Dimpled rudder stiffeners

Dimpled the rudder skin

Planning ahead

Spent tonight building a spreadsheet with everything that needs to be in this plane.
This is to get an idea of the cost, which is obviously fairly scary.
But also determining the choices I'll need to make for the electrical components and any items I might need to factor in during the earlier parts of construction, such as wiring runs.
Right now my plan is to have a dual electrical system, and avoid any vacuum driven instruments, and not install a vacuum pump at all.
As for panel layout, I am currently looking at a variation on the 'standard six-pack'.

The standard six pack is how instruments are typically laid out in production aircraft and is how most instrument rated pilots learn to fly on the gauges.
It has six primary flight instruments in 2 rows, going from top left to right, we would have:

• Air speed Indicator ( aka the 'ASI', not powered )
• Artificial horizon - typically vacuum powered.
• Altimeter ( not powered )

Then on the 2nd row, we have from left to right:

• Turn Coordinator - typically electrically driven, this is used to determine 'standard rate' turns for Instrument ( IFR ) flying and also shows 'the ball' which shows if the aircraft is flying straight or 'skidding' or 'slipping'.
• Directional Gyro (DG) - This shows direction, like a compass, but stabilized with a gyroscope since a normal compass has lots of idiosyncracies ( spelling? ) when actually changing direction or under accelleration forces, this is typically vacuum powered.
• And finally on the lower right, the vertical speed indicator which shows the rate of climb or descent ( feet per minute here in the US ), not a powered instrument.

In my preferred layout

• The artificial horizon is replaced by an Electronic Flight Information System (EFIS), which may also include engine monitoring capability, the one i am currently investigating is the Advanced Flight Systems AF-3400.
  This instrument will, on it's own, give me everything all of the other instruments listed above give, plus more, and as such will be placed top center of my instrument panel.
• The DG is replaced with a combined HSI/DG.
  A HSI, is a Horizontal Situation Indicator, it shows gyro stabilized direction plus the needles for the navigation radios VORs, Localizers and Glideslopes, and GPS courses.
  

Outside of the standard six pack panel layout, on the right hand side will be the navigation radios & GPS unit, currently looking at a Garmin GNS430W and a Garmin SL-30 NAV/Com, and a Garmin GTX-330 Mode S transponder, with traffic and upgradability to ADS-B.
Also investigating 2-axis auto pilot.

This full setup will give me plenty of redundancy both in terms of flight instruments and navigation aids, while still fitting into the limited space afforded by the Tandem ( as opposed to side-by-side ) seating in the RV-8.

Powerplant wise, I am looking at a 180 HP Lycoming IO-360 (Fuel Injected), with Unison electronic ignition, coupled to an MTV15 2-blade composite hydraulic variable pitch prop.
I prefer 2 blades over 3 for efficiency cross country, Composite in case I have a prop strike as it is less likely to cause major engine damage in that situation, and hydraulic variable pitch for efficiency and aerobatic capability, also planning for inverted oil and fuel.

Clearly, all of this is costing many $, so compromises are to come i am sure, but now i have a good idea of what i am looking for.

Last of the rudder stiffeners

The last 2 rudder stiffeners arrived today. So I wasted little time in trimming them and getting them attached to the rudder skin.
Then I drilled the rudder stiffener to skin attach holes out to their full #40 size, disassembled and began to dimple the skin using the C-Frame.

Drilling rudder skeleton

Final size drilled the holes in the rudder skeleton and match drilled
the rudder bottom, including the fabricated strips.

Assembly of the bottom and top ends of the rudder assembly.
Fluting and final size drilled the top end.


Assembly of the bottom and top ends of the rudder assembly.
Fluting and final size drilled the top end.

Rudder skeleton

Finished fabricating R-716 and R-717, now assembling the bottom end of the rudder.

Fabricating spacer and strips for the rudder

Utilized the bandsaw for the rudder bottom attach strips, which need to be fabricated.

The rudder has 2 parts which need to be fabricated from 2024-T3 aluminum, a spacer r-717 and these 2 strips.

Rudder Stiffeners & new tools

Busy day today, went to pick up my new ( new to me anyway ) drill press and bandsaw.
Then continued the rudder stiffener trimming, using the snips, as it now seems like the easiest way.
Then cleco-d the stiffeners to the rudder.
Interesting to see how the trimming and the interlocking nature of the stiffeners means that the rudder skin can be closed very tightly and still have the stiffeners almost to the narrowest point.
Just ordered the last 2 needed stiffeners from Vans tonight.

Rudder Stiffener results

Well, after last nights difficulties with the rudder stiffeners, I consulted the good people on the RV-List at matronics.
The response was excellent, balanced between "buy a bandsaw and never look back" and "I was able to do it just fine with the snips using the appropriate left or right handed snips - Appropriately".
So tonight I found that by applying some patience, I was able to trim the stiffeners just fine with the snips and then use the scotchbrite wheel on the bench grinder to de-burr and soften the edges.
Still some more to do, and I need to get some extras from Vans.

Rudder Stiffener woes

Started to trim the rudder stiffeners tonight, but it looks like i need to revise my approach.
The aviation snips, or my technique with them, really bends the part as it cuts it, in one case ( pictured ) cracking it, so that needs to be replaced. Researching other tools for cutting tonight.

Finished the Vertical Stabilizer

Rivetted on the rear spar and closed the vertical stabilizer tonight.
Now for the rudder...

VS rear spar - final rivet

AD5 rivets arrived today, so I was able to finish up the last rivet in the rear spar for the Vertical Stabilizer. ( it's the slightly bigger one )

Rudder stiffeners

Leaving the vertical stabilizer for tonight, starting on the rudder.
First step, cut the R815 rudder stiffeners to size, and, of course, &$@!?# it up, need to order more rudder stiffeners from vans tomorrow.

Finished the skin rivets on the VS

And cleco-d on the rear spar, just need to fix the bad rivet on the hinge bracket and close up the Vertical Stabilizer.

Flush rivetting the VS skin

One side done, of the center rivets which require the rivet gun.

VS Spars and Ribs Rivetted

Finished the remaining rivets on the VS rear spar ( apart from the 1 bad rivet, waiting for rivets to arrive for that ) and then rivetted the other ribs and spars for the Vertical Stabilizer.
Finally cleco-d on the skin, ready to start the skin rivets.

Further rivets in the VS Spar

More riveting tonight in the VS Spar, including some flush rivets, which i was pleased with.
However, I was less pleased with this %&$# rivet attaching the hinge bracket last night, I've ordered some AN470AD5 rivets ( the next size up ) to put here after I drill out and clean up the hole.

Riveting the VS spar

It's been a few days, the primer took that long to dry properly so that i can rivet without being concerned with it. Got a lot of the universal head rivets ( AN470AD ) set in the spar tonight.

Finished priming the VS spars and ribs

This afternoon I flipped over the spars and ribs and primed them. I am not priming the al-clad skin interior, unless I end up scratching it later.
The primer has not set fully yet, so I am not proceeding to fully cleco it together for riveting tonight.

Dimpling and priming the VS

Dimpled all of the remaining holes on the Vertical Stabilizer. Then cleaned the ribs and spars thoroughly, using metal prep #79 to get down to the metal, and finally primed the ribs and spars. I've primed the top sides tonight, tomorrow morning will flip them over and do the other side, and check if a second coat is required.

Dimpling the VS skin

Dimpled the 'harder to reach' holes on the VS skin tonight using the C frame.
Only hit my thumb with the hammer a few times, reminds me of the joke -"When I nod my head - you hit it."

VS front spar countersinking and dimpling

Deburred and softened the edges on the vertical stabilizer spars, ribs and skin.
Then machine countersunk the holes at the bottom - front facing holes in the front spar reinforcement bar and dimpled the corresponding holes in the front spar itself.

Drilled VS skin and disassembled

Drilled all of the attach holes in the Vertical Stabilizer skin out to their full #40 size, then disassembled the VS again for dimpling, edge de-burring, cleaning and priming.
Made some marks with a Sharpie pen so that it can be re-assembled in the right orientation.
Also - need to consider lighting on the vertical stabilizer, as I will need to make allowances for wiring it up before i close the rear spar onto the VS.

Probably just need to get some grommets and string, to pull the real wiring later.

VS initial assembly

Drilled all of the rib and spar holes out to their full #30 size.
Then attached the skin for the vertical stabilizer with clecos, ready to final size drill the skin holes ( to #40 )

Vertical Stabilizer spars and ribs

Fluted and edge-finished the ribs, and cleco-ed ribs and spar together for the vertical stabilizer.
Edge-finishing is to round-off the sharp edges left by the machines which press the parts at the factory.
Fluting is to straighten the ribs as they come out of the factory slightly bowed, again due to how they are stamped.

Finished the Horizontal Stabilizer

Finished the first major sub-component of my new airplane.
On to the vertical stabilizer tomorrow night.

The blue tape over some of the holes in the top of the horizontal stabilizer is to remind me not to rivet them, they are attachment points for a fairing to be attached in final assembly.

Hand squeezing skin rivets on the HS

Not a lot of time spent this evening, but making good progress on the edge rivets on the horizontal stabilizer.