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Aileron bellcrank rib

NorthernRV4

Well Known Member
I'm wondering how other builders have dealt with this problem. Two of the rivets that attach the 3/4 angle are located right on the flanged ring around the second lightening hole. This is as per the plans but this leaves a gap between the angle and the rib web. Unfortunately I didn't notice this until I had started riveting.


Port aileron bellcrank rib by James Soutar, on Flickr

Port aileron bellcrank rib by James Soutar, on Flickr



I'd like to flatten this area to the angle with a pair of flat sets and my squeezer by I don't think it will lay tightly to the angle. I'd rather not have to drill out the rivets to disassemble it. Any suggestions?
 
Aileron Bellcrank Rib

Van's original plan was just to rivet through the lightening hole reinforcement and take whatever the result was.

I backfilled the affected areas with Devcon "Liquid Aluminum" or 3M 2216 Scotchweld w/aluminum powder as a thickening agent. After the proper curing interval, I riveted the joint as indicated. Three airplanes, and 2500 hours later - no problems.

David Howe
 
Be careful of that bolt shown on the right of your plans picture.

By the time you add in the thin, small diameter washers now called out for that location the bolt end can hit the angle if the tolerances stack up the wrong way.

Check you have a reasonable clearance here when the control rod to the stick is installed - contact, especially under G loads, would be a major control limiter and disaster.
 
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Van's original plan was just to rivet through the lightening hole reinforcement and take whatever the result was.

I backfilled the affected areas with Devcon "Liquid Aluminum" or 3M 2216 Scotchweld w/aluminum powder as a thickening agent. After the proper curing interval, I riveted the joint as indicated. Three airplanes, and 2500 hours later - no problems.

David Howe

I'm surprised at that when so many other seemingly small details are fussed over. Being that this is an important structural part to the control system I want to make sure it's the best it can be. I think I'll try and make some conformal shims to fill in the gap. On a related note I was surprised there was not a second 3/4x.063 angle at the other end near the main spar. I considered that for a while and then resolved myself to the fact there are many -4 and -6 flying with no issues.
 
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Aileron Bellcrank Rib

You have to remember the time frame for the design/construction of the prototype of this aircraft - it was finished in August of 1979. Van was more interested in simple construction techniques that could be used by most builders - back then there were very few "repeat" builders, so the cumulative skill set was not been developed as well as it is now.

You are building a dinosaur in comparison to the kits available today - almost all of the decisions concerning the health and well being of the construction is up to you. You build the jigs, locate all holes, deal with the inconsistencies of the plans, interpret the plans (as best you can), and all the other things that go along with these early models - early -6's are a lot the same re/building issues.

As John Harmon used to say, "Read the manual, throw it away, build the airplane".


HFS
 
Are there three rivets on each horizontal angle?

Hello,

Just looked at the plans in your photo ... are there three rivets in the horizontal angle? One inbetween those which have a clecos inside?

Regards, Dominik
 
Rivet it flat

Rivet it flat and make sure it dosent interfere. The integrity of the ring is transfered to the angle. Dont fool with a shim. Meaningless there.
Cm
 
Hello,

Just looked at the plans in your photo ... are there three rivets in the horizontal angle? One inbetween those which have a clecos inside?

Regards, Dominik

There are four rivets in the horizontal angle, two at one end, and two slightly further spaced at the other end. The aft most rivets attach to the vertical angle and the rib and are the ones drilled through the embossed ring.

Aileron bellcrank rib by James Soutar, on Flickr

DWG-16a by James Soutar, on Flickr

Port aileron bellcrank rib by James Soutar, on Flickr
 
I'd suggest adjusting the embossed ring using the percussive inertial tuning implement sometimes referred to as a "hammer."
 
There are four rivets in the horizontal angle, two at one end, and two slightly further spaced at the other end. The aft most rivets attach to the vertical angle and the rib and are the ones drilled through the embossed ring.

What about these two?

27624992882_74dcec36cd_c.jpg
 
Good point, I pondered over that for a while trying to determine if those marks on the plans were just intersecting hidden lines or actually rivet locations. I can certainly put a rivet there but at that spot there is almost a 1/16" gap between the rib web and the angle due to the horizontal angle sitting on the vertical angle. It would definitely need a shim because I can't forsee the rib web flexing enough to pull the two together.

Thanks for bringing it up, I'll have to have another look at it.
 
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