Brief Description: R-Elev: Beginning the understructure
Edge finished and fluted the E703 and E704 Counter balance and tip ribs. I then cleco'ed these ribs, the E702 spar and the E610PP and E611PP stiffeners together. All appropriate holes were then match drilled.
I then tried to cleco the E713 counter balance skin to the counter balance rib substructure (which had now been removed from the spar again as per instructions) - no go! It needed some *serious* manual persuasion to get the holes on the two ribs and the counter balance skin to line up. Some more fluting, a shaped wooden block and a hammer later and I finally had the skin cleco'ed to the rib. A *lot* longer than I thought it would be though!
After I finally got the counter balance rib substructure and the counterbalance all cleco'ed together, I thought I would be able to manually drill the holes through the lead counter balance as I have no drill press. As long as I drilled slowly, start with a thin pilot hole and gradually get larger it has to work- right? *WRONG*
I hadn't got half way through the lead counter weight with the first pilot hole and the drill snapped! *FOOM* Listen to the plans when they say "use a lubricating liquid when drilling through lead - guess I'd better get some then hadn't I - maybe a drill press too - just to make me feel better! ;)
Cleco'ing the right elevator understructure together
Counter balance rib structure all cleco'ed up after a *lot* of "persuasion"
Under structure completed and re-cleco'ed to check for alignment after all the "persuasion"
