Horizontal Stabilizer

Date: 4/27/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: HS

Comments: Put up another fluorescent light in ceiling for better visibility. Drilled and cleco'd the rear spar reinforcement bars inside spar channel. Took a while to grind / sand the reinforcement down to polished aluminum.

Hours Worked: 2.0

Total Hours: 3.5

Empennage Kit Inventory

Date: 4/26/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: N/A

Comments: Received tools from Cleaveland Aviation Tools. Opened them and started organizing shop. I need to install another fluorescent light overhead for better visibility. Inventoried all the small parts in the bags. Discovered 2 extra HS-412PP-PC and missing 2 VS-412PP-PC. Sent email to Van's asking them to ship the missing parts to me.

Hours Worked: 0.5

Total Hours: 1.5

Horizontal Stabilizer

Date: 4/28/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: HS

Comments: Assembled HS skeleton. Need to get #19 and #12 drill bits to finish drilling skeleton. Made fixture to hold HS forward end up to ease putting on skins. Put on part of left HS skin. Need to rebend the front spar supports as they are not quite 6.0 degrees. Received my pneumatic squeezer today. Very satisfied with my progress today.

Hours Worked: 7.5

Total Hours: 11.0

Horizontal Stabilizer

Date: 4/29/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: HS

Comments: Disassembled HS skeleton. Increased bend on HS-710 and HS-714 front spar reinforcements. Started deburring and sanding everything for priming. Went with the same primer that Dan Galloway used on his RV-7. Waiting for primer to arrive from Spruce. Took the afternoon off to play golf and all I could think about while playing was that I should be working on my RV!

Hours Worked: 1.0

Total Hours: 12.0

Horizontal Stabilizer

Date: 5/1/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: HS

Comments: Put in compressor filter, air regulator and oil lubrication system. I used quick-disconnects so I could change the set-up as necessary (ie: remove the oil lubricator when I use the spray gun). Drilled the left main rib and left nose rib to the skin. After rebending HS-710 and HS-714, everything fits together much nicer. Since I initially only bought the RV empennage tool kit, I really don't have enough Clecos to do the skin. Cleaveland only gives you 50 3/32" Clecos with that kit. You need at least twice that many. Ordered more from Avery.

Hours Worked: 3.0

Total Hours: 16.0

Horizontal Stabilizer

Date: 5/3/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: HS

Comments: Drilled the right skin and drilled main ribs to rear spar. Removed plastic covering from HS skins in preparation for dimpling. Ready to deburr and dimple right side.

Hours Worked: 1.5

Total Hours: 19.0

Horizontal Stabilizer

Date: 5/4/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: HS

Comments: Deburred HS skeleton and skins. Dimpled all ribs and spars. Built the C-arm skin dimpling table. I need to get some carpet to put on top of it.

Hours Worked: 3.0

Total Hours: 22.0

Horizontal Stabilizer

Date: 5/5/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: HS

Comments: Put carpet on top of skin dimpling table. Dimpled all the skins. It is possible to dimple all the rivet holes by yourself, with the exception of the middle forward ones. For that, you definitely need two people. One to hold the top side of the skin back so you can get the mallet in there to whack the c-arm. Truly ready to clean and prime now!

Hours Worked: 4.0

Total Hours: 26.0

Horizontal Stabilizer and Vertical Stabilizer

Date: 5/6/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: HS, VS

Comments: Etched, coated with Alodine and primed all parts with zinc chromate. I also decided to prime the inside of my skins totally. Some people just prime the rivet line. It adds a little extra weight, but since I live around Tampa Bay and the air is pretty salty here, I decided to prime everything. Maybe it will motivate me to lose that extra 20 pounds I'm carrying around! On another note, the spray gun that came with the compressor is terrible! Or I'm a terrible painter. Probably a little of both. I couldn't get the paint flow or air pressure right and the primer ran a little. Oh well, I'll do a little light sanding and everything will be fine.

While I waited for the primer to dry, I match-drills the ribs and spars and cleco'd on the VS skin getting it ready for match drilling.

Hours Worked: 7.0

Total Hours: 33.0

My Four Step Priming Method

1. Get protected! Respirator, anti-chemical gloves (not latex gloves), hat, long sleeve shirt, safety glasses

2. Clean metal with MetalPrep 79 and a Scotchbrite pad, rinse well with water, dry

3. Brush on Alodine, 1-3 minute cure, rinse well with water, dry

4. Prime with green Zinc Chromate

Horizontal Stabilizer and Vertical Stabilizer

Date: 5/8/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: HS, VS

Comments: Riveted rear spar/reinforcement bars and fwd spar/HS-710/HS-714 together. Riveted main ribs and main nose to fwd spar. Began to rivet middle nose rib to left skin. Need an extra set of hands to complete that so I began working on the VS more. Finished match drilling VS skin. Put in the 2" diameter optional lightening holes in VS spar reinforcement. Need to get a 1.5" hole saw to put in the other 5 optional lightening holes.

Hours Worked: 3.0

Total Hours: 36.5

Horizontal Stabilizer and Vertical Stabilizer

Date: 5/9/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: HS, VS

Comments: Continued riveting HS skins to frame. Just need to rivet rear spar, nose rib, main rib and rib tip to skins. Riveting solo takes a long time! If I had a helper, then it would go much faster. I worked on the VS a bit and, after getting a 1.5 inch hole saw, put the additional 5 lightening holes in the VS spar reinforcement.

Hours Worked: 3.5

Total Hours: 40.0

Horizontal Stabilizer and Vertical Stabilizer

Date: 5/10/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: VS

Comments: Began deburring and dimpling ribs for VS. Had "issues" with my pneumatic dimpler. The 3/32" dimple dies locked up and got a little deformed because the pneumatic squeezer yoke is misaligned. Need to order new 3/32" dimple dies and a new 3" yoke for the pneumatic squeezer. The yoke that came with the squeezer does not stay aligned and is only 2". I should have just bought a new pneumatic squeezer!

Hours Worked: 1.0

Total Hours: 41.0

Rudder

Date: 5/16/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: Rudder

Comments: Received my belt sander from Harbor Freight. Used it to deburr the right rudder stiffeners and then match-drilled them to the right skin. Cut and shaped rudder stiffeners for left rudder skin.

Hours Worked: 1.5

Total Hours: 45.5

HS, VS, Rudder

Date: 5/23/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: HS, VS, Rudder

Comments: I've been in Chicago the past week on business, but was able to spend some time on the project today. I received my new pneumatic rivet squeezer and put it to use...completing the Horizontal Stabilizer. I also finished deburring & dimpling all the parts for the vertical stabilizer. I finished deburring and match-drilling the stiffeners on the right rudder skin and dimpled both the left and right stiffeners.

Hours Worked: 5.0

Total Hours: 50.5

VS, Rudder

Date: 5/24/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: VS, Rudder

Comments: Finished dimpling the rudder skins. Etched, alodine coated and primed the VS skins/parts and rudder stiffeners/skins. I used zinc chromate spray cans this time and it was a much cleaner, quicker application compared to using a spray gun. It may cost a little more to purchase the spray cans compared to buying it by the gallon, but the application is much faster and cleanup is minimal. I also riveted the stiffeners to the rudder skins and began to rivet the VS main spar to the reinforcement. The flush rivets were created by back-riveting, same technique as the riveting of the rudder stiffeners. Back-riveting produces a very flush rivet head.

Hours Worked: 7.0

Total Hours: 57.5

Date: 5/25/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: VS

Comments: Riveted the VS Rear Spar and forward spar. Began riveting the VS skin to the assembly. All the bucked rivets are completed. I also riveted in seven spots where I was supposed to wait until the VS fairing is installed. The details of that are on the drawing, but not in the notes. On the positive side, I did catch the error before I riveted all 12 spots, so I only have to drill out 7 rivets. Van's instruction manual has done a good job up to now giving warnings in the text, but this time they did not. It is my fault though as it is clearly indicated on the drawings. I went back later and completed the VS plus drilled out the seven rivets.

Hours Worked: 3.0

Total Hours: 60.5

Rudder

Date: 5/29/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: Rudder

Comments: Match drilled the rudder skin to the skeleton and created rudder fairing attachment strips and match drilled them. Disassembled the rudder and deburred all the skeleton parts and began dimpling the rudder ribs and spar. Because of the thin nature of the ribs for the rudder tips, it is not possible to get a regular 3/32" dimple die set in between the flanges to dimple the holes. I haven't quite figured out how to do it, but I could probably use a set of pliers and the close-quarters dimple die set. The close-quarter dimple die set is intended for usage with the skins and a pop-rivet gun, but the dies could be used alone to create the dimples....

Hours Worked: 2.0

Total Hours: 64.0

Rudder

Date: 6/1/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: Rudder

Comments: Finished dimpling the rudder ribs. For the two narrow tip ribs, I had to countersink the final three holes on each side because there wasn't enough room to get the close-quarters dimple die set in to dimple. The next set of 3 or 4 back were dimpled using the pop rivet gun, a 3D nail and the close-quarters dimple die set. Dimpled the rudder skins. Deburred, etched, alodine coated and primed all rudder parts. Riveted the main spar, bottom section of counterweight skin and cleco'd on the rudder skins to rivet.

Hours Worked: 6.0

Total Hours: 70.0

Rudder

Date: 6/5/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: Rudder

Comments: Continued riveting the rudder together. Had some difficulty with the top tip rivets at the trailing edge. I had to take and grind down a bucking bar to a very thin surface in order to get in there and buck those rivets. Because I messed it up several times and had to drill out the 426 rivets, I ended up enlarging the hole to #30 and then putting a flush 426-4-3 rivet in there. I also bent the leading edge and blind riveted all that together. I could not buck the first and fourth rivet from the leading edge at te bottom because it was difficult to get a bucking bar into that tight space, so I used CS-4 blind rivets there. All that is left to do is rivet the trailing edge. For that, I need to pick up a piece of aluminum angle and some epoxy to ensure I get the trailing edge straight.

Hours Worked: 5.0

Total Hours: 75.0

Rudder / Elevators

Date: 6/7/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: Rudder, Elevator

Comments: Bought an aluminum L-angle and 90 min Loctite epoxy from Lowes in preparation for setting up rudder trailing edge to ensure straightness. Matched drilled the L-angle with the trailing edge of the rudder and epoxied the rudder and L-angle together putting the epoxy on the MEK angle piece between the rudder. I set the epoxied rudder aside and will let it cure for a few days before riveting. I also spent about 1 hours cutting the elevator stiffeners.

Hours Worked: 2.0

Total Hours: 77.0

Elevators

Date: 6/8/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: Elevators

Comments: Finished cutting out all the stiffeners for both left and right elevator. Unfortunately, something was wrong with the pieces I received to make the rudder stiffeners for E-720 A, B, C and J. Stiffeners A, B and C are cut backwards. I assume whoever prepared these at Vans either notched them backwards or bent them the wrong way. With J, I am not getting a good 1/16" offset between opposing stiffeners. When the elevator skins are brought together the vertical portion of one stiffener should rest on the horizontal portion of the opposing stiffener, else the stiffener would be up against the skin. With E-720J, there is no offset. I will have to contact Vans to get new material for A, B, C and J.

UPDATE: I contacted Van's Builder Support and spoke with Gus (who sounds Australian). He stated that having the proper offset is not necessary as the stiffeners should never touch in the first place if trimmed correctly. Also, he stated that the RTV that is placed in the trailing edge will act as a "mini-rib" which will prevent the stiffeners from touching on the leading edge. So, according to him, I can the stiffeners the way they are even though they do not match the drawing.

Hours Worked: 2.0

Total Hours: 79.0

Rudder, Elevators

Date: 6/14/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: Rudder, Elevators

Comments: Removed the L-angle from the rudder and riveted the trailing edge per the instructions. The edge came out very nice and straight. Finished dimpling the elevator skins. Deburred, etched, alodine coated and primed all elevator stiffeners and skins. Riveted the elevator stiffeners to the skins. Also, riveted the left elevator trim motor reinforcement plate to the left elevator skin.

Hours Worked: 7.0

Total Hours: 90.0

Elevators

Date: 6/15/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: Elevators

Comments: Built the metal brake out of 2' x 8' boards and hinges per the instruction. Bend both elevator skins. Matched drilled the right elevator ribs, counterweight skin and elevator skin. Disassembled skin and began grinding down the counterweight to the shape specified on drawing to ensure proper elevator balance.

Hours Worked: 2.0

Total Hours: 92.0

Elevators

Date: 6/20/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: Elevators

Comments: Finished riveting the right elevator skin to the skeleton. Began assembling of the left elevator. Drilled left elevator counterweight to counterweight skin. Matched drilled the understructure of the left elevator and matched drilled the top skin to the skeleton. It was much faster to get to this point for the second elevator. Now, I need to slow down to make sure I get the trim tab correct.

Hours Worked: 2.5

Total Hours: 99.0

Elevators

Date: 6/20/2006

Section: Empennage

Sub-section: Elevators

Comments: Finished match drilling the other side of the skins. Disassembled everything and dimpled all the ribs and the counterweight skin. Countersunk the counterweight and counterweight skin for the screws that will hold the counterweight. Countersunk the main spar where the flush rivets will go for the elevator horn to set flush. Worked on installing the electric trim system. Drilled the holes for the support plates and drilled / countersunk the access plate. Opened up the slot for the trim servo to make room for the coiter pin and screw.

Hours Worked: 3.0

Total Hours: 102.0