Scott & Tanya Card RV9A build log (N4822C)

I completed final assembly/riveting of the vertical stabilizer first so that we would have something to put under the christmas tree. This is the first real riveting that I have done. I only had to drill out a total of three or four. I would call that pretty good.
I first riveted the rear spar doubler and hinge brackets together with the rear spar. Then the ribs and forward spar were assembled. The lower rib and forward spar intersection was a pain to rivet. I ended up just bending the forward bottom rib a bit so I could get to the rivet, then bent it back once it was assembled. That worked fine.
After the skeleton was assembled, I clecoed it into the skin. I loosely clamped the assembly to the bench for skin riveting. I used the thin flat bucking bar in the picture for many of the rivets where my 1lb. bar wouldn’t fit. It worked very well. I also used a little piece of rivet tape over the head on the skin to keep the marring of the skin to a minimum.

This is my first completed structure. It is very exciting to finally have a real airplane part come out of all of this. After Tanya removed the remaining blue plastic from the outside of the skin and cleaned it up with some MEK, we put it inside. I have been given a whole spare bedroom for parts storage.

 

  

  

skeleton assembly. Yes, it took all of those tools to do it.

  

  

spar doubler rivets

  

  

  

  

Finished!

  

 

We got all of the prepared parts primed today. The final finish isn’t anywhere near what I am aiming for, but it is fine for a light primer coat. I think I probably didn’t apply enough air pressure at the gun. I’ll do some tests before we take the paint booth down this week.

 

  

  

  

  

 

Ugh… That was a long day of acid etching and alodining in preparation of primer tomorrow. Maybe I should do smaller batches of parts next time. There is a picture of the “pile of parts” that I’ve been talking about (minus the skins). There were a few small glitches in preparation, but nothing major. Primer is next.

I also got the elevator counterbalance skins and ribs aligned, match drilled, and deburred today. The instructions sure are getting sparse. Much plans interpretation is required at this point. I have a lot of assembly and drilling to do for the elevators that isn’t even mentioned in the instructions. I guess this is preparation for the wing kit. Oh yeah, I ordered the wing kit yesterday! We should see the parts for the wings in two months!

 

  

  

  

 

Work has continued, but there isn’t much of interest to see. Just a whole lot of parts preparation for priming.

In the past week, the vertical stabilizer parts were all completed (drill, de-burr, dimple) and the rudder was begun. I cut all of the stiffeners for the rudder skins using snips and de-burred the edges. That was a boring process that took a couple of days. This past weekend, between Christmas parties and other stuff, I only got a few hours of build time in. I got the rudder skin stiffeners match drilled and ready for hole de-burring. I also worked on the rudder skeleton, trimming parts, match drilling, fitting, and fabricating some parts. Tanya spent a couple of hours carefully removing blue plastic from the skins. I believe that her help in such tasks will keep this from being a four year project.

Still not much to see, just a pile of parts. I suspect after I get all this stuff primed, riveting will go pretty quick and, poof, we’ll have stuff that looks like aircraft parts. I’m holding off on priming so long, not because I’m apprehensive about it, but because I am well aware of the mess and cleanup required.

We’re planning on ordering the wing kit in a couple of weeks.

This evening, I spent some time de-burring all the holes on the vertical stabilizer parts. I dimpled everything that required a dimple except for the skin. That is tomorrow. I’m considering trying another style of de-burring bit (from Avery). Sometimes the small Weldon style bit that I got from Cleveland Tool seems to create more of a burr than it removes.
No pictures today. Nothing of interest to see.