Flaps 4 (3.0 hrs)
In the last session I was able to finish match drilling the structure of both flaps and cut the 706B and 708 angles. I did not drill or bend these angles. So that was the project for tonight. But, when I began to un-cleco everything something didn’t look correct. All of the ribs on Van’s diagram (left flap) faced towards the wingtips, but that was not the case on the right flap. The interior ribs faced opposite the end ribs. Its not uncommon for ribs to be a mirror image of one another, but usually they mirror each other in the same way. I started to think I had installed the 705 interior ribs backwards. So I went to a few builder sites. On rvplane.com there was only a picture of the left skeleton, so I couldn’t see the one in question. I went to a few other sites, and from the pictures it looked like I had installed them incorrectly. But then…I noticed this little note on the diagram. I have no recollection of seeing this before, but when I assembled the flap skeletons I must have seen it because I did it correctly. Interestingly, I found at least two RV-8 builder blogs where the builders did not do this. Time to turn my attention back to the angles by match drilling both sets. Then it was time to put a 6.5 degree bend in the 708’s. Well, I don’t have vice but I know someone who does! I didn’t measure the 6.5 degree bend. I did my best to eyeball it as I was bending it.And then I used the rivet holes int he bottom skin to check for the correct angle like this. It took a few times to get it right, but both angles were done perfectly and rather quickly.I finished up by match drilling to the spar and ribs. The flaps are completely ready for the deburr, dimple, and prime stage. My hangar mate’s plane is still off for its annual inspection, so I’m hoping to get to the priming stage before he returns.