Nest is the vertical stabilizer fairing (I have already started) I also laid out the big back fairing, it sits on very well even before doing any adjustments!
Showing posts with label Elevator. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elevator. Show all posts
2/11/19
Elevator fairing installed
Had to remove the lead weight to get access to dimple but apart from that hassle it was a simple task.
Nest is the vertical stabilizer fairing (I have already started) I also laid out the big back fairing, it sits on very well even before doing any adjustments!
Nest is the vertical stabilizer fairing (I have already started) I also laid out the big back fairing, it sits on very well even before doing any adjustments!
1/24/15
Together
Sorry for the lousy quality, only had my phone available. With help, I put on the elevators.
1/19/15
First screw up, nothing to worry about or something in between?
So, this weekend I mounted the elevators to the spar. Measured many times, marked it, drilled the hole in one of the elevator horns... Made a good drill block guide, remeasured, clamped and drilled the second rudder horn.
Somehow the pieces managed to move and the holes, while perfectly square are not in perfect alignment. The last two pictures show how the left is aligned when the right side is flush. A disaster that needs to be fixed, nothing to worry about??? I will ask in the forums first and then probably to VANs.
Somehow the pieces managed to move and the holes, while perfectly square are not in perfect alignment. The last two pictures show how the left is aligned when the right side is flush. A disaster that needs to be fixed, nothing to worry about??? I will ask in the forums first and then probably to VANs.
1/15/15
Doing something on the RV again
Got some tools from Avery yesterday, was supposed to fly tonight but that was cancelled due to weather. I decided to bring out the elevators and match drill the elevator horns with my new 1/4 reamer.
A small job but it felt great to be back at it again. I guess I will continue with the elevator pushrod bolt holes but I hesitate a little as I do not want to make it difficult to quickly get everything away for when the wing-kit arrives.
A small job but it felt great to be back at it again. I guess I will continue with the elevator pushrod bolt holes but I hesitate a little as I do not want to make it difficult to quickly get everything away for when the wing-kit arrives.
12/4/14
11/30/14
11/25/14
Started on the fairings
Forgot to reposition the camera so not much to show today. Started on the fairings, drilled the draining hole in the rudder fairing and some more. Fixed some wiring on the trim motor.
11/24/14
First holes in the elevator horns drilled
First holes in the elevator horns drilled. Lots of measuring before I committed. Ended up drilling to get a good mark first and to then drill without having it mounted. I have not made them 1/4 yet as I have a reamer on order that I want to use.
11/23/14
Measure twice, cut...
Just marked the planned drill point and then disassembled and re-measured. And I was off by almost 5mm. Probably measured between the wrong places yesterday. Redone and reassembled and now I got 29 degrees and 25 degrees. I should probably back the bearings out 1/2 lap. I'll sleep on it!
11/22/14
Annoyed
For the first time I´m feeling annoyed at Vans.
First I must be honest and start with letting you know that my feelings might be affected by having spent 30 minutes searching before finding the E-bushing that I knew I placed in some smart location. ;)
The reason I´m annoyed is because of the many errors on page 11-03:
- The spacer is marked as being 2inch high, that is 50.8mm not 5.8
- The spacer is shown as being significantly wider that deep... not what the numbers tell you
- The HS-911 & VA-146A is not riveted together in the picture, is is done in chapter 8 (Should I drill them out now to get a better surface for the spacer?)
- In the latest revision it tells you to match drill using a #30 drill and the E-bushing is marked as having a .120 3mm hole. My E-bushing has a 4.5-4.6mm hole and the older revision has you drill with a #17 drill. (The older version makes much more sense) The purist in me is also annoyed by the fact that they change things without mentioning it in the revision history (maybe there has been a revision in between with it listed)
The only thing I got done today was making the E-bushing get a perfect fit into the VA-146A. I did not drill.... the main reason is that I have just about exactly the 13/16 space as described for the bearings on page 11-02 but for me this means that I have significantly more that the 1 5/8 space that is listed as a minimum on page 11-03. My question is, should I turn the bearing in a half, one on more turns to get a closer spacing (checking the travel of course) or should I just move on as I have more than a listed minimum spacing? My elevators looks just like the spacing in Figure 5 on page 11-03.
I´ll sleep on it and read up on forum and builders sites.
First I must be honest and start with letting you know that my feelings might be affected by having spent 30 minutes searching before finding the E-bushing that I knew I placed in some smart location. ;)
The reason I´m annoyed is because of the many errors on page 11-03:
- The spacer is marked as being 2inch high, that is 50.8mm not 5.8
- The spacer is shown as being significantly wider that deep... not what the numbers tell you
- The HS-911 & VA-146A is not riveted together in the picture, is is done in chapter 8 (Should I drill them out now to get a better surface for the spacer?)
- In the latest revision it tells you to match drill using a #30 drill and the E-bushing is marked as having a .120 3mm hole. My E-bushing has a 4.5-4.6mm hole and the older revision has you drill with a #17 drill. (The older version makes much more sense) The purist in me is also annoyed by the fact that they change things without mentioning it in the revision history (maybe there has been a revision in between with it listed)
The only thing I got done today was making the E-bushing get a perfect fit into the VA-146A. I did not drill.... the main reason is that I have just about exactly the 13/16 space as described for the bearings on page 11-02 but for me this means that I have significantly more that the 1 5/8 space that is listed as a minimum on page 11-03. My question is, should I turn the bearing in a half, one on more turns to get a closer spacing (checking the travel of course) or should I just move on as I have more than a listed minimum spacing? My elevators looks just like the spacing in Figure 5 on page 11-03.
I´ll sleep on it and read up on forum and builders sites.
11/20/14
Elevator travel OK
I have actually been flying a lot in the past days, that and some "honeydos" have kept me away from the RV.
Today I had a short session where I checked the elevator travel 25/30 needed, I could do 30/30 so no need to remember in what direction more was needed. I also checked the space between the elevator and spar, minimum is 3.2mm, I got 3.3, perfect!
Today I had a short session where I checked the elevator travel 25/30 needed, I could do 30/30 so no need to remember in what direction more was needed. I also checked the space between the elevator and spar, minimum is 3.2mm, I got 3.3, perfect!
11/17/14
Horizontal spar, tail, elevator
Things are coming together.
Match drilled the horizontal spar to the tail, installed the left elevator to the spar. When putting in the bearings I was smart and measured and screwed in the nut before installing the bearing into the elevator.
Match drilled the horizontal spar to the tail, installed the left elevator to the spar. When putting in the bearings I was smart and measured and screwed in the nut before installing the bearing into the elevator.
8/16/14
Elevators finished
Chapter 9 is finished. I did not connect the trim pushrod in both ends as the forums claim that there is a flaw in the design and it needs to be replaced by a redesigned one.
Broke the beld to the bandsaw so I had to buy a new one, while at the store I also got a grinding belt for the grinding machine that made adjusting the elevator weights easy.
Broke the beld to the bandsaw so I had to buy a new one, while at the store I also got a grinding belt for the grinding machine that made adjusting the elevator weights easy.
8/12/14
Left elevator, edges rolled
Did the left elevator today. Had to drill out my first pulled rivet today. I was careful and managed to do it without damaging the skin.
8/11/14
Starting to roll the elevator leading edges
Finished one elevator today, the other one needs some more love with the edge roller before I can close that one.
8/9/14
First electrical work
I have some faint memory of crimping connectors around 24-25 years ago... It is not pretty but the wires for the trim connector are firmly connected. Work sessions are so different, yesterday I put in 2.3 hours and there is very little to show for it, not like when you attach large skins, easy but looks like a lot.
8/8/14
Elevator trail done!
Elevator trail done! Felt great to bend the wire and put the trim and elevator together.
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| Making sure that no glue is left in the holes |
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| First squeezed a little with normal dies, the a final squeeze with the special die |
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| Drilling the hole that is used to secure the hinge wire |
8/4/14
More proseal
The elevators are clecoed toghether for the final time. The proseal will cure for a few days and then I will do the final riveting. The edges are held together with aluminium ribs to make sure that they stay straight.
Right elevator almost done, a longer movie of using the squeezer
The right elevator is almost done. I will put up a movie here when Youtube is done with it. As I got a bad mark from riveting the two difficult rivets that connect the main skin and the balance skin on the left side, I used some time to think about a better way to do the right one.
And I realized that I could slip a bucking bar under the skin but instead of holding it thru that opening, I used one of the lightening holes in the spar, made all the difference, a tip for other builders!
And I realized that I could slip a bucking bar under the skin but instead of holding it thru that opening, I used one of the lightening holes in the spar, made all the difference, a tip for other builders!
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| Hold the bucking bar thru the lightening hole |
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| And rivet! |
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| Parts ready for the next messy step |
Lots of tricky rivets
Lots of tricky rivets when starting to close up the elevators. Actually managed to get a few normal rivets in where LP-3 was specified. Unfortunately I got one ugly mark when riveting the balance weight skin and elevator skins together. There are 2 on top and 2 on the bottom that are difficult to rivet. It is written that it is acceptable to use blind rivets but I wanted normal ones.
Maybe I am a bit tired and groggy from working in the summer heat but I must say that I think chapter 9 in the manual could be improved, It is not easy to realize what rivets should be skipped at what point and I'm pretty sure that they have forgotten to tell you when to finally do the skipped ones on at least one occasion.
I gave up on finding instructions in the manual and worked it out myself, in what order it should be done, I'm almost done with the left one now and it seems that I have done it right.
Maybe I am a bit tired and groggy from working in the summer heat but I must say that I think chapter 9 in the manual could be improved, It is not easy to realize what rivets should be skipped at what point and I'm pretty sure that they have forgotten to tell you when to finally do the skipped ones on at least one occasion.
I gave up on finding instructions in the manual and worked it out myself, in what order it should be done, I'm almost done with the left one now and it seems that I have done it right.
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