Another HS skin question

[RyanB]

Hi Guys

Just about to rivet the skins to the HS and my brain has started smoking again. The instructions now instruct me to trim the skins, and this is done (according to the manual) by trimming the skin flush to the aft section of the tip rib but not the forward section as a fiberglass tip must be riveted to this.

Firstly from what I understand there is no fiberglass that rivets to the HS, only the elevators and secondly on the plans it looks like the skin is trimmed flush to the flange on the tip rib as well as the root rib. Obviously there is overhang on the trailing edge.

I hope this makes sense

Thank you

These **** newbies :-)

Extract from the Manual

?When drilling is complete, remove the skins and debur all the holes in both the skin and the skeleton. Trim the skins to the preliminary trim line and debur the edge. See section 5 for tips on deburing. The outboard ends of the skins can be filed flush with the aft section of the tips after riveting. Be sure not to cut or file away the forward section! The fiberglass tips must rivet to that.?

[arffguy]

I believe you are absolutely correct. I think that the particular wording in the manual was put in when the manuals were rewritten for all the earlier RV's. The RV-4 is the only model where the horizontal stabilizer does not have fiberglass tips mounted to it.

[RyanB]

Thank you arffguy, maybe a mistake overlooked from the 3 which didn?t have the balance tabs

[NorthernRV4]

The skin is definitely trimmed flush with the outboard edge of the Tip rib flange. Reference the drawings, the manual is a loose set of instructions. The -6 is very similar but the forward 1/3 or so of the fibreglass tip is fixed to the H/S, the rest aft is fixed to the elevator and mass balanced. The -4 has the entire tip on the Elevator.

[RyanB]

Thank you Northern