Brief Description: Riveting rear spar to skins & ribs
The skin sub-assemblies were put together and checked to make sure I aligned the ribs with each other properly. The ribs are attached to each other with pop-rivets which are pretty easy to set, if you have the strength of Hulk Hogan. But first you have to put the rivet in the hole. This turned out to be a real bear because of the cramped quarters for the rivet closest to the rear spar.
Once I finally got the rivets in place I was able to finish setting them, but I worked up a huge sweat doing so. A pneumatic pop riveter wouldn't have helped because there was no way to get it back to the aft rivets. I don't have one anyway, but I may break down and buy one for those rivets that are accessable.
The front spar was riveted to the ribs using more pop-rivets. What's left are the front spar to skin and the various gussets and shear clips. I'm not that far away from completing the elevator.
Sealant for the ribs is on the way from Van's, but I won't expect it for a week. If there's no more work I can do on the elevator while I'm waiting for the sealant, I'll start working on the 2nd rudder build. I had to scrap the first one due to my own stupidity.
Riveting rear spar to skin using special bucking bar.
Ribs riveted together with pop rivets. It's very tight near the aft spar.
Assemblies cleko'ed up and ready to rivet skin to front spar.
