Scott & Tanya Card RV9A build log (N4822C)

With the ailerons mostly riveted together, I figured it was a good time to take a mid-week day off of work to bang on flaps and ailerons all day. I started by finishing up riveting the second aileron skins to the spar. This is definitely slow going. I mostly used my 4″ squeezer yoke as a bucking bar. I then setup to proseal the trailing edges of both ailerons. You don’t have to do this, but I like the security of a bonded edge before I dive into setting the double-flush rivets and attempting to get a straight edge out of it. Also, with the two piece aileron skins (different than on a -7), it is nice to have the very, very edge bonded so it doesn’t lift apart when the rivet is driven. Also, since I’m now a “pro” with proseal (yeah, right) after having completed the tanks, there doesn’t have to be any drama involved. So, yep, I prosealed the aileron trailing edges and set them aside. Big deal. I’ll set the rivets in a couple of days and they’ll be done.

With that done, I moved on to assembling the gazillion parts for the flap skeletons. First the nose rib and hinge assemblies get riveted together. This involves five parts sandwiched together for each of six assemblies. I was able to squeeze all of the rivets with the longeron yoke. Then those assemblies get riveted to the main spar as well as the nine ribs. I find that I’m going to have to buck five rivets on each flap skeleton because I can’t get to them with the squeezer.

So that is where I finished after a full day of mid-week building. I’ll get Tanya to help shoot those few rivets on the flap skeletons. These are AN470AD4-7 rivets that are usually a traumatic experience when we have to shoot them. Maybe it will go better this time. Some of the primary tips that we have learned for driving these are: Put a couple layers of tape or something over the cupped rivet set to keep from beating the crap out of the rivet head. Don’t hold the bucking bar too tight on the tail of the rivet. It must bounce a little bit to do it’s job.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

This weekend, I completed priming all of the flap and aileron parts via the familiar process of clean, acid etch, alodine, and prime. Then I was able to start assembly. I got one of the ailerons riveted together except for the trailing edge. The plans call for -3.5 rivets on the spar. I chose to use -4 rivets. There are a lot of parts that make up both flaps and ailerons. Now they just have to be riveted together.

I used a combination of a 1×4 and a 2×2 with my 25lb. bags of lead shot to weight down the ailerons at various stages of the process. One of the tricks that are usually learned too late is how to set some of the solid rivets at the very narrow end of control surfaces. The trick is finding a very strong and narrow tool that you can bang on with the flat set on top of the back rivet plate. I have found that either a masonry chisel or a nail puller (pictured) work very well.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

I spent a great deal of time disassembling and preparing all of the flap parts for primer. I finished deburring all holes and edges, then machine countersunk the spars and trailing edges, and dimpled the skins and ribs. A whole lot of work with little to show.

David came over to use my sheet metal brake to bend some parts for his fuselage.

 

  

  

 

David and I went out to the ABF freight terminal today to pickup my fuselage kit. It just barely fit in his truck. We got it back to my garage safe and sound. I spent the rest of the day unpacking and inventorying all of the parts. There are a lot of them. That was a very fun day. Kinda’ like Christmas in July.

Tanya’s niece Erica was here for the weekend so she helped get all of the packing paper in the trash. Watson got in on some of the action too. He goes bonkers for ripping up paper. It is his favorite thing to do and there was lots of it. By the end of the day, we had both crates cut up with the chainsaw and out to the curb for trash pickup. I must say I was amazed that they took the chopped up crates without being broken down or bundled or anything. Tanya said they would (how did she know that?). I have learned to just accept some minor mysteries.

Update: I spent much of the morning of the next day finishing up inventory and storage of all of the fuselage parts. Everything is accounted for and in good condition. No missing parts or back ordered items.

With my fuselage kit, I ordered a bunch of other random materials that I thought I might want. This included some large pieces of three thicknesses of aluminum sheet, six or seven assorted six foot lengths of aluminum angle, a selection of platenuts and other hardware. Included in these extras that I wanted were some K1000-06 platenuts to be used with #6 screws. What I got were these huge platenuts for something like a 3/8″ bolt. A K1000-06 is a small platenut for a #6 screw right? Or did I order the wrong thing? I think these are going back to Vans.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

I’m picking up my fuselage crates at ABF tomorrow. I’m still working on flaps and ailerons.