Date:	4-14-2013
Number of Hours:	4.00
Brief Description:	Aileron Push Tubes
Today I finished up the fabrication of the second W-818 and both W-716 aileron push rod tubes. When I initially fabricated these parts I mis-drilled the second W-818, and noticed a too-loose-for-my-taste fit between the VA-111's and the W-716 tubes. In the first mis-drill episode, I drilled the two rivet holes too close together and the rivets interfered with each other. I then ordered a piece of 1/2" x 0.035 4130 steel tube and a new rod end from Aircraft Spruce and promptly mis-drilled those too, this time right through the end of the fitting :O(. I ordered a third set and waited a while before attemping to drill it (today). I laid out both rivets on a piece of tape wrapped around the end, and measured every way I knew how. It paid off, as the third try was a charm, with perfectly drilled holes on both ends! I then scuffed, cleaned and primed the steel, and riveted in the rod ends. As other builders have noted, -11 rivets are the perfect lenghth. To finsh up I applied a heavy coat of white Rustoleum to somewhat match the powder coat on the other one. As for the loose fit of the VA-111's in the W-716 tubes, Van's said that just riveting per plans would hold adequately, but that I could add structural adhesive to fill the gap if I wanted to. One of the tech counselors that came by last weekend said he used JB-weld on his in addition to the rivets, so that's what I did (photo 2). Before riveting I primed the inside of the tubes, allowed it to dry, then scuffed and cleaned the area to be in contact with the fitting. I started to install the aileron pushrods in the left wing and ran into a showstopper fairly quickly. After greasing the bellcrank bushing, I test fit the W-818 pushrod only to find that it needs the space currently occupied by the second conduit I installed. Had I installed the conduit toward the bottom of the rib hole rather that the top, I probably would have been fine. Rivets Today: 28 Rivets Total: 7342