Brief Description: Assembling and Match-drilling Ribs and Spars
I got quite a lot accomplished today on the elevators. Starting with the two Tip Rib assemblies, I got to use my fluting pliers some more to straighten up the flanges and webs before clecoing them together to match-drill. These parts are fairly long and apparently easily bent during transportation, so it's important to make sure they are nice and straight. Bending the close out tabs on the elevator skins was easy using Van's method as described in the drawings. Once I had all of the ribs, spars and spar doublers all deburred, I clecoed them all in place with the elevator ribs. Seeing everything together on the table makes me realize just how big they are. It's amazing that these are just the moving surfaces on the tail!
Tip Rib assemblies, match-drilled and still clecoed together.
Elevator ribs, bottom skin and spar, clecoed together.
