December 28-30 2016 Update: riveting bottom skin, lower side skins prep

12/29: Started riveting the bottom skin to stiffeners and bulkheads.  Prepped lower side skins for priming (remove vinyl from appropriate sections, deburr, dimple, scuff)

12/30: Completed riveting of the bottom skin to the two forward bulkheads.  Mostly done with KLB's help using back-riveting technique.  Difficult to reach rivets done with MK-319-BS blind rivets.  Beginning process of installing wiring harnesses, inserting j-channel stiffeners, and longerons in preparation for riveting lower side skins.  Primed the two lower side skins.

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December 27, 2016: aft fuselage bottom skin assembly

Received replacement parts from Vans.   Prepped these parts (deburr, dimple, scuff, prime) and clecoed the F-1407/1408 bulkheads, stiffeners, battery angles and F-1406B bulkheads to the bottom skin prepped yesterday.   Starting to look more and more like an airplane...

December 26, 2016 update: riveting battery angles, prep bottom skin

First time using the c-frame to rivet - used this for riveting nutplates to the F-01406B
 bulkhead.  Riveted the battery angles to the bellcrank ribs (using c-frame for this also) and then bellcrank ribs to F-01406B bulkhead.  Deburred, dimpled, scuffed and primed the F-01478 Bottom Skin.   I'm stuck now waiting for Van's to send replacements for the F-01486C-L & R stiffeners (they were defective from the factory - j channel stamped over the holes opposite of where they should be).


Section 10-12 complete

December 22-24 2016 Update: completed new left elevator, parts prep and priming for aft fuselage

December 22:  Replacement Left Elevator completed:  Removed clecos and riveted trailing edge, riveted remaining ribs and close-out tabs, and rolled leading edges, riveted in place. December 23: Scuff, deburr parts for tailcone (section).  Countersink both longerons, scuff and prep for priming. December 24: Priming day:  primed all miscellaneous parts, stiffeners, and longerons.

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December 12-21, 2016 update: left elevator assembly, aft fuselage parts prep

December 12:

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Received the replacement root rib for left elevator (second one I'm building).   Dimpled it, clecoed it to the other parts and drilled it for the elevator horn and the gusset.  Primed it and will be ready for assembly when I have some time.

December 16: 

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Replacement left elevator sections 9-16 through 9-21 completed.

December 20:  

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Left elevator trailing edge riveted with ribs in place using proseal.   Extensive prep parts for section 10.

December 21:  

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Parts prep section 10 - deburring, dimpling, scuffing (prep for priming)

December 11, 2016: continued work on aft fuselage

Completed Section 10-11.  Primed and riveted parts for this section.  Started prep of parts for 10-12.

December 6 - 10 2016 update: replacement left elevator parts prep, part damaged, tailcone bulkheads

December 6:


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Parts prep left elevator.  Dimpling of all parts completed.  Next step will be to countersink trailing edge and rear spar.

December 8:  

Parts for left elevator scuffed, deburred, primed.   Riveted end ribs.  I had to order a new end rib because I damaged the rib with pneumatic squeezer.  Arghhh….

December 9:

Re-did the rudder stops and horizontal stab attach bar support angle (Section 10-04).  The original parts were not dimensioned correctly and I wanted them to be right.  The attach bar was almost right - probably would have been fine, but the parts are not expensive. Happy with the replacements.   I prepped all parts for Section 10-10.  LOTS of deburring, scuffing etc.   Starting this process for Section 11-11.  Finished too late to prime parts.

December 10: 

Primed parts section 10-10.  Riveted these parts together.   After riveting, I realized that I had used AN470AD4-7 instead of 4-8 for the 18 rivets attaching the  horizontal stab attach a.  Carefully measuring the rivet head dimensions, rivets did not meet mil spec.  So I drilled them out and replaced with proper size rivets.  Very carefully.  New process for drilling out the 1/8" rivets for me:  Drill all the way through with 3/32 bit, then drill head with 1/8 bit, break off head.  Drill through again with #36 bit.  Then use modified dikes to pull out from shop head size.  Avoids damage to the rivet hole.   Touched up primer on the area, all good.   Deburred parts for Section 10-11.

December 5, 2016: work on replacement left elevator

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Continued work on replacement left elevator.  Completed Sections 9-2 through 9-9 step 7.   Lots of work.

December 4, 2016: aft bulkhead assembly, new left elevator started

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Completed Section 10-09.  Started work on replacement left elevator.  The first one is "OK" but I'm not happy with some things - specifically I missed that I should have dimpled the top/bottom skin close out tabs and I also misunderstood the dimpling instructions for the nutplates that accept the trim motor plate.  It's 100% airworthy but I wanted to make it better.  Today spent time prepping parts.

December 2, 2016: elevators complete

Installed counterweights on both elevators.  Section 9 Complete.  Continued parts prep Section 10.

December 3, 2016: aft bulkheads assembly

Completed Section 10-5 through 10-8.   Aft most bulkheads and tie-down bracket match-drilled to Vertical Stabilizer and countersunk/ dimpled.  Parts riveted together.  

December 1, 2016: aft fuselage parts prep

Parts prep on aft fuselage (section 10).

November 30, 2016: rolled & riveted right elevator leading edge

 Rolled the leading edges of the right elevator and riveted.  Looks very good. I have "perfected" the technique of using a "half" u-bolt and vice grips to fully roll the edge without bending at the spar flange.  

November 29, 2016: aft fuselage parts prep, riveting right elevator & trailing edge

Began parts prep for Aft Fuselage.  Found some damage to one of the fuselage skins that I missed during the inventory/inspection.  Email to Van's about this - pending a response.   Completed riveting all skins on right elevator, and riveted the right elevator trailing edge.  Looks very good and straight.   I continue to get better at this technique - just in time to be done of course.

November 28, 2016: left elevator trim motor completed, elevator counterweights

Installed and tested trim motor assembly in left elevator.  I had to "flip" the trim pushrod - drawings are confusing.  Not a big deal.  Connected the wiring harness before install - used a 9v battery to test.  After this I used the battery to align the trim tab with elevator trailing edge.   I completed riveting the rolled leading edge of the elevator.  Also begain working on the counterweights for both elevators.  Made a mistake in trimming two of these - ordered new ones. I struggled to trim excess material from the counterweights (required for one on each elevator).  Finally "discovered" a technique using putty knife.   I put a post on Van's Air Force about this:  http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=144412