Sunday March 4, 2007
Left Elevator Riveting, Trim Tab Bending, Tank Rib Deburring
(3.8 Hours Left Elevator, 0.7 Hours Wings)
4.4 Hours Total

I started today by riveting the Z brackets that hold the trim servo motor to the access plate.

I ran into the same problem a lot of builders face--the aft rivets on the Z brackets keep the motor from sitting down on the brackets. Solution: fabricate a couple of spacers to lift the motor up a small distance.

Then, I started riveting the left elevator closed. You start by smashing these four rivets that will be impossible to squeeze once the spar and ribs are in place.

Then I clecoed the skeleton to the skin and started squeezing.

Everything is riveted except the top row of rivets along the trim spar. The trim tab hinge will be riveted here eventually.

You're forced to use blind rivets here, where the trim spar runs off into the inside of the elevator.

Somewhere in here, I took a break from elevator stuff and deburred a few more wing tank ribs. There are only about six left to do.

Next, I went over to my Dad's house and we fabricated some bending blocks to bend the tabs on the trim tab. Once I was home again, I clamped the trim tab to the blocks and the table and got to work. The long, outboard tabs turned out great.

Unfortunately, the shorter, smaller, inboard tabs turned out like crap. Things were slipping on the table and I wasn't nearly as careful as I should have been. I think I got cocky after the other tab bending projects went so well.

I'm going to order a new tab and redo this.

I'm also not going to try to bend the next tab solo. It's better if you have a second person to help keep things stable while you work the bend.

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