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Dave White RV-7 Build Site
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Date: 5-1-2011
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Number of Hours: 3.75
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: Rivetted rudder structure
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Most of yesterday and today has been spent modifying the air line set up to the spray booth to aid in future priming sessions, but at last I was ready to get back to some productive building.
With the rudder components now primed, it's time to start putting them together permanently, so the rudder spar began to sprout reinforcing plates and ribs. Beacuse of the surprisingly complex nature of the structure, the rivet callout on the plans needs careful attention. Although all internal fasteners are 1/8" standard domed-head rivets, the lengths vary from -4 to -8 depending on the number of components (and their individual thicknesses) that the rivet needs to join.
In the end, I only made one error*** and in hindsight that was a foolish one. (But then, aren't they all?) I used the same -5 length rivet that I'd been using to attach the upper reinforcing plate to the spar when I put the first attachment on for the nutplate that will hold the upper rudder hinge bearing. I should have used the longer -6 rivet (as called out in the plans, naturally...) due to the thickness of the nutplate itself.
Never mind - quickly drilling out the rivet and replacing it took no time at all. The confidence that I wouldn't drill it out misaligned, and hence damage the structure, that is provided by the Avery rivet removal tool once again justifies buying that particular gidget!
So, most of the rudder structure is now permanently attached together.
Tomorrow, if there's time in amongst socialising on a Bank Holiday Monday, will be spent attaching the counterbalance weight, the upper rib and the skins.
***UPDATE: Wrong! I made another major (but quite recoverable, with effort) error. All will be revealed in the next instalment, but close inspection of the first two images below will reveal what it is.
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Lower rudder structure, now riveted. OOPS - spot the error!
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Unexpectedly complex (this is now an excuse...)
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Reinforcing plate on spar, including bearing nutplate. Lower nutpplate rivet incorrect size.
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