Tuesday November 28, 2006
Rudder Rivetting (Rudder)
3.0 Hours

My dad came over tonight with 5 or 6 different screw drivers to try. We found one that fit well and quickly got the counterweight torqued down to the specified 25 inch-pounds.

Last night, I had clecoed the skins on to the skeleton.

I riveted the skin to skin and skin to skin to spar rivets.

With all of the interior riveting complete, I pushed the upper counterweight rib into place. It attaches to the spar with a pair of blind rivets, which are always fairly easy to place.

Then, I riveted the upper rib to the counterweight skin.

And then the skin to rib rivets... I'm not yet sure how I'm going to deal with the four rivets at the aft end. It's too narrow to get my no-hole yoke in there. The plans specify alternate blind rivets to use in these spots if I can't figure out how to shoot them.

I breezed through all of the skin to spar rivets on the right-hand side.

And then the left...

Finally, I riveted the control horn and the fairing attach strips to the lower rib and skins. Again, I'm going to have to either shoot or blind rivet the aft-most two rivets on this lower rib.

Here's where I am after the evening's work. I'm very happy with the progress and I didn't have to drill out any rivets.

Remaining work on the rudder:

• The tight aft rivets on the upper and lower ribs.
• The trailing edge--which will be significant.
• Rolling and riveting the leading edge.

Also, before I forget, I should mention that the oil-canning of the rudder skins has lessened significantly as the riveting tightens things up, but it is unfortunately still too evident. I'm hoping that by the time I finish with the trailing edge, it won't be an issue anymore.

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