I?m not feeling good about the quality of my work so far.

[Calvin25]

I?m not feeling good about the quality of my work so far.

I have been completing tasks on the project and then looking back to only say to myself that,

?If I had another shot at that part it would come out so much better!?

Then I look at the edge distances and alignments and ask myself

?What would happen if this developed a crack here??

?Will I feel good about taking people I love up in this aircraft??

?Can I be confident in my work enough to push the G limits as I?
dream to do??

?You?re not going to build a perfect airplane?

?You will strap 80k + in additional parts to this plane what?s a couple hundred for
new parts from Vans??

As you can see I?m sorting things out in my head and believe most of us go through this in the beginning.

Hardest part for me so far is learning where to draw the line.

I took a few days off and I?m coming back to it this weekend. I am going to post photos of the items I?m not happy with, let me know what you think. I work to a high standard but seem to be off beat on this, my plan is to shell out for $300 or so in new parts and slow way down. I never built a plane before


First picture is a terable looking HS-609pp radius, one on the right is accepable but the one on the left is bad.


Next is edge distance on HS-404, which screwed up HS-405 & HS-702 as well.


Then I belive on of the ribs to be too long or short as I couldn't get HS-405 tucked into HS-702 far enough. This caused issues with edge distance as well as the rivet line being off center.





Then to top it all off, I was match drilling the skin to relise "oh s@#$" I just put 3 #30 holes in a skin.....



If I have to order 2 kits or even 3, im going to get this thing done right!

[jtrollin]

Breath, have a beer and realize that most of us have gone through this. That being said most of what you pointed out I would say move on, there is no need to replace it all. you can use opps rivets for the three #30 holes you drilled (or just use a #4 flush rivet in those holes).. If you try and make everything perfect you will never have an airplane.

[g zero]

If you looked at the tail of almost any Rv you can find flaws in workmanship ( Unless they use bondo to hide it ). Also I think more than one builder has order a tail kit when they are done building " For spare parts ". The tail is entry into building. Minor Flaws Keep Building.!!!!!!

[MNForrest]

You're building a "tractor" not a watch.

[painless]

In a nutshell, you are being WAY to hard on yourself here. None of the examples you illustrated with pictures warrant replacement or sleepless nights.

From what I see, you are building at or above the standard of care, which will result in an airplane that you will be proud of and which will be safe. Remember, building an experimental airplane is an educational experience and you have already learned volumes from what you perceive as mistakes.

I would suggest that you slow down just a tad for the next few building sessions. Read the construction notes several times for each process you are working on. Use the "Measure twice, cut once" approach. As you progress, you will come to realize that you are indeed building an airplane that you will feel comfortable taking loved ones for rides.

As Vans has been quoted as saying, "You are not building a watch, you are building an airplane."

Relax, build on, and ENJOY the journey.

[N208ET]

If you are building for show, I think the choice is obvious. If you are building to fly, this stuff can be fixed. Your HS 609PP Looks alright to me, getting close on the edge distance but still within tolerance. Put some AD426 4-4 in the 3 holes you misdrilled. I think doublers could be manufactured to fix your other edge distance problems. If it will make you feel better to replace it, then do that. Starting out is tough, especially when you don't have much in the way of aircraft construction knowledge. Get involved in a local eaa chapter if you can, this will help down the road as there are lots of people around to lend a helping hand. BTW, if you look at some of the tails that are on flying RV's, you will notice many people go through this. Enjoy the build.

Randy
8A Finishing, FWF, Baffles, Painting,.............................

[chaskuss]

Originally Posted by jtrollin

Breath, have a beer and realize that most of us have gone through this. That being said most of what you pointed out I would say move on, there is no need to replace it all. you can use opps rivets for the three #30 holes you drilled (or just use a #4 flush rivet in those holes).. If you try and make everything perfect you will never have an airplane.

Bill,
While you can use a NAS 1097 "oops" rivet to cover up the occasional mistake, using 3 in a row is a no no. You are not supposed to use them when they are next to each other or close together. The rule of thumb is only 1 rivet in 10 can be a NAS 1097 rivet. Otherwise, strength is compromised. Since you have 3 in a row, just dimple and install 1/8" rivets.
I had a fair amount of difficulty driving the 1/8" universal rivets in my HS skeleton. I've got at least half a dozen 5/32" rivets in my skeleton. Only replace that skin and rib if you will be bothered by the cosmetics issue.
Charlie Kuss

[Calvin25]

Thanks guys, im going to slow way down.

Having a good time with it!!

I'm going to start over on the HS, I'll bet I could sell this one to the teenager down the block. It would look pretty slick bolted to the rear hatch of his car.

[Randy Walls]

Go look real close at a Cessna, you will feel better.

[videobobk]

Let's look at these one at a time:

?If I had another shot at that part it would come out so much better!?
Every first time builder should say that. You aren't trying for a show plane first time around, are you?

Then I look at the edge distances and alignments and ask myself ?What would happen if this developed a crack here??
This shows a good attitude. Never ignore edge distance. The parts are inexpensive here, but double-check before you fire up the drill.

?Will I feel good about taking people I love up in this aircraft??
Of course! It is pretty hard to screw up to the point of being dangerous. Get a tech councilor or experienced builder to help you here.

?Can I be confident in my work enough to push the G limits as I dream to do??
See above...

?You?re not going to build a perfect airplane?
No, you're not. Forget that. In fact, I doubt that it has ever been done.

?You will strap 80k + in additional parts to this plane what?s a couple hundred for new parts from Vans??
Right on. And nothing to be ashamed of.

Just remember, every RV out there has some smileys and a few #4 rivets where there should be #3's. Learn to do a really good job of drilling out rivets, and when to accept less-than-perfect without picking up the drill. Often we will screw up worse when we try for perfection.

I would say you have a good attitude for building a great RV. You might need to spend some time with someone further into the process, of have someone look over your work. This is true for everyone. Look at the accomplishments, not the setbacks, or you will quickly become discouraged. Now, build on.

Bob Kelly