[Red]

Are the top flap skins supposed to be bent a little more at the trailing edge using the homemade bending break? I clecoed my first flap together today and it seems like it could use a little more bending to get a crisper trailing edge.

Also, I had to shim every rib where it contacted (rather didn't contact) the "rear spar" on the bottom flap skin. I used shims from .020 to .040. Is this normal?

I haven't drilled my hinges yet to the flap spar. The instructions say to do it now. Wouldn't it be better to wait and check the alignment with the ailerons? What kind of clamps is everyone using to hold the hinges in place while checking the fit and drilling?

Red

 

[TShort]

I bent mine a little more with the brake ... there was a thread on this a while back... not sure when.

I had to shim about 1/2 of the ribs - no pattern or rhyme / reason to which ones.

I went ahead and drilled ... hope it wasn't a mistake. I just used some Irwin plastic clamps that I have (those blue ones with yellow pads in the jaws) and some of the cleco alligator clamps; then put a cleco in each hole as it was drilled. Check alignment frequently. Much easier to do it if you keep the halves together (pin in place) and bend the hinge to 90 degrees.

Hope that helps!

Thomas
-8 wings

 

[DGlaeser]

Flap construction

I did bend my flap TE a bit - used the homemade brake from doing the empennage. The shims between the ribs and 'spar' are called out on the plans - so that is normal.

You can drill the flap side of the hinge now - draw a line on the hinge with your sharpie with the edge distance noted on the plans. I clamped the hinge in place with big spring clamps (from the aviation tools aisle at Home Depot) - lining up the line in the hole and drilled a hole, put in a cleco, and moved down the line, skipping a few holes at first and going back later for them. I left both sides of the hinge connected for this, with the hinge bent as far as the clamp would allow to keep the hinge line straight. You will do the alignment with the aileron later, when you drill the other side of the hinge.

Dennis Glaeser
7A Fuselage

 

[rzbill]

Bend the TE, and be careful with the hinge

As with the others here, I bent the Flap TE until it layed naturally in its final position with the rest of the flap skin.

One caveat on the flap hinge. I did not follow the instructions to drill the hinge to the flap before checking on TE alignment with the aileron. Both my flaps came out the same, right on the ragged edge of rivet edge distance on both sides of the hinge. If I had not checked with a temporary flap setup on the wing prior to fully installing the hinge, I would not have put the first hinge-half right at the edge distance limit while working on the flap body on the bench. Without the check, I would have wound up with the common TE mismatch due to edge distance. It makes me wonder why the available longer flange hinge is not automatically supplied for this joint. Mine is technically OK, but it sure would be nice if this was not such a struggle. If I build another RV, I will order it right from the get go.