Tech Counseler visit & Left Elevator riveting
6.0 Hours
Riveting bottom trim panel reinforcement full size
Charlie Cotton of EAA Chapter 238 came for a Tech Counseler visit. He looked at the left and right elevators before I closed them up. I asked him lot's of questions. We discussed some of the mistakes I had made and he advised me on what to do. It was pretty helpful. After he left, instead of working on the airplane, I had to go rake and bag leaves. It is amazing how many leaves can come from one tree. When I was done, there were 10 39 gal bags filled with leaves. Once I finished I started the riveting of the trim panel doubler. Did it all with the back riveter.
Riveting of trim tab spar clip full size
Next step was to rivet the trim tab spar clip to the inside rib. Used the rivet gun for this
Riveted counterbalance assembly to front spar full size
The counterbalance assembly is riveted to the spar. Two of these rivets are very difficult as there is only a 1/2 inch gap between the rib web and the edge of the skin to get a bucking bar to the end of the rivet.
Riveting inside rib to skin full size
The inner rib and the skin are done with the squeezer. Easy to get to
Riveting trim tab spar to skin and inner rib full size
The trim tab spar is riveted on the bottom to the skin. There are some more rivets to the inner rib and the clip. These few have to be done with the rivet gun. The ones common to the spar and skin are done with the squeezer
Inner rib all riveted full size
Inner rib completely riveted
Riveting counterbalance assembly to skin full size
The counterbalance assembly is riveted to the skin
Drilling the aex wedge and the skins full size
A line is drawn on the aex wedge and then positioned in the right place on the skin (look through the holes and make sure the line is in the hole). Then the wedge and skin are matched drilled through the pilot holes of one of the skins.
Drilling stiffeners full size
Once the trailing edge is done, the overlapping skin stiffeners on the edge of the trim tab cutout are also match drilled.
The left elevator full size
This is the progress so far. The trailing edge needs to be done, and the trim tab installed, then it will be done.
Foam trim tab ribs full size
Cutout the foam trim tab ribs. Using the bandsaw.
Countersinking trailing edge aex wedge full size
Machined the countersinks on the trailing edge web, done on both sides