However in my case things must be done the hard way. The pipe is placed inside the skin and taped securely to the edge of the skin one section at a time. The pipe is then rotated inward using the channel lock pliers while it is also being held down against the table. The skin then just follows the pipe around its circumference and presto! A curved skin. Peel the tape off and go to the next section.
Making sure the top skin overlaps the bottom skin discourages water to enter. Although I suppose that water would then elect to enter via the hinge cut outs between the sections all the same.
The bent skins are brought into as near as perfect alignment as possible with some judicious bending by hand. It is preferred to not have any tension (in shear) on the rivets when they are installed. So after a small amount of wrestling with it, the shape is very close and I proceed with clecos, match drilling, and finally, securing with pull-rivets.
With the closing of the forward edges of the skins, the last step is to hang them on the horizontal stabilizer. First the rod end bearings are installed using the Sam Buchanan installation tool mentioned in a previous post. From there the elevators are attached using two very small bolts through the hinge flanges on the stabilizer, continuing through the rod end bearing, then through the opposite hinge flange, and finally secured with a Nylock nut.
This is Carol looking for the hardware in bag 618. Fortunately for us, she labeled all of our parts bins by rivet type and, for hardware, by bag number. She also annotated the plans with the bag number where ever hardware is called out. Thanks to Carol, finding parts is one area where little time is wasted.
While hanging the elevator one discovers there is a step on the horizontal stabilizer that has not been completed. Notching the skin for clearance with the elevators's counter weight. "Insert sound effect of record player arm scratching across a record" Ok, mark and cut the HS and then continue.
In the photo below I'm working the right elevator with my hand on the control horn and checking for clearance with the horizontal stabilizer. There were no issues. Moving on.
So now the control horn must be drilled so that a bolt may pass through it and the horizontal stabilizers center bearing. Remember that? It was the first part we riveted. Here it is again.
It's the doo-dad in the center. The trouble is, you need a bushing in the bearing to protect the bearing surface while it guides a drill through and into the control horn for a perfect match drill. So what can I use for a bushing? Nothing. I have nothing at all. Unbelievable. I guess, I need that record scratching sound effect again. I will have to make another trip to the hardware store.
Yes, I'm back already. I found a 1/4" standoff that worked out just right. Now with the holes drilled we continue with the assembly. Here are a couple of photos of Carol trying to fish the washers through a very tight space stuck to the end of a screwdriver. One at a time, as we advance the bolt through. Last one? Great, we're done. Oops, I got the wrong bolt out of bag 618, and it's too short. Arrgh! Start over.
Once the elevators are hung the last step is a balance check. Since the elevators are not yet painted, we should have an over balance condition such that the elevators want to deflect upward (counter weights down). My right elevator does this, but the left does not, probably due to the added weight in the trim tab and servo. I will have to add some more lead to the left side before closing the elevator tip.
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