RVG8tor
Well Known Member
I bent the rudder today, I used the brake to get it close but it was still sitting a little too open so I went along with the seamer which seemed to work out well, I also had a 1/8" dowel inside as I bent and crimped. I clecoed the rudder skin onto the frame which fit nicely, I did have to open the skin up a bit. I then measured to see how the bend went.
On one side the top is a little sucked in as well as the bottom, the middle is nice and flat. Other other side is just slightly sucked in about the same from top to bottom. The first photo shows the area that is the worst. The other two show both L/R trailing edge at the bottom. It is obviously not symmetrical. One side nice and the other a little torked!
So is the rudder usable, is there a fix? I suspect I over bent or the 1/8 dowel was too small a radius. When I sight down the trailing edge it all looks nice and straight, also shows the same when I lay a 2' level along the trailing edge, I can't find my 4' level. Should I try to flex the rudder open a bit or just leave well enough along. If this is usable what can I expect in flight, if you know? Thanks in advance for any help.
![](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimg126.imageshack.us%2Fimg126%2F2792%2Fimg1687sd5.th.jpg&hash=9d29ea2bbe5b285a5fb36769cb554268)
On one side the top is a little sucked in as well as the bottom, the middle is nice and flat. Other other side is just slightly sucked in about the same from top to bottom. The first photo shows the area that is the worst. The other two show both L/R trailing edge at the bottom. It is obviously not symmetrical. One side nice and the other a little torked!
So is the rudder usable, is there a fix? I suspect I over bent or the 1/8 dowel was too small a radius. When I sight down the trailing edge it all looks nice and straight, also shows the same when I lay a 2' level along the trailing edge, I can't find my 4' level. Should I try to flex the rudder open a bit or just leave well enough along. If this is usable what can I expect in flight, if you know? Thanks in advance for any help.
![](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimg126.imageshack.us%2Fimg126%2F8360%2Fimg1682ix7.th.jpg&hash=15b34cc5cf4eeb495ba2e9e589524729)
![](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimg126.imageshack.us%2Fimg126%2F1120%2Fimg1686yy7.th.jpg&hash=aaffbfbb675a2822540ce17f4f46e4ec)
![](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimg126.imageshack.us%2Fimg126%2F2792%2Fimg1687sd5.th.jpg&hash=9d29ea2bbe5b285a5fb36769cb554268)
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