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Left Elevator tab bending advice.

Lemmingman

Lemmingman

Well Known Member
This is for the folks who successfully bent tabs on the left elevator. I'm not hung up on the process, I think I'm ok with that. What I am hung up on is the location of the bend. In the picture below, I have 3 line choices red, yellow and black. These represent my guesses as to where the bend should go.

LineChoices.jpg


I'm not quite sure where to make the bend, basically. If I'm completely off, here is an unmodified picture you can draw on.

100_0295.JPG
 
The bend line should be perpendicular to the trailing edge of the elevator skin cutout where the hinge rivets on.

Also, the top tab should be bent 90 degrees. The bottom tab is bent whatever it takes to match up with that. This will help ensure that the gap between the end trim tab riblet (formed by the two tabs) and the elevator riblet (formed by it's two tabs) is the same, top and bottom. The problem being you need to bend the bottom tab first.
 
None of the above colors... trim the tab ears off and install a riblet.

YEP! I did the same and I added an ear so I could also attach it to the spar with a pop rivit. nice n strong now :D
 
I knew the riblet crew was going to come out. It was my second option, for sure. Turned out to be a non-issue. I bent it and it looks just fine (almost typed great).

Jeff, I like your rig for the trim tab. That will be coming up very soon...like tomorrow if I get lucky.
 
dimple

If I remember correctly, the close-out tabs on the elevator and trim tab use countersunk blind rivets. Make sure you dimple the holes for these before you put it together. I don't think the instructions give you a heads-up on it.
 
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