Rudder
Started 11.6.1999 - Finished 11.13.1999
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After I had the skin marked and ready for stiffeners, I made a template for drilling the stiffeners. I used a heavier piece of alum. I had left over form another project. Once I marked the first hole, I used the spar to get my spacing and mark the rest of the holes. This worked great! |
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Here is the drill jig. You can also see the template I made to cut the angles on the stiffeners. |
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I used a 3M flap style sanding wheel to debar all the stiffeners, and every other part on the plane for that matter. I get them at Wal-Mart. |
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Here is a full set of stiffeners ready to be drilled onto the skin. |
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Another pic of the stiffeners. |
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Here is the skin will one side drilled and clecoed. |
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After the drilling is done, the skin looks "pre-pinched" LOL I used an Avery C-frame to dimple the skins. It helps to have help when doing this to hold the skin out of the way while dimpling. |
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I had to modify my back rivet set to fit on the stiffeners, I just trimmed it a little on the belt sander. It worked perfectly. |
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Here are all the stiffeners primed and riveted on the skin. |
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Here is the rudder skeleton drilled and clecoed together ready to be deburred, dimpled and primed for riveting. |
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The various rudder skeleton parts ready for priming. |
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I used my Tatco hand squeezer with a 1 1/2" and 3' yoke where necessary for riveting the rudder skeleton together. I could reach all the rivets with this squeezer. |
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Skeleton riveted together. |
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Top rib with counter weight skin riveted on. |
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Here I have the rudder skeleton mounted to the VS. |
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My counter-balance clearance was very good. |
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Looks good, but I am dreading starting the fiberglass work. I will have time between when I have the Empennage done and my wings arrive, so I will work on the fiberglass then. |
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Trying to get the trailing edge bent to as sharp as possible without cracking the alum. |
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I used a 1/8" wooden dowel to keep the trailing edge from being bent too far and cracking. |
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In the jig ready for riveting. |
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I made a strap to cleco to the skeleton to keep the clearance between the counterweight rib and the vertical stabilizer. |
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Strips for mounting the bottom fiberglass drilled and clecoed. |
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I drilled the rudder horn brace with the flange on the outside, then moved it to the inside to drill the rest. I screwed up when cutting the brace, you can see that the top hole on the rib just barley caught the brace, so I made some small backing plates to put behind the brace to give me minimum edge clearance. Also, I did not have a 4" yoke, so I have yet to rived the to inside holes where the horn rivets to the brace. I will probably use bolts in those two holes. |
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Out of the jig awaiting rolling the leading edge flanges. |
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Here I am riveting the leading edge. |
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Finished rudder. |
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Rudder on the vertical stabilizer. Can I start making engine noises yet? |
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Here is how I riveted the two inside rivets on the rudder horn. I took my trusty bucking bar at left, and ground it down so it would sit flush as shown. |
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The bar lays flush with the table. |
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I then slid it down into the horn area. IT WILL FIT... |
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I then used electrical tape to hold it to the horn at the top... |
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It will then pivot at the bottom and allow you to hold and squeeze it down as you drive the rivet. |
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You can see it even fits with the bearing already installed. |
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It worked perfectly, the other two rivets determine the finished rivet driven length... |
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Not bad huh? |
