pilot28906
Well Known Member
I just realized that when riveting the leading edge skins on the right elevator that I got the bottom skin over the top skin. Will this be a big problem with water leaking in?
Van's Air Force
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Elevator Leading Edge Roll
- Thread starter pilot28906
- Start date
Actually you got it right. Or at least mine is the same way. Since there is a 90 degree bend on the part that goes on the inside of the overlapping skins you can't get it wrong. It is just designed so that the tooling that puts the 90 degree flange in the elevator skin does both skins the same.
sglynn
Well Known Member
Yes, top skin should be over lower skin on right elevator
John, yes it is a potential for water damage according to plan and drawing. Good news is the pulled rivets are really easy to drill out, flip the top skin over the bottom skin and re-rivet. Won't take 15 minutes. You can see mine at www.mykitlog.com/sglynn
have fun
John, yes it is a potential for water damage according to plan and drawing. Good news is the pulled rivets are really easy to drill out, flip the top skin over the bottom skin and re-rivet. Won't take 15 minutes. You can see mine at www.mykitlog.com/sglynn
have fun
No, that's not right (unless they've revised the design since I did mine). Only the rudder skin has that 90 degree flange, not the elevators. The elevator skins should be top overlapping bottom, as shown on the plans, for better water shedding.
I concur, this is easy to fix. But do it carefully -- do your best to keep from enlarging the holes when you drill out the rivets.
pilot28906
Well Known Member
Elevator Roll
Thanks for the input; I'll drill them out.
Thanks for the input; I'll drill them out.
pilot28906
Well Known Member
90* Bend
My elevator skin does not have the 90* bend, however I think the rudder does.
My elevator skin does not have the 90* bend, however I think the rudder does.
Sound like a design change
Yeah, sounds like Van's made a design change then. But Brian, your builder number is higher than mine, so maybe the change was to add the flange, not remove it. My DWG 5 was at revision level R2, and did not have the 90 deg flanges. Brian, what revision level is your DWG 5? The revisions are listed in ascending order above the title block on the bottom right corner of the drawing. Now I'm curious. I wonder what motivated the change, and what else might have changed?
Yeah, sounds like Van's made a design change then. But Brian, your builder number is higher than mine, so maybe the change was to add the flange, not remove it. My DWG 5 was at revision level R2, and did not have the 90 deg flanges. Brian, what revision level is your DWG 5? The revisions are listed in ascending order above the title block on the bottom right corner of the drawing. Now I'm curious. I wonder what motivated the change, and what else might have changed?
Brantel
Well Known Member
He He,
Even though I have a newer builder #, my tail kit started life as an RV6 and was converted by using the conversion kit that was made available when the RV7 was announced. They gave me a new builder # when I ordered my wings.
I have been building for over 10 years (long break between tail and wings).
My elevator skins are some of the first RV7 skins I suppose.
Even though I have a newer builder #, my tail kit started life as an RV6 and was converted by using the conversion kit that was made available when the RV7 was announced. They gave me a new builder # when I ordered my wings.
I have been building for over 10 years (long break between tail and wings).
My elevator skins are some of the first RV7 skins I suppose.
Ahh, you got me!
Ok, that makes sense.
Now that you mention it, I do seem to remember that the very early RV-7's (earlier than mine) all had a totally different elevator design that was similar to the RV-6 elevator, even if the kit was an RV-7 to begin with.
So you probably have the old style brick-shaped counterweight too, right? I think that's actually a better design than the newer shaped counterweight -- more accessible for balancing. I wonder why they changed it.
Anyway, sorry for straying off topic somewhat... but mystery solved.
Ok, that makes sense.
Now that you mention it, I do seem to remember that the very early RV-7's (earlier than mine) all had a totally different elevator design that was similar to the RV-6 elevator, even if the kit was an RV-7 to begin with.
So you probably have the old style brick-shaped counterweight too, right? I think that's actually a better design than the newer shaped counterweight -- more accessible for balancing. I wonder why they changed it.
Anyway, sorry for straying off topic somewhat... but mystery solved.
Birkelbach
Well Known Member
Water's gonna get in.
I'm pretty sure that water is going to pour into those elevators through the slots cut for the rod end bearing hinges, the ribs, the spar, etc. I can't imagine that the crease on the leading edge would make any difference. I'd rather have the crease facing the wrong way than to risk the skins by drilling the rivets out. Make sure that the cure isn't worse than the disease.
For what it's worth my elevators had the 90 deg bend in them as well. My builder number is 70090.
Godspeed,
Phil Birkelbach
N727WB - RV7
Out for Paint
I'm pretty sure that water is going to pour into those elevators through the slots cut for the rod end bearing hinges, the ribs, the spar, etc. I can't imagine that the crease on the leading edge would make any difference. I'd rather have the crease facing the wrong way than to risk the skins by drilling the rivets out. Make sure that the cure isn't worse than the disease.
For what it's worth my elevators had the 90 deg bend in them as well. My builder number is 70090.
Godspeed,
Phil Birkelbach
N727WB - RV7
Out for Paint
