Vert. Stab Question

On the plans for the vertical stab, there are 6 holes (each side) along the bottom edge used for attachment of the empennage fairing. The plans note to leave them open for the fairing attachment. My question-should these 6 holes be dimpled in the skin as well as the underlying 704/705 rib? Or should they just be left drilled to #40? Thanks in advance--

Sky
8/8A?

I dimpled them but then ended up counter sinking a little when attaching the emp fairing to accommodate tinnerman washers. The glass is too thin to allow those washers to sit flush. Either way works.

Ken

C'sink the skin in assembly with the rib which serves as a guide to stabilize the cutter pilot. Makes a smooth concentric countersink in just the skin and you don't have to also dimple the platenut. (Same technique on the HS top skins, and quite a few other places where you need (or want) to c'sink instead of dimple.) Might as well install the platenuts while you're riveting the VS rather than wait until later.

John Siebold

6 Emp Holes

I didn't cs the six holes... I just drilled them out w/a #27 drill for #6 screws. I then used a #6 nutplate jig to drill out the nutplate attach holes and cs/or dimple them. Once everything was deburred, I used nutplate rivets to attach the plates. As for the emp fairing, I'm using #6 screws w/ dimpled #6 washers.
My 2cents...

Regardless of whether or not you put the nut plates in now, one thing to think about is how many holes/screws you eventually use to attach the empennage fairing. Being an engineer who counts, I fit my fairing and proceeded to put in one hole and screw for every nut plate I had previously installed. I have since seen many RV's with only a very few screws, which look really, really nice. If the fairing fits properly, you don't need all those screw heads. And if there are nutplates behind, no one will ever know.

Just something to store away for the future - fit that fairing really pretty, and don't feel compelled to use all the nut plates just because they are there! (Our -3 will hopefully use a lot fewer screws for this job...)

Paul

Nutplate rivets

Hi JT

"I used nutplate rivets to attach the plates" - never heard of these? They look like pop rivets - which ones?

Paul - I think your thoughts are particularly relevant to Fairings Etc as the fit I've seen so far is amazing

Bob
www.rv-8.co.uk

Thanks!

Thanks so much for the replies. Construction without the support of such a great group of builders might become a lifetime project for me!

Sky
8/8A?

Nut Plate Rivets...

Here ya go Bob. These are great when you have a tight spot...
There are many suppliers out there.. A normal pull riveter is fine for these too.


Cherry? Pull Through Nut Plate Rivet
Cherry? Nut Plate Rivets are "pull-through" or "hollow" type rivets. They are used where the high shear strength of the self-plugging type of rivet is not required. This design provides good clamp up and excellent hole filling characteristics, in an inexpensive rivet. This rivet is primarily used in nut plate applications and meets the torque-out and push-out requirements of NASM25027 for nut plates. It is available in mild steel and A-286 stainless steel rivet sleeves, and meets MS20604 and MS20605 requirements.