[ The Frye RV-7 Project ] Friday, March 29, 2024  
 

 

Rudder Construction


 
The rudder is normally the third major section of building in the normal build sequence. I started the rudder slightly before finishing the HS (and well after finishing the VS) because a needed helper for the final riveting of the HS was under the weather. The rudder looks very "doable", and I'm quite excited about moving forward. If the pre-fabrication of the rudder (skins, and stiffeners, in particular) is any indication of what I have ahead .... this is going to be easy building.

(Update: See entry below about putting rudder work on hold waiting for an updated rudder kit from Van's.)


Started Prep for Rudder
My rivet helper with the little hands was under the weather today, so I didn't get the work done on the HS as expected. Therefore, I started work on the rudder.

Mainly I pulled all the parts from storage. In doing so, I had a really great surprise. Since my HS was only partially match-drilled I expected the rudder to be much the same. To my surprise the rudder was fully match-drilled, and I had the rudder stiffeners which were also pre-drilled and marked for cutting! When I inventoried these a blue-million-years ago, I didn't know what the heck I was looking at. Therefore, I had not realized how much prep work had already been done. This was a truly great surprise for me. :)

Along with pulling down the parts, deburring the edges, and studying the plans, I started to work on the V-jig and rounded the corners on the rudder control bracket. I also made a run to Lowe's to get the materials needed to build the "trailing edge bending brake" and a piece of plywood to use as a surface into which I can drill and cleco. General shop organizing took up a little (unlogged) time, as well.
Time : 2.0 hours

Mounted the Rudder Jig
We reinforced the bottoms of the V-blocks for the rudder jig and mounted it on the horizontal beam of the H-frame jig in the shop.
Time : 1.0 hours

Prepared Rudder Stiffeners
I snipped the pre-punched stiffeners from the lengths of aluminum angle and marked them for trimming. Wouldn't ya know it, I trimmed the first one (a fairly short one, where the center of the trim was close to the center of the stiffener) wrong. I recovered by "snitching" some material from the angle stock to be used for the elevators, and I may need to replace that in time .... but for now, I'm moving forward on the rudder. :)

I also primed the stiffeners, since they had been cut and scuffed up with the Scotchbrite. Along with that, I drilled the rudder horn and trimmed the XXXX, and primed them as well. I'm ready now to drill the stiffeners to the skins.
Time : 2.0 hours

Rudder Info from Van's
I happened to be in Oregon a few weeks after the initial reports about the disappointing RV-7 spin behavior, and around the time of the first reports about a replacement rudder. I decided to visit the factory and got the scoop. They did spin-test with another (larger) rudder, and found the spin characteristics to be right where they wanted them. The new rudder is essentially an RV-9A rudder. The plan (as it was detailed to me) was that all builders would get new rudder kits shipped, with the first ones going to those builders who were closer to completion. These will be made available free of charge! Great service from Van's!

So, rudder construction goes on hold ... and I move on to elevators. I'll come back to rudder construction once I have the new kit in hand! This means I have wasted about 5 hours of construction effort, but so it goes. :)

Rudder Inventoried
I received the replacement rudder kit quite a while back, but had not even opened the box much less inventoried the kit. (Yes, I know there was a little risk that I'd discover something missing long past the time I could complain, but it was a small risk.) Tonight I decided it was a good time to start the rudder, and got the kit down from where I stored it on a high shelf, and inventoried it. Everything was there as expected.

The rudder construction is ... officially ... started.

After inventorying I spent a little more time and got all the stiffeners rough-cut out, got the "sacrificial table" out of storage, and did the initial laying out of stiffeners on one skin. Time for a turkey sandwich now, though, so I'm taking a break (maybe for the night, since some friends are getting together at a coffee shop nearby and we might go visit a bit).
Time : 2.25 hours

Trimmed Right Side Stiffeners
I had a little time this morning before we needed to head out for some family activities ... and got the right-side stiffeners trimmed and the edges deburred/Scotchbrited. I'll get more finished up tonight. This is such nice simple work, it is downright soothing. :)
Time : 1.25 hours

Drilled Stiffeners to Rudder Skins / Riveted Right Skin
I got out in the shop this morning and spent some time drilling the stiffeners to the right skin. I deburred them all, and Scotchbrited the stiffeners to prepare them to be primed. Waiting out the rain I also dimpled the right skin and deburred (with a small Scotchbrite wheel on my die grinder) the edges of the right skin.

Given that we have a light rain today (but no wind) I set up a small tarp to cover my priming rack. Since I just had these few stiffeners to prime it worked fine and let me proceed in the order I wanted to proceed today .. and I did get the right rudder stiffeners riveted to the skin.

I also trimmed/shaped the left rudder skin stiffeners, and got them drilled to the skin. By that point my back needed a break (and dinner was about ready) so I called it a day.
Time : 6.25 hours

Deburred/Dimpled/Primed Stiffeners
I have had an evil cold (defined as a cold that makes me take days off from work) this week .. so have gotten little done. I'm not 100% yet, but could not let the Saturday go by with getting nothing done. I played with rudder cable exit fairings, and then deburred, dimpled, and primed the stiffeners for the left rudder skin. I also pulled off all the (evil, nasty, stubborn, *grrrr*) blue plastic from the skin and deburred the stiffener rivet holes. I'm ready to dimple the skin, but am exhausted so am stopping before I cause a relapse in my cold! Tomorrow will be better.
Time : 1.5 hours

Rudder Progress / Riveting, etc.
I'm still getting over the cold, but getting a little done on the plane anyway. I deburred the skins (mainly the edges), dimpled the skin, and riveted the stiffeners. My code started to get the better of me, so I took a break (lunch, resting, etc.).

In the afternoon I started assembly of the rudder skeleton. I clecoed the counterweight and tip ribs, the reinforcement plates, the rudder horn (and shim I fabricated as well), and match drilled everything appropriate for this phase of the work. I then clecoed the skins in place ready to be match drilled ... but called it a day when the cold started to annoy me again. Even so, I'm pleased to have gotten this much done over the weekend considering how nasty this cold (mainly a cough, today) has been.
Time : 4.5 hours

Rudder Drilled/Deburred/Primed - Skeleton Completed
My cold (ok, it was diagnosed as bronchitis by the doctor after all, which is why I've done so little this last week) is finally getting better and letting me work in the cold cold shop. I final drilled everything, deburred everything (with help from Theresa), dimpled and countersunk everything, and primed those things that I felt I wanted to prime.

I also riveted together the skeleton (not much to that!) and am ready to finish the rudder (except for trailing edge) tomorrow. A good days work, all in all.
Time : 7.25 hours

Riveted Counterbalance Skin
Today is one of those days that got away from me. Between running some errands in the morning, doing lunch with the family, finding and buying a Christmas tree, putting said tree up, taking my daughter to get some of her Christmas shopping done, and a million other little things ... the day is gone. I insisted on doing *something* so carved out a little time to rivet the counterbalance skin to the lower rib, and install the lead weight. Better than not touching the project at all!
Time : 0.5 hours

Countersunk AEX Wedge
I used my AEX wedge countersinking block and quickly cut all the countersinks in the trailing edge AEX wedge. That was done before dinner, and then I took a little time to resolve a small fit problem. :) Remove a few rivets, fix a little fit issue, and put a few rivets back in. I figure if you aren't drilling out rivets ... you aren't getting anything done. (A salve to my ego, that saying .. as I really wish no rivets ever had to be drilled out!) A little shop cleanup when done rounded out the evenings work .. and now the family is watching Miracle on 34th Street .. a Christmas favorite.
Time : 1.25 hours

Drilled "Straight-edge" Angle / Primed Wedge
I had a little time after the EAA 1114 meeting but before the family went to lunch so did a little work out on the shop. I figured out what was going to be needed to transport the wings tomorrow (some plywood and other misc. items, which I'll get after lunch). I also primed the AEX trailing edge wedge and drilled the "straight edge" piece of scrap angle to the trailing edge of one of the skins. It'll be used to keep the edge straight while the Proseal is curing.

More after lunch ........ though that'll be on the wings. I need to build an addition for the wing cradle to protect the wings during transport tomorrow.
Time : 1.75 hours

Family Signatures :)
You might think this silly, but I've been wondering where might be a good spot to "embed" signatures from the family in the airplane. Everyone in the house has pitched in one way or the other, and I've felt I wanted everyone to have a "mark" on the plane. Somehow it has seemed best, even, if that mark was hidden within the plane so the casual observer would never even know it was there.

Then I looked at the lovely expanse of clean aluminum between all the rudder stiffeners ... and realized I had my spot. I took a shot of each signature (seen here) before I closed up the rudder for good. Now my family will always be flying with me. I like that.

Ready to Rivet
I clecoed the whole rudder together and am ready to rivet. I might wait until I'm ready to Proseal the trailing edge to rivet past the spar (to make it easy to pry the skins apart and gently lay the AEX wedge in place trying to keep as much of the Proseal where it belongs as possible). However, after a small amount of puttering in the garage I spent some time with Dennis (who had a bunch of his tools stolen, and wanted to borrow some of mine). After that it was time to do Christmas stuff with the family. Looks like this is going to be a weekend thin on airplane work ... but time will tell. :)
Time : 0.25 hours

Started Riveting Rudder
I started riveting the rudder and got all the rivets ahead of the spare on the counterweight set. I also set the two LPS-4 rivets that hold the tip rib onto the spar. That didn't take all the time indicated in this entry, but I'm counting time spent on some other odds and ends here. This included setting a few awkward rivets on the fuselage where I had to replace a forward longeron some time ago. I also re-plumbed my compressor to add in a new regulator/filter (again, since I did this days ago but wanted to change how it was installed).
Time : 2.25 hours

More Rudder Riveting
I had a little time before dinner to spare, and spent the time riveting on the rudder. I riveted the rudder brace and one side of the spar. Easy riveting ... thanks to my 6" thin-nose no-hole yoke. I used the longeron yoke to get into the brace. I'll still need to use the gun to drive the rivet up in the corner, inside the brace, against the spar. Should be easy with a little bucking bar. What a plesant way to spend an hour! :)
Time : 1.0 hours

Rudder Riveted / Pro-Sealed Trailing Edge
Today I pro-sealed the trailing edge and clecoed it to the aluminum angle I pre-drilled days ago. I also riveted all the rivets (except those on the trailing edge, of course). All in all a plesant way to spend the last day of the year.

Now I just need to let the pro-seal cure ... probably for a week given that it is somewhat cold and it'll take a while for the curing to complete. I will then take the angle off and see how big a mess I have to clean up!
Time : 2.5 hours

Pro-Seal Cured / Rudder Finished
I'm trying to sneak in some airplane work today in the middle of some family activities .. and did get a little done this morning before I had to head out. I un-clecoed the angle and cleaned up the small amount of pro-seal that had gotten out. I also started to roll/rivet the leading edge since that was an easy (and incremental) task. I only got two out of three sections done before lunch with the family.

After lunch Greg Vouga and Dennis Roberts came by and helped me ponder how best to rivet the rudder. I ended up alternating rivet head directions, and did my initial partial setting of the rivets with my pneumatic squeezer. Aside from having to flip the rudder over time after time after time after ... well, you get the idea ... it worked great. The rudder trailing edge in particular came out straight as an arrow. Way cool.
Time : 5.00 hours

 

 

Total Time : 42.50 hours 


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