Wing - Right Flaps and ailerons
I spent an hour grinding down an old nut driver to fit the bolts on the aileron brackets. After that, I assembled the right flap. Somehow, I spent six hours on the flap. I should have quite after four, but I was almost done (for the next two hours).
I think Van's tech writers have a mean streak in them. We have the famous 6.3° bend on the flap bracket. I bet they got a real laugh when they wrote that one. Then there's the 13/32" bushings. I guess they didn't want to push it with 25/64". Now, we have the line where they say "the flaps are the easiest control surfaces to build on the airplane--try not to let them warp." Let me tell you, these are not the easiest. Everyone complained about the elevators, but those were a breeze. The right aileron only took me 2.5 hours to assemble, ok, maybe 4.5--whatever. Anyway, it's done.
 | Here's the nutdriver ground-down to fit the bolts on the aileron brackets. This is going to be handy. |
 | That's about as much as I can take off before the socket disappears. |
 | I was so proud of myself for remembering to match-drill the holes in the rear of the flap ribs. Unfortunately, they needed to be #30, not #40, so I had to drill them again, and take them back apart, and debur them again--dang it! |
 | Some day, I'm going to remember to run the edge seamer before I dimple! I forgot to do this on the right aileron, and it shows. |
 | All clecoed together, ready to rivet. Notice the aluminum angles clamped to the end of the flap. Hopefully, this will keep it from "warping", and it makes a handy stand. Why go to all of the bother to build a stand. This works great. |
 | This is the only bucking bar that will fit down there, and it is tight. |
 | The second rivet down got mashed pretty good. I probably should have quit, since I was tired. |
 | All done, I'm "bushed", time to quit." No, that has nothing to do with our presidente. It's an old saying, meaning I'm tired. |