Jun 11, 2021     6-6: Rudder stops - (0.5 hour)       Category: 6: Vertical Stab

Received back ordered rudder stops. Sanded and deburred and installed. Torqued to proper spec and then filed the tips of the stops flush to each other.

VS is officially completely done.

  Apr 23, 2021     VS touch up - (0.5 hour)       Category: 6: Vertical Stab

Can't do much today. Need to prime the right elevator but it's pouring rain

Ben wanted to do something in shop so decided we could pull the vinyl off the vertical stab. Also wanted to trim the conduit flush at the top rib where the VOR antenna will sit. I bought some AN bolts for mounting the antenna but they're too long for the temporary cover plate I made. Decided I should probably order a small assortment of AN bolts to have on hand.

Purchases: ACS assorted bolts, torque seal, safety wire

  Mar 22, 2021     6-6: Finished riveting skin on VS - (2.5 hours)       Category: 6: Vertical Stab

My work day started at 5am today so I was done early and got to get back to work on the plane.

With the VOR antenna conduit run and proseal set up, I used a single rivet conduit clamp I got from Van's to secure the conduit to an interior rib. I'm not sure if the conduit will come out the forward rib or rear rib so I haven't secured the bottom yet, might not even need to. We'll have to see how it goes when we mount it to the tail cone.

Skin riveting was not too much trouble, just a little time consuming. Flipping around the big nearly completed part is awkward; it's going to get worse as the parts get bigger.

VS is complete. Overall happy with it. The rivets came out pretty flush. I wish I had avoided a few of the scratches in the skin. I'm trying to be more careful on the rudder. It will all buff out.

  Mar 13, 2021     6-6: VS skin riveting - (2.5 hours)       Category: 6: Vertical Stab

My tech counselor came today. No real comments on my work, but we did talk airplanes for almost 2 hours. He thought my work looked pretty good and didn't have any concerns.

With that out of the way I started final riveting the VS skin. I can only do from the front spar forward because I'm still waiting on my conduit to arrive. I'd like to think I got all of the tough rivets done though.

Purchases: Stewart Systems Primer

  Mar 10, 2021     6-3: VS skin dimpling and fit - (1.5 hours)       Category: 6: Vertical Stab

Got the skin dimpled and fit back onto the skeleton. Ben helped a bit with the dimpling. The VS is official set aside until my first tech counselor visit.

  Mar 09, 2021     6-4 & 6-5: VS assembly - (3.0 hours)       Category: 6: Vertical Stab

Got the dimpling of the skeleton done and all the rivets set. The stupid rudder connection angles...I had to buck most of the rivets since the angle is to tight to get the squeezer on it. Not a big deal but I ended drilling out several to redo. Just when I thought it looked good I realized the are two more holes between the angles that get rivets. I couldn't fit the bucking bar between the angles to get them. Drill them out again and redo it. Final product looked good. Squeezed the remainder of the spar and it looks great. Went ahead and set the remaining rivets for the skeleton except the last three in the middle rib at the front spar. I'll need the double offset for those; that's a task for tomorrow.

I'm pretty much stopping here on the VS until the tech counselor visits.

  Mar 09, 2021     VS priming - (2.5 hours)       Category: 6: Vertical Stab

Woke up early this morning and finished etching to try to get some priming done before work. I thought I was spraying it lightly but it still was going on way too heavy at first. I was also getting some fisheyes. Really didn't look very good. And then the primer on the skins started to run. Took a while to dry, just another indication it was goin in way too heavy. It should dry almost instantly if applied correctly. Got the gun adjusted and flipped the parts. They turned out much better. Gave up on the skin and went to work.

This evening I sanded down the one side of the skin with the runs and reshot it it. Turned the gun down even more and it put down a nice even mist. 1000% improvement. Just took some adjusting of the gun and the user.

How about that green! I like it.

  Mar 08, 2021     6-3a: VS VOR antenna doubler - (3.0 hours)       Category: 6: Vertical Stab

Took some measurements of the VS top rib and projected where the two antenna would penetrate the skin directly between two rivets. Used that to establish the center of the antenna puck and verified clearances so that it nests into the top rib of the vertical stab. I'm going to use a Rami AV-520 and got the dimensions and bolt spacing from their website. I then took my sketch into CAD and laid out the holes and the limits of the doubler. I just used 1/4” edge distance and 1” max rivet spacing. Based on what I could gather from AC 41-13, I'm just going to match the thickness of the doubler to the rib that I'm cutting a hole in. Printed it out full size and spray mounted it onto a piece of 0.025” to make the doubler. Cut it, clamped it, drilled it, deburred it. I think it came out pretty good. I used the step cutter for the 3/4” hole in the middle. I plan to run some conduit up to it and proseal it to the bottom of the rib to secure. Then use a couple zip tie clamps in the lightening holes of the lower ribs.

I also finished converting some of the left over shipping crate into a spray table. A little heavier than I had hoped, but I think it will work better than just scrap cardboard that I usually use. Should help keep the smaller parts from blowing around as much.

The primer came in today too. I cleaned all the parts and will try to etch and paint in the morning before work. Going to try to meet my tech counselor this weekend before I rivet the skin on.

  Mar 07, 2021     6-3 to 6-4: VS ready to prime - (2.6 hours)       Category: 6: Vertical Stab

Got all of the skins match drilled then disassembled everything and deburred. Took care of a couple miscellaneous items and set it all aside. My new primer arrives tomorrow so I should be able to find a day to prime this week after work.

Still need to fabricate an antenna doubler for the top rib.

  Mar 06, 2021     6-3: finish VS spar, skeleton and fit the skin - (4.0 hours)       Category: 6: Vertical Stab

Got a lot done today. Started with the machine countersinking of the rear spar doubler. I have to say of my new tools, the drill press is my favorite. Got the countersink cage set and made quick work of the holes.

Deburred the rest of the ribs and forward spar. Based on feedback from others, I went ahead and heavily shaped the front of the ribs to allow for fit of the skin without creating bumps. Got it all cleco'd together. What's next? Fit the skin already? This is moving quickly.

I went ahead and did the partial removal of blueing along the rivet lines with a soldering iron. I know it's silly and the skins will get scuffed before painting anyways, but the practice kits got scratched up quite a bit while riveting. I'd like the skins to be somewhat respectable when final assembled. Maybe I'm just doing it because everyone seems to do it. Oh well, it didn't take that much effort and allowed me to do a fairly simple task that didn't involve a lot of brain activity while I mentally prepared for the next task. There is value in the mundane.

Got the skin fit with no issues. It was tight around the nose but with the extra shaping of the ribs it went on without having to force it too much. My son Ben actually helped quit a bit with getting all the clecos set - he was passing them to me as I loaded the pliers and set them. We got in a good groove; it was a fun preview of hopefully lots of work together on the plane. We put one in every other hole which may be overkill but since the skin is the best geometric control of the whole VS, I didn't want to skimp.

Match drilled half the holes in the left skin and stopped for the day. Should have the skins all drilled before this weekend. Two days in and I already have this huge piece in the garage; I'm wondering where I store all these things.

  Mar 04, 2021     6-2: VS Spar - (1.6 hours)       Category: 6: Vertical Stab

With everything inventoried and organized, and my little project with the kids complete, that first page of the plans was calling. I thought maybe I'll just do a little deburring before bed...I ended up doing a little more but not too much. I got the first spar cap pieces cut and then got them drilled to the 1/8”. I read the next step and it said now match drill spar caps to spar with #40. I thought that's weird, but ok, and proceeded to re-drill all of the holes I had just drilled but this time final sized to a #30. I once again saw #40, and instinctively grabbed the larger bit, which is a #30 bit. The instructions meant for me to match drill the additional smaller holes on the sides of the spar.

Oh well, I don't think I did too much harm. I used a lot of clamps as I final drilled the #30's to keep the spar cap tight to the spar. It would have been easier had I followed the instructions, but all of the larger holes are going to get final sized in the next step anyways.

A mistake like that means it is time to go to bed though. Big first day.