The right elevator construction is a lot like building the rudder, and goes quite fast. The left elevator, on the other hand, is more difficult due to it being the side with the trim tab and trim tab servo opening. I had a little bit of difficulty getting the elevator rib at the outboard edge of the trim tab to fit nicely, but it came out pretty good. Overall I did end up with a very slight twist in the left elevator, but it won't affect anything.
Building the trim tab, as simple as it looks, is easy to mess up. I have to admit that I joined the two trim tab club when the first one didn't come out quite as I planned. Luckily Van's makes it really easy to order new parts. I learned a trick or two on the first one and the second came out quite nicely.
Total Construction Time: 88 hours
March 4, 2006 (4 hours)
Started work on the right elevator. Cut all the stiffeners to shape, deburred the edges, cleco'ed and match drilled them to the skin, and removed the vinyl from the skins along the rivet holes.
March 6, 2006 (1 hour)
Deburred the holes in the skins, removed the blue vinyl from the inside of the skin, then countersunk 4 rows of rivet holes.
March 7, 2006 (1 hour)
Finished dimpling holes in skins and stiffeners.
March 11, 2006 (3 hours)
Longeron yoke ordered today. Fluted elevator counterbalance ribs and cleco'ed to counterbalance skin, match drilled, and beveled end of counterbalance skin.
March 12, 2006 (4 hours)
Deburred and dimpled elevator counterbalance ribs and skins. Later deburred spar and inboard rib, then cleco'ed all elevator parts together for match drilling.
March 13, 2006 (1 hour)
Match drilled all skin to spar and rib holes, then disassembled parts. Sent Van's an email asking about the alignment of the elevator horn and spar.
March 18, 2006 (8 hours)
Finished dimpling and deburring the elevators ribs, spars, and skins. After everyone went to bed I decided to Sanchem all the elevator parts.
March 19, 2006 (5 hours)
Applied Sanchem sealer to all of the elevator parts. Riveted reinforcement plates and nut plates to spar, then riveted counterbalance ribs together and riveted the inboard and outboard ribs to the spar, counterbalance skin to the ribs, and elevator horn to the spar and inboard rib. My new longeron yoke made all the tight rivets a lot easier.
March 20, 2006 (2 hours)
Prosealed and back-riveted the stiffeners to the top elevator skin.
March 25, 2006 (3 hours)
Riveted the top-side of the elevator skin to the spar. Then prosealed and back-riveted the stiffeners to the bottom elevator skin.
March 26, 2006 (2 hours)
Riveted the bottom-side of the skins to the spar using CS4-4's. Also riveted the top and bottom skins to the inboard and outboard ribs, except the three trailing rivets.
March 30, 2006 (4 hours)
Aligned the AEX wedge in the trailing edge of the elevator, drilled all the rivet holes, dimpled the skins and countersunk the wedge, then pro-sealed the skins and wedge together.
April 1, 2006 (3 hours)
Riveted the right elevator trailing edge and a few remaining rib to skin rivets, and removed the blue plastic. Started work on the left elevator, cutting the short stiffeners. Fabricated one new stiffener after I cut off the wrong corner of one of them.
April 3, 2006 (2 hours)
Deburred the left elevator stiffeners.
April 4, 2006 (2 hours)
Deburred a bunch more elevator and trim tabs parts.
April 5, 2006 (2 hours)
Deburred the remaining elevator and trim tab parts except the skins.
April 8, 2006 (7 hours)
Started by removing the vinyl from rivet lines and deburring the elevator and trim tabs skins. Next I match-drilled and dimpled the stiffeners and trim tab motor stiffener plate. Later I fluted and assembled the counterbalance parts and match-drilled them.
April 9, 2006 (1 hour)
Disassembled and dimpled the counterbalance parts. Later started assembling the spars, ribs and skins.
April 10, 2006 (1 hour)
Cleco'ed the counterbalance assembly to the main elevator assembly, and match drilled all remaining holes.
April 13, 2006 (2 hours)
Disassembled the elevator parts and then dimpled and countersunk all but the elevator skin.
April 14, 2006 (2 hours)
Bent the trim tab ends. Also cut foam stiffeners.
April 16, 2006 (5 hours)
The trim tab skin had a few more waves and dents than I wanted. I should have bent the trailing edge first using the hinged 2x8 method. I decided to order a new one. This morning Tyler and I dimpled the left elevator skin. Later in the evening Sanchem'ed all the elevator parts. Still need to apply the sealer coat.
April 17, 2006 (3 hours)
Applied the sealer coat to the elevator parts. Riveted the two counterbalance ribs and skin together, and also riveted the reinforcement plates and nut plates to the spar, and the nut plates to the trim motor access stiffener plate.
April 18, 2006 (1 hour)
Riveted the inboard rib to the spar, then the control horn to the spar and rib. Also marked the position of the trim motor brackets to the cover plate.
April 19, 2006 (2 hours)
Tracy helped me back-rivet the stiffeners to the top elevator skin. Then I drilled, dimpled and riveted the trim motor brackets to the cover plate.
April 22, 2006 (3 hours)
Riveted the top skin to the spar, then back-riveted the bottom stiffeners to the skin. Also riveted the counterbalance assembly to the spar.
April 23, 2006 (2 hours)
Riveted the bottom skin to the spar, most of the rest of the counterbalance rivets, and the skins to the inboard rib and bottom of the elevator trim spar. Noticed a slight twist between the inboard and outboard ends. Waiting until Gary, the of the chapter's tech counselors, swings by to take a look. Also waiting for a second replacement trim tab skin because the first one Van's shipped was bent.
April 30, 2006
Rained almost all weekend, so spent much of the time cleaning the garage to make room for the wing kit and jig.
May 2, 2006
Gary Specketer, one of the chapter's tech counselors, stopped by. Said everything looks good. Should be able to work out the slight twist with a little effort. The replacement trim tab skin arrived today as well.
May 3, 2006 (1 hour)
Drilled and countersunk the AEX wedge and dimpled the skin, then prosealed and cleco'ed the trailing edge. Also drilled, dimpled and blind-riveted the two ribs at the end of the trim tab spar.
May 4, 2006 (1 hour)
Riveted the trailing edge.
May 6, 2006
Received a letter from Van's letting me know that my wing kit was shipped on May 3rd!
May 7, 2006 (8 hours)
Riveted the ribs at each end of the elevator to the skins without much twist from end to end. Then deburred the new trim tab skin, bent the trailing edge, bent the end tabs, match drilled and dimpled all the holes, trimmed the trim tab horns, riveted the trim tab spar to the skin, riveted the end tabs, prosealed the foam ribs and then riveted it all together. Also filed the AEX wedge at the trailing edge of the elevator to be flush with the skins.
May 10, 2006 (1 hour)
Aligned and drilled trim tab hinge.
May 11, 2006
Wing kit arrived!!
May 12, 2006 (2 hours)
Deburred the hinge rivet holes, cut end off and riveted to elevator and trim tab. Bent trim tab hinge rod, but ended up breaking it so I will need to order a new one. Otherwise the trim tab moves up and down very smoothly.
