Ugliest Part (So Far)

Kyleag04 · #1 08-25-2008, 10:46 PM

After finishing what I think is a perfect (for a beginner) vertical stabilizer and an almost perfect horizontal stabilizer (small mistake - easily fixed and will be hidden from site under the fairings), I sit here thinking about my rudder. I am almost finished with it, letting the glue cure along the trailing edge.

In my opinion, my rudder is ugly. It has been a series of trials and tribulations that has led to a structurally sound, but aesthetically unpleasing piece of riveted aluminum.

It all started out so well. All the stiffeners were cut and trimmed nicely, all of the "from scratch" parts were cut and drilled with ease, and everything matchdrilled without error. But thats where the fairy tail ended.

While dimpling the skins, I ended up with a Figure 8 hole on the L/H skin and an extra dimpled hole in the middle of the R/H skin. At that point, I pleaded for help on this site and got many reassurances that I'm not the only one. Ok, fixed those issues and moving on.

Then the fun continued with several bent over rivets, a careless dent in the skin, an ugly rivet when the rivet gun pressure was turned up WAY too high, an ugly rivet when I tried to shoot a rivet that straddled the edge of the backrivet plate, etc... All of these were fixed to be structurally sound, but the rudder still bears the scars of these "learning experiences".

I have considered scrapping the entire thing and starting over from scratch or building a new one as soon as I get it flying. I consulted with a friend and fellow RV-builder who said "Yeah, my rudder is the ugliest part on my plane too. It helped me redefine my standards."

Now that I've let out my frustrations on you poor, unsuspecting VAF surfers, I've wondering:

What is the ugliest part on your RV?

RV10Rob · #2 08-25-2008, 11:17 PM

For me (now working on the wings) it's the elevators. I didn't bend the flanges of the rear spar enough, so there's a little "bump" in the skins there, plus my trim tabs are twisted (maybe 1/4 or 3/8" across the entire length). By the time I was done, I was so sick of the elevators I decided to wait until later to decide what to do.

I'm very satisfied with everything else.

-Rob

BTW, methinks someone could make a good side business out of building straight trim tabs.

RatMan · #3 08-26-2008, 06:44 AM

My first, second and next gear leg faring.

TSwezey · #4 08-26-2008, 06:51 AM

I have a small dent in my left fuel tank. Luckily it is where nobody will see it! My elevator bends are not the prettiest either.

DaX · #5 08-26-2008, 07:11 AM

I rebuilt my rudder. My rudder has the worst rolled LE, with the right elevator having an ok rolled LE, and the left elevator having a pretty good rolled LE. There was definitely a learning curve with rolling the LE's. My trim tab and left elevator came out just ok, but will fly fine.

Bugsy · #6 08-26-2008, 07:14 AM

Plane is nice.

Builder/pilot ugly part of this project.

cropdusterengineer · #7 08-26-2008, 08:14 AM

Ugliest part - coolest name!

airguy · #8 08-26-2008, 08:16 AM

I'm less than pleased with the way my elevators came out - and was about to scrap them and start over, when I talked to several experienced builders about it. They all told me to get over it and move on. I decided to go ahead and work on the wings, and by the time I get finished with the wings I'll be able to look back on the elevators with a little more knowledge and experience and make a good, valid judgement about whether to use them as is, rework them, or replace them entirely.

The entire empennage is meant to be used as a grand training kit, I'm convinced. There's a reason Vans has you build the easiest (and cheapest) part of the airplane first. Worst case scenario - you scrap the entire tail and you're out $2k. Start over. You learned an awful lot about aircraft construction for $2k!

f1rocket · #9 08-26-2008, 08:28 AM

Gear leg intersection fairings. First, they're fiberglass, enough said. Second, it's hard to get them to fit tight and still provide enough movement. I don't think I've been happy with them on any airplane I've built.

Kyle, here's a couple suggestions to add to your "lessons learned" pile:

1. Put the rudder aside and keep moving. If it is still bugging you after 6 months, build another one.

2. The control surfaces use some of the thinnest skins. It is very easy to mess them up. Be careful using any tool around them

3. Lower your air pressure. Most early builders overset their rivets. I know I did.

4. Sometimes a bent rivet will hold better than one that is drilled out, the hole gets enlarged, the skins get nicked, etc. Sometimes, it's better to leave well enough alone. If every rivet had to be perfect, none of these kits would fly.

5. Every time you pick up a rivet gun, it is trying to smash and dent your project. Double and triple check everything before pulling the trigger.

6. Even with all that, "stuff" happens. Live with the "stuff" you can, replace the "stuff" you can't.

Bob Ellis · #10 08-26-2008, 08:33 AM

"Better is the enemy of good enough" - Admiral Gorshkov Commander of the Soviet Navy in the 1970's.

Normally I follow his advice 99% of the time. When I don't follow it probably 25% of the time I try to make something better and get away with it - the other 75% I normally mess up!

Good enough for me means safe/air worthy. Most of our mistakes will never be seen and those that are can often be hidden by paint.

The other advice I followed is do the right side of everything first - most people naturally approach an aircraft from the left, beacuse that's the way you board an airliner.

Better is the enemy of good enough!

Bob Ellis
Wings nearly complete
www.rv-8.co.uk