Pete and Tad's RV-9 Build

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Trim Tab

Tad was able to stop by last evening and we got most of the trim tab ready for riveting. Tad built the bending break so we could complete the bend of the trim tab itself. This turned out pretty good and we just did a little at a time to make sure not to over do it. After fussing with it for a bit it turned out really good. We were both pretty happy with it.
Next was to bend the tab at either ends. We tried it first on a sample piece to gauge the bend on it and decided to sand the bending blocks a little to ease the radius a bit. Tad did the honours of slowly bending the tab down. We continued match drilling the tab and finished off by countersinking the holes where the hinge will go on the spar. The bottom of that spar has dimples that mate up with the skin.
Tad has taken the parts and will prime them... next will be drilling the hinge and riveting it together.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Left Elevator Part II

Tad and I were able to get some work done on the Left Elevator Thursday and today(Sunday). After Thursday's work session Tad took the parts home to prime and that is where we started today. Assembled the main skeleton section, minus the rear spar(trim tab) and riveted all the stiffeners to the skin. We also countersunk the rear spar where the hinge will go for the trim tab.
So, the next session will be installing the skeleton into the skin of the elevator and then working on the trim tab.
We are nearing the end of the pre-inspection work. Soon we'll have it inspected and finish off the emp. by closing all the sections.
Then the wings will be next!

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Monday, May 11, 2009

Left Elevator

Tad came by today to work on the Left Elevator for a while. About 4hours work. All parts are almost ready for primer. Still need to counter sink the T.E. Spar where the hinge attaches to the trim tab and match drill the bottom stiffeners to the skin. We have a few extra stiffeners coming as a few were cut short... neither one of us are sure why, how that happened. Anyway, we'll probably work on the T.E. Spar and the Trim tab this week, hopefully!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Elevator work continued...

Well, we had another good productive day working on the RV 9 Elevators. Last work session left the Right Elevator ready for riveting to the spar and Ribs. We ended up using a small Tungsten bar and that really did a great job. Tad has a pretty good eye for using those bucking bars now so I continued doing the Rivet gun side. It really wasn't as bad as we were anticipating it to be. Just took our time and within an hour it was done. Even manged to buck the "problem rivet" on the counter-weight skin without too much problem.
So, it is ready for inspection now and we started on the Left Elevator. Match drilled the shaped stiffeners and then deburred most of the pieces. The stiffeners are dimpled as well. We'll probably get the spar and everything else matched drilled and then send them off to Tad's workshop to have them primed.
This Elevator has the Trim-tab on it though so it will involve a little more work to finish.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Monday, April 13, 2009

Continue Right Elevator

We've had 2 good work days only in the last little while but have most of the right elevator ready to be riveted to the spar.
Yesterday we did all the rivets for the spar, skin stiffeners, nut-plates,etc. The out-board rib to spar rivets gave us some grief. They just wouldn't set straight. So we fussed with that for over an hour i think. So basically we have the Skeleton together and is ready for the skin. We decided to stop there and tackle riveting the skin on a fresh day. We've read and heard it can be tricky to do... or maybe just time consuming as it will be tough to get in there to buck the rivets. We'll see.
Of course in Canada we have pre-close inspections so we'll go as far as possible but all trailing edges will be left open. I hope by mid-may we'll be ready for those inspections and then we'll be over one hurdle.

Right Elevator Spar - Nut-plates riveted on.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Right Elevator Inward Rib - Flush rivets used as control horn covers this.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Monday, March 16, 2009

Elevator, Day 1

Yesterday, we started on the Elevators. Cutting the stiffeners to size and then match drilling to the Skin. Having two people do this was much easier as the skins for both the top and bottom are one and already formed to shape. We used a bit of tape to assist holding open one side of it then we drilled directly into the board underneath and this held down the opposite side to the table. It worked out pretty well and didn't take too much time at all.
Tad also deburred all the edges of the Right skin while I was cutting out the stiffeners and cleaning up one end of them.
We also matched-drilled the nut-plate reinforcements E910 on the spar and match drilled the counter-balance skins/ribs. Tad did the Fluting on those ribs and got them nice and straight.

Tad has taken the stiffeners to sheer the angle on the one end. They still need to be deburred and primed.

Next we'll do some match drilling of the spar to the skin.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Rudder Progress...

Well, we are still working on the RV... just been a little slow lately because of work mainly. Both Tad and I have been pretty busy but that is a good thing because we are raising $$$ for the next part of the project. WINGS! That will be expensive and the way the exchange is looking, it isn't getting better.
So, we have most of the Rudder ready for inspection...just have a few rivets to get right near the trailing edge of the top rib. Tad is making us a nice custom bucking bar for that.
Folks, you should see Tad's custom tooling he's done already. We had to Dimple a bigger hole for the counter-weight and didn't have one. Tad majically arrived at the next building session with a beautiful dimple die he made at his shop. I was pretty impressed with that and of course it did a perfect dimple! Way to go Tad!
A good airplane building partner is a rare thing i think.

Tad made a nice Back-riveting plate...

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

and of course our modification to reach some particularly difficult rivets!

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Rudder

Spent the last couple of weeks, when time allowed, working on the Rudder. Tad cut and shaped all the stiffeners for the Rudder at his shop and we have match drilled those to the skins. Also, we have assembled the skeleton of the Rudder and fluted, matched drilled those. Next, is deburring the very thin skin and stiffeners and then prime and back-rivet them together.
The Rudder is going together great so far. Taking a bit more time to complete as things have been busy but i am hoping to do a bit more today and then tomorrow night.

We are up to about 68hours so far on this tail kit.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Vertical Stabilizer

Well we have completed the Vertical Stabilizer(at least as far as we can go for inspection reasons).
We had a couple of rivets we weren't completely satisfied with so we took those out and have replaced them. The VS went together fairly quickly...always takes lots of time to match drill, debur, prime,etc. We basically assembled the entire VS in two evening shifts. One for the Rear Spar and Skeleton and one for the skin.
We just have two small 3.5 rivets on the Nose rib to do as we don't have a proper, ie small enough, bucking bar to reach in there.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Trying to protect the surfaces from scratching.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Parts are ready for primer.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Rear spar Riveted together.

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Almost finished... leaving rear spar off and will cleco it on(for inspection reasons)

From Pete and Tad's RV-9a Build

Next will be Shaping the stiffeners for the Rudder assembly! Tad will probably take those to his shop to shape them up.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Almost finished it off...

Well, another day in the shop...
We riveted the skin to spar and ribs and almost have it all completed now. We still need to drill out the rear hinge bracket assembly and then it will be ready for inspection. The rear spar is just clecoed on for now.