Elevators Off-Center

[mculver]

I am in the final stages of assembling the empennage, and am at the stage where you are supposed to try-fit the elevators to the HS, then drill the elevator horns for the bolt that goes thru the hinge bearing (VA-146).

Per the photo below, left-to-right appears to be off center. Any thoughts from others about what would cause this?

BTW, click on the photo for a much larger version...



Thanks,
Mike

 

[az_gila]

Should be no problem...

I bet the plans have a note about the washers used as spacers that looks like "Number as Required" or similar text.

It's detail A on sheet 5 on the -7 plans. "Max. 3 per side, if and as required"

Note, no requirement for left and right to be equal in this case.

 

[rapid_ascent]

Mike,

It might be the angle of the picture but it looks like your bearing assembly isn't quite perdendicular to the HS spar. Like I said it might just the photo. Either way it looks like the difference in spacing looks minor. Use the washers as required and it seems like you should be fine.

One thing I noticed on mine is that the horns didn't end up being alighned after I did the drilling. I saw on Brad's website that he had the same issue so I didn't worry about it.

Ray

P.S. My wife says she is not getting in this plane.

P.P.S. She says she's not getting in mine either.

 

[Walt]

I might add that I find many of these center bolts left loose because they are not shimmed properly. When you get to the final installation, tighten/torque down all the bearing attach bolts first, then make the EXACT size spacer to fit the gap in both sides of the center bearing. If you just tighten this down without the proper size spacers installed it pulls a side load on the attach bearings and will cause the elevator to bind.

 

[mculver]

Thanks Guys... It is perpendicular, and also torqued per spec; this is just a crummy shot. My worries stem from the fact that it is all CNC layout, so the logical reason for such a variance on each side is operator error during assembly.

 

[ArVeeNiner]

Just another data point

I installed my elevators for flight a couple of weeks ago. I installed them per print and used washers, not custom spacers. I had to use one additional spacer washer on one side than the other. Everything seems to move just fine. I would suspect that the welded horns have some variance and that's what you're seeing..

 

[RV10Rob]

Mike, those welded steel parts are not as precise as the prepunched aluminum parts you're used to. You'll see this sort of thing throughout the build (though in most places such slight asymmetry isn't as noticeable).

-Rob

 

[Rupester]

What they said...

Yep, mine were a little off like that too. That's just one of the reasons they have us drill the horns in assembly. If you drill them right, the rest is largely cosmetic.