|
|
|
|
Dave White RV-7 Build Site
|
Date: 5-15-2011
|
Number of Hours: 0.00
|
Manual Reference:
|
Brief Description: Practised TE riveting and LE bending
|
|
Before I had ordered the Empennage (yes, that long ago), I had ordered and partially completed Van's practice kit, a means of experiencing most of the key techniques prior to battling with actual expensive metal.
The kit takes the form of an aerofoil section about a foot long, and comprises spar, ribs, skins and trailing edge wedge just as the rudder does.
Deliberately, though, I resisted finishing the final couple of stages of the kit until now, mainly because they looked complex and also because other builders' logs suggested that the techniques required were easy to get wrong. So, my thinking was that if I left those stages until just before I had to do them for real, the lessons learned would be fresh in my mind.
The relevant techniques were double flush riveting the trailing edge skins and wedge (and avoiding inducing a curl in the TE), and bending the leading edge skins into a nice curve to make an aerofoil nose section.
Although not perfect - and I know now what I will do better on the real rudder, so very valuable and a good decision to leave until now - the practice kit aerofoil section is not half bad.
A significant confidence enhancement; I'm pleased I did it.
|
|
Van's practice kit - completed
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright © 2001-2024 Matronics. All Rights Reserved.
|
