fixes

Horizontal Stab 12 (2.5 hrs)

This entry was posted in Empennage Horizontal Stab and tagged fixes mistakes on by

I decided to use some scrap aluminum that I have laying around to see what a shim might look like for the HS-404 problem I have.  In the first picture you can see the slight mis-alignment of the holes in the HS-404 and the front spar…

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Here’s the shim I made from scrap aluminum:

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And here is the shim between the HS-404 and the front spar:

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After I made the shim, I posted to Rivetbangers and decided to mull over the problem a little more as I did some more work on the stab.  I match drilled the entire right horizontal stab with the exception of the HS-404 (due to the above).  The outside portions of the HS-810 and HS-814 reinforcement pieces still need drilled as well.  I took the stab back apart and deburred and scuffed all the parts in preparation for priming.  I’m going to do the same thing for the left side, and by the time I’m done, I should have come to a decision on my two problem parts.  Right now I’m leaning towards replacement.  While there are a few very workable solutions, I don’t like the idea of compounding errors.  In the case of the HS-404 we could potentially have the shim AND the mis-aligned holes.  Aligning the holes may very well create another problem… edge distance.  With regards to the HS-405 on the other side, Mike Bullock’s solution may well be the way I go… re-drill, maybe add a third rivet, and press on.  I assume you have to pay attention to edge distance between holes as well…

Here are pictures of the prepped parts ready for priming:

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Horizontal Stab 5 (1.75 hrs)

This entry was posted in Empennage Horizontal Stab Tools and tagged fixes practice workshop on by

I got a bunch of stuff done this weekend, and a tiny little bit done on the plane too.

First, tools! My shipment from Avery arrived… I now have everything I need to deburr, plus a back rivet set. I did a Lowes run and bought some miscellaneous items I needed. Many of my new tools had not been set up, so that was my main project for the day. I set up my cutting wheel, and bench grinder with the scotch-brite wheels.  I also added connections to many of my air tools, and ran some extension cords for lighting. My die set has some additional pieces, so I also drilled spots on the organizer block and labeled all the parts.

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The safety guard on the cutting wheel has got to go.  It makes it hard to see, and gets in the way.  I’ve got good safety glasses.

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The C-Frame I bought, does not have a spring mechanism, and I know this will be come a pain in the butt when it comes time to dimple, so I made a very quick redneck fix with an old spring, a washer and a zip tie.  I’ll have to think of a more permanent solution going forward.

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I did my practice kit “homework” and deburred all the surfaces. I wanted to drill the skin and ribs, but noticed a slight length discrepancy between the skin and the spar. Figured I’d wait on Mike before I potentially mess it up any further. I’m already worried about the holes in the reinforcement spar being within an acceptable distance from the edge.

After deburring the practice kit, I measured the cuts required to the reinforcement bar.

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And made the cuts with my new cutting wheel.

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Getting the 6 degree angle was fairly easy since I had the old angle as a guide.

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Here’s the final product after deburring and cleaning up.  Lines up perfectly.

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As far as planning goes, once I get a little more practice with some of the other skills, the horizontal stabilizer will not be far from done.  I’ve decided to use AKZO as my priming system, and will have to put an order into Aircraft Spruce as soon as I have the funds.

It feels good to have done something other than buy tools, make plans, and set up the workshop.  While just a small item, I’m getting impatient and it feels good to finally move forward.