Category: Elevator

Finally getting caught up with some video!  This is the final bits for Section 9.

Once again I was jumping around a little bit and decided to assemble and drill the hinge for one of the trim tabs.  This was more to keep me motivated than anything else as seeing the parts put together just makes me happy.

After I take a moment to enjoy my progress, I move on to riveting the trailing edge of the Elevators.  I decided not to alternate my rivets like I did on the rudder, and things went together quite nicely.  Below are a few pictures of the bucking bar I used to get the rivets near the trailing edge.

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Next I begin rolling the leading edge of the elevators.  I quickly remember a post on VAF about using a socket inside JB Welded in the ends of a PVC pipe to assist with rolling the edge.   A quick trip to the Home Depot aviation department and I tried it out.  My first JB weld attempt failed on both sockets (you can see me re-do my work in the videos) however once I sanded the sockets and PVC pipe, the JB weld did a great job.  It really did make life a LOT easier rolling the edge by myself.

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On to attaching the counterbalance weights and cleaning up a few missed rivets / making sure I didn’t miss anything else.  When I did get to the part where I needed to rivet the hinge onto the elevator and trim tab my squeezer and yokes were just not working.  I didn’t have enough clearance between the yoke and the eyelets of the hinge to squeeze the rivets without crushing / moving the eyelets.  Did some searches that were not really helpful, and decided I needed to modify my yoke slightly.  After some consideration, I decided to cut a small piece off my flat iron stock and JB weld it to the tip of my 4″ no hole squeezer.  Based on my recent experience with the sockets, compressing the JB weld would be fine, but a shearing force would allow me to remove the piece.  This worked perfectly and allowed me to quickly set these rivets.  (I saved the piece in case I need to repeat this again in the future.)

Once completed, I couldn’t help myself and showed off to the wife and kids how the parts go together.  🙂

Finished up the other Elevator and trim tab and stowed everything on my shelves so I can start working on the tailcone.  At this point my budget won’t allow me to order the wings until closer to November but now that the temp is getting reasonable (and the dehumidifier seems to really be helping make life comfortable in the garage), I have a feeling I’m going to be ramping up my time in the garage.  I’m sure I’ll be done with the tail well before the wings arrive.  The only question becomes where will I be storing all the stuff while I continue to build.  Already looking at where I can store parts (especially the horizontal stabilizer) while I work.  I have a feeling I’m going to have to do some massive cleanup / organization in my garage to make room for all my completed parts.

It feels like I have already done this once before.  Now that my left elevator has been primed, I can begin to dimple and begin final assembly.  Since I have already done this once, things go pretty quickly.  I don’t even have any issues riveting the skin to the rear spar this time.

All went great until I got to the point where I was ready to apply the proseal to the trailing edge and trim tabs.  I had ordered the 3.5 Oz ProSeal tube from Vans, just like I did for the rudder.  This time, the proseal came in a 6 oz tube, not the 3.5 oz tube I got the last time.  Only reason this is significant is that I have a SEMCO dispenser gun that came with the smaller retaining clip.  To use the dispenser, I had to transfer the mixed proseal into one of my empty smaller tubes.  (Looking back, the smaller tubes are labeled as 2.5oz.  *shrug*)

Either way, I now own the larger adapter so I don’t have to make more of a mess. I really do like the Dispending gun and the control you have in putting Proseal where you want it.

At this point, I now have to take a break for a while while the Proseal cures before I can finish riveting the trailing edge and attaching the trim tabs to the elevators.

So finally getting back to editing some video and posting updates.   I finish riveting the right elevator and start on the Trim tabs.  I’ll admit that I decided to go a bit off-script here and decided not to use the method described in the manual to bend the trim tabs.  Instead I decided to use my duck-bill pliers to bend the tabs up manually prior to setting the edge crease.  Would I recommend others follow this path?  Maybe not.  At the time it seems like a perfectly good idea, but I’m sure I could have made a much nicer and crisper bend by following the directions in the manual.  I guess if I was going to deviate anywhere the Trim Tabs are the easiest place to try something new out as it’s a small part that can easily be redone if necessary.  Hey, this is my airplane so no reason I can’t do things slightly differently.

Next I have to create a folding jig with some left-over lumber and set the edge of my trim tabs (taking into account I have already folded over the side tabs.)  Honestly it looks fine and I don’t see an issue.  I then make the tool listed earlier in the manual to better refine the edge and make sure the tab is flat.  I plan to have all of my edges checked by an EAA counselor but think I have them properly set.  I ended up spending what seems like a long time trying to get the edges perfect.

Once I was finally satisfied with the edge, I cut the page out of the manual to cut out the foam ribs per the plans.  Then it’s on to Match Drilling followed by marking out the rib locations and scuffing / masking off where the foam ribs will be glued into the trim tabs.  I decided that I was going to do all the Proseal work in one sitting between the elevators and the trim tabs, so I wanted everything ready and done in prep so I didn’t have to use more than a single tube of Proseal.  (more on that later!)  For scuffing / sanding the inside of the trim tab, a pain stir stick with the sand paper wrapped around the end worked perfectly.  and it was just about the correct width!  The paint sticks were also perfect for putting down the painters tape to mask off where the ribs sit.

My only oversight was that I masked off all the way to the edge of the trim tabs, which left me with a small stripe of non-primed skin that I now have to “touch up”.  Just something to think about if you are crazy enough to follow my suggestions.  In addition to getting my trim tabs ready for primer, I’m also shooting the primer on the Left elevator which I didn’t spray earlier.

Once the primer was done and I waited for it to completely dry.  (Don’t dimple / parts until the primer has dried for at least 24 hours if not 48 hours unless you want it to possibly flake off).  I looked ahead at other things I could get done.  I ended up working with the lead counterbalance weights.  *** WARNING  Van’s doesn’t put any warning about Lead in their manual, but make sure you are smart with how you handle the lead!.  It didn’t really show up on the video, but I was using my respirator while cutting the lead, followed by a good cleaning of the area with my Shop Vac.  You do not want to breath in Lead dust.

Once that is all cleaned up, I remember to use my drill press to countersink the appropriate holes in my trim tab spars, and begin to put the trim tabs together.

First, not sure if my videos are too short, too fast, too long, or need more details.  I have thought of doing some voice overs vs the blog posts, but not sure how interesting that would be.  Any comments here or on YouTube would be appreciated.

Starting the final assembly of the first elevator.  Putting the tip ribs together with the squeezer.  Squeezer barely fit but it worked out well.  Next comes the spars and adding the elevator horns.  Next I’m dimpling the nutplates and attaching them to the reinforcement plate.  (I can’t wait to start setting up the dash!)

Next up is back-riveting the ribs to the skins and attaching the rear spar and shear clips.   Attaching the second skin and we are starting to look like an elevator.  Even with all the issues using my blind riveter in the last update, I didn’t have any issues with the ribs and needing the special tool.

I was trying to find a good way to buck some of the rivets on the skin and the rear spar.  Don’t do what I tried, just read the directions and clamp the rear spar to the bench.  It’s easier.  Trust me.

I also elected not to create the “special bucking bar” and just ordered the blind rivets for called out for in the Vans instructions.  If someone local was willing to lend me their bucking bar, I may have attempted it but really don’t think it’s a big deal using the blind rivets.

Starting this session off with drilling the holes for the Trim Cable attachment brackets onto the cover plates.  Fairly straightforward but always fear that my measurements are just slightly off.

Next I’m deburring the skins of the elevators and begin the cleaning process so I can prime.  As discussed in previous videos, I have subscribed to the “Scuff with Scotchbright pats, clean with Acetone, and spray AKZO.  Only slightly different approach this time was I didn’t remove any of the blue plastic on the outside of my parts (just deburred with the plastic attached).  Honestly this worked just fine for me and I really didn’t see a downside other than having to get the Soldering Iron out later in the process when I went to rivet.

When this was filmed, it was early summer and it was difficult to find a good time to paint due to high heat and storms.  I actually dind’t capture it, but I was able to prime all the internal parts of both elevators, but only one set of skins.  I was getting to my breaking point in the heat and decided to wait to point the other set of skins when I did the trim tab,  so things are “slightly” out of order.  I’m also terrible at estimating how much AKZO to mix and tend to run out before I am done.  Honestly don’t like the idea of wasting my primer.

After priming was completed, started to dimple all the parts and begin assembly.  This did require additional tool purchases such as the Small Diameter Female Dimple die for the nutplates.  I know people have their own opinion regarding the substructure dimple dies from Cleaveland Tool, but I continue to use them and like the results.  I also decided to purchase a single flute countersink as I was not happy with the results of some of my countersink holes on the elevator.  Nothing terrible, but just not as clean as I was expecting.

The last min of this video is me fighting with the dimples on the root rib.  I had issues with my blind rivet tool while I was trying to use the Cleaveland tool close quater dimple set.  I then used a modified set (as described here) and a C-Clamp with slightly better success.

In the end I probably should have purchased the vice-grip version and saved myself some struggle but either way I got the job done.  I have mixed feelings about my pop riveter, however it was the perfect size to allow me to set blind rivets latter in my elevator build without needing to build the little helper tool that Jason Ellis described, so there is that.