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Empennage Kit Inventory Question

W

waynestir1

Member
Hello All, Starting the inventory process here and ran into a question...

Am I supposed to get the brackets for between the HS and the elevators as part of this kit? I only got 2 powder coated pieces in the entire kit, and they are WD 605 L and R. I see there are a bunch of brackets that aren't on my packing list but are on the plans, like HS911, HS912 and VA 146.

Thanks
-Wayne
 
Hi Wayne,
Yeah, you need to install a bunch of those powder-coated brackets before you close up the HS, so you need to find them. Weird that they are not on the packing list...call Van's.

Meanwhile, start on the VS -- it's far easier than the HS. Good luck and post here if you run into trouble! :)

Paul
 
Sorry to hear that...
Here's the complete "hardware kit" from the emp kit. Received 3 months ago.
DSC03014.JPG


As you can see, there are a couple of powdercoated parts. 2 are missing from this picture (2 bigger parts, the elevator attach brackets).

Paul is right, you can start on the VS. It is easier to assemble (I haven't done it yet but I've read the manual) but start reading the HS instructions... It's the first section of the manual and it contains some indications that are not in the following sections.
 
Bags 1901 and 1902

Not to sound silly but have you looked in every last cubic inch in both boxes? Sometimes the kits are like a box of Legos - they're counted right down to the last part so things can seem like they are missing. Also, parts can be hidden between stacked-together ribs and similar parts.

My inventory list shows the hinge brackets in bag 1901 and the bearing VA-146 in bag 1902. The hinge brackets are usually stacked together pretty tight and may be in a brown paper bag.

Seems strange that Van's would leave out some parts without clearly noting them as backordered. My hardware bag list is one double-sided sheet and the hinge brackets are in the middle of it.

Also, I have completed my HS and VS, and the VS is definitely easier - some of the very first rivets required in the skin-to-skeleton joints of the HS are quite hard to buck if you are not already experienced at riveting.
 
Last edited:
JHines said:
some of the very first rivets required in the skin-to-skeleton joints of the HS are quite hard to buck if you are not already experienced at riveting.
Click to expand...

You're right, the middle nose rib is a pain to buck by yourself. Get a 3rd hand!
 
The VS has the fewest instances of hard-to-reach rivets, requires no bending or double-flush rivets, etc.

Philippe is right, though, at least read the HS instructions section first because it contains some spoon-feeding the rest of the instructions don't.
 
You all are right...

...but when I started building VS, I noticed that ribs were not fluted at all nor had little waves to indicate how and where to flute them. Not a big deal...but for who is building for the first time and doesn't know how to flute, it may be a problem. So, if you start from VS and find that some ribs are not square, look back at HS ribs to understand how and where to flute.
Also be careful on cutting big lightening holes in rear spar: they are not all of the same diameter (I mistook and had to order a new doubler).
Camillo
 
Good points Camillo...

There are several threads on this site about rib fluting.

Also, the spar lightening holes are already formed in the newer kits :)
 
Camillo said:
...but when I started building VS, I noticed that ribs were not fluted at all nor had little waves to indicate how and where to flute them. Not a big deal...but for who is building for the first time and doesn't know how to flute, it may be a problem. So, if you start from VS and find that some ribs are not square, look back at HS ribs to understand how and where to flute.
Also be careful on cutting big lightening holes in rear spar: they are not all of the same diameter (I mistook and had to order a new doubler).
Camillo
Click to expand...

On my tail kit (early this year) the VS ribs were not fluted either - but on close examination they were ALREADY square and required no more fluting. The HS ribs only required minor touch-up fluting to be square. The wing kit, on the other hand, was another matter entirely - lots of fluting needed there. Maybe Van has made a change in the manufacturing method for the tail kit involving some (or all) of the ribs such that they don't need as much (or any) fluting for some parts?
 
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