Vertical Stab Hinges VS-309 and 310

The drawings show different dimmensions for the oc spacing of the hole in the brackets. It states that this will be the case in the plans, but the drawings seem backwards from what is intuitive to me.

Spacing from the Spar Web to the center hinge point of 310 is 1 1/4". Spacing from the Spar Reinforcment(VS-307) to the center of 309 is 1 3/8.
Obviously, the hole centers will not line up even close.

The leading edge of the rudder will taper some, making some sense as it narrows at the top that you would want to suck that in, but then the Rudder spar is not parallel to the VS and the hinges would most certainly bind. I would think that having the VS Spar and the Rudder Spar parallel makes the most sense.

I am thinking that 310 hinge line needs to center at 1 7/16 to match up with 309. The Skin then gets tapered, per the plans, 1/8" more overhang on the top. I think the skin taper is probably optional and wont make much of a difference if at all in appearance, but it is easily done.

Anyway, I am going to proceed with making the hinge center spacing match and be parallel to the spar unless I hear otherwise from one of you.

I checked my notes on my Dwgs. I reduced the 1 3/8" on the lower hinge (309) to match the 1 1/4" on the upper(310) allowing for the spar doubler(307) thickness. So the hinges would line up
Also 1) my 307 doubler was oversize, probably a -4 part
2) the bolt holes in the lower hinge-lower bkt(AN3) are spaced at 1 3/4" as they line up with the aft tailwheel mount.
3) Next time I would lower the rudder skin on the spar 1/2" so it overhangs the bottom rib. This overhange will give you a flange to mount the fiberglass tip to. I had to add a strip later.
4) spend some time looking at the rivet spacing on the lower hinge, some of these rivets need to be flush but I could have made some of them go all thru all of the pieces.
5) I would have pulled all the skins back a little farther on the spars and trimmed them later for tighter gaps.
Have fun

I just took a look at this, and I believe the measurements on the drawings are probably correct, meaning the rudder spar is not meant to be parallel with the rear spar of the VS. I just checked the -8 plans, and the same is true there. I'd bet your -6 is like that too. What do those plans show?

Cheers,
Rusty (way behind my normal pace)

Agreed

I checked my 6 on the plane and Randy Lervold checked his 3, same thing, they are not parallel. The plans are more or less correct. The original spar doubler was 1/8" material. The doubler furnished with the new kit is 3/16. Probably does not matter much, but I have reduced the 1 3/8" dimmension to 1 5/16 to make up that difference. Brackets are built and I am moving on. Thanks for all the help.

JonJay said:

The plans are more or less correct. The original spar doubler was 1/8" material. The doubler furnished with the new kit is 3/16.

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Now you've got me curious. Are you saying your VS-307 is 3/16" thick? Mine is 1/8", just like the plans show. I've had the tail kit a couple months now, so it's not an old kit.

I'll probably start working on it later this afternoon, and I'm feeling kinda lazy, so I might not bother cutting the V in the top. Seems like a lot of trouble for a few ounces.

Cheers,
Rusty

1/8" it is.

13brv3 said:

Now you've got me curious. Are you saying your VS-307 is 3/16" thick? Mine is 1/8", just like the plans show. I've had the tail kit a couple months now, so it's not an old kit.

I'll probably start working on it later this afternoon, and I'm feeling kinda lazy, so I might not bother cutting the V in the top. Seems like a lot of trouble for a few ounces.

Cheers,
Rusty

Click to expand...

Sorry. It is 1/8".

13brv3 said:

I'll probably start working on it later this afternoon, and I'm feeling kinda lazy, so I might not bother cutting the V in the top. Seems like a lot of trouble for a few ounces.

Click to expand...

I'm for sure no engineer, but I'm guessing the V cutout has more to do with load distribution than weight savings.

Tony

Tony Spicer said:

I'm for sure no engineer, but I'm guessing the V cutout has more to do with load distribution than weight savings.

Tony

Click to expand...

I figured the same thing when I looked at it more, and just started making it like the plans show. Van will usually tell you when some lightening method is optional.

Rusty