The HS is back on!! - 4 hours

The replacement front spars arrived from Vans! Wow that's quick....wow that was expensive shipping!! Going to have to save those up and be more efficient with my shipping.

I started work on laying out the required notches and cut then. My pilot holes where pretty close. I'm still have a tab bit of an issue getting the holes started right where I need them to be. I tried to use a small punch (with push pressure only) give myself a start point, but the drill still walks a tad due to the #30 pilot hole being so close to the rounded web. In any case I used a small round file and sorted the holes out and finished off with opening them up to 1/4" with a unibit. I then cut the flanges with snips and then flattened the flanges out. I used files to slowly and carefully open the notches and fillet them. I cleco'd the spars to the skins to mark the location of the last rivet hole in the skin (next to notch)  and then used a circle template around it to ensure maximum edge distance. After all was done... I was extremely pleased with how nice the spars turned out.

I was done working in the garage so I retired to the basement and finished off de-vinyling the elevators. All of the skins have now been de-vinyled. I have to say that it was quite relaxing and enjoyable once I figured out the 700 deg temp setting, the right iron tip, and the right speed. I could sit in front of the tv and just work away.

Two steps forward. Two steps back! - 3 hours

   

I started the day with a phone call to Van's to double check with the Vertical Stabilizer concern. They assured me all was ok if I used scotchbrite to remove the scratches to the alclad made by the nose and tip ribs. As long as I prime the spot all will be good. I ordered the HS front spars that I messed up and they will arrive by the time I get home from work tomorrow. When I got home from work started again on the rudder. I enlarged the hole in the R-904 Bottom rib and then proceeded to cleco all of the assembly together and then I matched drilled the holes. I see that I have two extra holes in the R-606PP plate the and the R-405PD horn. The holes don't show up on the plans, and a quick search on the forums yields nothing. It seems logical that these are for extra rivets for reinforcement so I match drilled them and intend to used the specified AN470AD-7 rivets.

Oh Wait....I missed one step. I didn't radius the R-405PD rudder horn to nest against the R-904 bottom rib. Started to take the assembly apart and noticed that because I match drilled everything. The holes attaching the bottom rib to the R-902 spar are oblong. Crap....(I just put in an order to vans this morning...Crap). Well I checked everything else and the holes for everything but the bottom rib are spot on. I guess I will have to replace the bottom rib.

I think from now on its best to work as much as I can on all the assembly and save up my needed replacement parts and group order them!

I give up for the rest of the night.....Tomorrow is a new day!       

After a couple of hours break....I couldn't help but keep working at it, so I de-vinyled the rudder skins

Started the rudder - 3 hours

Just didn't feel like putting in a big day today. Cut the R-915 stiffeners for the rudder. Trimmed them to size and cleaned up all the edges. I'm quite pleased on how they turned out. I cut the R-917 Shim. It's hard to figure out which scrap I should be using for all these custom fabricated pieces.        

Building the Vertical Stabilizer - 6 hours

Started for on the vertical stabilizer. The VS-808PP doubler was quite bowed from the shearing process. I very carefully worked on it to straighten it out. The shear marks were quite big so I rant it through the belt sander, then the 3M scotch brite wheel and finally the cut and polish wheel. I went over to home depot and picked up a variety of files. I used a file for the inner portions of the doubler. I cleco'd the doubler to the VS-803PP rear spar. Match drilled everything. I notice that I have an extra hole in my doubler that does not show up on the plans. It's just below the lightening hole (Third from the bottom). Right in-between where the "Holes drilled in assembly with fuselage". A quick review of Van's Airforce shows that the hole should be left open. I took time to take the vinyl off the vertical stabilizer skin and the elevators. I then cleco'd the VS skin on the spars and ribs and match drilled everything. I noticed the nose rib and the tip rim scraped the aluminum alclad while trying to put the skin on the frame. I used a scotchbrite pad to smooth out the scrapes and I intend to epoxy prime the insides of the skin, so corrosion will not be a problem in those areas.     

    

Official Start Day #1 - 7 hours

Found the MD-RA reply to letter of intent in my spam folder of my e-mail! So I guess I'm starting 10 days later than I could have...Sheesh!

Started for on the horizontal stabilizer - rear spar. Worked on HS609PP reinforcement bars. Cut the radius, broke the edges and ensured a good fit to the rear spar. Cleco'd and match drilled #30 the bars to rear spar. Elevator brackets were cleco'd and drilled. I enlarged the holes for the two ribs to #21. Everything went very well. As I was waiting for the primer on the flange bearing to dry, I started to work on the front spar. In trimming the flanges, and trying to enlarge the #30 hole with a uni-bit I totally destroyed the front spar....Crummy! I guess I will have to order new front spars and try again. When the primer was dry I went back to the flange bearing and riveted the brackets to the bearing. I cleaco'd the assembly to the reinforcement bars and match drilled the holes to #12.