Bulge in Elevator Where Foam Ribs are

[attackpilot]

Hello Again Everyone:

I have discovered another dilema today. I glued (tank sealant) my ribs and trailing edge wedge to the elevators yesterday. Today I noticed that the skin bulges somewhat (barely noticeable) where the foam ribs are. I know I trimmed them exactly to the line in the plans, and I thought that I didn't put enough tank sealant on them at the time. I would like anyone's opinion on how I can remedy this. I know it is not a structural defect, but I would like to minimize seen errors. My wife suggested I smoosh (technical term) them down, which doesn't sound like a bad idea if I know that I can do it without messing it up. Any RV-10/9 guys have the same problem?

Thanks,

Joe Hutchison
RV-10 Tailkit

[rv6rick]

Sounds like they were cut a tad big or pushed in a little too far .

As you describe it I'm sure it's just a very minor imperfection that only YOU notice. Tell your wife that I agree with her.....and to 'smoosh' it down a little. You might use a couple paint stirrers or something other than your fingers to do the 'smooshing'. Since it was the wifes idea you might let her do the 'smoosh' .

FWIW these little blemishes always seem worse than they are....you won't notice it by the end of the week! You'd be surprised what finish (sanding) primer can cover.