DATE: 01-03-2025 TIME: 1:02 – 2:30 p.m. ~ 1:30
Today was really a day to complete the rudder assembly by completing the riveting. First I had to remove the 5 rivets I had prematurely placed in the flange of the rear spar where the lower fairing goes. As recommended I drilled the head off with a #30 drill, I found I could do this by turning the drill by hand but initially used power, and then knocked the remaining rivet out with a piece of mandrel. Worked like a charm.
At the end of the hour and a half the rudder was completed. The Vans RV-10 rudder took a lot longer to build. A lot longer.
You will notice that at the end of this process I did not have the rudder sitting on rails while I riveted the final rear spar flange. At this point the rudder form is set and it is lying pretty flat on the bench and the rear spar is firmly against the bench so I felt this was a safe way to go.
Next up will be the elevators and horizontal stabilizer but I need first to figure out what I am going to do about priming the components indoors without exploding or poisoning myself in the process. Most likely I will buy an inflatable portable spray booth with filtration and extraction off eBay.