Finally I have some time on my hands so I dove into the
project. I dimpled both horizontal stabilizer skins and made sure to not dimple
the top side holes for the fairing. Starting with the left skin, I cleco'd then
tried to rivet HS-707 to the top side of the skin. I found that it was
difficult to get a solid platform to buck the rivets properly, so I cleco'd
HS-706 and HS-708 to both top & bottom of the skin and found riveting HS-707
considerably easier.
I then cleco'd HS-702 (and re-cleco'd HS-708) into the structure and then ran into my next issue. I found that I did not have enough clearance with the blind rivet tool and had an angled LP4-3 rivet between HS-707/HS-708. I drilled out the rivet (which ended up a tad oblong) and then uncleco'd HS-708 to slightly bend it out of the way. (I reasoned that the slightly oblong hole is ok since Vans indicated to me in the past that connection of a rib to a spar was not a major structural item and considering I am using pop-rivets...it was acceptable to proceed.) I proceeded with the construction as per the plans and ended up completing the riveting the left side horizontal stabilizer.
I then cleco'd HS-702 (and re-cleco'd HS-708) into the structure and then ran into my next issue. I found that I did not have enough clearance with the blind rivet tool and had an angled LP4-3 rivet between HS-707/HS-708. I drilled out the rivet (which ended up a tad oblong) and then uncleco'd HS-708 to slightly bend it out of the way. (I reasoned that the slightly oblong hole is ok since Vans indicated to me in the past that connection of a rib to a spar was not a major structural item and considering I am using pop-rivets...it was acceptable to proceed.) I proceeded with the construction as per the plans and ended up completing the riveting the left side horizontal stabilizer.
