Brief Description: Elevator Right - Fold Trailing Edge
First step was to make the "homemade bender".
The shape of control surface trailing edges affects the "feel" and performance of the aircraft's controls.
This cannot be over stressed. For proper handling qualities and trim, all surfaces should be checked and adjusted before the first flight. Many flying RVs have had bad roll trim or stability issues completely resolved just by using a straight edge to check and adjust all of the control surfaces.
On surfaces having folded trailing edges the skins are provided partially pre-bent. This allows room to install stiffeners and end ribs. Plans pages will have detail drawings depicting the proper radius for the final bend.
A homemade bender can be fabricated from a pair of 2X8 boards and a number of door hinges to achieve the final bend. See Figure 2.
