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This week was packed with home chores and projects that we had been putting off in favor of more exciting things—like building a plane! Despite the busy schedule, we managed to carve out a few hours toward the end of the week to make some solid progress.
DAY 1: Finishing the Rudder! Woo!
DAY 1: Finishing the Rudder! Woo!
After a long seven-day wait, we were certain that the trailing edge fuel sealant had cured. We removed the aluminum angle that we had clecoed in place after applying the sealant, and to our relief, the trailing edge was perfectly straight—what a win!
Next, we tackled the cleanup of the excess fuel sealant that had squeezed around the clecos in the top and bottom dimples. Sam meticulously ran a #40 drill bit by hand to remove any remaining sealant that might prevent the rivets from sitting flush.
Then came the moment of truth: riveting the trailing edge. We placed all 46 rivets into their respective holes and secured them with rivet tape. To ensure a precise and even finish, Sam created a spreadsheet outlining a five-round riveting process designed to prevent any "hooking" of the edge. Following Sam’s chart, I labeled both sides of the rudder with painter’s tape to mark the riveting sequence.
Sam took charge of the rivet gun, initially back riveting each rivet partially in the prescribed order. He started with the rivet gun perpendicular to the rivet before tilting it down to be perpendicular to the skin. Once all rivets were partially set, we flipped the rudder over. This time, he used the mushroom set against the flat heads to form the shop heads on the bottom into the dimpled holes. The technique worked flawlessly!
Next, we shifted our focus to the leading edge, which required a great deal of patience and effort. We started by rolling the edges with a 1" conduit, gradually transitioning to a smaller diameter broom handle for a tighter curve. To refine the shape further, we used edge rollers, ensuring a smooth and consistent bend. This process was time-consuming, but our persistence paid off as we successfully clecoed everything together. After confirming proper alignment, we match-drilled, deburred, and finally blind-riveted the edges, securing them in place.
The rudder is officially finished—SUCCESS! The dreaded trailing edge turned out to be much less challenging than we had anticipated.
DAY 2: Drilling and Prepping Elevator Stiffeners
DAY 2: Drilling and Prepping Elevator Stiffeners
While I was at work, Sam had a busy day in the workshop. He purchased a new air hose reel for the shop, spent the morning assembling it, and then mounted it to the workbench next to the compressor.
With the rudder complete, it was time to bring the elevators down from the shelf. Once the elevator skins were laid out on the table, Sam organized the stiffeners he had previously made, labeling them and marking their locations. This preparation was a huge time-saver, allowing us to jump straight into the day’s main task as soon as I arrived at the hangar: clecoing and match-drilling the right elevator skin and stiffeners.
This process proved to be quite a workout. The skin was flimsy and difficult to spread while positioning the stiffeners, but once they were clecoed in place, the structure became much more rigid and manageable. After completing the drilling, we test-fitted the AEX wedge and spar within the assembly to ensure proper clearance at the ends and throughout the angle cutout where the skins meet.
Not entirely satisfied with the fit, we decided to refine the stiffeners further. Sam took them back to the Scotch-Brite wheel, carefully shaping them to achieve the perfect lengths and contours while ensuring we adhered to all edge distance guidelines. This adjustment made a noticeable difference, allowing the stiffeners to fit more precisely within the assembly and ensuring smooth alignment with the skins.
While Sam focused on refining the stiffeners, I worked on clecoing the left and right counterbalance arms, which we will need for the next step once the stiffeners on both sides are finalized.
Though it was a short work week on the plane, we are thrilled with our progress! We’ve now completed the third component of the empennage, leaving just one more before this section is finished. I couldn’t be happier, and Sam is amazed at how quickly we are moving forward.
Onward to the next phase!
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