The dumbest mistake I ever made...

[Greg Arehart]

One big mistake was thinking "that part is stable sitting on the edge of the table for 5 seconds while I run and fetch something." I still have a crease in my HS to show for it. Lesson learned - if it looks unstable, it probably is.

greg

[bkc3921]

Ordered a new set of "small plans" for my 7a..the kind that go in the construction book (as mine were getting ratty)..which are also, in some cases, for the 9a..I built the aileron pushrods a few years back..checked the "small plans"..and believed I had built them too short..so I cut them up trying to save the ends..Could not believe I built them the wrong length..Well, I didn't!..I should have check the larger "real" plans..Looked at the 9a length instead of the 7a length..!and I discovered they were the correct length in the first place..so I ruined $110. worth of "good" parts! Cursing and whiskey did not seem to help. Check those plans closely...and trust yourself..!......By the way, I just finished my 7a TODAY...after 10 years of building..Now waiting on the FAA for the pink slip...

[dave4754]

This really is great as I thought I was just getting old and mistake ridden, nice to see I have some company in mistakes.

Ok mine goes thusly, after a long time I have begun building again and started with my RV 7 rudder. Well as I was dimpling, using an Avery dimple machine the skin lifted a bit of the pointed die..... just as I was coming down with the hammer to make a dimple....result an extra hole just off the required one. After much careful work I flattened it and made the correct hole. I am sure a little bit of bondo will cover the mistake and some paint..... Oh well...there is my BIG mistake, took about two hours for me to settle down to "fixing" the problem.

[db9469]

Like Mark, I tend to think of myself as a pretty accomplished crafsman. I learned to do sheetmetal work from Herb Tischler. He's the guy who was hand building the Messerschmitt ME-262 at Meachum (Ft. Worth) in the mid 90s. I have made my living for 20 years doing aircraft structural work and thought I could get through this -6 kit build blind folded. My biggest mistake so far is not having the flimsy frames supported when I drilled one of the side skins. Ended up scrapping the skin and ordering a new one ($280 mistake) from Vans. Just goes to show, no matter how much you think you know, that even the most seasoned builder WILL be humbled from time to time.

[Strasnuts]

I was using flox in a paint bucket in the fuselage when I tried to step out as usual on the spar attach point and missed it. My foot went out below the spar attach and shifted my weight out the plane. I threw the bucket of epoxy all over Scott's hangar and fell out on the floor with my shins wrapped around the wheel pant brackets. The worst part was slapping the rudder (attached to the vertical) that was lying on the table and knocking the whole assembly on the floor with me on top. It hurt pretty bad but I knew shins and wrists heal but aluminum doesn't. I was worried about the rudder but all was well. The only dent in the plane was from this on the top of the rudder. I'm glad the video camera wasn't running!

[Derek]

How about when installing the electric flap trim: modifying the flap control weldment by cutting of the old "mechanical" arm in readiness for the installation of the new arm for electric trim, then realising the flap control weldment was already an electric trim one. Do I get a prize ?

[Jekyll]

My stupidest mistake was drilling a 1/8 inch hole through a perfectly good thumb nail.

[Jeff R]

No need to toss a part due to a dimpling error. Fiberglass it! Many off us, especially at the beginning before we learn how to use fiberglass, are overly paranoid about getting everything perfect. Fine if that is what you want, but at some point we need to fly. Making mistakes isn't dumb, as long as you are smart enough to realize you made a mistake and you don't waste time and money trying to fix problems that don't really need to be fixed.

[bret]

Originally Posted by Lemmingman

I had just finished rolling and riveting the leading edge of my rudder. It was then that I noticed I had put rivets in but not the K1000 nut plates into the forward spar. I'm still kicking myself in the behind over that one. Ever try disassembling a rudder? Just buy new skins.

Hello my name is Bret, I am a multiple rudder builder.

[Greenley]

Jekyll, Now I feel better, the whole in my fingernail was only 3/32, amazing how much that can bleed.