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Vertical stabilizer

Ron B.

Well Known Member
Started working on the VS yesterday morning and with a friends help finished riveting this afternoon. Canadian regs. require leaving the rear spar open for pre-close inspection. All in all the plans were fairly straight forward.
I spent an hr. looking for the first piece in the plans, a doubler. Forgot I had a bag of goodies and a second packing list.
I took pictures and I'm going to have to figure out how to down load them onto the host required to place them on here. Hopefully get a chance to look into that this evening.
 
Started working on the VS yesterday morning and with a friends help finished riveting this afternoon. Canadian regs. require leaving the rear spar open for pre-close inspection. All in all the plans were fairly straight forward.
I spent an hr. looking for the first piece in the plans, a doubler. Forgot I had a bag of goodies and a second packing list.
I took pictures and I'm going to have to figure out how to down load them onto the host required to place them on here. Hopefully get a chance to look into that this evening.


I'm guessing that you are talking about part number VS-01401. I haven't been able to find it either, but you gave me an idea of where to look... Back to the shop. First part of the plane, and already I can't find something....

Edited to add.... YEP, it was in that little bag. Was looking on the long list of parts and forgot about the list in that bag....
 
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VS-1401 Rivet Direction

Started working on the VS yesterday morning and with a friends help finished riveting this afternoon. Canadian regs. require leaving the rear spar open for pre-close inspection. All in all the plans were fairly straight forward.
I spent an hr. looking for the first piece in the plans, a doubler. Forgot I had a bag of goodies and a second packing list.
I took pictures and I'm going to have to figure out how to down load them onto the host required to place them on here. Hopefully get a chance to look into that this evening.

Ron....I just got my empennage kit last week and was gong to start on the vertical stabilizer this weekend. I had a question on how you riveted the VS-1401 doubler to VS-702. Did you rivet all the rivets in the same direction? Step 6 on page 6-2 says to countersink the bottom row of rivets on the aft side of VS-702, so those rivets (426AD3-3) would be oriented from back to front. Are the other rivets (470AD3-3) oriented in the same direction? i.e back to front? The directions are not clear to me and I don't want to make a mistake on the very first step!! Thanks
 
Once again with no plans in front of me and a real short memory, I don't think the rivets in those locations interfere with anything so it doesn't matter which way the rivet is oriented. I went with the rule of thumb, formed head on the thickest part.
 
I have to wonder if that was me that caused that change. Anywho I countersunk the lower holes but have not riveted yet but have primed. Should I dimple the next higher set of holes before I rivet to closer align with the new revision?

Thanks
 
I hadn't seen that revision and I'm sure there will be more. I'll have to back and do a little update in that area.
 
I machine countersunk and riveted those holes in question...the same day the revision came out.

Having pined over it for at least an hour, and having an experienced builder review it...don't sweat it. Just follow the revision because it's easier.
 
I called Vans support because I had already followed/completed the early instructions. I ended up removing the middle 2 rivets and counter sinking the holes to fit flush rivets instead of the 470's. They said it is no problem whatsoever.
 
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