Horizontal Stab 18 (1.5 hrs)


Managed to make it into the shop tonight for a little bit.  I riveted the hinge brackets to the rear spar and then riveted the front spar.  I was a little concerned that my 2 of my countersinks on the HS-810 and HS-814 were a little too deep.  After discussion with my advisory team (Jack and Mike), I didn’t see a need to replace the part.  I did however want to add a little stability to the area to minimize any potential flex or movement, so I added a little JB Weld to the rivets.  I’ve really taken my time with riveting these two parts, since I’ve made a number of careless mistakes recently.

Here are some pics… and I think the first photo with me in it:

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One thing I noticed, and a quick reference over at RVPlane.com confirmed, some of Van’s recommended rivet lengths seem to be 1/16th long.  I noticed this on the hinges.  The resulting flattened heads seem to be fine either way, so I went with what Van’s had.  I think you will be well within tolerances either way, but make sure you use a gauge.

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Here is a photo with a little JB Weld that has seeped out.

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The front and rear spars hanging out together….

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Jack Savage gave me a large bag of lead shot to use as a weight / second set of hands.  Its already proved to be extremely useful for stabilizing items that are difficult to clamp.  I can’t recommend this bad boy highly enough.  I wrapped this one here with a little plastic and duct tape for protection.

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I will try to get to the ribs tomorrow.  My buddy Chad has said he will come out to help me sometime next week.  If I’m not done by then, I will certainly be able to find use for a second set of hands on riveting the skin.  If I am done, then I’m sure I’ll have some deburring for him to do! 🙂


About Peter

plbarrett.com | Certified Flight Instructor (Single & Multi-Engine, Instrument, and Advanced Ground) | Commercial Helicopter

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