Countersinking longerons for empennage gap fairing...

[Michael Burbidge]

Countersinking the longerons made me nervous when I did it for the rivets that attach the fuselage skins. But it really makes me nervous countersinking for the empennage gap fairing, which attaches using #6 screws.

You have to create a pretty deep countersink for the fairing to sit flat.

Here's a couple of pictures. You can see that my fairing still doesn't lay flat against the longeron. Should I go further with the countersink? Is there concern about weakening the longeron if I go further?

Thanks,
Michael-

[rvbuilder2002]

Originally Posted by Michael Burbidge

Countersinking the longerons made me nervous when I did it for the rivets that attach the fuselage skins. But it really makes me nervous countersinking for the empennage gap fairing, which attaches using #6 screws.

You have to create a pretty deep countersink for the fairing to sit flat.

Here's a couple of pictures. You can see that my fairing still doesn't lay flat against the longeron. Should I go further with the countersink? Is there concern about weakening the longeron if I go further?

Thanks,
Michael-

The photos make it hard to tell for sure, but I think at least part of the problem is that the dimples for the screws are not fully formed/flat. Use a c frame tool to give them a good whack and check again. Then if they still don't lay flat, countersink a little deeper. All of the Van's demonstrators are done this way (that's why the manual says to do so).

[PIN 37]

What am I looking at in the top photo? it appears that there is a rivit head overhanging an edge, That cant be right surely??

[WAM120RV]

Michael

Can you put some better photos up.

The top photo appears to show rivets that would not have enough edge clearance on the longerons underneath the cover plate. 2d is required.

Then the bottom seem to show over dimpled holes..

But there is probably nothing wrong we need better photos to work from.

[Walt]

I just riveted my gap fairings on and sealed the gap with a nice bead of proseal, I did not see any need to make these removable.

[Jesse]

Originally Posted by Walt

I just riveted my gap fairings on and sealed the gap with a nice bead of proseal, I did not see any need to make these removable.

That makes a lot of sense. There really is no need to remove these. The only reason I could see that they were made removable is to replace the rubber channel when it falls off.

[bret]

Originally Posted by PIN 37

What am I looking at in the top photo? it appears that there is a rivit head overhanging an edge, That cant be right surely??

Zoom in, you are looking at a bicycle tire at the bottom of the rivet