[xblueh2o]

Started in doing the initial metal work and fit up for the left elevator on my 8 today (DWG 4). I bet I spent 20 minutes trying to figure out how to correctly trim the stiffeners. Finally opened my scope and saw the trim detail on DWG 5.
Anyway, I was looking at the E-615PP elevator trim reinforcing plate and how to attach it to the skin and attach the platenuts. I see on the plans where it calls out 426 flush rivets for all but I would have to dimple the lugs of the platenuts which I have never had particularly good success at. I checked the thickness of the reinforcing plate and it is .032 so I am thinking I would like to countersink the platenut mounting holes and use NAS 1097 rivets to attach the platnuts to the reinforcing plate. I would then dimple and use regular 426 rivets to attach the reinforcing plate to the skin.
Am I way out in left field with that thinking?

 

[Flyin'Bryan]

You are on the right track

As long as you do not do as I did and rivet the mounting bracket to the skin BEFORE you dimple countersink for the nut plates, you are doing it right. I dimpled mine and wished I had used the 1097 rivets and countersunk them instead. Using the NAS 1097 rivets is the correct thing to do. Just use your deburring bit to manually create the countersinks for the 1097 rivets. it does not take much to remove the right amount of material for the smaller heads on those rivets. Posts from Rick Gialati and others have indicated that the industry standard for attaching all nut plates is to use NAS 1097 rivets, so that is defintely the right thing to do here.

I will provide a relevant link from my build log, but remember that what I did was neither simple nor pretty because I stupidly attached the bracket to the skin before I dimpled/attached the nutplates. Also remember to check the clearance of the nut plate with the trim servo (assume you are going with electric trim). You may have to grind down the nut plates a bit to allow enough clearance for the trim servo to fit inside the opening. Might want to do that before you attach the nut plates so you don't have to worry about accidentally grinding/filing down the edge of the cover plate mounting bracket.

http://bryansrv8project.blogspot.com/2011/12/3975-hours-on-hobbs-trim-tab.html