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Rolled Rudder Leading Edge
15th August 2009
This was the first of several rolled leading edges in this airplane. The trick is to make sure you hold the pipe your using to roll the edge with down hard against the bench. If it lifts off the bench you’ll get a crease in the skin where the spar ends. (don’t ask me how I know)
With the new baby in the house it’s hard to find a second pair of hands so I really needed a solution that meant I could get this done by myself. After a quick search on VAF I have to thanks Dan Horton for this excellent idea.
I made up a couple of J-bolts from some screw in hooks. I trimmed them down a bit and straightened the bend out a little. Here is the before (bottom) and after (top) pic.
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The J-bolts hook over the pipe and hold it down while you turn the end of the pipe with a wrench.
I did the rolling in sections which I found easier to manage and meant I didn’t need as much force to turn the wrench. As you wind the leading edge rolls up and the control surface (rudder) slides forward across the bench. this worked really well.
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Rudder Trailing Edge
29th July 2009
After a lot of work tweaking things i finally got the trailing edges of the rudder skins to nest acceptably into the countersinks on the trailing edge wedge.
I mixed up some pro-seal and glued it in place. The whole assemble was cleco’d to a piece of pre-drilled aluminium angle to keep it straight while the pro-seal set. I also put a blob (technical term) of pro-seal between the left and right stiffeners where they meet at the trailing edge. This should support things and help resist the skin cracking in that area - a fairly common problem.
The pieces of filament tape are holding the trailing edge closed between some of the clecos where there was some slight bulging.
Rudder Assembly part 2
06th July 2009
Attached the rudder skins to the skeleton. There are a few rivets that I can’t get easily. I’ll think about the various options for setting them and come back to them later.
Skins attached except for the double-flush rivets on the trailing edge
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The last few rivets of the ribs of the rudder are tricky to set. I should be able to get all but the last one with my thin no-hole yoke. Then I will probably just use a blind (pop) rivet for the last one)
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I cant get these four either. The plans say you can use blind rivets here also but i am going to wait and try my longeron yoke which I have ordered.
Rudder Assembly part 1
03rd July 2009
Started to assembly the rudder today. Attached the nutplates and reinforcement plates to the rudder spar.
And riveted the rudder horn to the spar.
I couldnt get these two rivets with the squeezer so I had to buck them.
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 The tip rib was attached and the counterbalance skin fitted. I had to remove a small amount of lead to allow the rudder counterbalance weight to clear the rivet shop heads.
Counterbalance weight installed.
Primed Rudder parts
02nd July 2009
Got the rudder parts all primed today.
Countersunk Rudder Wedge
30th June 2009
Today I countersunk the rudder trailing edge AEX wedge. First I matchdrilled a piece of scrap angle to one of the skins. These holes provide a guide for the countersink bit pilot to stop it wandering, especially when doing the second side.
Matchdrilling the angle
I then cleco’d the wedge to the angle and countersunk both sides of each hole.
Wedge with countersunk holes. Looks good!