Fred, being blunt, you've got some major builder-induced problems. Don't go removing any metal anywhere (deburring, slotting, trimming, etc.) until you talk with Van's. (Perth is what, 20 hrs and a day off the US west coast?) There are techniques superior to Van's instructions for fitting up these fussy bits, that's how much it's worth getting it right during the fit-up. But stick with the book for now. You'll know what to change on your next project!
My quick guesses are that you've got the baffles interchanged L/R, or the flanges facing forward, not aft. The baffles are not symmetrical. The tapered gap between leading edge and tank skins likely means the spar wasn't/isn't straight. You checked sag, but cleco on the top skins all around the skeleton, ribs too, for self-jigging verification. Temporarily cleco the bottoms, also, for verification.
The fit should be "perfect", that is line-to-line on the seams, maybe needed nothing more than smoothing the edges (deburring) to prevent any overlap. Slot, don't drill the bracket holes oversize and ask so much of a rivet's capacity to swell up. If you don't already have a fine point tapered round file suitable for slotting 3/32 holes, get one. There's a lot of airplane to go and it will come in handy.
John Siebold
Last edited by RV7ator : 04-11-2010 at 06:05 PM.
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