I started in on the ailerons last night and discovered that almost the entire assembly is pre-punched! It was pathetically simple to put it together. My wife walked by and was stunned to see a nearly-complete aileron sitting there and asked if I had been working on it secretly. Then I had this brilliant epiphany - what if Van's made an ENTIRE AIRPLANE using pre-punched parts?! Why, they'd sell like hotcakes!
Seriously, I didn't know that the 4, 7, and 8 all use "modern" ailerons and I need some advice. The only row of rivets not pre-punched is the aft skin, lower spar row. The spar and the leading edge skin are all pre-punched, as are the stiffeners and ribs (I still can't believe how easy this thing goes together and why the heck doesn't Van's retrofit the -4?!) Is the practice to cleco it all together after bending the skin and then match drill using the leading edge holes? Why is the lower spar row punched if so since I'll be drilling blind? Sorry for the dumb question.
Seriously, I didn't know that the 4, 7, and 8 all use "modern" ailerons and I need some advice. The only row of rivets not pre-punched is the aft skin, lower spar row. The spar and the leading edge skin are all pre-punched, as are the stiffeners and ribs (I still can't believe how easy this thing goes together and why the heck doesn't Van's retrofit the -4?!) Is the practice to cleco it all together after bending the skin and then match drill using the leading edge holes? Why is the lower spar row punched if so since I'll be drilling blind? Sorry for the dumb question.
