Brief Description: Continuing Right and Left Elevators
I had planned on finishing the right elevator before I started on the left, but I was still waiting for the parts and hardware I ordered from Van's last week. I decided to move on to the left elevator and not lose another day of building. I disassembled the left elevator and deburred, edge finished, primed and dimpled the parts. I was quite proud that I had gotten through without a brain fart and then I looked at the plans and realized that the top flange of E-606PP needed countersinking and not dimpling. The same for the rivets that attach E-705 and E-606PP. At least I had remembered to countersink E-702 where it attaches to E-705! I riveted the left elevator substructure, remembering to rivet E-703 and E-704 to E-702 first before riveting the two ribs together. This works much better than following the order in the build manual. Although I didn't have the parts to install the servo, I decided to bend the tabs on the left elevator. I think they came out ok. I started to bend the trim tab, but Fed Ex brought the hardware to finish the right elevator. I took a quick break to watch the shuttle go over and then inserted the screws into the right elevator counterbalance and skin and slid the substructure into place. I put RTV in the trailing edge where the stiffeners meet and riveted the skin to the substructure. I started rolling the leading edge of the right elevator and after struggling with it for awhile decided to call it a day. I still need to torque the screws that hold the counterbalance weight. I couldn't fit my torque wrench in the available space. I will have to see if there is another wrench with a smaller head.
