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Left elevator closeout dimpling

H

HeliCooper

Well Known Member
Just a reminder. The plans do not tell you to dimple the closeout tabs on the skin. These should be dimpled with a 120 degree pop rivet dimple set. Additionally they instruct you to dimple the inboard sheer clip with a #30 dimple die but again this should be done with your pop rivet dimple die if you have one as it is for the CS4-4 rivets. This is added to the Gotchas spreadsheet.

Jim
 
I have searched Brown Aircraft tools, and Aircraft spruce, and can not find a 120deg pop rivet dimpler. Who sells these?

Pete
 
This oversight by Van's, five years after acknowledging the omission, bit me today. When I started working on the elevator over a month ago, I made a mental note to make sure I dimple these holes after priming, but by then I forgot about it. Today I had to drill out two dozen rear spar rivets to make this dimple, making slight dents in the skins in the process. I am not a happy camper.

Lesson 1: Don't fully trust Van's
Lesson 2: Mental notes should be written down in the plans where the notes are needed
 
Gotchas like this are what precipitated the creation of the WIKI (see signature) I have a link to this thread on the start of the section and page 09-03 to help remind builders.

If you think the link should be elsewhere let me know.

I suggest using the wiki plans for construction and the paper plans to cross off steps and taking notes for time spent, future inspection items, divergences from plans etc.

You can download a copy of the WIKI PDFs to keep on a Tab or laptop if internet is not an option at the build location.
 
This one almost got me today. I was getting ready to rivet the left elevator skins to the rear spar and ribs and noticed the dimpled shear clip but no corresponding dimples in the close out tabs. Went back and forth through the plans to see where the close out tabs get dimpled. Nadda. I then went to the wiki plans and found the reference on page 9-3 referenced above.

I'm a new builder but even I knew something was missing. The wiki plans confirmed my suspicions. Just another in a long line of gotchas in the plans and another 30 minutes of build time wasted.

The wiki plans are SUPER helpful and I hope some day Vans incorporates the wiki notes into the plans. It would probably pay for itself ten times over on customer service calls.
 
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