fluid path.”

I put a little sealant on the flange of the fitting where it contacts the interior side of the rib, and used Locktite 565 on the threads on the exterior side of the fitting to minimize the likelihood of fuel working its way through the threaded portion of the fitting. Torquing the fitting felt a little strange. I threaded the nut on the fitting finger tight, and then marked the nut to keep track of how many rotations I made to tighten the nut. The first quarter turn provided firm resistance, but then the nut became very easy to turn for the next 2 quarters of rotation. It then firmed up again, and became very firm when I had completed about one and half rotations. I decided to stop at that point to not risk damaging the fitting. The same was true of the fitting inside the tank to connect the vent line, and it also took about a turn and a half before the resistance started to dramatically increase. I finished the step by encapsulating the interior fitting with sealant.
[Rivet Squeezer, Flat Squeezer Set, 1/8” Cupped Squeezer Set, 3X Rivet Gun, Double-Offset Rivet Set, Tungsten Bucking Bar, 11/32 Socket and Ratchet, Crecent Wrench, Locktite 565]

  Dec 04, 2022     18-05 - Fuel Tank Primary Assembly - (43.7 hours)       Category: 18 Fuel Tank

Assemble
10/22/22 – 1.2h
10/23/22 – 1.6h
10/25/22 – 1.6h
10/26/22 – 1.4h
10/27/22 – 1.7h
10/30/22 – 1.6h
11/2/22 – 1.4h
11/3/22 – 1.0h
11/6/22 – 3.6h
11/7/22 – 1.9h
11/8/22 – 1.8h
11/9/22 – 1.3h
11/10/22 – 1.5h
11/15/22 – 1.1h
11/16/22 – 2.6h
11/19/22 – 1.9h
11/20/22 – 1.7h
11/24/22 – 1.6h
11/25/22 – 1.8h
11/27/22 – 1.6h
11/28/22 – 1.4h
11/30/22 – 1.6h
12/2/22 – 0.9h
12/3/22 – 2.2h
12/4/22 – 3.7h
Mixing sealant straight out of the cans is messy and time consuming. The sealant sticks to everything, and measuring out just the right amount on the scale takes a lot of dipping and scraping with the mixing sticks. I decided to put the sealant and catalyst into separate syringes to simply squirt the amount of each I needed onto the mixing plate on the scale. This method is much better and cleaner than scooping sealant out of the can with a stick. The syringes are stored in air-tight zip-loc bags, which should be just as good as storing sealant in the can.

I started with back-riveting the fuel tank stiffeners into place. Loading the rivets into the skin before any sealant is applied is nice since the dimples and rivets are totally clean at this point. After getting all of the rivets loaded and taped in place, I mixed 10g of sealant and 1g of catalyst. For reference, this was just enough sealant for me to install 5 stiffeners (1 row) including complete fillets on 2 of the stiffeners. It took roughly an hour from the time I started mixing to starting clean-up at the end. 10g + 1g turns out to be a good amount for me to work. I used the Vans tank assembly video as my technique template for the sealant. I first spread a medium coat of sealant on the bottom of a stiffener and then used a popsicle stick to bevel the sealant over the rivet holes and remove the excess. When I pressed the stiffener into place over the rivets, I noted a small amount of squeeze out around the entire part, which indicated I applied the correct amount of sealant. Back-riveting is standard, but it is easy for the rivet gun to slide a bit due to the sealant. I was happy to see at the end of the process that a very small amount of sealant had worked its way through the rivet hole to the manufactured head of the rivet. Each dark grey circle on the back-rivet tape indicated to me that there shouldn't be any leaks through these rivets! I'll go back later to encapsulate the rivets and finish the fillets to make sure there are no leaks.

The pneumatic squeezer worked well to rivet the quick drain flanges in place. I followed the Vans tank assembly video by applying and troweling sealant on the back of the flange, aligning it to the holes with a couple of clecos, and scooping excess sealant out of the holes with a paper strip. I was surprised to find how difficult it was to insert rivets into holes with sealant in them. The rivets fit fine in the dry holes, but required a lot of effort to insert them for final assembly with the sealant. I used my pick to both align the holes and remove some additional sealant, which allowed me (with a little force) to insert the rivets. The ribs will be exceptionally difficult if I run into the same issue with them.

Van's tank assembly video uses a pneumatic rivet squeezer with a small yoke to rivet the fuel filler flange in place. I planned to do the same on my fuel filler flanges, but my 1” yoke is too big to get adequate access to the rivets due to the funnel shape of the flange. The next option is to buck the rivets, but I was not comfortable with that approach. The tank skins do not have any sub-structure in place at this point of the build, and I was concerned that would lead to damage in the riveting process. I researched some other projects where the flanges were back-riveted with good results, and I decided to try that method. There is some curvature to the skin from the leading edge to the aft edge, which complicates back riveting a bit. I decided to start with the aft-most hole (with the vent clip) and work my way forward. That allowed the skin to follow its natural curve from the aft to forward edge while the rivets being set were held flat on the back-rivet plate. I was happy with the riveting results, and hopefully there won't be any leaks!

Ribs, starting with the inboard forward ribs are up next in the tank assembly. The inboard and outboard ribs are unique since sealant is only needed on the inside edge of the rib and not the entire flange surface. The result is a slightly cleaner installation since there isn't any significant squeeze out on the outside edge of the rib or rivets. The forward inboard rib is a bit difficult to align with the leading edge of the skin, but some “gentle” persuasion with the pick got it into place. I used the pneumatic squeezer for the rivets on this rib, which worked just fine. After riveting the rib in place, I formed a very generous fillet of sealant along the inside edge, and used my remaining sealant from this batch to coat the outside flange where the rib is notched to form the leading edge curve. I stretched the sealant I had as far as I could, but the outside treatment may be a little thin requiring some additional sealant later.

The interior ribs are installed with sealant along the entire flange area. Each rib required 20g +2g of sealant, which was enough to coat the flanges with acceptable squeeze out and create fillets on both sides of the rib flanges. Van's tank assembly video covers the installation of the interior ribs really well. One difference from the video for me was using the squeezer on the aft-most rivets. I have access to a 4” squeezer yoke, but the aft rib flange prevents clean access to the rivet. Bucking all of the rivets, including the aft rivets, worked well. Prior to inserting each rivet, I used a pick to align the hole. That had the additional benefit of removing excess sealant from the hole. I also inserted a cleco adjacent to each rivet I set to help hold things tight as I worked from the leading edge to the aft edge of the tanks. One change I made after the first couple of ribs was to set the tank on end after setting all the rivets for the ribs to work the fillets.

I inspected each of the fillets and encapsulated the rivets that were already set before installing the top J-channel tank stiffener. Most of the fillets looked good, but there were a couple of thin spots that I touched up with some additional sealant. The Van's tank assembly video recommends using an aluminum tube to encapsulate the rivet shop heads, so I bought a .058 x 5/16 x 9" T6 aluminum tube from Van's to make a rivet encapsulation tool. I cut a 3” piece of tubing for the tool, and then finished the tool by deburring both ends of the tube and flaring the end used to encapsulate the rivets. I set the tanks on their sides on the work bench and used a gravity assist to encapsulate the rivets on the bottom side. I let the tanks sit on their sides overnight before flipping them over to encapsulate the rivets on the other side. Fingers (and toes) crossed that there won't be any leaks!

Installation of the J-Channels means the light at the end of the tunnel for this step is a little brighter. The J-Channels for the fuel tanks are just like the J-Channels for the outboard leading edges, with the notable exception of tank sealant. The build instructions specify that the sealant should be applied to the J-Channel rather than the skin, and skin contact with the sealant should be minimized while sliding the J-Channel into position. There will be some contact when the J-Channel is inserted since clearance between the J-Channel and the skin is very tight. The result is a lot of drag on the J-Channel as it gets further down the line of ribs toward its final position. Working and inspecting the sealant fillets on the back side of the J-Channel is also a little tricky, and requires a lighted, flexible mirror to ensure the fillets are done correctly.

The final piece of this step is installation of the tank attach bracket subassembly. Access for the tank attach bracket is really good – both for sealant and riveting. I applied sealant to the bracket flanges similar to the ribs, and I applied sealant to the interior side of the top flange on the forward inboard rib to form a large fillet on the interior junction between the rib and bracket. Actually forming the fillets on the “blind side” of the bracket is similar to working the J-Channel fillets, and requires a small lighted mirror to see how the fillets are formed.
[Large Syringes, Kitchen Scale, Mixing Sticks, Large Back-Rivet Plate, 3x Rivet Gun, Back-Rivet Set, Swivel Flush Set, Tungsten Bucking Bar, Rivet Gauge, Pneumatic Squeezer, 3” Yoke, Flat Squeezer Set, Flexible Mirror with Light]

  Oct 20, 2022     18-04 - Fuel Tank Parts Preparation (2) - (17.1 hours)       Category: 18 Fuel Tank

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
10/12/22 – 3.0h
10/13/22 – 1.6h
10/14/22 – 0.8h
The final parts to prepare for the fuel tanks are the Tank Attach Brackets and the top and bottom shims for the tank attach brackets. I also needed to re-do the left and right T-00005B vent line clips from an earlier step. The Vent Line Clips have a pilot hole to final-drill 7/16” holes for the snap bushings that hold the vent line next to the fuel cap flange at the top of the tank. The final hole leaves very little margin on the sides of the clips, and my first attempt got a little off center resulting in a very thin wall on one side of the clip. I also did a poor job trimming and filing the clips, so I decided to try again. The clips came out much better the second time around!

The top and bottom tank attach bracket shims get cleco'd to the brackets and then trimmed flush with the inboard bracket ends. I had to look at the drawing in the plans a couple of times to make sure I was aligning the top shim properly with the bracket. After I had the shim cleco'd in place, I compared it to the completed tank drawing on the first page of the plans for a different perspective, to ensure I had it right. The actual trimming and filing was relatively straight-forward, but I was careful to mark each shim left or right and top/bottom to get them back into the same place later. Dimpling will also take some extra care since the shims are dimpled opposite of each other.
[Band Saw, Dremel with Metal Cutting Disk, Large Flat File, Small Modelling File, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
10/13/22 – 0.8h
Both the top and bottom shims (left and right) need several holes dimpled. I started with the #19 holes on the part of the upper shim that does not contact the tank attach bracket, which is the forward edge of the shim. I dimpled those holes with a #8 Screws dimple die. All of the #40 holes in the top and bottom shim get dimpled as well. I used a reduced diameter 3/32” dimple die to provide some clearance from the larger dimples I just finished, and to dimple the two outboard holes in each of the upper and lower shims. Those holes are very close to each other and the edge of the part, and the reduced diameter die minimizes the chance of damaging the nearby dimples.

The holes on the tank attach bracket flanges are countersunk to accept the skin and shim dimples. I set the countersink cage .007” deeper than flush, which works well for me on countersinks like this. Most of the holes are pretty easy to get to, but the holes at the ends of the brackets don't leave much to square up the countersink cage, so those take a little longer to ensure the countersinks are aligned properly.
[22” C-Frame, #40 Reduced Diameter Dimple Die, #8 Screw Dimple Die, #40 Countersink Cutter, Microstop Countersink Cage]

Prime
10/14/22 – 0.6h
Priming goes very quickly on this step because you only prime parts that are outside the tank. In this case it is the inboard 1/3 of the tank attach brackets and the upper and lower shims. I scuffed the areas to be primed on each part as well as the area on the tank attach brackets that will be inside the tank where the inboard ribs contact the tank attach brackets. I am concerned about the final assembly of the inboard ribs (forward and aft) to the tank attach brackets because of the notches at the top and bottom of each rib. Each notch will need a blob of sealant to prevent fuel from leaking through in addition to the standard sealant treatment on the flanges and rivets. The good news is those areas are accessible from the outside after the tank is assembled, so it will be easy to fix if there is a leak there. Still, I'd rather not chase down and repair leaks when the tanks are finished!
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Dupli-Color Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
10/16/22 – 3.2h
10/17/22 – 1.1h
10/18/22 – 2.8h
10/19/22 – 1.4h
10/20/22 – 1.8h
This step is completed with some minor assembly including attaching flanges, bearings, shims, and nutplates to the tank attach brackets and inboard ribs. The parts for the tank attach brackets are outside the fuel tank, so no sealant is required to attach the flange bearings, top and bottom shims, and assorted nutplates. Similarly, the K1000-08D nutplates on the aft inboard ribs don't need sealant since they will be covered and sealed later by the fuel sender unit. Access to all of the items on the tank attach brackets and the nutplates on the rib is good for the pneumatic squeezer 3” yoke. The 3” yoke doesn't provide access to all of the rivets for the nutplates on the inboard aft ribs, so I experimented with back-riveting using the 22” C-Frame. This technique will be used to set the very large 3/16” rivets to plug the tooling holes in the inboard and outboard ribs. I was really happy with the ease of back-riveting with the C-Frame and the results. This is definitely a good option for riveting in the future!

The moment I'd been fretting about since before I purchased my first kt finally arrived - assembly with tank sealant. I decided to start with an “easy” step to chalk up an early success with this new-to-me product and process. Each of the inboard and outboard ribs have tooling holes that need to be filled with 3/16” rivets and leak-proofed with sealant. The rivets don't attach parts together, so the process is to apply sealant and drive the rivet in the holes in the ribs.

While I had hoped for an early success, the reality was a dismal failure. The sealant mixing and application went very well. I used a digital kitchen scale to measure out 10g of sealant (white) and 1g of catalyst (black) on an aluminum plate protected with masking tape. I mixed the sealant with a popsicle stick, and used the stick to apply the sealant to the area for the rivet. I found with a little care, some good disposable gloves, and protective paper on the work bench; the sealant was reasonably easy to work with and clean up at the end of the session. The sealant is roughly the consistency of butterscotch ice-cream topping, and is extremely sticky. A plan to contain and control the mess is definitely a good idea before mixing the first batch. I also learned that 70% alcohol wipes are very effective at cleaning sealant off tools and parts before the sealant sets up.

The 3/16” rivets are too large for a standard light-duty pneumatic squeezer to set. The Van's tank assembly video recommends using a C-Frame and rivet gun on the floor to set the large rivets. I set up my C-Frame with a 3/16” cupped set and installed the flat set on the rivet gun to back-rivet. Given the large rivet size, I upped the rivet gun pressure to 60 PSI. I also used small levels to ensure I held the part square in the C-Frame during the riveting process. Unfortunately, my very best effort wasn't good enough to drive the rivet correctly. I tried 3 rivets, and all three ended up tipped and off-center. That may be OK as long as they will stay in place and seal the hole, but they are not pretty. Ultimately, I decided to drill out the rivets. My analysis is the AN470AD6-5 rivets are too long, and it might be worth spending some time with a rivet cutter to shorten them a bit. A shorter rivet also takes less sealant after it is set to encapsulate it. I didn't have access to a rivet cutter, so I needed another option to set the rivets at their original length.

I enlisted the help and advice of a fellow builder friend to try again with the 3/16” rivets. We managed to drill out the bad rivets successfully, and straightened the rib webs where the tilted rivets had twisted them a bit. We used a hand squeezer this time to allow us to set the rivets slowly with as much control as possible. Fortunately, this method worked, and we ended with relatively straight squeezes for each rivet. The rivets are not fully set, since that amount of squeezing would probably tempt fate and end up with badly tilted rivets. Instead, per the plans, we squeezed the rivets enough for them to swell inside the holes and hold firm. After encapsulating the rivet shop heads in sealant, they should be pretty effective fuel tank plugs.

The fuel strainer flanges and anti-rotation plates on the aft inboard ribs use AN470AD4-5 rivets. I am much better equipped to set the 1/8” rivets than the 3/16” rivets used to plug the tooling holes. Getting back to a manageable rivet size and familiar rivet setting process allowed me to clearly see the additional complexity of the tank sealant, and highlighted poor riveting practices that I mostly got away with on dry rivets.

The first thing I did was make plugs for each of the flanges with paper towels to keep sealant from getting inside the threaded area of the flange. The plugs worked great - I simply threaded them into the flange before starting, and threaded them the rest of the way through when I was finished. No mess there at all! I then mixed up another 10g+1g batch for the 4 strainer flanges and 2 anti-rotation plates, and prepared them the same way the Van's tank assembly video does with the fuel filler flange. I put down a medium-thick layer of sealant around the entire contact area, and then used a craft stick to thin and bevel the layer of sealant. A couple of clecos secured the flanges in place, and I could see a reasonable amount of sealant squeeze-out around the edge of the flange and in the rivet holes. I used the rivet squeezer to set each of the rivets with mostly good results. There were a couple of rivets that didn't get set squarely, so I drilled those out and tried again.

I was surprised at how much stray sealant ended up on the part and tools. Even a minor touch of wet sealant on your gloves will end up absolutely covering everything else you touch. There isn't much you can do about it other than clean as much as you can when you're done – the alcohol wipes are great!
[Pneumatic squeezer, 3” Squeezer Yoke, 1/8” Cupped Squeezer Set, 3/16” Flat squeezer Set, 22” C-Frame, Flat Rivet Set, 3x Rivet Gun, Hand Squeezer, Digital Scale, Mixing Sticks, Dupli-Color Degreaser, 70% Alcohol Wipes, Acetone, Shop Rags]

  Oct 10, 2022     18-03 - Fuel Tank Skins Preparation - (31.5 hours)       Category: 18 Fuel Tank

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
9/12/22 – 1.9h
9/16/22 – 0.3h
9/17/22 – 2.1h
9/18/22 – 1.9h
9/26/22 – 1.1h
9/27/22 – 1.3h
9/28/22 – 4.4h
9/29/22 – 1.1h
10/2/22 – 5.7h
Like the outboard leading edges, the fuel tanks have a J-Channel along the top of the skin that gets match drilled to the skin. I cut the fuel tank J-Stiffeners from the 72” J-Channel stock for the outboard leading edges and tanks using a Dremel with a metal cutting disk, and completed the cut with a Dremel sanding barrel and disk. After trimming the J-Channels to the proper length, the inboard #40 “starter” hole is drilled according to the dimensions in the plans, and the rest of the holes are match-drilled to the skin from there.
[Dremel with Metal Cutting Disk, #40 Drill, Scotch Brite Flap Wheel, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
9/17/22 – 0.6h
9/18/22 – 1.1h
9/26/2 – 0.4h
9/30/22 - 3.4h
10/4/22 – 1.6h
10/5/22 – 0.6h
10/10/22 – 1.6h
The rivet holes where the fuel tank skins attach to the rear baffle are countersunk rather than dimpled due to the combined thickness of the skin and baffle. However, the skin is still only .032” thick, so extra care is in order to ensure the countersinks stay true to the center of the hole and don't go too deep. The plans specify that countersinks up to .005” too shallow are acceptable, and preferable to countersinks that are too deep. I set the countersink cage to .002” shallow, which worked for me to get close to flush, with a little margin for deburring. The nearly flush rivets can be shaved flush later.

The rear baffle gets cleco'd into place to provide a stable pilot hole for the countersinks. There is a note to leave every 10th hole uncountersunk to help with alignment of the baffle during the final assembly. I'm not totally convinced that will make a huge difference, but I deferred to the hundreds of tanks built before mine and followed the plans. The alignment holes will be countersunk and riveted after the tank is completely assembled and the sealant has cured.

Dimpling the skins takes a little extra care because there are a few different things going on. First, the holes for the rear-baffle were countersunk, so obviously none of those holes are dimpled. Similarly, the fuel tank drain flanges, which are attached to the outside of the skin, are provided with countersinks. The holes in the skin where the flanges attach are not countersunk. The trickiest “no-dimple” zone are the #8 screw holes on the inboard edge of the skin that align with the fuel tank attach brackets. Those holes, as well as the holes in the attach bracket shims, will be countersunk later in the tank assembly process. The plans include a note to “Dimple the screw holes in the fuel tank skins using the C-frame tool and a hammer rather than forming them with a rivet squeezer. This will result in "crisper", better looking skin dimples.”

The final step in this section is to countersink the fuel tank cap flanges for the dimples in the tank skins. I countersunk the flanges .007” deeper than flush, which worked well to get a good fit with the dimpled holes. The trickiest part of this step was clamping the fuel cap flange to the bench, which isn't particularly difficult.
[#40 Countersink Cutter, Microstop Countersink Cage, 22” C-Frame, Edge Forming Tool (Vise Grip Style), 22” C-Frame, #40 Standard Diameter Dimple Die, #40 Reduced Diameter Dimple Die, #8 Screw Dimple Die]

Assemble
9/15/22 – 2.4h
This section of the plans starts with a warm-up task to attach nut-plates to the Tank Attach Zees. Each bracket, with the exception of the most inboard one on each tank, gets three nut-plates that will align with the holes in the spar to help hold the fuel tanks in place.
[Pneumatic Squeezer, Flat Squeezer Set]

  Sep 12, 2022     18-02 - Fuel Tank Parts Preparation (1) - (25.5 hours)       Category: 18 Fuel Tank

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
8/31/22 – 1.8h
9/1/22 – 2.2h
9/2/22 – 4.0h
9/3/22 – 3.5h
9/5/22 – 2.6h
9/6/22 – 0.8h
9/7/22 – 1.7h
9/8/22 – 0.7h
9/9/22 – 0.3h
9/10/22 – 3.3h
The outboard leading edges were a good dress rehearsal for the fuel tanks. The structure is virtually the same, with the addition of some plumbing and the rear baffle. Part preparation is also nearly identical starting with straightening and deburring the fuel tank ribs. One thing I learned from the leading edges is to spread out the flutes in the ribs if possible. If there are flutes between holes that are next to each other, it is harder to buck those rivets later since you have to use a narrow bucking bar to get between the flutes. This time around I avoided putting flutes between consecutive holes as much as possible. The other thing I noticed is each rib takes me approximately an hour to prepare.

The inboard rib for each fuel tank comes in two pieces (forward and aft) to allow for a tank attach bracket to be inserted between the rib pieces. The aft inboard ribs have a large hole surrounded by #30 rivet holes to attach a finger strainer flange, which holds a strainer to remove large particles from fuel exiting the tank prior to entering the rest of the fuel system. The plans detail steps to add an additional finger strainer flange hole at the top of the rib. The plans specify the center location of the 3/4" upper finger strainer flange hole, which is enlarged to final size with a step drill followed by match-drilling the flange for the rivet holes. According to another builder's log, the upper finger strainer is for future growth for a powerplant that requires a fuel return line to the tanks. The hole will ultimately be sealed for now, but is available if needed in the future. A confusing aspect of the plans for this step is the language change from only addressing the left tank and expecting the builder to mirror those instructions for the right, to discussing both left and right inboard ribs together in the plans. For example, there is a step to final drill “the two remaining finger strainer flanges that will attach to the lower region of the rib.” When I first read the plans, I mistakenly thought the reference was to the upper and lower flanges (two) on each rib. The plans actually refer to the single pre-cut flange hole at the bottom of both inboard ribs (two).

The fuel tanks have several skin stiffeners that attach to the bottom skin of the tanks. The stiffeners are roughly 9” long L-channel pieces that fit between the ribs. Each tank gets 10 outboard stiffeners and 1 slightly shorter inboard stiffener, which are cut from long L-channels. The inboard stiffener L-channel also includes 2 fuel tank vent clips. The vent clips get riveted to the fuel filler flange and hold the vent line in place at the top of the tank. The plans specify step-drilling the hole in the vent clip to 7/16” for the snap bushing around the vent line. The vent clips are maybe 5/8” wide, so the vent line hole gets very close to the edges of the clips. In my case, the drilling process got a little off center on one of the clips and the final hole is right on the edge. That vent clip is too fragile to reliably hold the vent line in place, so I ordered a new L-channel from Van's to try again.

The Tank Attach Zees are also attached together in two long strips, and have to be separated. Before separating, all the holes are final drilled, and the #40 holes are countersunk for flush rivets that hold nut plates in place. I learned from the skin stiffeners, that it is easier to do some of the deburring work before cutting the pieces apart. I deburred all of the holes as well as the lightening holes in each attach zee first. I also took an initial pass at deburring the long edges to remove the larger tooling marks. I used a band saw to separate the parts, and then the 6” cut and polish wheel on the bench grinder to remove the tabs that were left over.
[Fluting Pliers, #12 Drill, #30 Drill, #40 Drill, Step Drill, Band Saw, 6” Scotch Brite Cut and Polish Wheel, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
9/4/22 – 2.0h
9/8/22 – 0.5h
9/10/22 – 0.4h
Dimpling and countersinking wrapped up the part preparation for this step. The #40 holes in the rib flanges were dimpled first. The plans include a note that “the top flange aft hole in each Tank Inboard Rib – Fwd” has limited access, so a pop rivet dimple tool is required for that hole on both inboard forward ribs. I could dimple the rest of the holes in the rib flanges with a pneumatic squeezer and reduced diameter dimple die. The aft inboard rib also has some holes in the web for nut-plates that need to be dimpled. The nut-plates are used to attach the fuel sender unit, and are dimpled flush on the outside surface of the rib. The best approach for these dimples was a reduced diameter dimple die in a 22” C-Frame. I also used the C-Frame to dimple the skin stiffeners with a standard-size dimple die. The bend for the stiffener flanges is far enough from the holes that the standard die works well here.

The Tank Attach Zees are made from relatively thick aluminum, so they are countersunk rather than dimpled. The only holes that need to be countersunk are the #40 holes for the nut-plates in the top flanges of most brackets. The inboard attach zee does not have any nut-plates, so there is no countersinking required on that one. The nut-plates for the inboard attach zee were actually riveted to the main spar several steps ago. Now I know what those 3 nut-plates in the spar are for!
[Scotch Brite Flap Wheel, Pneumatic Squeezer with Reduced Diameter 3/32” Dimple Die, PoP Rivet 3/32” Dimple Die, Blind Rivet Puller, 22” C-Frame with 3/32” Dimple Die and Reduced Diameter 3/32” Dimple Die, 3/32” Countersink Cutter, Microstop Countersink Cage]

Prime
9/11/22 – 1.4h
9/12/22 – 0.3h
The plans for the tank include the note, “Do not prime any areas that will be in the inside of the tank.” The mating surfaces get scuffed (aggressively), cleaned, and then sealant is applied to those areas. There are, however, a few exterior tank parts that can be primed if desired. The tank attach zees are outside the tank, with the exception of the bottom flange which is attached to the outside of the rear tank baffle with blind rivets. The bottom flange on the tank attach zees gets a small amount of sealant around the rivet holes. I decided to mask off the bottom flange, and prime the rest of the tank attach zees before installing the nutplates on the top flange.
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

  Aug 31, 2022     18-01 - Fuel Tank (Plans) - (7.0 hours) Category: 18 Fuel Tank

The time to build the fuel tanks is finally here. This is the step in the entire airplane build process that I am most hesitant about, and it nearly tipped the scales to going with quick build wings vs. my final decision for the standard build option. There are also builder assist programs that will help with the tanks, but that route was simply too expensive. We'll see if this phase of the build is much ado about nothing, or something I needed professional help with!

As usual, I scanned the safety directives and alerts, service bulletins, notifications and letters, and revisions and changes on the Van's support page to ensure my plans and parts are up to date. I was surprised to find only one revision to the plans, which tells me the design and construction steps are really solid. The change had to do with the geometry of the float wire for the fuel sender unit, which was already corrected on the plans I received with the kit. Another useful section of the Van's website is their video on fuel tank construction. I watched the video start to finish twice, and plan to keep it cued up as I go through my build process to review specific techniques at each stage of the build. The video uses an RV-8 tank as the example, which has several differences from the RV-14 tank; but most of the video is still relevant and I highly recommend it.
https://www.vansaircraft.com/faq/fuel-tank-construction-tips-and-techniques-video-series/

The fuel tank is a unique part of the build due to the internal plumbing and the need for sealant to prevent leaks through the various joints and rivets. Structurally, the tanks are similar to the outboard leading edges with notable differences with the inboard rib and the addition of skin stiffeners on the bottom skin. The inboard rib is split into two pieces to allow a tank attach bracket to extend through it. Another difference for me is priming is limited to specific parts on the exterior of the tank. Van's fuel tank tips video stresses the need to clean the parts well before applying the sealant, and warns against the problems of using too much sealant. The plans have very detailed written steps compared to other sections of the build, and they should be good at keeping everything on track.

Time for fun with tank sealant!

  Aug 30, 2022     17-08 - Attach Outboard Leading Edges - (6.9 hours)       Category: 17 Outer LE

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
8/23/22 – 0.6h
The hole for the tie down rings has to be upsized to 3/8” from the #40 hole pre-drilled in the leading edge skins. I haven't mastered the step drill, yet, so I was a little nervous when I started working on this hole. My method is to gradually upsize the hole to 1/4", which is the smallest step on the step drill bit, and then use the step drill bit from there. I also used a drill guide to help ensure the drill bits were perpendicular to the skin for a round, even hole. I used a slow-to-medium RPM for the step drill, and stopped drilling at each step to confirm the drill was aligned properly using the reflection in the skin. I was very happy that the 3/8” hole came out perfectly round in each leading edge skin! I finished be deburring the holes. I was also excited to see how well the holes lined up with the tie-down bracket riveted to the wing spars when I tacked the leading edges into place on the spars.
[Hole Deburring Tool, #30 Drill, #21 Drill, #10 Drill, 1/4" Drill, Step Drill, Drill Guide]

Assemble
8/27/22 – 1.3h
8/28/22 – 3.5h
8/30/22 - 1.5h
Assembly started with blind-riveting the outboard wing rib to the wing spar and the outboard leading edge rib. The clearance on the wing rib flange for the rivet puller is very tight, so I had to use my rivet puller wedge to provide a little offset. Access was a little better as I worked my way inboard, and I didn't need the wedge by the time I got to the longer blind rivets.

The most inboard leading edge rib uses AN470 rivets instead of blind rivets. I put the manufactured head of the rivets on the wing spar, with the shop head on the leading edge rib flanges. Access with the rivet gun was very good as was access for the bucking bar. The rivets went in very quickly with no issues.

Riveting the leading edge skins to the bottom wing spar flange was a job tailor-made for the pneumatic squeezer. Access to all of the rivets was very good, and the squeezer did a nice job pulling the skin tight against the flange. I started in the middle of each leading edge, and worked my way toward each end.

Unfortunately, the squeezer won't work on the top spar flange, and solo-riveting isn't an option here either. Riveting the leading edge skins to the top wing spar flange is definitely a 2-person job with the rivet gun and bucking bar. Like the bottom rivets, I started at the center of the leading edge and worked toward each end. I was very impressed with the tight tolerances between the upper wing skins and the leading edge skins. There is virtually no gap between them, which is pretty impressive from an engineering and parts manufacturing perspective. It looks really good, too!
[Rivet Puller, Rivet Puller Wedge, 3x Rivet Gun, Tungsten Bucking Bar, 1/8” Universal Head Rivet Set, Pneumatic Squeezer, Flat Squeezer Set]

  Aug 23, 2022     17-09 - Landing Light Lenses - (7.7 hours)       Category: 17 Outer LE

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
8/20/22 – 2.0h
8/21/22 – 2.7h
8/23/22 – 0.7h
I decided to prepare the landing light lenses before attaching the leading edges to the wing. The leading edges are much easier to maneuver on the bench by themselves, and the lenses would be difficult to fit with the wing in the cradle. The plans include very detailed instructions to shape the landing light lenses. The first thing I did was completely cover the lenses, inside and out, with painters tape to keep the lenses from scratching while I worked on them. The tape also gave me a good surface to draw on as I measured and drew the various cut lines. The plastic cutting wheel on the Dremel worked really well to cut the lenses (I think they are acrylic). The wheel melts the material a bit when cutting, and it kicks up a lot of small and sharp particles; so gloves and eye protection are required. It probably wouldn't hurt to wear a mask, either…but I elected not to do that.

After cutting the lenses with the Dremel, I fine-tuned the cut lines with 150 grit sandpaper followed by a pass with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth the edges of the lenses. I also used the sand paper and a plastic blade on my edge deburring tool to remove the sharp edges and round them slightly.
[Dremel with Plastic Cutting Wheel and 220 Grit Sanding Disk, 150 Grit Sandpaper, 220 Grit Sandpaper, Painters Tape, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
8/22/22 – 2.3h
The final-shaped lens is re-installed into the landing light cut-out to match-drill the lens to the pre-drilled #30 holes in the skin around the cut-out. The lens is then removed to final drill #27 the holes in the skin and the holes in the lens. After deburring all of the holes, the skin is dimpled with a #6 Dimple Die, and the lens is prepared with a #27 countersink to fit the dimple. It turns out the lens material is pretty easy to drill and countersink with the correct bits and with the part held firmly in place.

There is one change to the plans, which say to match-drill #27 the holes in the landing light lens. Given that the holes in the skin have already been countersunk in the previous step, there is no way to match drill the lens. Instead, I final-drilled the lens.
[#30 Plexi-Bit, #27 Drill, #27 Countersink and Countersink Cage, Palm Drill, Pneumatic Squeezer with #6 Screw Dimple Die]

Assemble
The final assembly steps, attaching the lenses to the wings for the last time, will come after I've installed the landing lights and I'm ready to close up the landing light bay. Until then, there is too much potential to damage the lenses and they are safer on the shelf. I tried to get all of the hardware together for the final assembly steps, and I noticed the wing kit does not come with the AN507C632R6 screws called out in the plans. I reviewed the wing inventory sheets several times, and could not find the screws listed. The kit comes with AN507-6R6 screws, which are used for the wing tips and nav light lenses, but are not the correct screw for the landing light lenses. I will have to order some and pack them away with the landing light lenses.
[Screwdriver, Double-Sided Tape]

  Aug 20, 2022     17-07 - Stall Warning System Assembly - (3.0 hours)       Category: 17 Outer LE

The stall warning sensor is a fun little project embedded within the leading edge build. The sensor attaches to the inboard left nose rib, and the stall warning vane protrudes through the slot that was cut earlier in this section of the build. The two main parts are the small mounting and keeper plates, which are easy to final drill and debur according to the plans. The inboard face of the mounting plate is also countersunk for the two primary assembly screws (#30) and the warning vane pivot screw (#19). The assembly uses three different types of washers, which is a good test of the parts inventory and storage process.

Final drilling, deburring, countersinking, cleaning, and priming goes quickly to prepare the parts for assembly. A common question is what torque to use on a MS24693S10 machine screw, which is a 4-40 cadmium plated steel machine screw? The thread diameter of the screw is 0.112 inches, or just under 2/16”. I couldn't find torque specs for an “AN2” bolt, which would be the equivalent of the #4 screw, but I did find minimum tensile strengths for the MS24693S10 machine screw (60,000 psi) and the AN3 bolt (125,000 psi) on the Military Fasteners web site (military-fasteners.com). I made the assumption that if the MS24693S10 screw has roughly half of the AN3 bolt tensile strength, then the torque for the screw should also be roughly half of the bolt. That works out to 10-12 inch-pounds, or 14 in-lbs with a self-locking MS21042 nut. The stall warning assembly uses MS21044N04 self-locking nuts, so I decided to stay with the 10-12 in-lb max value plus drag. Drag on this small screw and nut was negligible. I torqued the nuts to about 8 in-lbs, which is where I got nervous and decided to stop, That left about 3 threads showing and the nuts seem plenty tight.

I made a small change to the pivot for the stall warning vane. There are supposed to be 2 washers on each side of the vane, but that was way too tight for the vane to move freely. I removed one of the outboard washers and tightened the nut to the point where the vane moved freely without binding. There was no need to look up torque values for the MS2469C14 screw since max torque would bind the vane in place and the stall warning sensor would never work. The plans say “Do not over-torque the nut on the screw about which the VA-196 Stall Warning Vane pivots. Insure that the stall warning vane rotates freely.”

The final step was to install the stall warning system to the left splice rib. The 832 x 1/2 screws are driven by a 1/4" hex wrench. Depending on how tight the nut plates are, it may be possible to start the screws by hand, but the hex wrench is definitely required to finish the job. I found it easiest to start the pivot screw first, and leave it loose while installing the upper screw and adjusting the sensor. I ended up rotating the mounting plate all the way to the stop to allow the vane to extend through the slot in the leading edge with just a very minimal travel to depress the button on the sensor. The fit to drive the screws is very tight. I tried reaching through the access panel to see how that might work after the leading edge is mounted to the wing, and I don't have access that way. I think it's fair to say the sensor is a permanent fixture as is, unless I find someone with the correct sized arms to work on it later if needed.

I also noticed a difference between the plans and the parts I received with the kit. The W400, which is essentially a ground wire, that is supplied in the same bag as the WH-00012 wire harness is a black wire and not white as stated in the plans. I looked through the various wire harness bags to ensure I had the right part for the ground wire, and didn't find any appropriate white wires.

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
7/30/22 – 0.8h
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, #30 Drill, #19 Drill, Small Round and Flat Files]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
7/30/22 – 0.5h
[#30 Countersink Cutter, #19 Countersink Cutter]

Prime
7/31/22 – 0.3h
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Dupli-Color Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
8/1/22 – 0.9h
8/20/22 – 0.5h
Description
[Phillips Head Screw Driver, Torque Wrench (In-Lbs), 1/4” Hex Wrench]

  Aug 19, 2022     17-06 - Outboard Leading-Edge Assembly - (22.6 hours)       Category: 17 Outer LE

Assemble
8/10/22 – 1.9h
8/11/22 – 1.4h
8/12/22 – 2.5h
8/13/22 – 2.0h
8/14/22 – 4.3h
8/15/22 – 2.1h
8/17/22 – 1.9h
8/18/22 – 1.3h
8/19/22 – 5.2h
This is purely an assembly step starting with the attachment of two nut plates to the web of the left leading edge splice rib. The nut plates will be used to mount the stall warning sensor. I back-riveted the nut plates to the splice rib without any drama despite the fact that it has been a long time since I have done any back-riveting.

There is an inconsistency in the plans for the next steps which say to insert the left leading edge skin into the cradle, cleco the access hatch doubler into place, and then back-rivet the access hatch doubler. Back-riveting isn't an option if the skin is already in the cradle, so I did the back-riveting before putting the skin in the cradle. Back-riveting on the bench works very well for the access hatch doubler. I also took this opportunity to check the fit of the access hatch cover. It was a little tight on the forward and aft edges, so I used a Scotch Brite pad and sandpaper to get it to fit better.

CAUTION: Put a towel or some sort of padding below the area you are riveting. If you drop the bucking bar, you'll be glad the pad is there to protect the skin. If not, be prepared to spend a lot of time working out an inadvertent ding. I fumbled my bucking bar once, which resulted in a medium-sized “outie” where the upper leading edge starts to curve. This was a very difficult location to work, and I spent a long time with a spoon and some elbow grease to work out the dent. There is still a small blemish on the leading edge, but I got it to the point that prep for paint should smooth it out. That was definitely not the way I wanted to spend that work session!

The main riveting starts with the aft 2 holes (top and bottom) on each rib. I used the pneumatic squeezer to set those rivets, and I was very happy with the results. I used the pneumatic squeezer to set the next rivets working toward the front of the piece, also with good results. The furthest aft hole at the splice rib only hits the skin and the splice strip (not the rib), and it uses the same AN426AD3-3.5 rivet as the aft holes for the other ribs. The rest of the holes at the splice rib go through the skin, splice strip, and rib; so the longer AN426AD3-4 rivets are used for those. After I finished the last 3-3.5 rivet I could reach on the other ribs, I reset the squeezer for the 3-4 rivets on the splice rib. I went ahead with all the rivets on the splice rib since I didn't want to continuously switch between the squeezer for the splice rib and rivet gun for the other ribs.

The three forward-most rivets were the most difficult to set. Those holes are on individual tabs due to the leading edge curvature, so the fluting done earlier really doesn't help align these holes. I had to work each of the holes into place with a pick before I could insert a rivet. The other challenge with the forward-most holes is the awkward riveting position. You need long arms if you're riveting by yourself, and the holes essentially point up when the leading edge is in the cradle. I mitigated the second issue by rotating the cradle back toward the bottom a bit, and using scotch tape to hold the rivets in place. There isn't much you can do about the long-arm problem if you don't have a rivet partner handy, and I have the bruises on my bucking bar arm to prove it! The forward rivets ultimately went in successfully even though it took some extra time and effort to get them in place.

The final riveting task is inserting the landing light mount bracket and the top J-Channel. Both parts have good access with the rivet gun, and went in without any problems. The mount bracket has a definite top and bottom, although that isn't explicitly called out in the plans. The hole for the light is clearly offset, and you can see the offset in the plan drawings if you look closely. When the bracket is in place, the hole should be offset toward the bottom of the leading edge to align with the landing light cutouts.
[3x Rivet Gun, Back Rivet Set, Back Rivet Plate, Swivel Mushroom Set, Tungsten Bucking Bar, Pneumatic Squeezer with 3” Yoke and Flat Squeezer Set]

  Aug 09, 2022     17-05 - Landing Light Brackets and Nut Plates - (20.8 hours)       Category: 17 Outer LE

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
7/17/22 – 0.9h
7/18/22 – 0.5h
There are just a handful of parts left in the bin for this step in the build including two landing light brackets and four landing light lens backing plates. The backing plates are arch-shaped, and the rounded ends required some additional filing to remove the machining marks from making the curves. The landing light mounting brackets do not have any tight corners or difficult access for deburring. Deburring the brackets and backing plates didn't present any new challenges.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, 6” Cut and Polish Wheel, Small Rounded File]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
7/18/22 – 0.9h
The 3/32” holes (#40) in the backing plates and landing light mount bracket have to be dimpled for the installation nut plates a few steps later. Each of the 4 backing plates gets 4 nut plates (total 16), and each of the 2 landing light mount brackets gets 2 nut plates (total 4).

The plans also state that one full shipset of nut plates should be dimpled according to Section 5.16 of the plans. Section 5.16 simply says to use a reduced diameter female dimple die to avoid damage to the nut plate screw hole. One shipset includes the nut plates for the backing plates, landing light mount brackets, access hatch, and splice strips. The total nut plate requirement is:
4x K1000-3
16x K1000-06
20x K1100-06
34x K1100-08D
4x MS21053-L08

The MS21053-L08 nut plates were a little tricky to dimple. The dimpling process bent the nut plates slightly, and I had to try to straighten them back out by hand. They came out mostly straight, but they aren't real pretty. Perhaps dimpling with a full-size male and reduced diameter female dimple die would work better. Something to think about for next time…
[Pneumatic Squeezer with #40 Reduced Diameter Dimple Die]

Prime
7/19/22 – 2.8h
7/20/22 – 1.9h
7/21/22 – 1.2h
7/22/22 – 3.1h
7/24/22 – 1.2h
7/25/22 – 1.7h
7/27/22 – 0.6h
7/28/22 – 1.2h
7/30/22 – 0.5h
8/1/22 – 0.5h
8/3/22 – 0.7h
Most of the time on this page was devoted to priming, and finish painting for the first time. I did not prime any of the parts from the previous pages in this section, so things kinda stacked up on this page. After getting all of the parts and nut plates dimpled, there is a step in the plans that says, “For those builders preferring a finish such as matte black or gloss white inside the landing light coves, now is the recommended time to apply finish paint to the” landing light brackets, mounting plates, and ribs and skin areas that make up the landing light coves. I decided to go with a Matte Black finish, and went with the Rust-Oleum paint since that is the primer I'm using.

After applying the first primer coat, I let it dry and scuffed it up with a worn maroon Scotch Brite pad. The scuffing process makes the primer coat more even, and allows a second touch-up coat to take hold. I degreased all of the primed parts, and completed the minor touch up areas without any trouble.

I decided to follow the same process for the final color (black) coat. First scuff the primed parts, degrease the parts, and spray on the black paint. The paint went on one side at a time, as opposed to my all-over approach with the primer. I didn't want to take any chances of marring the wet paint by flipping the parts over for the other side.
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can), Rust-Oleum Automotive Matte Black Paint (Rattle Can)]

Assemble
8/8/22 – 1.3h
8/9/22 – 1.8h
The final step on this sheet is installing the nutplates on the landing light lens backing plates and mounting brackets, access hatch doubler, and splice strips. I started with the landing light lens backing plates because they are small and easy to handle with the pneumatic squeezer. That is ideal to ensure the squeezer is set up correctly. I used a cleco clamp over the screw hole to hold the nut plate in place and protect the hole from squeezer damage. I moved on to the access hatch doubler next, since the doubler and backing plates are made from the same thickness of aluminum. The squeezer didn't need any adjustment, and I used the same technique with the cleco clamp to hold the nutplates in place.

The squeezer setup for the splice plates was the same as the other parts, and I used the same approach to holding the nut plates in place with the cleco clamp. The nut plates at each end of the splice strips were a little different, with the screw hole at the end and two rivets next to each other. I found that setting the inside rivet first worked well to ensure no interference with the outside rivet. I attached the final nut plates on this step to the landing light mount brackets. The brackets are made from thicker aluminum than the other parts in this step, so I had to adjust the squeezer to set the rivets properly. The same technique using the cleco clamp over the screw hole to hold the nut plate in place worked well on the mount brackets, too.
[Pneumatic Squeezer, Flat Squeezer Set, Cleco Clamp]

  Jul 17, 2022     17-04 - Leading Edge Skin Preparation - (21.8 hours)       Category: 17 Outer LE

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
7/4/22 – 1.1h
7/5/22 – 2.2h
7/6/22 – 2.6h
7/7/22 – 1.7h
7/9/22 – 2.3h
7/10/22 – 0.8h
7/14/22 – 2.9h
7/15/22 – 1.9h
The initial mock-up is always a fun step in the build process since you quickly go from a pile of parts on the bench to a recognizable aircraft structure. I started by inserting the left leading edge skin into the cradles attached to saw-horses, and then cleco'd the leading edge ribs to the skin. It is clear at this point that setting the forward-most rivets will be very awkward, but the rest of the holes appear to have good access for riveting. It is also worth noting that aligning the ribs with the correct holes is tricky. I had to start clecoing from the forward-most hole aft to ensure I had the rib in the correct position.

I recognized a minor error with the J-Channel I cut in the previous step. It turns out I drilled the starter hole at the wrong end of the J-Channel. Fortunately, I was careful to make a mirror image of the J-Channel for the right leading edge, so correcting the mistake was simply crossing out the “R” in the part label and renaming it “L”. The correctly labeled J-Channel fits perfectly, so crisis averted!

Most of the deburring is similar to previous steps in the build. Of note, the landing light cutouts are very rough around the corners. That means there is some additional filing required to smooth those corners before getting to the final deburring to finish preparing the part.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, #40 Drill, #10 Drill, Small Files, Standard Files]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
7/9/22 – 1.1h
7/11/22 – 1.1h
7/12/22 – 0.6h
7/13/22 – 1.3h
7/15/22 – 0.8h
7/17/22 – 1.4h
The J-Channel for the leading edge is prepared the same way the wing J-Channels were prepared. I cleco'd the J-Channel in place at the starter hole, and clamped the other end of the J-Channel in place using the centerline to align the J-Channel to the leading edge skin. I then matched-drilled the J-Channel to the skin, clecoing every hole as I went. While the drill was out, I also match drilled the aft-most holes in the skin to the ribs.

The final step for the left skin was to cut out the stall warning slot using the two pre-drilled holes in the leading edge, final drilled to #10 size, as end guides for the slot. I drilled four #40 holes between the end holes to remove as much material as I could, and then cleaned up the slot with a small hobby file.

Prior to dimpling, I put a very slight break on the top and bottom edges of the leading edge skin to help it rivet tightly to the wing spar. That was not specified in the plans, but seemed like a reasonable thing to do since that is how the top skins were prepared.

Before dimpling, it is important to note there are a few holes in the leading edge skin that do not get dimpled at this time. Specifically, do not dimple the most outboard row of holes used to attach the wing tip, the hole for the tie-down, and the crew holes for the landing light lenses. Those all get taken care of in later steps.

I did as much dimpling as I could with the pneumatic squeezer before switching to the C-Frame to finish dimpling the leading edge skins. I used the reduced diameter 3/32 dimple die on the new far-aft holes in the rib flanges and for the nut plate dimples on the access panel doubler. The #6 screw hole dimples in the doubler are on the very inside edge of the part, which was a little surprising to me. I finished dimpling with the standard size 3/32 dimple die.
[Edge Forming Tool (Vise Grip Style), Pneumatic Squeezer with 3/32 Reduced Diameter and Standard Dimple Dies, 22” C-Frame with 3/32 Standard Dimple Die, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, Small Files]

  Jul 03, 2022     17-03 - Splice Rib and J-Channel Preparation - (11.8 hours)       Category: 17 Outer LE

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
6/27/22 – 0.7h
6/30/22 – 2.0h
7/1/22 – 1.6h
7/2/22 – 3.4h
7/3/22 – 2.6h
Deburring the ribs takes time, but isn't complicated. I've refined my deburring process to help me get good results. I start with the large hole deburring tool to remove the sharp edges on the lightening holes in the center of the ribs, and follow that up with several passes inside the holes with a Scotch Brite flap wheel on an electric drill. The next step is to debur the rivet (and other) smaller holes with a deburring bit on an electric screw driver or by hand.

Deburring the flange edges starts with a pencil (hobby) flat file to remove the small tabs and marks from the machining process. The “dove tail” deburring tool comes next to remove the sharp edges from the flanges. I use aluminum oxide sandpaper to smooth the flange edges followed by a pass with a maroon Scotch Brite pad to finish smoothing the edges of the flanges. My last step is to run a Scotch Brite flap wheel on an electric drill over the outside and inside of the flanges. The flap wheel takes care of any final burrs in the holes and edges on the flanges, and leaves a very smooth surface that is free of burrs.

Each outboard leading edge has a J-Stiffener that needs to be cut to size from the stock parts in the wing kit. I cut the main wing J-Stiffeners from the 96” stock, leaving 4 pieces of 72” J-Channel for the outboard leading edges and tanks. The Dremel with a metal cutting disk worked well for the rough cut, followed by some fine-tuning with the large flat file. After trimming the J-Channel to the proper length, the inboard #40 “starter” hole is drilled according to the dimensions in the plans.

The Dremel, metal cutting disk, and file also worked well to remove the splice strips from the tank skins. I used my deburring process on the splice strips to ensure the #19 holes were properly deburred prior to dimpling to prevent cracks. The splice strips are ready for primer after a final cleaning.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, Dremel with Metal Cutting Disk, Large Flat File, #40 Drill, #19 Drill]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
7/3/22 – 1.5h
The pneumatic squeezer made quick work of dimpling the #40 holes in the nose rib flanges. The #40 rivet holes for the nutplates on the inboard rib for the left leading edge (W-1008-R) get dimpled as well. The nutplates will used later to mount the stall warning switch. I also dimpled the Splice Strips starting with a #8 Screw Dimple Die in the #19 holes. The plans warn that these holes are prone to cracking if they aren't deburred properly, and I took extra care on these holes during the deburring process. I used the #40 reduced diameter dimple die for the nutplate holes to avoid damaging the #8 screw dimples I just finished. A standard size #40 dimple die would have flattened part of the larger dimple next to it.
[Bench Vise, Pneumatic Squeezer with #40 Reduced Diameter Dimple Die, #8 Screw Dimple Die]

  Jun 29, 2022     17-02 - Leading Edge Cradles and Ribs Preparation - (4.4 hours)       Category: 17 Outer LE

06/27/22 – 0.6h
06/28/22 – 2.7h
06/29/22 – 1.1h
I was fortunate to borrow a leading edge cradle assembly from another RV-14 builder, so I didn't have to cut up my wing kit crate lid to make new cradles. I replaced the duct tape on his cradles, and they are ready for use on my leading edges. I was also fortunate that most of the flange angles on the leading edge ribs didn't need significant adjustment. The ribs did require some fluting to straighten them out, and I may revisit fluting later depending on how well the ribs line up with the holes in the skins. The forward-most portions of the ribs might not be quite right, yet.

UPDATE: I took another look at the rib alignment after I finished deburring the holes and edges. The rivet lines on the skins are straight from the tail to the nose, so the ribs should be straight as well. I wasn't 100% sure since the tips of the ribs were all at an angle. Apparently adding the T-shaped stiffener bend to the nose of the ribs bends the flanges a bit. I put the ribs on the marble slab (my flat surface) and ended up fluting the forward section of almost all of them. They are much straighter now, which should make riveting easier later on.

After final-drilling the #30 and #40 holes in the ribs, I notched the rear flanges of the two inboard W-1009-L and W-1009-R ribs to clear the spar bars and rivets on the main spar. The first inboard rib gets a notch at the top and bottom of the rear flange, and the second inboard rib just gets a single notch at the top. I planned to use my bandsaw for the cuts, but the Dremel was a better choice for me. I used a flat file and small pencil file to clean up the cuts and get them to the specified measurements. After I finished the notches, I cleco'd the ribs to the main spar to check the clearance, which looked good.
[Fluting Pliers, Hand-Seamer, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, #30 Drill, #40 Drill, Dremel with Metal Cutting Disc, Flat File, Pencil (Hobby) File]

  Jun 27, 2022     17-01 - Outboard Leading Edge (Plans) - (1.5 hours) Category: 17 Outer LE

The center section of the wings are safely secured on the rack, and the focus is now the outboard leading edges. There isn't any fuel tank work, yet (thankfully), but there are a number of things happening with the outboard leading edges including the stall warning assembly, a splice rib and strip, and landing light lenses. There are also several ribs to debur and a new set of J-Channels to prepare.

I reviewed the Van's Service Information and Revisions page for the RV-14
(https://www.vansaircraft.com/service-information-and-revisions/?aircraft=rv-14&doctype=all&sort=undefined),
and noticed there is one revision for this section of the plans from early 2017. One of the changes is to use a shorter screw on the landing light lenses, and that change is captured in my printed plans. I'll read over that change notice again to make sure there isn't anything else of note, but it appears my plans and parts are up to date.

The plans for this section have a few new items/tasks to consider. First, the plans spend about a page on building leading edge cradles using the plywood cover from the wing kit delivery crate. I have access to some cradles from another RV-14 builder, so I'll only need to refurbish those with some new duct tape rather than create a new set. The next thing I noticed is the 2 inboard ribs in the assembly need some modifications to the aft flanges to fit over the doublers on the forward side of the main spar. A new structure introduce in this section is the Splice Rib and Splice Strip The splice strip is attached to the Wing Tank Skins, so I'll have to trim the splice strips off and then store the tank skins for the next section of the build.

The landing light areas have some new finishing instructions, “For those builders preferring a finish such as matte black or gloss white inside the landing light coves, now is the recommended time to apply finish paint” as well as instructions to trim the acrylic landing light lenses to the final shape and size. The lens trimming looks like it needs some detailed measurements, and I've ordered some plastic cutting discs for the Dremel for this step.

Another unique item to this step is building and installing the stall warning system. That doesn't look very difficult, but the fine-tuning at the end could get tricky. Finally, there is a note at the end of this section to leave a rivet out of the left skin for the pitot tube assembly. I plan to use an aftermarket pitot tube that will be located aft of the main spar, so I'll fill the rivet hole in the leading edge rather than leaving it open.

Time to get busy on the leading edges!

  Jun 26, 2022     16-04 - Top Wing Skin Final Items - (10.1 hours)       Category: 16 Top Skins

6/23/22 – 2.0h
6/24/22 – 2.8h
6/25/22 – 2.2h
6/26/22 – 3.1h

It's taken a couple thousand rivets, but I feel like I finally have a clue on successfully bucking rivets. The rivets aren't 100% uniform yet, but they all meet standards without drilling out and replacing multiple misfires or major dings in the assembly. Practice makes perfect, and I think I'll be pretty good at this by the time the airplane is flying!

This step consists of some final assembly items to complete the installation of the top wing skin. It starts by clecoing and then riveting the J-channels that run down the center of the skin along the complete span of the wing. The J-Channels slide into place pretty easily, and you have to make sure the outboard J-Channel sits above the inboard J-Channel. There is good access to buck the rivets, but pay attention to ensure the correct rivets get installed in the five holes where the J-Channels overlap. I used a couple of small nuts on the clecos to help pull the J-Channel tight to the skin before riveting, and was really happy with the way the parts end up riveted tightly together.

The last item in this step is to attach the outboard aileron hinge brackets. The holes for the spar and a couple of holes for the rib web are pre-drilled so the bracket assemblies can be cleco'd in place. There is good access to match drill the remaining three holes for the rib web, and then all of the holes are drilled to final size. The plans specify an extended #30 drill bit to final drill the holes in the aft spar to provide clearance for the hinge bracket assembly. The plans remind you to remove the hinge brackets, debur the holes, and cleco the brackets back into place before riveting.

Riveting the hinge brackets to the aft spar and outboard rib isn't as straight-forward as it looks. I thought I'd have relatively easy access to use the pneumatic squeezer. My plan was to use the squeezer to put the manufactured head on the inside of the wing rib first, leaving clearance for the manufactured head of the rivets to go on the outside of the assembly to the rear spar. I actually managed to get the bottom-most rivet on the rib squeezed (you can see the shop head on that one in the picture), but I think I was lucky to get that one done cleanly. The squeezer really does not have the required access to this area, and good luck if you have to drill out one of those rivets from inside the rib cavity! I switched to the rivet gun and bucking bar to set the rivets with the manufactured head on the outside of the assembly to the wing rib. I needed an extended rivet set, just like I needed an extended drill bit, for the rivets to the aft spar. A double-offset rivet set would also work in this area. I had to replace one of the rivets, but it came out cleanly and the rivets all went in without any other drama.
[3x Rivet Gun, Swivel Mushroom Set, Regular and Extended1/8” Cupped Set, Tungsten BB-7 and BB-11 Bucking Bars, Pneumatic Squeezer with 1/8” Cupped Squeezer Set]

  Jun 12, 2022     16-03 - Top Wing Skin Installation - (25.8 hours)       Category: 16 Top Skins

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
5/12/22 – 1.4h
I took another look at the forward wing walk doubler on the right wing after reading another build log about how their doubler was just a bit long and over-lapped the main spar. My doubler had a very slight overlap as well, so I took a few passes with the file to just remove the overlap. That won't make a huge difference, but might help the forward edge of the skin rivet tighter to the spar without creating a crease. It was also a good way to procrastinate before starting to rivet the top skins to the ribs and spars. Riveting always makes me a little apprehensive, so I like to look busy even though I'm really not!
[Flat File, ScotchBrite Pad, Primer for Touch-Up]

Assemble
5/13/22 – 3.3h
5/16/22 – 1.0h
5/17/22 – 1.3h
5/18/22 – 2.7h
5/30/22 – 1.1h
5/31/22 – 1.0h
6/1/22 – 1.2h
6/2/22 – 1.8h
6/5/22 – 1.7h
6/5/22 – 3.0h
6/8/22 – 1.1h
6/9/22 – 1.3h
6/10/22 – 3.1h
6/12/22 – 2.2h
First, a huge shout-out to Greg for his invaluable help on both the right and left wings! Greg is a new RV-14A builder, and volunteered several hours to help me set most of the rivets forward of the J-Stiffeners on both wing skins. My arms are not long enough to buck all the rivets toward the leading edge myself, and Greg's help was essential! It was a great learning experience for both of us, and the rivets we set as a team came out great! Thank you!!!

I placed the wings with the forward spar down on folded saw-horses on the floor. That provided access for bucking the rivets by reaching over the rear spar for most of the rivets on the wing. I started in the center of the wing and worked my way up and down each rib toward the wing root and wing tip. I attached the inboard skin first, and then used the center-out method on the outboard skin. A small rectangular tungsten bucking bar worked well for almost all of the rivets with pretty good results. Things get a little tight near the rear spar, so I had to go with a bucking bar with an angled face for the last two or three rivets on each rib. I also used the angled face bucking bar on the rivets closest to the rib doublers for the flap hinge brackets. It is very tight in those areas, and things definitely slow down there. I did end up with a couple of cosmetic blemishes near the rear spar due to the awkward access bucking the rivets myself – lessons learned for the left wing!

I used the pneumatic squeezer for the rivets along the root rib. Those rivets are very easy to access with the squeezer, and there isn't a lot of surface area there for a large rivet gun flush set. The root rib has several nutplates, which leads to a lot of layers including the nutplate, root rib, wing walk doubler, and wing skin. I set the rivets without the nut plates first, then adjust the squeezer to set the rivets on the nutplates. I tried a new technique to help protect the screw hole in the nutplate while squeezing the rivets. I inserted a 1/8” cleco into the screwhole to prevent inadvertently damaging the nutplate with the squeezer. The cleco essentially acted as a guard rail for the squeezer, and I installed all of the nutplates without any damage.

I finished the wing skin by riveting the lap joint between the inboard and outboard skins, and then the rivets along the rear spar. I was very happy with how well the rivets pulled the ribs and skins together, and the really tight fit between the skin and forward spar as well as along the lap joint. I had the edge-break on the skins dialed in really well – just a very slight (almost imperceptible) break ended up with a really tight fit.
[3x Rivet Gun, Tungsten Bucking Bars (BB-6, BB-7, and BB-11), Pneumatic Squeezer with Flat Squeezer Set]

  May 08, 2022     16-02 - Top Wing Skin Preparation - (40.2 hours)       Category: 16 Top Skins

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
3/8/22 – 1.6h
3/12/22 – 0.9h
3/27/22 – 2.0h
3/28/22 – 1.9h
3/29/22 – 1.6h
3/30/22 – 1.4h
3/31/22 – 1.9h
4/1/22 – 2.1h
4/2/22 – 0.8h
4/15/22 – 0.9h
4/16/22 – 0.7h
4/17/22 – 1.2h
4/18/22 – 1.0h
4/21/22 – 0.5h
5/1/22 – 1.0h
Preparation of the top wing skins started by clecoing the inboard skin and wing walk doublers to the main and rear spars and the wing ribs. I have not installed the rear spar yet, and I don't plan to do any of the match / final drilling until the rear spar assembly is complete. Clecoing the skins in place at this stage is valuable, though, to ensure all the skins are oriented and marked correctly. For example, it is possible to install the aft wing walk doubler upside down. The aft wing walk doubler has two holes near the aft edge that are ignored on the RV-14. Those holes provide a valuable clue to the doubler's orientation, which I learned as I removed the top skin and noticed the doubler was face down with the holes near the forward edge! I flipped the doubler over to the correct orientation, and then used my Sharpie to make sure it was labeled for correct installation later.

The parts for this step are probably the easiest to edge-debur that I've come across so far. No flanges, no facets, no curves – just long, straight edges. I deburred the wing walk doublers, inboard skins, and outboard skins, and then cleco'd the inboard skin and wing walk doublers to the spars and ribs to set up for drilling. I also finished deburring the left and right upper J-Channels.

There is some match-drilling for the nutplate rivet holes along the inboard edge of the inboard wing skin and wing walk doublers, as well as final drilling for the nutplate screw holes. All of the #40 holes common to the inboard wing skin and wing walk doublers are also final drilled.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, #40 Drill, #19 Drill]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
4/2/22 – 0.9h
4/15/22 – 1.8h
4/16/22 – 2.2h
4/25/22 – 0.9h
4/26/22 – 0.6h
4/27/22 – 1.5h
4/28/22 – 1.3h
4/29/22 – 0.9h
4/30/22 – 0.9h
5/2/22 – 0.7h
5/3/22 – 1.6h
5/5/22 – 0.9h
The holes in the top inboard wing skin that correspond to the wing walk doublers are countersunk rather than dimpled. The plans state that countersinks up to .005” too shallow are preferred to countersinks that are too deep, so I backed off my countersink cage setting to leave the countersink about .002” too shallow. Countersinks that are too deep could enlarge the holes in the top skin. The rivet heads will sit just slightly high, but that won't be noticeable after the wing walk anti-slip material is in place and may end up nearly flush after the rivets are set.

There is a step on this page of the plans that I'm not a huge fan of. The plans specify thinning the inboard and outboard wing skins where the overlap near the forward edge to be flush with the .032” fuel tank skin they butt up against. The inboard skin is .032” and the outboard skin is .025” for a total thickness of .057” where they overlap. My plan was to thin each skin to approximately .016” with a gradual thickness taper toward the corner of each skin. The problem with this step is it requires a lot of trial-and-error test fitting, which isn't easy with the relatively large skins; and if you go too far, the skins are ruined. I started with the flat file to get the skins closer to the desired thickness, then switched to the Dremel, Scotch Brite Wheel, and 220 grit aluminum oxide sandpaper to work the taper and get the final thickness. It is a very time-consuming process. I got the skins close to the required thickness, but left them just a little thick to avoid accidentally tearing through the skin. The skins get pretty thin and fragile around .018” thickness.

The final preparatory steps are to put a slight edge break in the leading edge of the inboard and outboard wing skins to help them rivet tight to the forward wing spar, and along the inboard edge of the outboard wing skin to help it rivet tight in the lap joint with the inboard skin. The top flanges of the wing ribs, other than those that sit under the wing walk doublers, also get dimpled at this stage. You could actually dimple the rib top flanges (like the bottom flanges) before the ribs are attached to the forward spar if you are confident of not accidentally dimpling one of the ribs under the wing walk doublers. If not, dimpling is easy enough with a squeezer at this stage of the build.
[Microstop Countersink Cage, #40 Countersink Cutter; Dremel with sanding barrel bit, 2” ScotchBrite Wheel, Flat File, Edge Forming Tool (Vise Grip Style), Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, 22” C-Frame with #40 Standard Diameter Dimple Dies, Pneumatic Squeezer with #40 Reduced Diameter Dimple Die]

Prime
4/11/22 – 0.5h
4/14/22 – 0.8h
4/24/22 – 1.0h
4/27/22 – 0.5h
4/29/22 – 2.5h
5/2/22 – 0.7h
5/8/22 – 0.5h
I decided to try a different brand of primer. The Dupli-Color primer prices are going up, and I ran across a can of Rust-Oleum Self Etching primer that was about 30% - 40% less. The spray tip on the Rust-Oleum is not quite as precise as the Dupli-Color, so the paint goes on thicker and dries with a rougher (powdery) texture. I used a ScotchBrite pad to smooth the painted surface after the primer dried, and I was very happy with the smooth, thin, and apparently durable finish. I have not subjected the primer to the duct tape test, yet, but I plan to make the switch to the new primer.
[Grey ScotchBrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Dupli-Color Self-Etching Automotive Primer (Green – Rattle Can), Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

  Mar 27, 2022     16-01 - Top Wing Skins (Plans) - (1.0 hour) Category: 16 Top Skins

3/6/22 – 1.0h
The primary internal wing structure is complete, so on to the top skins! This section of the plans is only four pages long and consists of attaching 5 parts to each wing. The previous section of the plans was also just four pages and 8 parts, which took nearly 40 hours to complete! I won't get trapped into thinking short = quick!

I did not see any Service Bulletins, Notifications and Letters, or Revisions and Changes for this section on the Van's support page that would change the plans or parts I received in the wing kit. My review of the plans for this section revealed a couple interesting items. First is the requirement to remove some material thickness from the leading edges of the top skins where they mate so that when joined, they are the same thickness as the 0.032” fuel tank skin. That will be a file, sand, fit, and repeat process until the parts fit together nicely at the right thickness. The other item of note is the long and short J-Stiffeners that were prepared a few steps ago are inserted into the assembly at this point and riveted to the top skins. That will require a look back at the previous section to make sure I get them oriented correctly. It also seems strange to rivet the skins to the ribs first, then insert the J-Stiffeners and rivet them last. I'll have to look at that closer to see if I can figure out why that is the order of those steps in the plan.

  Mar 26, 2022     15-04 - Rear Spar Assembly - (36.1 hours)       Category: 15 Rear Spar

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
1/4/22 – 0.6h
2/18/22 – 2.1h
2/19/22 – 1.8h
2/23/22 – 1.6h
2/27/22 – 1.2h
3/1/22 – 0.9h
3/2/22 – 1.0h
3/4/22 – 0.4h
3/18/22 – 1.0h
Rear spar assembly starts with some final part preparation including straightening the rear spar reinforcement fork and the rear spar doubler plate. I went back to my method of bridging the part bow side up across a couple small pieces of wood trim, and then applying pressure with a c-clamp at the middle of the bowed area to straighten the part. This process goes pretty quickly, and is very controllable to get a uniformly straight part. The individual parts, including the doublers from the previous step, are cleco'd to the rear spar to final drill all of the common attach holes. There are also 6 holes through the reinforcement fork to final drill through the spar and rib flanges. After all the parts are drilled and countersunk (see below), it's time to disassemble and debur.
[C-Clamp, #30 Drill, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools}

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
2/26/22 – 1.7h
2/27/22 – 0.7h
3/5/22 – 1.5h
The rear spar has a few holes to countersink including the bottom holes in the rear wing attach doubler plate and the top flanges common to the rear spar doublers. I started with the #30 holes in the wing attach doubler plates. The bottom six holes are countersunk to fit the head of a NA426AD4 rivet, and the six holes above them are countersunk for a dimpled 0.020” skin (about .005” deeper). The final countersunk holes are the #40 holes in the flange of the rear spar that correspond to the 3 doublers.

The holes in the top and bottom flanges of the rear spars are dimpled where there are no countersinks. I wanted to use the C-Frame to dimple the holes, but that was impractical do to the length of the rear spars. I used the pneumatic squeezer for the dimples with good results.
[#30 Countersink Cutter and Microstop Countersink Cage, #40 Countersink Cutter and Microstop Countersink Cage, Pneumatic Squeezer, Reduced Diameter 3/32 Dimple Die)

Edge Forming Tool (Vise Grip Style), Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, 22” C-Frame with #40 Reduced Diameter, #30, and #40 Standard Diameter Dimple Dies, Pneumatic Squeezer with #40 Reduced Diameter Dimple Die]

Prime
3/4/22 – 0.9h
3/6/22 – 1.3h
3/18/22 – 0.4h
3/19/22 – 2.0h
The final step of preparing parts for assembly is priming. I did the priming in phases as I finished individual parts. I liked breaking this task up into smaller sessions than one or two really long sessions. It also helped me keep parts for the left and right spars separate and marked properly.
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Dupli-Color Self-Etching Automotive Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
3/14/22 – 0.8h
3/19/22 – 3.3h
3/20/22 – 4.8h
3/21/22 – 1.1h
3/22/22 – 1.1h
3/23/22 – 1.0h
3/24/22 – 1.0h
3/26/22 – 3.9h
Assembly of the rear spar looks deceptively simple in the plans. First you rivet six parts onto each rear spar, then you rivet the rear spars to the ribs. No problem! In reality, it is a little more complex than that. One question was orientation of the rivets. Van's doesn't specify, which means it is builders choice. Conventional practice is to put the manufactured head of the rivet on the side with the thinnest part, which would be the forward side (inside) of the spar for the thick doublers and reinforcement fork and the aft side (outside) of the spar for the thin outboard doublers. I looked at several pictures on-line to see what other builders did, and I tried to find clear pictures of how the quick-build wings are assembled. It looked like the quick-build wings put all the rivets with the manufactured head on the aft (outside) side of the spar, and several builders did that as well. That was also the approach I took to ensure maximum clearance later for flaps and ailerons, to make it easier to remove rivets (if needed), and for the aesthetic.

The far outboard doubler plate went quickly with the pneumatic squeezer. Pay attention to the holes that do not get riveted and there won't be any problems. The two doubler plates in the center of the spar are a little trickier because you also have to skip the holes where the spar will be riveted to the ribs later. It is really difficult to see which holes to leave empty in the overview diagram of the wing, so I found a better picture of the rib-spar connection in the bottom skins section of the plans. I used that picture to count holes in the bottom flange of the spar to find the one that aligns with the rib for the outboard doubler. It is the row right next to the hole for the aileron pushrod. After counting holes, I noticed in the plans that the row I identified for the rib gets a different length rivet than the other doubler holes (duh!). That confirmed I had the right location to tape off. The rib locations on the reinforcement fork and inboard doubler were more obvious.

The pneumatic squeezer does a good job with most of the rivets, but there are a few areas where clearance is too tight and I had to go to the rivet gun and bucking bar. Specifically, the rivets to attach the flanges of the aileron hinge to the spar are very tight. Similarly, can't get into the area cleanly for the bottom hole on the rib next to the aileron hinge because the hinge is in the way.
[Pneumatic Squeezer, 1/4" Cupped Squeezer Set, Flush Squeezer Set, 3x Rivet Gun, 1/4" Cupped Rivet Set, Tungsten Bucking Bar]

  Mar 15, 2022     15-03 - Rear Spar Doublers - (12.7 hours)       Category: 15 Rear Spar

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
1/26/22 – 1.4h
1/28/22 – 1.3h
1/29/22 – 2.7h
2/14/22 – 1.1h
2/15/22 – 2.9h
3/4/22 – 2.1h
3/15/22 – 0.2h
Each rear spar has three flat plate doublers where the aileron hinges and outboard flap hinge attach. Preparing the doublers includes match drilling them to the rear spar and cutting the aileron pushrod hole in the W-1007D outboard doubler. I started cutting the pushrod hole by using an old geometry class template to find a circle with the correct diameter to match the rounded corners of the hole. I planned to use the step drill to remove the material up to that diameter. This approach cleanly removed a lot of the material, but there was still some that had to be removed another way. I used a combination of Dremel grinding wheels, files, and deburing tools to get to the final shape and size of the hole.

The final task for this step is to final drill the rear-spar attach hole in the Rear Spar Doubler Plate. This is a critical hole (it is where the wing aft spar attaches to the fuselage) and should be drilled with a drill press. After the hole is drilled to 11/32”, it is attached to the Rear Spar Reinforcement Fork and the holes in both parts get reamed to 3/8”. I decided to final drill the Rear Spar Doubler clecoed and aligned with the Rear Spar Reinforcement Fork to ensure the holes aligned correctly. The manufactured hole in the fork is just slightly larger than 11/32”, and worked really well to help center the bit for the hole in the doubler plate. I then left the parts clecod together and clamped in the drill press, swapped over to the reamer, and reamed both holes together. The result was excellent, and I feel really good that the holes are aligned, straight, and sized very precisely. There shouldn't be any problems when I eventually attache the wings to the fuselage!
[Cleco Clamps, #30 Drill, #40 Drill, 11/32” Drill, 3/8” Reamer, Flat and Round Files, Hobby Files, Dremel with Metal Cutting Disk and Grinding Stones, Step Drill, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools]

Prime
2/10/22 – 0.5 hours
2/16/22 – 0.5 hours
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Dupli-Color Self-Etching Automotive Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

  Mar 14, 2022     15-02 - Aileron Hinge Bracket Assemblies - (19.9 hours)       Category: 15 Rear Spar

The plans for this step have some changes to accommodate Service Bulletin SB-16-03-28. The SB deals with cracking of the aft wing spar web at the inboard aileron hinge bracket attach rivets and bracket flanges in all of the RV models except the RV-12. The SB replaces the original inboard hinge brackets with newly designed hinge brackets, and the new brackets are installed with additional doublers on the spar web. The SB was intended to repair flying airplanes with the cracking problems and to prevent the issue with new builds. The SB replaces step 3 on this page, which is the build-up of the inboard aileron hinge bracket assemblies (W-1013-L & R). The original design is still used for the outboard hinge bracket assemblies (W-1014-L & R). Step 4 on this page stays the same to build-up the outboard hinge bracket assemblies, and steps 5 – 6 apply to both inboard and out-board. The other thing to note on this page is that the aileron stop tab on hinge bracket spacers for the outboard assemblies is trimmed off, and it remains in place for the inboard assemblies. Steps 15-28 in the SB contain the details on preparing, building, and installing the inboard aileron hinge brackets.

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
1/23/22 – 2.9h
1/24/22 – 1.8h
3/13/22 – 1.3h
The aileron hinges are built up from relatively thick parts with a lot of tool marks on the edges to debur. The parts have mainly long straight edges, which makes the deburring process easier. The plans call for final drilling all of the holes common to the hinge parts, which are all easy to access. The inboard aileron hinges have long and short sections of aluminum “L” channel that form the flanges of the parts. The long piece extends above the inboard hinge parts, which is trimmed along the angle of the hinge bracket and deburred. The outboard hinges have three pieces sandwiched together, and the aileron stop is cut off.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, Dremel with Metal Cutting Disk, #30 Drill]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
1/6/22 – 1.3h
1/7/22 – 3.5h
1/25/22 – 1.6h
The hinge bracket spacers can warp slightly when they are manufactured. I straightened them as well as I could using a combination of hand pressure and pressure from a table clamp. The clamp method works by elevating the piece off the table with small wood blocks at each end, and then using the table clamp in the center of the piece to bow it down. The hinge bracket spacers are short parts, and very sensitive to the amount of pressure used in the center to straighten them. They are also triangular-shaped parts, so I straightened each edge in turn until the whole part would lay flat on the smooth marble surface.

Each aileron hinge – both inboard and outboard – has holes near the hinge point that are countersunk for flush rivets. The holes are countersunk on the sides that will face the aileron to provide clearance when the aileron is installed. The microstop countersink cage with the #30 countersink cutter works well until you get to the flanges of the inboard hinges. The countersink cage is too large for that area, and I ended up “free handing” those holes. They actually came out pretty good by going slow and checking the depth often. I made one countersink about .003 - .005 too deep, but that should still be useable.
[Wood Blocks, Table Clamps, Flat Marble Surface, Flat File, Band Saw, Bench Grinder with 6” Scotch Brite Wheel, Microstop Countersink Cage, #30 Countersink Cutter]

Prime
2/16/2022 – 1.2h
2/20/2022 – 1.7h
3/13/22 – 0.7h
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Dupli-Color Self-Etching Automotive Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
2/21/22 – 3.2h
3/14/22 – 0.7h
The outboard hinge brackets are essentially a thick center piece sandwiched between two thinner edge pieces. The thick center piece also holds the aileron attach bearing. The bearing is pressed into the center piece with a bench vise and a couple of sockets, then the outer layers of the sandwich are riveted into place. Assembly of the outer hinge brackets went well, and the brackets are on the shelf to be attached to the rear spar in a later section of the plans.

The inboard hinge brackets didn't go quite as planned. The inboard brackets are made from two thick parts that hold the aileron attach bearing between them, and then two “L” brackets which make the flanges to attach the hinge bracket to the rear spar. The two primary pieces went together very well with the squeezer, and the ends holding the aileron bearing are tight against each other. I then attached the long “L” bracket to the top of each hinge bracket. Everything to this point came out fine, but somehow I swapped the left and right short “L” brackets which make the inboard flanges. I noticed the mistake when I tried to test fit the completed hinge brackets to the rear spar, and the holes did not line up! I drilled out the six (three on each assembly) AN426AD4-11 rivets and removed the short “L” brackets. These are very long rivets, and I damaged the ”L” brackets when I removed them. The rest of the assemblies look fine, but I need to order new “L” brackets to finish the assembly (sigh). I received the new “L” brackets from Van's, which I successfully prepped and attached to the hinge brackets correctly.
[Pneumatic Squeezer, 1/8” Cupped Squeezer Set, Flat Squeezer Set, Bench Vise, 7/16 and 9/16 Sockets]

  Feb 20, 2022     15-01 - Rear Spar Preparation (Plans) - (1.5 hours) Category: 15 Rear Spar

1/15/2022 – 1.5 hours
The rear spar section of the plans is deceptively short and simple. There are only four sheets and fewer than 10 parts for each rear spar. There are, however, several things going on. First, there is a Service Bulletin from March 2016 regarding “Cracking of wing aft spar web at the inboard aileron hinge bracket attach rivets.” The SB parts kit is shipped with the wing kit, and it essentially replaces the original inboard aileron brackets. The plans have not been updated with the instructions for the SB, so you have to be aware of which aileron hinge bracket (inboard or outboard) you are working on and use the plans or SB instructions as appropriate. Another item I noted was drilling the rear wing attach bolt hole through the rear spar doubler plate and rear spar reinforcement fork. This is a critical hole that must be drilled and reamed with a drill press and appropriately sized bits – 11/32 drill bit and 3/8 reamer. I had to order the drill bit and reamer since they were not already part of my tool kit. The final thing that caught my attention was outboard doubler plate, which needs to be match-drilled (like the rest of the doubler plates) to the rear spar and then machined to put a hole for the aileron control pushrod through the doubler that matches the hole in the rear spar. The hole is not round, so this is more than simply using a step drill.

  Feb 09, 2022     14-07 - Wing Rib Installation - (17.7 hours)       Category: 14 Wing Ribs

Assemble
01/13/2022 – 1.1 hours
01/18/2022 – 1.7 hours
01/22/2022 – 1.5 hours
01/30/2022 – 2.8 hours
02/01/2022 – 2.1 hours
02/02/2022 – 0.7 hours
02/04/2022 – 1.3 hours
02/06/2022 – 2.5 hours
02/07/2022 – 1.6 hours
02/08/2022 – 2.4 hours

The time to mate the ribs to the forward spar has arrived! I sorted and ordered the ribs early in the wing build, and was careful to keep the ribs in order while preparing them for assembly. Working on the ribs in order helped to ensure I clecod the ribs in the correct locations on the wing spar. Four of the outboard ribs (R/L 10-13) are attached at spots where there are 2 rows of holes in the spar. The outboard holes mark the correct location for the ribs, and the inboard holes will be used later for the nose ribs. There are also two sets of holes at rib R9/L9, but that location also includes bolt holes for the main rib, which helps locate the rib in the correct spot.

The wing kit is shipped with a bag of various AN3 bolts, self-locking nuts, and washers to attach the wing ribs to the forward spar. I sorted the hardware by rib according to the plans, and then inserted the bolts according to the specified orientation. AN3 bolts with the self-locking nuts get torqued to 28 in-lbs plus a drag factor. Drag is typically 1/3 to 1/2 of the final torque, which I confirmed with a torsion-bar style torque wrench. My process to find the drag and final torque is to get the nut completely on the bolt, use the torsion-bar wrench to measure the drag value, add the drag to the final torque, set the final torque in the click-style torque wrench, and torque the nut to the final value.

The ribs are riveted to the forward spar as well as bolted. My best approach to set the rivets was with the rivet gun and bucking bar. I started with a double-offset rivet set to get clearance for the gun from the ribs. I suspended the spar forward side down (ribs sticking up) with support in the middle to keep the spar from bowing, and then set the rivets with the manufactured head on the rib and the shop head (by holding the bucking bar underneath the downward-facing spar) on the forward face of the spar. I had reasonable success with the double-offset rivet set, but I read another builder's log where they changed to a very long straight rivet set. The double-offset rivet set takes a lot of gun pressure to overcome the offset, and it spins around if you try to buck the rivet yourself with just one hand on the gun. I bought a 7 1/2" straight cupped set, and immediately saw improvements in the riveting. The long rivet set is easy to hold square to the rivet (no smiles or cuts in the material), uses less pressure at the gun (easier to control), and takes fewer hits to completely set the rivet (fewer chances for things to go wrong). It also let me go much faster with a superior quality rivet job.

The four inboard ribs were attached individually working toward the final inboard rib to provide good access to both the rivets and the bolts. I attached these ribs by setting the rivets on the spar web first, followed by the two (top and bottom) flush rivets on the spar flange, and then inserting and torquing the bolts. It is important to note that most of the bolts on these inboard ribs are inserted opposite to the other bolts. There is a note in the plans to wait until the rivets are set before final-torquing the bolts on the 4 inboard ribs because the bolt would have to be pushed out of the way to set the rivets. It turns out the bolts that are inserted with the nuts on the rib flanges (inserted through the front of the spar) are long-enough to get in the way of the rivet squeezer used to set the flush rivets at the top and bottom of the spar. The bolts can be installed last to ensure no access issues for the squeezer.

My approach to the left wing was a little different than the right. I started by clecoing the outboard-most rib with inboard-facing flanges (L-13), and then set those rivets. The nice thing about this method is there are no other ribs behind the gun, which provides ideal access to the rivets. I then cleco'd and riveted the next outboard-most rib with inboard-facing flanges and continued to work inboard until they were all in place. That left only a couple of spaces for outboard-facing ribs, which went in without issues. This method worked well for me, but you have to make sure you know exactly where each fib goes or you could end up putting a rib in the wrong spot!

The final thing to note is the orientation of the rivets. If Van's doesn't specify an orientation, then it is builder's choice. Generally, the best practice from what I've read is that the manufactured head of the rivet should go on the thinnest part. In this case the ribs are much thinner than the spar, so I put the manufactured head on the rib with the shop head on the forward face of the spar. That works well until you get to the most inboard rib with the aileron torque tube support bracket assembly. The plans specify attaching the bracket to the rib before the rib is riveted to the spar. That is what I did, and it makes sense to attach the bracket while there is complete access to the rib. The “problem” is there is no way to get a rivet gun between the bracket and the spar to put the manufactured head on the rivet. Some builders delay attaching the bracket to the rib to avoid the issue. Others, myself included, simply flip the spar over and set the manufactured head on the spar for this rib. There is plenty of room for the bucking bar between the rib and the bracket, and the “reversed” rivets on the inboard rib turned out very well.
[Click-style Torque Wrench, Torsion-style Torque Wrench, 3x Rivet Gun, Double-offset 1/8” Cupped Rivet Set, 7 1/2" Straight 1/8” Cupped Rivet Set, Tungsten Bucking Bar, Pneumatic Squeezer with Flush Rivet Set]

  Jan 12, 2022     14-06 - Flap Hinge and Torque Tube Bracket Assembly - (7.4 hours)       Category: 14 Wing Ribs

Prime
1/8/2022 – 2.5 hours
After a week of very cold and wet weather, I finally got a sunny day that is warm enough (50 degrees minimum) for priming. It was a breezy day, but I managed to find a somewhat sheltered area outside, and timed my priming passes between the gusts. It wasn't the most efficient session since a lot of primer disappeared into the breeze, but the results were pretty good. I put final coats on the ribs, and initial and final coats on the aileron torque tube bracket parts. I've noticed that the spray quality of the rattle cans is not as good as it once was. Nearly 1/3 to 1/2 of the cans don't spray very well. Hopefully that is a temporary manufacturing issue that gets sorted soon!
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Dupli-Color Self-Etching Automotive Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
1/9/2022 – 1.1 hours
1/10/2022 – 1.1 hours
1/11/2022 – 1.7 hours
1/12/2022 – 1.0 hours
Three ribs in each wing have special functions, which requires additional preparation. The inboard ribs (R1 & L1) support the aileron torque tube support bracket assemblies, and two other ribs in each wing (R3/L3 & R8/L 8) support the flap hinge assemblies. I started by riveting the parts for the aileron torque tube support brackets together. I decided to put the manufactured heads of the rivets on the inside (aft) face of the assembly to provide more clearance to rivet the assemblies to the rib webs. The pneumatic squeezer mounted in a bench vise did a nice job with all of the rivets. The pneumatic squeezer did not have good access to rivet the assemblies to the rib, so I switched to the rivet gun with a double offset rivet set. A very long straight set would also work to provide the clearance required for the rivet gun.

The flap hinges get sandwiched between the aft end of the wing ribs and a small flap hinge rib. I set the manufactured head of the rivet on the smaller flap hinge rib. The pneumatic squeezer had good access to most of the rivet locations and marginal access to a couple spots in the center of the assembly. Starting with the rivets along the top and bottom edges, and then working in from there helped to keep the clecos out of the way and provided good results. I initially wanted to work from the center out, but the clecos made that approach impractical with the squeezer.
[Pneumatic Squeezer with 2 1/2" Longeron Yoke, 1/8” Cupped Squeezer Set, 3X Rivet Gun, Double Offset 1/8” Cupped Rivet Set, Tungsten Bucking Bar]

  Dec 30, 2021     14-05 - Right Wing Rib Systems Holes - (6.2 hours) Category: 14 Wing Ribs

Right Wing Systems
- Wingtip Nav/Strobe Lights
- Landing/Taxi Light
- Roll Servo
- Aileron Trim
- Temperature Sensor

Rib R1
- LWR FWD: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011 / WH-00013
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT:

Rib R2
- LWR FWD: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011 / WH-00013
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT:

Rib R3
- LWR FWD: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011 / WH-00013
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT:

Rib R4
- LWR FWD: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011 / WH-00013
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT:

Rib R5
- LWR FWD: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011 / WH-00013
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT:

Rib R6
- LWR FWD: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011 / WH-00013
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT:

Rib R7
- LWR FWD: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011 / WH-00013
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT:

Rib R8
- LWR FWD: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011 / WH-00013
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT:

Rib R9
- LWR FWD:
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011 / WH-00013

Rib R10
- LWR FWD:
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011

Rib R11
- LWR FWD:
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011

Rib R12
- LWR FWD:
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011

Rib R13
- LWR FWD:
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011

Rib R14
- LWR FWD:
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
12/24/2021 – 2.0 hours
12/26/2021 – 0.7 hours
This step is basically identical to the previous one – just for the right wing instead of the left. The right wing is also a bit simpler than the left since I don't plan to run pitot or AoA lines through the right wing, and the plans show that all of the right wing systems holes are the same size. Like the left wing, I used the ribs as drill templates for the upper systems holes by clecoing the aft tooling holes together, and inserting a #11 drill bit in the forward lower systems holes to align the ribs. I used the #52 bit for a pilot hole, and gradually upsized all of the holes to 1/4" pilot holes to guide the step drill. I then switched to the step drill to upsize each of the holes to 1/2".
[Drill bits (#52, #30, #21, #11, #10, 1/4"), Step Drill, Clamps, Rulers, Calipers, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools]

Prime
12/26/2021 – 2.2 hours
12/30/2021 – 1.3 hours
Priming followed my now-standard process of scuffing, cleaning, and degreasing each part before spraying the primer on. I was fortunate to have a very warm late-December week to do all of the cleaning and priming outside. The primer didn't go on as evenly as I had hoped, so I'll look for another decent day to apply a light second coat.
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Dupli-Color Self-Etching Automotive Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

  Dec 30, 2021     14-04 - Left Wing Rib Systems Holes - (9.2 hours)       Category: 14 Wing Ribs

The ribs need several holes to route various systems wiring and plumbing. I have not committed to my avionics suite, yet, so I wanted to maintain as much flexibility as possible, allow for future additions / upgrades, and minimize the number of “extra” holes. I also wanted to complete the majority of the holes before priming and installing the ribs on the main spar. I started by listing potential systems for each wing, and then reviewed the initial systems installation - Section 19 of the plans.

I spent some time thinking through the routing of the pitot and AoA lines through the 8 inboard ribs. The upper aft systems hole is intended for the pitot line, and the lower aft systems hole is available for the AoA line through ribs L5 – L8. That is a good solution to get the pitot and AoA lines to the wing-mounted ADAHRS location between ribs L4 and L5, but it doesn't easily allow the static line to come into that area through ribs L1 – L4 or to allow the AoA line out to a panel-mounted ADAHRS location through ribs L1-L4. It also doesn't provide an easy way to run future wires/plumbing through the wing.

I contacted Van's about adding 2 dedicated pitot and AoA holes through ribs L1 – L8, and they indicated that wasn't a problem as long as I didn't start punching holes through load-bearing parts like the wing spars or carry-through spars in the fuselage. I decided to mirror the lower-forward hole for one line near the top of the wing, and then used that hole to locate the 2nd hole at the same level near the top of the wing just aft of the forward lightening hole. That left the upper aft hole available for future upgrades and additions (similar to the right wing), and kept the Pitot and AoA lines near the top surface of the wing to minimize the chance of moisture working into the lines.

Potential Left Wing Systems
- Wingtip Nav/Strobe Lights
- Landing/Taxi Light
- Stall Warning
- ADAHRS / Magnetometer
- Heated Pitot with AoA
- Temperature Sensor

Rib L1
- LWR FWD: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011 / WH-00012
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT:
- Pitot/AoA: 3/8” (SB 375-4) x2

Rib L2
- LWR FWD: 3/8” (SB 375-4) WH-00011
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 3/8” (SB 375-4); WH-00012
- Pitot/AoA: 3/8” (SB 375-4) x2

Rib L3
- LWR FWD: 3/8” (SB 375-4) WH-00011
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 3/8” (SB 375-4); WH-00012
- Pitot/AoA: 3/8” (SB 375-4) x2

Rib L4
- LWR FWD: 3/8” (SB 375-4) WH-00011
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 3/8” (SB 375-4); WH-00012
- Pitot/AoA: 3/8” (SB 375-4) x2

Rib L5
- LWR FWD: 3/8” (SB 375-4) WH-00011
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 7/16” (SB 437-4); Spare
- Pitot/AoA: 3/8” (SB 375-4) x2

Rib L6
- LWR FWD: 3/8” (SB 375-4) WH-00011
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 7/16” (SB 437-4); Spare
- Pitot/AoA: 3/8” (SB 375-4) x2

Rib L7
- LWR FWD: 3/8” (SB 375-4) WH-00011
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 7/16” (SB 437-4); Spare
- Pitot/AoA: 3/8” (SB 375-4) x2

Rib L8
- LWR FWD: 3/8” (SB 375-4) WH-00011
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 7/16” (SB 437-4); Spare
- Pitot/AoA: 3/8” (SB 375-4) x2

Rib L9
- LWR FWD:
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011

Rib L10
- LWR FWD:
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011

Rib L11
- LWR FWD:
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011

Rib L12
- LWR FWD:
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011

Rib L13
- LWR FWD:
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); WH-00011

Rib L14
- LWR FWD:
- UPR AFT: 1/2” (SB 500-6); Spare
- LWR AFT: 3/8” (SB 375-4) WH-00011

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
12/23/2021 – 1.8 hours
12/24/2021 – 2.0 hours
12/26/2021 – 0.8 hours
The first step in the plans is to drill #19 Ground Lug Holes in the W-1010-L & -R Inboard Wing Ribs. The ground lug holes are 1/2" from the bottom of the rib and 1 1/2" from the leading edge of the rib. I located the spot for the ground lug holes and discovered there were already holes slightly larger than #19 there, so no need for any additional drilling there.

The next task is to locate and drill the upper aft systems holes. The upper aft holes are 6 3/8” from the leading edge of the rib and 4 1/4" above the lower aft systems holes. I spent some time measuring the location on one of the W-1011 ribs, and made several templates from spare cardboard. The cardboard templates did not work well, so I decided to carefully measure the location on one W-1011-L and one W-1011-R rib, and then use those ribs as templates for the rest of the ribs. Unfortunately, I did not measure as well as I thought, and I ended up with very small pilot holes in all the ribs in the wrong spot.

As I pondered the situation with the mis-placed #52 pilot holes, I noticed that the two inboard W-1010-R & L ribs had holes in the correct location for the upper aft systems holes. I also noticed that all of the ribs had tooling holes at the aft end that aligned, and would allow me to use the inboard ribs as templates to locate pilot holes in the correct location on W-1011-L & R ribs. I then used the W-1011-L & R ribs as templates for the rest of the ribs. I found that clecoing the aft tooling holes together, and inserting a #11 drill bit in the forward lower systems holes aligned the ribs very well to mark and drill the next pilot hole.

After all of the pilot holes were drilled, including pilots for the added AoA and Pitot lines through ribs L1 – L8, it was time to consult the plans to upsize the holes to the proper diameter for the specified snap bushings. I incrementally upsized each hole to 1/4", and then used my step drill to finish each hole.
[Drill bits (#52, #30, #21, #11, #10, 1/4"), Step Drill, Clamps, Rulers, Calipers, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools]

Prime
12/28/2021 – 1.4 hours
12/29/2021 – 1.2 hours
12/30/2021 – 2.0 hours
The next page in the plans has a place-holder for priming the parts for this step, so I decided to knock that task out while I had nice weather to clean and prime outside. The 14 ribs for the left wing (total 28 ribs for both) take awhile to work through, which has been the common theme throughout this phase of the build. I need to go back and apply a light second coat to each of the ribs (left and right) to get the even coverage that I'm looking for. Unfortunately, the weather has taken a turn for the worse, so it might be a few days before I can get back outside. I can clean the aileron torque tube bracket parts in-doors while I wait for better conditions outside.
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Dupli-Color Self-Etching Automotive Primer (Green – Rattle Can)

  Dec 12, 2021     14-03 - Flap Hinge Brackets - (12.6 hours)       Category: 14 Wing Ribs

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
12/7/2021 – 1.2 hours
12/8/2021 – 1.6 hours
12/10/2021 – 4.5 hours
12/11/2021 – 1.7 hours
12/12/2021 – 2.1 hours
This step starts with straightening (as needed) the four flap hinge brackets. The brackets are made from 3/16” thick aluminum, which doesn't sound like a lot but is actually pretty thick – especially when you're trying to straighten it. Fortunately, they only needed some small adjustments. The straightened hinge brackets, hinge ribs, and #3 and #8 inboard ribs were cleco'd together and the 16 #30 holes match drilled.

I turned my attention next to the left and right outboard wing ribs. The plans specify removing the aft flange (but not the aft flange radius). I marked the cut line on the flange and used the Dremel with a metal cutting wheel for the rough cut. I then filed the cut area level and finished it with the Scotch Brite wheels and hand pads.

The final task for this step was to cleco the ribs to the wing spars and match drill the upper and lower attach points on the ribs that will receive bolts. It was a lot of fun to tack the wing structure together and finally get a sense of what the wings will eventually look like. The match drilling went well using the holes in the spar as a guide, followed by final drilling all the remaining rib holes common to the spar flanges and web.
[Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, #30 drill, #12 Drill, Dremel with Metal Cutting Disk, Files, 6” Scotch Brite Cut and Polish Wheel, 1” Scotch Brite Cut and Polish Wheel, Electric Drill]

Prime
12/12/2021 – 1.5 hours
I planned to finish this step by priming the four flap hinge brackets and hing bracket ribs. It is important at this point to keep all of the parts organized so they can be installed in the same spot where they were match/final drilled. To help with the organization, I plan to prime relatively small batches of parts (8 in this case) so I can label them properly for assembly later. Unfortunately, this was one of the worst primer jobs I've done. I think a combination of cool temperatures and being out of practice were the culprits. I'll sand down the bad primer areas and try again…
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Dupli-Color Self-Etching Automotive Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

  Dec 05, 2021     14-02 - Wing Ribs Initial Preparation - (32.2 hours)       Category: 14 Wing Ribs

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
11/17/2021 – 2.7 hours
11/18/2021 – 1.1 hours
11/19/2021 – 2.4 hours
11/20/2021 – 2.4 hours
11/21/2021 – 0.8 hours
11/22/2021 – 3.8 hours
11/23/2021 – 1.0 hours
11/24/2021 – 3.7 hours
11/28/2021 – 3.5 hours
12/1/2021 – 2.2 hours
12/2/2021 – 1.9 hours
12/3/2021 – 2.3 hours
I started this step by separating the flap hinge ribs and parts for the torque tube support assembly. The band saw made very quick work of separating the parts, and I filed the cut areas smooth to finish the parts. I also took the opportunity to debur the edges on the parts (holes will come later).

My attention then turned to the ribs. At first glance, the pile of ribs on the workbench is daunting. There are 28 total ribs (14 for each wing) to debur, drill, dimple, flute, and prime. There are three different types of ribs, left and right versions of each type, and the direction of the rib flanges change as you work down the wing – some face left and some face right. Finally, the bottom of the ribs has a separate single-hole flange at the aft end. That was a critical clue for me to ensure I had the ribs ordered and oriented properly. I used the final two drawings in this section of the plans to separate the ribs for each wing and to order them in the same way they'll be installed.

Proper preparation of the rib flanges is important to a quality job on the wings, and I felt it was worth a modest time investment to make them as good as I could. Deburring the edges of the ribs is pretty standard at this point. I'm not a huge fan of the large Scotch Brite wheel for parts that are relatively thin (like the ribs), so I decided to use Dremel sanding wheels and maroon Scotch Brite flap wheels in an electric drill for most of the deburring tasks. After deburring the edges, I checked and adjusted the flange angles to make them 9- degrees to the rib webs. Most adjustments for me were on the forward flange. There were also a few flange tabs that didn't quite get formed properly at the factory, so made some minor tweaks to straighten them up as well.

I decided to save the fluting step for later – after all of the final drilling and dimpling is done. I didn't need to final drill any of the #40 holes in the rib flanges since they were already final sized. I checked them all with a drill bit to make sure. I finished the flanges through this stage by deburring all of the holes. I also took this opportunity to cleco the torque tube bracket assemblies together to final drill and debur the common #30 holes.
[Band Saw, Dremel, Files, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
12/5/2021 – 4.4 hours
The plans call for only the holes on the lower rib flanges to be dimpled at this time. Logically the top will have to be dimpled, too; and later in the plans they are – but after the ribs are attached to the spar and bottom skin. I'm not sure why both top and bottom aren't dimpled right away, but I stuck to the plans and just did the bottom flanges as specified. There are also a couple of holes in the bottom of each aileron torque tube bracket to dimple. After I finished dimpling, I worked on filing a radius on the upper and lower edges of both torque tube support brackets. I used the large Scotch Brite wheel for this task, and I feel like the radius task went well. I'm not happy with how the brackets nest inside the ribs, though. The issue is the brackets are just a bit longer than the rib web, which makes for a very tight fit and will make riveting very difficult. I'll have to look at this some more to see if I can / should improve the fit. I finished this session by fluting the flanges of all the ribs. I didn't need to do any fluting on the aft flanges, but almost all of the forward flanges needed some work.
[Pneumatic Squeezer with #40 Reduced Diameter Dimple Die, Bench Grinder with 6” Scotch Brite Wheel, Fluting Pliers, Marble Flat Surface]

  Nov 16, 2021     14-01 - Wing Ribs Preparation (Plans) - (1.0 hour) Category: 14 Wing Ribs

The focus of this section is the preparation of a lot of the internal structure parts for the wings – specifically the ribs. As usual, I took some time to review and understand the plans including service bulletins and/or change notices (I didn't find any in this case). The plans for this section contain primarily part preparation steps that have been used in previous build steps. One item that did concern me was the note that the hardware (bolts, washers, nuts) to attach the ribs to the spar are included as part of the main spar assembly. I wondered about that during the spar preparation step as well since some of the drawings showed bolts where I had empty holes. In my case, the hardware was packed in a separate bag in the wing kit. There are 28 ribs to prepare as well as some additional parts like flap hinges and torque tube brackets, so I expect this step will take a long time with very little visible progress until the very end.

  Nov 14, 2021     13-05 - Tank Nutplate, Doubler Rivet, and Aileron Bellcrank Installation - (3.0 hours)       Category: 13 Wing Spar

Prime
11/14/2021 – 0.6 hours
[Grey Scotchbrite Pads, Bon-Ami Cleanser, Dupli-Color Degreaser, Dupli-Color Self-Etching Automotive Primer (Green – Rattle Can)]

Assemble
11/12/2021 – 1.1 hours
11/14/2021 – 1.3 hours
The inboard end of each spar has 5 spar doubler rivets and 3 nutplates that are installed in this step. I started with the AN470 (round head) rivets that finish attaching the spar doubler to the spar web. I had easy access to these rivets with the squeezer.

My next task was to install the three fuel tank nutplates on the aft side of the spar webs. I couldn't reach those with the squeezer, so I shimmed up the spar to back rivet them. There is a small snap bushing that is installed in the previous step that interfered with the back-rivet plate, so I carefully popped it out and set it aside until the riveting was complete. Back-riveting worked well in this area, and the nutplates are firmly attached.

The final assembly task in the main spar assembly is to attach the aileron bellcrank brackets to the aft side of each spar. The bottom bracket on the right spar is different than the other brackets, so you have to pay attention to ensure you put that bracket in the right spot. The spars come with the bolts for the aileron bellcranks already attached to the wing tie-down brackets. I reinstalled the bolts with the bellcrank brackets attached, and torqued the AN3 bolts to 20-25 in-lbs per section 5 of the plans. The finished spars are back in the crate until time to attach the wing ribs in the next section.
[Pneumatic Squeezer, 1/8” Cupped Squeezer Set 3X Rivet Gun, Back-rivet Set, Small Back-rivet Plate, Torque Wrench]

  Nov 12, 2021     13-03 - Spar Final Drilling and Nut Plate Installation - (17.8 hours)       Category: 13 Wing Spar

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
11/3/2021 – 1.2 hours
The wing spar flanges have several holes that were not match-drilled #40 to the J-Channel in the previous step. Those holes need to be final-drilled #40. Most of the holes for nutplate rivets were already sized #40, which greatly reduced the number of holes that actually had to be final drilled.
[#40 Drill]

Final Prep (Dimple, Countersink, and Shape)
11/4/2021 – 2.6 hours
11/5/2021 – 1.7 hours
11/7/2021 – 1.4 hours
11/12/2021 – 2.2 hours
Every hole in the spar flanges, and a handful of holes in the spar web, is countersunk. The trick is that there are 4- different levels of countersinking, and you have to pay attention to countersink each hole correctly. The nutplate and rib holes that will lie underneath the fuel tank skin (inboard forward row) are countersunk for a flush rivet so the fuel tank skin can sit tightly on top of the riveted area. The nutplate holes on the aft edge of the flanges are also countersunk for flush rivets. Those nutplates are for wing access panels. The forward, outboard holes and all of the skin and rib holes in the aft row are countersunk a little deeper (.005” to .010”) for the wing skins that will connect to those holes. Finally, the attach holes in the nutplates are countersunk to the maximum outside and inside diameters specified in the plans for each type of nutplate.

In general, it's a good idea to complete the steps on each sheet in order. In this case, a step near the end of the sheet calls for spot-priming the countersunk holes. This instruction comes after the nutplates are riveted in position, which would make those holes impossible to prime. I decided to do all the countersinking, followed by priming, and then riveting the nutplates into place.

The final countersinking task occurs after the nutplates are attached to the spar flanges. The screw holes for the tank attach and access panel nutplates get enlarged, and the nutplates provide the guidance for the countersink cutter pilot to keep the holes round and concentric. The countersinks are very deep and large, and I spent a lot of time countersinking a scrap piece of aluminum to set up the microstop countersink cutter. My scrap piece was the same thickness as the spar flange (1/16”), which made it convenient to measure both the top (large) countersink max diameter and the bottom (small) countersink max diameter.
[Microstop Countersink Cage, Countersink Cutter with #40 Pilot, Countersink Cutter with #30 Pilot, Palm Drill, Digital Caliper]

Prime
11/8/2021 – 0.9 hours
11/12/2021 – 0.3 hours
Priming (or not) is generally left as a decision for the builder, but the plans for this step instructs the builder to spot prime the areas where the anodized finish on the spar was removed during countersinking. I took a rattle can of primer that didn't spray very well, and sprayed some primer into a paper cup. I then dipped a Q-tip into the primer and used that to prime the countersunk holes. I didn't scuff or clean the holes prior to priming, but I wasn't worried about the primer holding since I'd be filling the areas with anodized rivets. I just wanted enough primer to discourage future corrosion, not necessarily a thick paintable coat.
[Dupli-Color Self-Etching Automotive Primer (Green – Rattle Can), Q-tip, Paper Cup]

Assemble
11/9/2021 – 2.0 hours

11/10/2021 – 2.0 hours
11/11/2021 – 3.5 hours
Several nutplates to attach the fuel tanks and wing access panels are riveted to the top and bottom flanges of the wing spars. The nutplates are easy to access with the pneumatic squeezer, so the real challenge is how to hold the nutplates in place while setting the rivets. I initially started with a cleco in one rivet hole while riveting the other side of the nutplate. That generally worked, but there were a couple instances where I lost sight of the nutplate and damaged it with the squeezer. Those nutplates had to be removed and replaced.

The method that worked best for me was to hold the nutplate in place with a cleco clamp covering the hole for the screw. The clamp held the nutplate tight to the flange for riveting and also protected the nutplate from the squeezer. This probably isn't the fastest method, but I was happy with the results. There are also four nutplates at the outboard end of the spar web to attach. The squeezer can't reach those nutplates, but back-riveting works well for them. The nutplates for the spar web are different than the ones on the flanges, so you need to read the plans carefully!
[Pneumatic Squeezer, Flat Squeezer Set, 3X Rivet Gun, Back-rivet Set, Small Back-rivet Plate]

  Nov 03, 2021     13-02 - J-Channel - (15.5 hours)       Category: 13 Wing Spar

Initial Prep (Debur, Trim, Drill, and Cut)
10/29/2021 – 2.4 hours
10/30/2021 – 2.7 hours
10/31/2021 – 2.8 hours
11/1/2021 – 2.4 hours
11/2/2021 – 3.4 hours
11/3/2021 – 1.8 hours
Work on the wing has begun! I expect the next 9 – 12 months will be filled with challenges that are hopefully rewarded with safe and functional wings for the RV-14. The very first step provided the first minor challenge to figure out. The wing kit is delivered with 6 sections of J-Channel that are 96” (8') long and 4 sections of J-Channel that are 72” (6') long. The J-Channels are used in this step to create 8 wing box J-Channels that will be used later to attach the upper and lower wing skins. Each wing gets two long J-Channels (upper and lower for each wing) and two short J-Channels (upper and lower for each wing). The plans specify the lengths for each part, but do not state which J-Channel sections to use for the parts. The plans also don't mention that you need to make 4 more J-Stiffeners (leading edge left and right and tank left and right). The bottom line is you need to plan how to use the J-Channel sections, or you'll end up ordering more later because you won't have pieces long enough for the later steps. I looked through all of the wing plans and came up with the table below on how to get all 12 parts out of the supplied J-Channel. The trick here is to use the 8' J-Channel for the short wing box J-Channels as well as the long ones, and save the 6' J-Channels for the leading edge and tank J—Stiffeners.

Sheet // Part // Length // Part // Length // J-Channel
13-02 W-00009A-L 73 9/32” 96”
13-02 W-00009A-L 73 9/32” 96”
13-02. W-00009A-R 73 9/32” 96”
13-02 W-00009A-R 73 9/32” 96”
13-02 W-00009B-L 46 1/8” W-00009B-R 46 1/8” 96”
13-02 W-00009B-L 46 1/8” W-00009B-R 46 1/8” 96”
17-03 W-00008-L 59 3/8” 72”
17-03 W-00008-R 59 3/8” 72”
18-03 T-00003-L 54” 72”
18-03. T-00003-R 54” 72”

Match-drilling the J-Channel to the spar flanges takes time because there are a lot of holes, but isn't overly complicated. The trickiest part is getting the J-Channel in the right location and orientation, and then lining it up with 1/16” of the J-Channel above the spar flange. I saw a tip from another builder who used his rivet gauge to help find the 1/16” offset. My rivet gauge, like his, is made from 1/16” thick aluminum. Simply set the gauge on top of the flange, raise the J-Channel until the edge is even with the top of the gauge, and clamp the J-Channel in place. Take time to drill each hole, and cleco every hole as you drill. I used the rivet gauge frequently to ensure the J-Channel stayed aligned with the flange. I used BoeLube on the drill bit to keep the bit working as well as possible to create clean holes.
[Dremel with Metal Cutting Disk, Hole and Edge Deburring Tools, #40 Drill, Cleco Clamps, Spring Clamps, Hand Seamer]

  Oct 29, 2021     13-01 - Main Spar Preparation (Plans) - (1.0 hour)       Category: 13 Wing Spar

10/29/2021 – 1.0 hours
The first step for the wings involves preparing the main spars for the later steps. The spars are supplied mostly assembled, which I am very thankful for. Some of those rivets are huge – well beyond the ability of my shop to set properly! Most of the remaining work on the spars includes match-drilling and final-drilling several holes, riveting nutplates to the spars, and attaching some aileron brackets. The plans for this step are very clear, and go into a lot of detail on how to identify the right and left spars and how they are oriented (top, front, aft, inboard, outboard, …). I noted the orientation and identification on a piece of tape on each spar. I didn't see any issues in the plans or anything on the Van's website like service bulletins or changes. Time to jump in the deep end!

  Oct 28, 2021     06-05 - Vertical Stabilizer Assembly - (7.1 hours)       Category: 6 Vertical Stab

Assemble
10/25/2021 – 1.8 hours
10/26/2021 – 2.0 hours
10/27/2021 – 1.9 hours
10/28/2021 – 1.4 hours
The vertical stabilizer final assembly starts by clecoing and riveting the ribs and front spar together. Riveting with the pneumatic squeezer appears to be the preferred approach at first, but the angles and access quickly rules that technique out. I turned to the rivet gun with a double-offset cupped rivet set, which worked very well. I had excellent visibility of the gun and bucking bar with the assembly secured to the work bench.

The riveted skeleton gets clecod in the vertical stabilizer skin, and then flush riveted together. Riveting starts at the intersection of the forward spar and center rib, and then continues up toward the tip and then down toward the root. It helps to have a long reach for this step because you have to hold the bucking bar without seeing it all the way to the front spar. I laid the vertical stabilizer on its side on top of a couple 2x4s wrapped in towels and clamped to the bench. That was the easiest way for me to reach inside to buck the rivets. The flush rivets along the spar and center rib came out well, with just a couple of very minor blemishes.

Riveting the vertical stabilizer skin continued with the top and bottom ribs. Those areas are easily accessible with the pneumatic squeezer. Six holes on each side of the bottom rib that will be used to attach the empennage fairing are not dimpled and should be taped off to avoid inadvertently riveting them. The main challenge are the forward-most holes in the tip rib due to the very tight space. I didn't have room for the thinnest squeezer set, so I fashioned a small steel cover for the hole in the 3” yoke to act as a flat squeezer surface. I could just barely fit that into the space to set those rivets.

The final step in the Vertical Stabilizer assembly is to rivet the rear spar into place. The pneumatic squeezer worked really well to rivet the skin to the spar flanges, and to rivet the spar to the tip rib. I switched to the rivet gun to buck the rivets from the spar to the bottom rib because access for the squeezer wasn't great. The finishing touch is 3 blind rivets to connect the spar to the center rib.
[3x Rivet Gun, 1/8” Cupped Double Offset Rivet Set, 1/8” Cupped Straight Rivet Set, Flat Rivet Set, Tungsten Bucking Bars, Pneumatic Squeezer, 3” Yoke, Flat Squeezer Set]

** Note: Sheet 10-05 specifies match-drilling and final-drilling several holes in the bottom of the Vertical Stabilizer rear spar, which will be used to attach the VS to the fuselage. The aft bulkhead (F-01412A/F-01412B) is used as a template to drill those holes. My aft bulkhead is already installed, which makes access to those holes very difficult. Rather than risk mis-drilling the holes and ruining both the new VS and the empennage, I decided to order a set of aft bulkheads to use as a template. I think I'll have much better luck with the accuracy of the CNC holes from Vans than trying to drill straight holes in a dark and confined space.