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Date:  11-5-2006
Number of Hours:  3.80
Manual Reference:  
Brief Description:  Even more work on the center section

Vicki went to a wedding this afternoon so I had the opportunity to work in the shop for quite a while. First, I riveted on the shims needed for the small gap between the center section web and one corner of the landing gear weldments. I used the "double flush" riveting technique that is used in other RVs (like the trailing edge of the RV-9 elevators). This involves countersinking both sides of the surfaces (the shim and the weldment, in this case) and then squeezing the rivet so that it is flush on both sides. Next, I fabricated the control angle that I botched in the last building session. It looks good. Then, I called my woodworking friend, Phil Bramlett, and he fashioned a spacer for me to simulate the wing spar in the center section. Previously, I bought some bolts to serve that purpose, but it was too tight a fit, so I decided to use a wood spacer, as is suggested in the plans. Phil glued two pieces of oak together and then cut them to size in his really nice Rockwell table saw. Then, he used his power thickness planer to plane the boards down to exactly 1-7/16". When I got back to my shop, I drilled 1/2" holes in the spacers (a little wider than the 7/16" holes in the center section) to make it easier to fit everything together. I then put together the bolts, center section and spacers, placing the landing gear weldments on top to see how they fit. I then saw that I had neglected to fully fit the right weldment to the center section. About an hour of filing and fiddling did the trick. Now, I just have to hear from Vans about the misplaced nutplate issue and then I have to buy some nuts to fit the center section bolts (I don't want to use the AN nylock nuts for this trial fit) and I will be pretty much through with the center section.
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Parts for the center section: crotch strap anchor, control angle and side doubler plates

Parts for the center section: crotch strap anchor, control angle and side doubler plates

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Oak spacer, exactly 1-7/16

Oak spacer, exactly 1-7/16" thick

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Nearly completed center section all together

Nearly completed center section all together

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