alpinelakespilot2000
Well Known Member
1. With my right elevator mounted to the HS, the gap between the HS skin and the elevator counterbalance skin is about 3/32-4/32. What is the proper gap? I can't see where it says in the plans. The good thing is that this gap is, by and large, consistent where those two surfaces come together.
2. More problematically, when mounting my left elevator, I noticed that this gap ranges from about 3/32" at the aft portion of the counterbalance arm to only 1/32 between the forward tip of the c-b skin and the HS. This is not the result of different rod-end bearing settings, but rather that the forward part of the counterweight balance skin on the left elevator cants (sp?) inboard about 2/32" toward the HS and away from the outboard edge of the main left elevator skin (in other words, visualize a line extended straight forward in line with the outboard edge of main elevator skin--my counterbalance arm angles inward from that imaginary line). I don't know how this happened, as I had the ribs fluted dead-on straight before that skin when on (and were much straighter that my right elevator c-b ribs!).
I don't think I can make up this by setting different rod-end bearing distances. Either I'm going to have to do some pretty heavy shaving on the front inboard portion of the counterbalance skin, or I'm going to have to somehow straighten that counterbalance arm to make it line up better with the main elevator skin and HS skin (perhaps by taking out the entire line of rivets going down the main skin on that outboard rib).
Has anyone else had this issue (either a clearance issue or a counterbalance skin that is not in line with the rest of the elevator?) and how did you solve it?
Thanks,
Steve
2. More problematically, when mounting my left elevator, I noticed that this gap ranges from about 3/32" at the aft portion of the counterbalance arm to only 1/32 between the forward tip of the c-b skin and the HS. This is not the result of different rod-end bearing settings, but rather that the forward part of the counterweight balance skin on the left elevator cants (sp?) inboard about 2/32" toward the HS and away from the outboard edge of the main left elevator skin (in other words, visualize a line extended straight forward in line with the outboard edge of main elevator skin--my counterbalance arm angles inward from that imaginary line). I don't know how this happened, as I had the ribs fluted dead-on straight before that skin when on (and were much straighter that my right elevator c-b ribs!).
I don't think I can make up this by setting different rod-end bearing distances. Either I'm going to have to do some pretty heavy shaving on the front inboard portion of the counterbalance skin, or I'm going to have to somehow straighten that counterbalance arm to make it line up better with the main elevator skin and HS skin (perhaps by taking out the entire line of rivets going down the main skin on that outboard rib).
Has anyone else had this issue (either a clearance issue or a counterbalance skin that is not in line with the rest of the elevator?) and how did you solve it?
Thanks,
Steve
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