Brief Description: Drill Rudder Pedal Tubes to Longerons
I located the WD-655R/L rudder pedal tubes and the 2 F-6116 rudder tube blocks and inserted the ends of the tubes into the blocks as shown in DWG 37. I dropped the assembly into the fusalage on top of the F-719-R/L foward skin stiffeners. The fit was just right so no end trimming of the tubes required. Van's recommends drilling several sets of holes along the stiffener so you can adjust the rudder pedals later if needed. First I needed to drill the 4 holes in the 2 blocks. I did that using my drill press and a jig I made out of a piece of 2x4 with a rabbet to hold the blocks in place while I drilled the holes. I drilled the 4 holes to #10 as specified. Next I fabricated a jig out of flat bar stock with 3 sets of holes for my rudder pedal spacing. Van's recommends drilling the first hole no closer than 3" to the forward face of the firewall. I decided to start at 3.5". I laid the drill jig on top of the stiffener and clamped it in place. I drilled the forward hole first to #10 and dropped in a bolt so the jig would not move. Using my angle drill I drilled the remaining holes and repeated the process for the right side. I deburred all the holes and checked the fit of the rudder blocks.
