Yesterday I tackled the infamous rudder leading edge. It was obvious that the main issue was going to be the lower sections, because I needed to create the curve more at the base of the skins than at the edge, and using traditional rolling methods puts the curve in the wrong place for proper fit later. But I went ahead, using various methods I've learned from other builders, and ended up carefully massaging the pieces into shapes that were close enough to get clecos in place without creating a crease at the spar. The end result was that I ended up with a fit that looks good on the outside; a nice, tight, smooth fit... but it's ugly on the inside. I tried to make sure that the skins were in good contact at the rivet points, going to great length to push the inner skin back towards the outer skin. I was mostly successful; all the heads are tight against the exterior skin, but I think there are one or two rivets in the center of the lower run that set with a very small gap between the skins at the rivet point.
So I have two questions. Since all but a couple rivets are pulled tight, and all the heads and exterior fit is good, do I sweat this? I also was wondering about the shear forces involved in getting these parts into alignment. Since I didn't want to create the dreaded spar creases, I massaged/held/taped the edges into alignment in order to set the clecos, and then match-reamed the holes and set the blind rivets one by one, working from the center of each section outward. Since they're all riveted now, will the aluminum eventually relax into the held shape, or do those shear forces remain strong for the life of the part, and might that become an issue in the long run?
Just curious about all this; I'm sure it's all familiar territory. I'll be posting a project update soon, and will include photos. I tried to get a picture of the inside of the curve... but it's a difficult space to photograph with any kind of clarity.
So I have two questions. Since all but a couple rivets are pulled tight, and all the heads and exterior fit is good, do I sweat this? I also was wondering about the shear forces involved in getting these parts into alignment. Since I didn't want to create the dreaded spar creases, I massaged/held/taped the edges into alignment in order to set the clecos, and then match-reamed the holes and set the blind rivets one by one, working from the center of each section outward. Since they're all riveted now, will the aluminum eventually relax into the held shape, or do those shear forces remain strong for the life of the part, and might that become an issue in the long run?
Just curious about all this; I'm sure it's all familiar territory. I'll be posting a project update soon, and will include photos. I tried to get a picture of the inside of the curve... but it's a difficult space to photograph with any kind of clarity.
Last edited by a moderator: