2.0 Hours -
Even though my birthday isn’t until the end of the month, I received a birthday present from my girlfriend today. She asked me what I wanted, and then chipped in for a JD Air Parts tailwheel link. This link will connect the rudder to the tailwheel and replace the steering chains and springs provided by Van’s. Like her present to me last year, a pitot mast, I probably won’t be ready to install this until my birthday next year. Oh well, at least I have my first tailwheel part!
The first tailwheel component I've received! This tailwheel steering link from JDair.com will replace the chains provided by Van's.
After inspecting the tailwheel link for a few minutes, I headed to the garage to get some quality time with my aileron parts. I focused on the right aileron today, and started by dimpling all the parts. Almost everything could be dimpled with the squeezer, but there were a couple of problem areas that required other tricks.
The first problem area was the aft most holes on the aileron ribs. The top and bottom flanges are too close to get the squeezer in, and I couldn’t manage to get my pop-rivet dimpler in there either. I rummaged through my tool box to figure out another method and saw the small piece of steel with countersinks in the corners that I made during empennage construction for just this purpose. The countersink is the female die, and the male die is pounded into the piece with a mallet.
I had to use my steel dimpling plate, made during empennage construction, to dimple the aft most holes in the aileron ribs.
The second problem area was the leading edge skin holes that are used to attach the counterbalance pipe. Because of the curvature of the skin, you can’t use a female dimple die on the inside. In this case, the plans direct you to cleco the pipe in place and use the countersinks as the female die. The male die was then hit with a mallet from the other side. These dimples weren’t perfect, but the plans explain that they don’t need to be because the rivet and skin are soft enough to conform to the countersink when the rivets are set.
To dimple the leading edge's counterbalance holes, I used the counterbalance as the female die and then pounded the male die with a mallet.
After everything was dimpled, it was finally time to start final assembly of the aileron. The first step was to rivet the nose ribs to the counterbalance pipe using a single pop-rivet on each rib.
The first rivets set in the aileron attach the nose ribs to the counterbalance pipe.
Both nose ribs riveted to the counterbalance pipe with pop rivets.
Then, the leading edge skin and aileron spar are clecoed to the nose rib assembly and the nose ribs are riveted to the spar. These rivets (3 per side) could be easily reached with my squeezer.
The second group of rivets set attach the nose ribs to the spar.
Finally, the aft skin is clecoed to the top of the spar/forward skin, but the bottom is left open for access to rivet. I started to rivet the top side of the spar, but after the first few rivets, access started to get a bit awkward. My Dad is coming over on Sunday, so I’ll try to get the left aileron to this same stage and then have him help me finish riveting the top sides.
The third group of rivets to be set attach both skins to the top of the spar. I set a few, but will wait for a riveting partner for the rest.
