Stabilator skins

This morning I spent about 1.5 hrs clecoing the stabilator skins to the skeleton.  This afternoon with the help of S and B we were able to rivet both of the skins to skeleton in about 45 minutes.  We worked very efficiently together.  It is nice to have good help at these stages of the project.

Time: 2.25 hrs.

Right skin attached to skeleton

Right skin attached to skeleton

Skins clecoed in place

B helping to rivet the skins

Stabilator main skins complete

Stabilator skeleton

After over a week from not working on the plane it was good to get back to the project. All the stabilator parts we deburred, prepared for priming, and primed.  Both of the stabilator skins were prepared by priming the matting surfaces and deburring edges. The stabilator skeleton was then assembled and the hinges were placed.

Time: 5 hrs.

Priming of Stabilator Skeleton Parts

Priming of the matting surfaces of skin

Matting surfaces of skin primed

Skin ready for attachment to Skeleton

Assembly of Stabilator skeleton

Hinges on stabilator

Wings kit ordered

Since it will be about an 8 weeks time frame to get the wings kit I decided to go ahead and get it ordered today.  The empennage seems to be going together fairly quickly.  I didn't want to get it finished and then not have the wing kit here.  That gives me 8 weeks to finish the empennage which shouldn't be a problem.

Stabilator Spar / nutplates

Spent a little longer than planned placing the nutplates on the stabilator spar. It seemed like some I had to try several times with a few to get them flush. After trial and error I was able to get a system down and finally got them finished.

I attached the counter balance brackets to the front and aft spar and then started riveting the spar together. 

Time: 3 hrs. 

Nutplates in Spar

Counter Balance Brackets

Beginning of spar riveting

Stabilator begins

We got a great start on the stabilator today.  The RV 12 has what is called a "stabilator" which is a combination of the horizontal stabilizer and elevator.  We deburred and primed all the internal parts. We then worked on drilling of the upper and lower horns and the counter balance arm and bracket.  I did not take a picture of the drilling of the counter balance arm.  It took quite a bit of time to get the holes drilled in the arm. The tougher metal was harder on the bit and I think dulled the bit quite a bit, but we got the holes drilled.  The hard part came in taking the arm and brackets off of the spar.  I think the holes drilled leaved enough burr around the hole that the parts stuck together.  With a mallet and other tools we were finally able to get them apart.  We immediately deburred those holes so we won't have that problem again.

Time: 3.5 hrs.

Priming of Stabilator Spars

Placing clecos in stabilator spar in preparation for drilling of Upper and lower horns and Counter Balance brackets

Drilling of horns

Anti-servo Tabs

I was able to complete section 8 today of the Anti Servo Tabs.  Things went fairly smoothly.  All internal parts were primed with NAPA 7220.

Time 3.5 hrs

Skin Clecoed for match drilling

Match Drilling Hinge with guide

Priming with NAPA 7220

Riveting

Completed Anti-servo tabs

Rudder completed

Boy did I have some great help from N, T, and B this evening. We were able to get the rudder skeleton riveted and then the skin riveted on. We each took a part in the riveting process. One of us took clecoes out, another reamed the holes, another place the rivet in the hole and the fourth used the pop rivet gun to pull the rivet.

At the end of the day we had the VS and the rudder complete. A great accomplishment for beginners of aircraft construction. 

Time: 2.75 hrs. 

Test fitting rudder spar to VS hinges

B Riveting Rudder

Placing clecoes in rudder

Riveting rudder

Riveting rudder

Completed Vertical stabilizer and rudder

Vertical stabilizer completed

T and I worked this afternoon at getting the vertical stabilizer riveted and completed today.

We then spent some time priming the rudder components.

Time: 3 hours. 

T. Reaming holes for rivets

T. Riveting VS

Completed Vertical Stabilizer

Vertical Stabilizer Skeleton / Skin

More progress on the vertical stabilizer. I riveted the VS skeleton then riveted nutplates to the skin. It was a little tricky getting the rivets to go properly and had to remove a few at first. I was able to get the right placement if the main squeeze in order to get nice flag rivets and the rest seemed to go in well.

I decided to try and leave the plastic on the skins for now. I rounded off the tip of my soldering iron and using a straight edge was able to remove just the plastic around where the rivets will go. The plane will be roughened up for paint anyways, but I would like to keep it from getting too scratched up during the build. 

I clecoed the VS skin to the skeleton. It is all ready to rivet. 

Time: 2.5 hours. 

VS skeleton

VS skeleton

VS skin nutplate

VS skeleton clecoed and ready for riveting

Priming and First Rivet

We were able to spend some time today and actually put some parts together.  My new pop rivet gun, the Proset 1600, came in the mail today.  This was highly recommended by Wally at Synergy Air.  I know I could have spent $40 for a harbor freight gun and would have probably been fine, but with 12,000 plus rivets to place this one will make it more enjoyable I am sure.

I wiped down the VS skeleton parts with acetone and then sprayed them with NAPA 7220 primer. While that was drying N. and I started working on the rudder spar and ribs. we were able to get them drilled and deburred.

After dinner we went back to the shop and the primer seemed to be set enough to start riveting. We then placed our FIRST rivet of our RV-12. All five of us (the younger two were already in bed) were able to place a rivet on the hinges that attach to the VS.   The first parts of the airplane are not attached.

We had a little time so S. and I worked on getting the VS skeleton put together.  I had the first opportunity to remove a rivet while attaching nutplates to the VS spar. We had the nutplate clecoed at one end but must have moved before we riveted, as when I went to place the second rivet the nuteplate was not attached.  There was just a rivet in the spar. No problems though, I simply drilled out the rivet and placed a new one.  I am sure this won't be the last time I have to drill out a rivet.

Time: 2.5 hrs

New Pop Rivet Gun

Spraying Primer

Rudder Spar

Deburring Holes in Rudder Ribs

FIRST Rivet!!

FIRST Rivet!

S.'s first rivet

T.'s first rivet

N.'s first rivet

K.'s first rivet

Hinges riveted together

Riveting VS Spar

Start of VS skeleton

More vertical stabilizer work / Primer decision

Worked today some more on the vertical stabilizer. S. helped me this evening.  We got rest of the vertical stabilizer skeleton drilled, countersunk, deburred, scuffed and clean for primer.  We also started working on the VS skins with final drill and dimpling.

After debating in my mind whether to prime or not, I have decided to go ahead and at least prime the small parts and matting surfaces.  I may go ahead and prime the complete ribs and spars since it wouldn't take too much more work. I did not want to go through work and dangers of using an epoxy primer, so a self etching primer seemed a better fit for me. I was going to try and use SEM self-etch primer since some people seem to like the finish of it better, but couldn't find any locally.  Most of the builders around here that do prime seem to be using the NAPA 7220 Self etch primer and I was able to find it easily at the local NAPA store. I won't get to the priming until next week so we will see how it goes.  I will most likely switch to something else when we start the fuselage since it will have a better tendency to get scratched.

Hours: 3 hours

Deburring VS ribs

Scuffing parts to get ready for primer

Dimpling VS skin

Primer that I will be using (at least for now)