Elevator Horn Drilling

[ArVeeNiner]

Last night on my 9A I drilled the elevator horns using the homemade drill block as described in the instructions. I was very careful clamping the elevators at their neutral positions before I drilled. After drilling the holes to full size, I put the bolt, some spacer washers, the rod end bearing, and the nut through the horn holes and tightened finger tight. When I hold one elevator's counterweight arm even with the end of the horizontal stabilizer, the other counterweight arm is about 1/16" above the stab. I'm not too worried about this and a call to Van's confirms it's a non issue but it still BUGS ME! They say that it's so close to the centerline of the airplane that it shouldn't impart any roll in flight.

There still is some movement between elevators because nothing is more than finger tight. Once I get it on the airplane (this is all on the bench) and torqued things will change and I guess I'll worry then.

Now the distance from the holes I drilled and the pivot point is on the order of 3"-4" while the distance from the pivot point to the end of the counterweight arms is on the order of a couple of feet. So any small imperfection in the drilling of the elevator horns is amplified greatly once you get to the end of the counterweight arms.

My question is how did everyone else do? On the flying airplanes out there has this happened to does it make a difference in the flight characteristics? Does it still bug you over time or do you forget about it once you get that permanent RV Grin plastered on your face?

Thanks

Kelly Johnson
San Jose, CA
Gonna drill the tail on the fuselage this weekend!

 

[N523RV]

You'll forget about this the second you start flying the airplane. It's amazing how all those things that you agonized over or didn't like will just disappear once you fly.

For example, I did a crappy job cutting the flap rod push tube holes in the side of the fuselage... since flying, I don't even notice it and I grab that push rod on every pre-flight, so it's right there in my line of sight.

Put it out of your mind and move on.. you will soon forget it.