Empennage

Rudder  (4 hrs )

Continuing page 7-7 with Dimpling.   RH & LH skins, flanges on ribs and spar, stiffeners.
Finally ready to clean all parts with Acetone.   Primed both sides after several hours drying on one side, but could have sprayed within minutes

Lots of small parts.   I'll do scuffed areas of rudder skins tomorrow - just not sufficient room for all at once.   Cold outside, but able to heat shop in mid 50's.   Used high intensity halogen lights to directly warm aluminum during and after spraying.

Empennage

Rudder  (4.5hrs)

Completed finl drill (ream)  holes on RH skin started yesterday with LH side per page 7-7.

Then onto Step 5: put slight bend on RH and LH skin trailing edges with roll former tool.   This will hold edge tighter to TE piece when riveted.

Hard to get good pic of slight bend.  This is prior to Acetone cleaning and Priming.

Next deburr ALL holes in both skins, all stiffeners, etc.      That's a lot of holes !

When that was done,  used maroon scotchbrite to scuff all mating surfaces (those with Alclad affected during processing.   I'm following sequence of  DDSDAP  (Drill, Deburr, Scuff, then Dimple, Acetone to clean, and Prime).    Van's tech support has told me OK to either prime before or after dimples...but I prefer after so can scuff surfaces better vs recessed dimples.  Also primer won't get removed during dimpling.

Empennage

Rudder (4.5 hrs)

Worked page 7-7 @ steps 1 & 2.   Cut trailing edge to correct length, and marked location in LH & RH rudder skins.     Set up drill press to #40 Drill Trailing Edge.  Used scrap Trailing Edge as wedge to orient 90 degrees to chord line of T.E.  Got idea from VAF forum in the Gotcha's thread.   [ see the xls file listed in Common traps  and mistakes -- in this case, a builder documented this recommendation]        

 Laser "crosshairs" really assist with initial set up at drill press.

 Step 3:  Attach LH and RH rudder skins, horn brace, and Attach Strips to Rudder skeleton.  Excellent fit of some complex parts, such as the horn brace.  

Lots of clecos required to set up for Final Drilling #40 holes with reamer.

100% cleco along trailing edge.   Worked from center outward toward top and bottom of rudder, alternately to provide minimum distortion.   Pleased so far with straightness of the T. E.

Also match drilled #40 leading edge one final hole at forward flange.   The fit of skins around counterbalance rib and tip rib seems really good.

Still need to complete one whole side.

Empennage

Rudder  (3.5 hrs)

Page 7-5.  Finished Step 2 riveting doublers, including Rudder Horn, Bottom Rib, & Shim.  Added plastic tie wrap clip with pop rivet.  Used several small washers to enable insertion from forward side (due to recess in clip).  Better to have rivet head on plastic vs expanding end.

Yeah!  Just in time, rec'd (6) K1000-6 platenuts, page 7-5.  Installed 2 needed 

Rudder skeleton is done,  so on to page 7-6.   Page 7-6: Step 1&2 cleco Tip Rib, Bottom Rib part B to skeleton.

Then cleco A to G stiffeners together (3 pieces each) and to skeleton.

Empennage

Rudder (1.5 hrs)

Step 1 on page 7-5:  Cleco assembly making rudder "skeleton" (spar, several doublers, etc).
 Proceeded to rivet per instructions in Step 2 & 3.  About 1/2 done before I needed to quit for the day.
Today I'd scheduled to go flying in the afternoon - and the weather was perfect.  Mid 40's and mostly sunny with moderate southerly winds.  Fun day in the air.

1 of 3 large K1000-6 platenuts installed in pics above.   These mount the swivel bearings "bolts" as part of the rudder hinges.  

Waiting on Van's delivery of 6 more - the original inventory was missing (only 1 of seven were in a bag in Empennage Kit discovered during inventoried back in Dec ).   They sent last week 6 more platenuts - but they were way too small !    So now they're re-sending the correct size with apologies. Unfortunately, of the 7 page inventory listed for the Empennage Kit, these were needed early in process.    Expecting tomorrow or Sat...so I'll work around by assembling the stiffeners.   Gotta remember to install before adding skins permanently....since other 2 platenuts will be enclosed !

Empennage

Rudder (2.5 hrs)

Page 7-4  at Step 9:   Scuffed using maroon scotchbrite ALL doublers, rudder spar, top rib, bottom rib, and counterbalance rib.  Also Rudder Horn (aluminum extrusion...without Alclad requires full coverage for corrosion protection).   This is prep to spray with self-etching primer.

Scuffed, but not yet cleaned via Acetone.

I've purchased a new brand of self-etching primer; Napa 7220.  Seems to cover better, dry quickly with less tendency to run...and I prefer the medium grey color.  My Vertical Stab interior was primed using Duplicolor self-etching primer - "army green".  It was OK, but from builders postings I believe the Napa 7220 is a better product.  Of course it costs more too.

Nap 7220 grey is dark enough to see coverage.

Still searching for a cost effective source for Sherwin Williams GBP988.   A local S-W automotive store wanted approx $20 a rattle can (12 oz) !  That's double Napa 7220 price.   I'm going to redouble my efforts via internet to find a good source at better prices.

Note:  Although some builders prime all interior parts completely, I don't believe cost & added weight are worthwhile.  Van's describes as optional.  Since I plan to always hangar my aircraft and avoid exposure to corrosive environments (such as coastal regions), I'm using a limited coverage approach.  My strategy:  prime anywhere two surfaces are mated and any aluminum not Alclad.  Since I'm buying Quick Build Wings and QB Fuselage,  those will be primed by Van's process using S-W P60G2 (no pigment).  This seems to be a "minimum" protection, so makes no sense to heavily prime remainder of airplane.

Shop Set Up

Used leftover (from spray booth) 4 mil visqueen to separate "shop" from rest of garage.    Temps in shop with 1500 watt quartz heater has been barely 50 F.   Central Illinois January weather has been about average, with overnight temps reaching 0F.  

This should enable at least 60F in shop, maybe more on coldest days.  And less air exchange whenever cars come and go, too.

 My wife will be much happier to join me when I need another hand.   Plus, the compressor is now on other side...maybe just a bit quieter, too.