03NOV2024
Spent a few more hours deburring today.
Build Time: 3 hours 15minutes
Showing posts with label Elevator. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elevator. Show all posts
29APR2023
I had a few hours free this morning, and I was able to get the inboard nose rib replaced.
I also continued deburring skins, still a lot more deburring to do but making progress.
Build Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
01MAY2022
I spent the first hour today trying to grind down a rivet gun head so that it would fit in the cable tie mounts. I got it to fit, but it didn't go all the way down into it, so I ground down the corners on a nut to use as a spacer. When Tom got to the hangar he ground the rivet gun head down a little more so it fit better in the cable tie mount. Using the new rivet gun head and nut for a spacer, the cable tie mounts installed with no issue. 👍
Then I just finished sanding down the tips for a nicer fit and no interference with the elevator. The only things left on the elevator are to install the trim servo, run the wires, and install the access panel and on the horizontal stabilizer I just need to rivet the tip ribs and tips. I'm going to wait to do the servo and run wires until I get to the fuselage and the stabilizer tips get riveted on after it is installed on the fuselage. So, I'm going to say that the tail kit is now completed!
Build Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes
30APR2022
Today I worked on the the elevator trim hinge. I started out drilling holes for the safety wire and tried to get that to work. I've never worked with safety wire before and was having some trouble. I got one side twisted well and the wire stayed in place, but the other side I couldn't seem to get to stay in place, it kept sliding and getting caught in the hinge and binding. So I decided not to safety wire and just peened the ends of the hinge. (Well, Tom peened them for me with some pliers 😀 )
Then I moved on the the horizontal stabilizer tips. I got those all drilled and started sanding them down with a dremel (didn't get that part in the video). I put the horizontal stabilizer and elevator together to test fit the tips. The hinge pin was really hard to get in - I may need to investigate why that was. The tips are close, they just need a little bit more sanding to provide more clearance for the elevator.
Both ends of the trim hinge peened
Build Time: 5 hours, 15 minutes
24APR2022
I finally pulled some rivets in the elevator. I've been struggling a bit with the elevator, so I'm really glad to get the rivets in. The only things left is the trim tab and hinge, cable tie mounts and the trim servo.
Build Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes
23APR2022
I received the L-angle replacement from Zenith this week, so today I correctly made the piece I messed up last weekend. I finished drilling the remaining holes to final size, then deburred and primed the last pieces. It should be ready to put back together tomorrow!
Build Times: 4 hours, 15 minutes
16APR2022
I made some really great progress on the elevator today!
I started the day with drilling out some rivets because I needed to remove the center channel in order to get inside to fit a support bracket. Then I finished cutting and drilling a few other support/stiffener brackets and got the trim hinge installed. My trim hinge was a bit too long, so I had to trim it down to fit.
I was working on the last L-angle that goes next to the trim servo and I made a silly mistake. I originally cut the angle to the correct length, but I was a little confused by the guide and the drawings and thought that it went on the bottom skin. It was too long for the bottom skin, so I trimmed it down and before I started drilling holes I realized it was supposed to go on the top skin. Ugh! I didn't have enough L-angle left to make a new piece, so I ordered some more from Zenith.
Next week will be disassembling, deburring and priming.
Build Time: 6 hours
15APR2022
Started drilling the stabilizer tips, riveted in the hinge and continued working on the elevator. I tried to fit the elevator and stabilizer together, but the tips are a bit too wide and causing interference with the elevator. I'll work on sanding those down a different day.
I also decided to make a spacer for the lower horn, like I did for the balance arm. I had a few mishaps with the spacer and had to remake it a couple of times. I also discovered that I'm going to need to take out the support channel that I already riveted in, which is kind of a bummer. (I guess I didn't read far enough ahead in the assembly guide, lol).
Lower Horn Spacer
Build Time: 4 hours, 45 minutes
10APR2022
I just prepped and primed a few parts today.
Build Time: 2 hours
09APR2022
Mostly worked on the elevator hinge today. I got everything match drilled and deburred, so tomorrow I'll be priming.
It's nice seeing the pieces fit together. 😀
Build Time: 4 hours
03APR2022
I made some good progress today!
Today started out not so great. I was struggling with getting the l-angles riveted to the channel support and ribs in the elevator. I just couldn't seem to get the rivet gun in there correctly. I ended up drilling out four rivets so that I could take the all the pieces out of the skin. I don't know why this one section seemed so hard, but I was feeling a little defeated. Thankfully Tom showed up and talked me down so that I wasn't too frustrated to continue working, lol. (Also the primer I brushed on didn't turn out the greatest, it's fine, but I'll just stick with the spray gun.)
After I finally got those pieces riveted together and back in the skin, I decided to go back to the horizontal stabilizer and work on the hinge. I had to trim a bit of the hinge off on both ends, then I clamped and started match drilling holes into the hinge. After drilling and deburring everything, I riveted in the doublers and attachment bracket. I had one rivet that didn't pull correctly. I guess I didn't have the gun totally square on it, but the head didn't sit flush against the doubler. I drilled the head off and had to use the dremel to sand it down so that I could punch the back side out.
Bad Rivet
(I already drilled the head off in the picture above, but you can see that it wasn't flush and expanded/mushroomed on the outside)
Build Time: 5 hours, 10 minutes
02APR2022
I upsized the hole I messed up in the center channel, filed down corners on l-angles, and primed a few pieces. I tried brushing on the primer this time. I had to put it on pretty thick and I'll sand it tomorrow and see how it turned out. I also didn't like the gap under the balance arm, so I made a spacer.
Previously ovaled hole - Upsized
Horn with No Spacer
Horn with Spacer
Build Time: 2 hours, 25 minutes
13MAR2022
Continued with the l-angles for the elevator today and fit up the balance arm and horn pieces.
I had a little trouble getting the l-angle holes back drilled and I ovaled one of the holes in the center channel. I'll take a look at it more next week, hopefully I can just go up a rivet size and not have to order a new piece.
Balance Arm cleoced in
Ovaled hole
Build Time: 3 hours