What's new
Van's Air Force

The definitive Van's Aircraft support community! Buying, building or flying an RV? Join our exclusive family of mentors and enthusiasts!

Vertical Stabilizer help

Y

YME

Well Known Member
Sponsor
Finally started my build when I ran into my first problem I finished clecoing the Vertical Stabilizer and called it a night. The next morning I noticed a small dimple on both sides of the skin where a rib (VS1202) is clecoed. It seems the rib in that area is too tight. I radiused the front edge of the ribs as called out in the plans so as not to deform the leading edge of the skin. It was a tight fit putting them in and did not feel right. While installing the skin over the Vertical skeleton, I had to radiused the front of the ribs a good bit.

So, when installing the Vertical Stabilizer Skeleton (VSS) into the preformed Vertical Stabilizer Skin, does the VSS go in easy? It seems that I cannot get the leading edge of the ribs to fit into the round leading edge of the skin without a good bit of pressure. See attached pics.

-Tom
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2528.jpeg
    IMG_2528.jpeg
    1.5 MB · Views: 120
  • IMG_2531.jpeg
    IMG_2531.jpeg
    1.7 MB · Views: 119
  • IMG_2538.jpeg
    IMG_2538.jpeg
    1.9 MB · Views: 118
Check to be sure that the flanges on the ribs do not extend beyond the front edge of the rib's web. You may need to radius the flange a bit more, but make sure you have adequate edge distance to the rivet hole.

Do you have a digital version of page 06-05? Zoom in really tight on figure 1 and notice how the flange does not extend beyond the front edge of each rib's web.

You can also slightly bevel the front edge of the first flange. (See figure 3 on page 05-03.)

Also be sure the rivet holes in the flanges line up in a straight line. You may need to adjust your fluting to get the holes in the ribs to align with the skin holes. See step 1 on page 06-07.
 
I am going to check those today. Did yours go on smoothly? In other words, after ensuring what you mentioned and placing the opened VS skin on the table and resting the VS Skeleton (VSK) on the skin, (refer to pic) did the VS skin fold down easily onto the VSK so all the holes lined up and clecoing made easy with any significant pressure.

-Tom
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2538.jpeg
    IMG_2538.jpeg
    1.9 MB · Views: 15
I did a similar thing and got the same dimples in my skin near the top rib on my 14 VS.

I realized after forcing it.. the rib was upside down, no amount of radius and beveling was going to fix that it was just oriented incorrectly. Check the orientation of your ribs and making sure the webs are in the correct position.

I used a wood block and peen hammer to flatten out the dimples. I fretted about it for awhile, talked to my A&P help, then built on. I can't even notice it anymore.
 
The clecoes in the holes near the leading edge didn't go in as easily as the clecoes farther back, but they weren't super-difficult to install.
One other thing to check: Make sure the rib flanges are 90 degrees to the rib's web.
 
Finally got it fixed. Filed back top front portion of the rib where it was interfering with the skin.

Want to thank everyone for their input. And Mark I agree those leading edge cloches were a bit tight.

-Tom
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top