Brief Description: Adjusted right stabilator aft skin to better align
Been puzzled over why the ASTs when installed on stabilator were not properly aligned. Consistently out by 1/8". Took photos and sent to Vans - Ken suggested that the right AST was twisted. However, looking at it closely, it does not appear to be off at all.
Ran string from aft skins (L & R) and clearly the AST appears straight but it does not match up with the string. Then clamped the stabilator to a bench, and used a digital level to measure the various slopes and angles of the ASTs, aft skins ect... It appeared that the right aft skin was at a greater slop than the left.
Decided to remove it by drilling the rivets that hold it directly to the stabilator (but not removing the rivets that hold it to the two small ribs. I clamped the AST to the left aft skin and then adjusted the right skin ever so slightly at the stabilator in order to get it into alignment. I clecoed and redrilled the holds in the stabliator and riveted it to the stabilator again.
A slight shift in postion at the forward end of the skin makes a big different at the aft edge. Now the AST is perfectly aligned on left and right sides.
