Elevators - John 4 hours, Mike 2 hours, Tyler 1 hour

My oldest son came home yesterday from A&M to surprise me for Father's Day.  It was a great surprise and he, my youngest son, Ryan and my nephew, Mike, went out for dinner.  Great Surprise and a great day.

He is studying Aerospace Engineering so he is very interested in the RV Build.  He came over this afternoon and helped for a while.

I started the day off with bending the close out tabs.  This is a little nerve racking because once they are bent, it would be nearly impossible to change it.  If it didn't come out correct, it would be another replacement part order and I don't want to do that on something as large as the skins.  I clamped the skin to my workbench which is made of maple and then started the bend with my hands and a small block of wood followed by using the flush rivet head on the rivet gun and then finished with the hand seamer.  I think they came out real nice.  These are pictures from the end of the day when things were match drilled and clecoed together.

I moved on and clecoed and then match drilled the E-910 hinge reinforcements to the spar and then started building the elevators.  Mike and Tyler came out and things started moving a little faster.  It is nice to have someone move the clecoes around while you match drill things together, just have to come up with an easy system for doing so.   We were able to get to the point of having the skins on both sides and attaching the elevator horns.  It is nice to have something that resembles parts of an airplane in the garage so I left it that way.  The next step is to match drill the skins to the spar/ribs and then disassemble/debur/prime. 

I started to take off the protective covering off the wrong side on this one... 

Just have to be careful handling it.

Horizontal Stabilizer Part 2 and Elevators - John 6 hours, Jim 3 hours

Started getting the Inspar Ribs and Nose Ribs prepped for assembly.  Trimmed the 4 Inspar Ribs by removing the flange (2 with just flange cuts and 2 more with cutting of the small flange also).  Bent the Inspar Rib to match the angle for the fuselage and built the HS Cradles.

We were able to assemble most of it, but the HS-1013 Spar Cap Replacements haven't arrived so I clecoed the old ones in for spacing and match drilled the ribs to the front and rear spar, then disassembled everything for deburring and priming.  Also cut the holes to route the trim cables through.

Since we had to wait on the replacement parts, it was time to skip ahead and start on the Elevators.  I cut the E-1008A/B parts while Jim maned the scotch bright wheel and debured and smoothed all of them.  As he finished them, I clecoed them together and then match drilled the parts together.  

I also assembled the Tip Ribs before calling it a day.  

It was a good day and very productive even though I am waiting for PreKote and the Spar Caps...

I will have a lot of parts waiting for primer once the PreKote comes in.  I have a feeling that it will be a couple of long days scrubbing parts to get them ready for primmer.  

Horizontal Stabilizer - John 3 hours, Jim 3 hours

Jim came over and we worked on the Horizontal Stabilizer tonight.  I had already prepped the HS-1013, HS-1014 and HS-1015 parts.  we clecoed everything together and match drilled the HS-1013 to the main spar (HS-1002) and then I started to match drill the holes on the top and bottom of the channel when I noticed that we had made a slight but substantial mistake when we marked and clamped the HS-1013 Spar Cap in place.  It was off by about 1/4" and wasn't covering the holes it was supposed to.

Good here covering the 33rd hole but the mark is wrong which pulled the part too far one way.

This side isn't covering the 33rd hole...  Time to re-order the first part.

I knew I was going to make a mistake and have to order replacement parts sometime, just didn't want it to happen now.  It is good that the parts in question aren't too expensive, but it will take time for them to get here.  Stuff happens and we move on...

We did get the Front Spar Doubler marked and drilled.  Was able to get the 8 holes in the center counter sunk and the HS-1008-R/L attached.

Rudder Work - 2 hours

Just did a little work tonight.  Trimmed the rudder trailing edge and clecoed the second skin to the frame for the rudder, match drilled and marked the skins.

After that, I took everything apart for debur, prep and prime.  Sometimes I feel like I'm playing a big game of shoots and ladders.  One step forward, two back...  Oh well. :)

I am still missing the PreKote, it seems to be on back order.  I will do as much as I can and move on to the next step.  Looks like I will have a lot to prime once I'm ready.

Primer, Part 3

I have the primer, 3M PPS standard and mini cups, scotch bright pads here ready but I am still waiting for the PreKote and I found a couple mix/pour/seal lids for the 1 Gallon buckets that AKZO comes in and since I need to mix it and then pour a small amount most of the times that I will be using it, I wanted to find something that would minimize the waste.  I think that this will do the trick.  All things should be here this week, so it will be time to practice maybe next weekend and I am getting a lot of parts that are ready to be primed waiting.  All in all, good timing.

Mixing Mate

3M PPS Mini Cups - These go in the mini Cup and Collar

3M PPS Standard Cups - These go in the standard size Cup and Collar

AKZO Primer

PreKote

Gloves

Maroon and Green Scotch bright

Rudder work - Me 5 hours, Jim 3 hours.

Today was a productive day.  Jim from the local EAA club came by to assist and we were able to get a lot of the rudder together.  I cut and trimmed the rudder ribs before Jim arrived, but we got the ribs onto the spar and got the right skin attached.  Another day that we have what looks to be an airplane part in the garage.  Here is the product of today's work.

Primer, Part 2

Ok, I will be needing to prime some of the tail section soon so I spent some time looking at different primers. I looked at Sherman Williams P60G2, SEM Self Etching Primers and AKZO.  I found a good source for the AKZO primer and instead of the $200+ price that Aircraft Spruce wanted for the stuff, I found it for $150 shipped.  That seemed to be around the same price that I could find a gallon of the SEM primer and I couldn't find much pricing on the Sherman Williams stuff so I went ahead and ordered the 2 Gal kit of the AKZO.  One Gallon of primer and one of activator.  Some of the not so good points about AKZO is that you need to give it 30 minutes between mixing and spraying.  Also with epoxy primers, you don't want to mix up a big batch and then not use it.  I got the 3M Paint Preparation System also so I can mix up little batches and use the liners to either save the left over as I can put it in the freezer to keep for a day or two, or I can use it to just mix up a little and the mess isn't so great that it is a royal PITA to do.  I also looked at the process and instead of using the normal MEK or like, I am going to try PreKote.

The Prep order will be:

1. Scrub with PreKote and Brush
2. Scrub with Scotch Brite
3. Scub again with PreKote and Brush
4. Wash
5. Air Dry
6. Spay with AKZO

I may regret this, but it's time to get off the pot. ;)

Primer

The debate continues in my head about primers...  I would like to use something that will work well and last a long time.  I believe that our family motto is "If you can't do it right, don't do it at all".  "Right" usually means the best way so I have been leaning towards AKZO primer and using a HVLP Air Gun to apply the primer.  This means more research and more tools to buy.  I have already purchased a less expensive Gun, but not sure if that is the right one, so it is still in the box, unopened, ready for return to the store if needed.  I have sent some messages out to others who have used AKZO and also the 3M Paint Preparation System (3M PPS) to see what they say.  I like the idea of the PPS to limit cleanup and reduce the chance that I will mess up the gun to a point it won't spay right.

Also need to figure out what I am going to do for prepping the parts for priming.  What do I need to use to clean them with, etc...

Questions, Questions, Questions... :)

VS Takes Shape (3 hrs)

The second day was a little shorter. Ryan had his Senior Brunch, I can't believe that he is about to graduate High School.

Put the ribs and front spar on the rear spar for the Vertical Stabilizer today.  Had some difficulty getting the holes lined up on the second side of the skin and probably should have stopped there and done some research, but I pressed ahead with the confidence that Van's Instructions were right and that I had executed them in the correct manner...  Got it together, but then noticed that there are a couple outward bumps in the skin.  This was caused by the nose of the ribs in the bend of the skin.  First learning moment and bump in the road.  Should have stopped when it wasn't going together as it should and done some research... Not too bad of a price to pay, but still a price.

My small dents... :(  I don't think that they will be noticeable later.

Disassembled everything at the end of the day to do some more deburing and getting ready to prime.

The Journey Begins! (4 hrs)

With the success of the tool box fresh in my mind, I decided that I could start working on the Tail Kit.  The first step is to cut a 16" slice out of the Vertical Stabilizer Spar doublers.  Scary for the first step!  I have used my new band saw a couple times, but didn't like the cut it was making with the band that was included with it so I replaced it with a very fine tooth band and that seemed to cut a lot better.

I got the two doublers from the parts and measured twice and marked the cuts.  Here goes nothing!  After the cuts and running them on the deburing wheel for a bit, they looked pretty good if I did say so myself. :)

Pictures to come.

Spent the rest of the day clecoing, drilling, un-clecoing, deburing and reading the steps.  Did around 4 hours of work and then cleaned up the shop.  Not bad for a first day!

Tool Box

Since I have hit a spot on the Control Surface kit that I can't get past until I get some steel to work with, I decided to work on the Tool Box kit.  It seemed like it was simpler and for the most part it didn't have all the steps that the control surface did.  It took me around 5 hours to do, but here are some pictures of the finished product.  The hinge was the most challenging part, fastening it to the back of the tool box, it didn't seem like the rivets were close enough to the edge and then fastening it to the top, it seemed like the top was pushed too far forward.  I did the best I could with it and it opens and closes and even latches so I count it as a project well done...  :)

Control Surface

Started my journey down the steep learning curve by working with the Control Surface Practice Kit.  You start out by cutting the aluminum with snips and then deburing the edges, so far so good... After that, you rivet the stiffeners in place on the control surface skins, my first attempt at riveting.  

Hmm, Not so bad.

Things didn't go to bad.  I worked with the rivet gun, a couple different bucking bars and doing some back riveting.  Also got to drill out a few bad rivet jobs.  :)  Normal stuff.

Accidentally had the pressure up to high on the rivet gun and jumped off the rivet.  Need to watch the pressure closer.  Live and learn. 

Used the squeezer on a few.  I like it, gives you a repeatable product and with my experience level, that is a good thing.

Done for today.  Seems I need to fabricate a tool, so I will need to find some steel to work with.  Also need to buy a drill press and a few other things before I really get going.  Not to bad for the first day.

Kit Arrived!

The RV-10 Empennage (tail) kit arrived today!!  I wasn't too happy as the freight company decided that the arrows showing which side was up didn't mean anything and stood it on it's side.  Thanks to Ron's great packing, there wasn't (much) damage.  A little wear and tear on the protective film, but everything seems to be in good shape.

Pictures from Ron's Shop:

Rolled into my Shop, wasn't happy to see the hole at the end, but there wasn't any damage that I could see so I started to unpack and inventory.

You can see how some of the contents shifted due to the handling by the freight company.

Everything checked out and all was there.  Thanks RON!!!

Practice Kits

There is a lot to learn in getting ready to even start on the RV-10.  I haven't used a rivet gun or most of the tools that are needed for this build.  Van's has a couple wonderful practice kits that are inexpensive that I can try my hand at a lot of the things I will be doing on the build.  I have ordered the Tool Box and the Control Surface kits.

Intro

Welcome to my blog...  Haven't done this before but I have been looking for something to document my build of my Van's RV-10.  This is a big undertaking and I expect that it will take me 5 years or so to complete.  There will be a lot of opportunity to learn new things, meet new friends and have new challenges.  This will be a wild, crazy, frustrating, fun, exciting ride.  Come along with me while I explore the world of Experimental Aircraft!