[rebel-builders] Rebel-Rudder Building

[Bob Patterson]

Hi Rich !

If you really want a light on the tail (instead of the combo lights
on the wing tips) the easiest place to put it is on the back of the fiberglass
tip - easy to get into, and you can buy trailing-edge mounts for
most lights.

Check the archives on what folks are doing about gussets and extra
braces on the end ribs - not so critical on the rudder, but probably
not a bad idea. Good practice for the elevators anyway ... ;-)

Later, on assembly, you will definitely want a 'pog' (large nylon
washer) under the rudder, on top of the bearing. These are good on
the ends of the elevators too ...

On the end plugs - don't forget that ONE hole does NOT get drilled
out - it is tapped for a bolt, to hold the locking wire.

Lay everything out on the table - maybe try to cleco both sides before
drilling to final size - might need extra wooden strips for support
to do this. You want to keep the trailing edge straight - it's
easy to get waves !
--
......bobp
http://bpatterson.qhealthbeauty.com
http://apatterson2.qhealthzone.com
http://apatterson2.qbeautyzone.com
-------------------------------orig.-------------------------
On Thursday 03 August 2006 08:43 pm, Rich Dodson wrote:

Gents,

Well, the first subkit has arrived, and I figure that I will start the

process with the rudder. I searched the archives and came up with very
little on rudder construction. Before I leap off the diving board here I was
wondering:

a. I have not seen any night position (tail) lights on the rudder of the two

dozen completed plane photos I have looked at. What have most folks done in
terms of preparing for a later tail light installation?

b. Any other hints or tips I need before starting on this subassembly?

Thanks in advance!
Rich
806R

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[Rich Dodson]

Bob, Roger, Charlie, Bill and Ron,

Thanks for the advice. I have decided to put the white position lights on the wingtips (thanks for the links), it just makes more sense. I also appreciate the things to watch out for and the diagram. Since the file archives are kind of spartan on the rudder, I will be taking some pictures for upload.

Best Wishes,
Rich
Rebel 806R



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[Ken]

Hi Rich

You have reminded me that some of the aft most rivets in the control
surfaces are a problem. After you put the top one in, you can't get the
bottom one in because it hits the top one. It may help to draw the holes
away from each other with a file when enlarging them to #30 but from
discussions I think guys have either used short 1/16" ? grip commercial
rivets or shortened the avex rivet. That can be done with a dremel or
even in a lathe by removing some of the aluminum while not cutting into
the steel mandrel. In Canada where you must have the rudder etc.
inspected before closing, this will only become apparent when you close
the rudder up. The other technique that helps with that is to insert the
rivet, pull it very slightly, push it in further, pull a bit more, etc.
That works better with commercial (POP) rivets than with avex rivets as
the commercial ones tend to not expand radially as they are pulled.

Similarly when you install the fiberglass tips, you want to offset the
rearmost screws from each other. The manual says to rivet the tips on
but most people use screws, nutplates, or I used clipnuts. All of the
above only refers to the aft most rivet in each rib.

As you likely know, it is a good idea to dip the tip of each rivet in
primer before installation. And clean any excess primer off the same day
as it will be much more difficult to remove after the epoxy hardens
which generally takes several hours or days depending on the temperature.

One more thing. Not sure where it says to drill the attachment points
for the stab struts but.... I carefully reamed mine one thou
undersize. They were still too loose so I used precision AN173 bolts
that are a bit larger diameter. Well with 30 flight hours they are
starting to bug me on every pre-flight as there is still movement there.
Don't think it is getting worse but I am thinking of upgrading the bolts
to 5 mm which is about 0.200". So if doing this again I would ream at
least 3 thou undersize and if necessary I would use an adjustable
reamer. I'd use the AN3 bolts as per the manual as all the ones I have
are a bit smaller diameter than the AN173 precision bolts.

I am happy with the wing strut bolts but by then I was smart enough to
fit them with a 2.5 thou undersize reamer.

Have fun
Ken
hmmm make that Ken L. since another Ken seems to be here now ;)

Rich Dodson wrote:

Bob, Roger, Charlie, Bill and Ron,

Thanks for the advice. I have decided to put the white position lights on the wingtips (thanks for the links), it just makes more sense. I also appreciate the things to watch out for and the diagram. Since the file archives are kind of spartan on the rudder, I will be taking some pictures for upload.

Best Wishes,
Rich
Rebel 806R

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[Jesse Jenks]

Rich,
This is on the archives, but you will also find rivet interference on all
the control surface control horn to end plug connection areas. The 3/16 SS
rivets that go through the spar tube into the end plug are pre-located by
the holes in the skin at 2 locations on each control surface. If you use
these locations, the rivets will interfere inside with the 2 adjacent ones
that hold the horn on the end plug. There are 2 solutions that I found. One
was to counterbore inside the end plug a spot for the shop head to nestle
in. The other was to move the location of the 2 offending rivets. If you
locate all the other radial rivets farther away from the end of the tube
they will not be a problem.
Jesse

From: Ken <klehman@albedo.net>
Reply-To: <rebel-builders@dcsol.com>
To: rebel-builders@dcsol.com
Subject: Re: [rebel-builders] Rebel-Rudder Building
Date: Sat, 05 Aug 2006 08:27:07 -0400

Hi Rich

You have reminded me that some of the aft most rivets in the control
surfaces are a problem. After you put the top one in, you can't get the
bottom one in because it hits the top one. It may help to draw the holes
away from each other with a file when enlarging them to #30 but from
discussions I think guys have either used short 1/16" ? grip commercial
rivets or shortened the avex rivet. That can be done with a dremel or
even in a lathe by removing some of the aluminum while not cutting into
the steel mandrel. In Canada where you must have the rudder etc.
inspected before closing, this will only become apparent when you close
the rudder up. The other technique that helps with that is to insert the
rivet, pull it very slightly, push it in further, pull a bit more, etc.
That works better with commercial (POP) rivets than with avex rivets as
the commercial ones tend to not expand radially as they are pulled.

Similarly when you install the fiberglass tips, you want to offset the
rearmost screws from each other. The manual says to rivet the tips on
but most people use screws, nutplates, or I used clipnuts. All of the
above only refers to the aft most rivet in each rib.

As you likely know, it is a good idea to dip the tip of each rivet in
primer before installation. And clean any excess primer off the same day
as it will be much more difficult to remove after the epoxy hardens
which generally takes several hours or days depending on the temperature.

One more thing. Not sure where it says to drill the attachment points
for the stab struts but.... I carefully reamed mine one thou
undersize. They were still too loose so I used precision AN173 bolts
that are a bit larger diameter. Well with 30 flight hours they are
starting to bug me on every pre-flight as there is still movement there.
Don't think it is getting worse but I am thinking of upgrading the bolts
to 5 mm which is about 0.200". So if doing this again I would ream at
least 3 thou undersize and if necessary I would use an adjustable
reamer. I'd use the AN3 bolts as per the manual as all the ones I have
are a bit smaller diameter than the AN173 precision bolts.

I am happy with the wing strut bolts but by then I was smart enough to
fit them with a 2.5 thou undersize reamer.

Have fun
Ken
hmmm make that Ken L. since another Ken seems to be here now ;)

Rich Dodson wrote:

Bob, Roger, Charlie, Bill and Ron,

Thanks for the advice. I have decided to put the white position lights

on the wingtips (thanks for the links), it just makes more sense. I also
appreciate the things to watch out for and the diagram. Since the file
archives are kind of spartan on the rudder, I will be taking some pictures
for upload.

Best Wishes,
Rich
Rebel 806R

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