Riveted the canopy frame

Riveted the skin to the canopy frame assemblies. Riveted in the splice plates. Clecoed the closeout in place. Riveted the skin to the support flanges and riveted the support flange splice plate. Final drilled and then riveted riveted the closeout in place. Riveted the forward rails in place. The plans call for a rivet in every hole and frequently checking to ensure that there is no twist in the structure. So the final drilling and riveting was pretty tedious. But the frame came out laser straight. So I can’t complain too much. The process worked.

Clecoed then riveted the side rails in place.

Riveted the aft canopy frame to the side rails. Riveted the switch mount to the frame. Machine countersunk and screwed the pin blocks to the aft side of the aft frame.

Installed the canopy jettison handle. Placed the assembled frame on the fuselage. In the full open position, it hit the ceiling. I had to lower the tail so that I could lift the canopy enough to engage the hinge pins. But finally managed to get it in place. I carefully closed the canopy while watching to ensure that it didn’t interfere with the forward top skin. It fit perfectly and no filing was necessary.

I shimmed up the side rails so that they are parallel to the side skins. I cut four clamping blocks/spacers and taped them to the aft of the aft frame and clamped it to the roll bar.

Tomorrow I’ll start fitting the canopy to the frame.

Today’s Time (hours):	6.0
Finish Kit (hours):	41.0
Total Time (hours):	771.0

Work on canopy frame continues

Riveted the rail bases to the forward canopy frames. Clecoed the skins and splice plates to the frame along with the rails. Clecoed the forward and aft fixtures to the bottom of the forward canopy frame. Carefully leveled everything and checked for twist in the structure. Rolled a curve into each end of the canopy frame closeout and clecoed it in place. Match/final drilled the closeout.

Machine countersunk the aft ends of the canopy rail flanges. Fluted the canopy rail angles and match/final drilled. These are thick aluminum. Glad I ate my Wheaties this morning. Machine countersunk the holes in the bottom of the angles. Then riveted the flanges to the angles. The plans called for dome head rivets with the shop heads set into the countersinks on the bottoms of the angles achieving a near-flush shop head.

Bent aft half of the rails to match the curve of the fuselage. Match/final drilled the rails to the angles. You’ll note the tape on the clecos. The plans have you cleco everything together through the matched holes. Then add clecos as you match drill each additional holes. Then go back and remove the original clecos and final drill those holes. So the tape was a reminder as to which were the original clecos. Machine countersunk the holes in the rails called out in the plans and riveted the rails to the angles.

Clecoed and final drilled the skins to the rails. Match drilled the canopy handle to the assembly as well.

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Clecoed the the rail assemblies to the forward canopy frame assembly and final drilled.

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Disassembled everything.

My Back-ordered nose gear leg showed up today. Still waiting on the mains. Fedex delivered package 2 of 2 but not 1 of 2. Hopefully it will show up tomorrow. Fedex tracking says it’s in Forest Park. Not sure why given that it was in Kennesaw with the other package last night.

Today’s Time (hours):	6.5
Finish Kit (hours):	33.0
Total Time (hours):	763.0

A little drilling, a little dimpling, a little riveting.

Reassembled the nose skin and match drilled the remaining #40 holes form the skin into the the counterbalance tubes. Then upsized them to #30.

Dimpled the skins for the stiffeners and ribs.

Started back riveting the stiffeners to the skins. After riveting the first one I realized that I neglected to trim them to the correct length. It was obvious that they would interfere with the trailing edge extrusion. I’m guessing that the stiffeners are another shared part with the RV-10 thus requiring shortening for the RV-14.

I was able to trim the one I riveted with a cutoff wheel on the Dremel by sliding a thin piece of scrap aluminum under the stiffener to protect the skin. I deburred it with sandpaper. No harm No foul. I trimmed the rest on the bandsaw and deburred on the ScotchBrite wheel.

Had to quit to go watch the Bruins in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Today’s Time (hours):	2.0
Wing Time (hours):	177.0
Total Time (hours):	389.0

Attached top rudder tip

I was away in south Florida all last week for work. Good trip but glad to get back in the shop today.

I final-fit the top tip to the rudder with some sand paper. I match drilled #40 all of the holes.

I final drilled the holes to #30.

I machine countersunk the holes in the tip to fit the dimples in the skin.

I dimpled the holes in the skin.

I attached the tip to the rudder with the pneumatic pop rivet gun.

Et viola…

I attached the rudder to the vertical stabilizer on the workbench. I fit the VS tip with sandpaper and match drilled all the holes #40.

I used the band saw to cut some foam to back the fiberglass closeout. I test fit the assembly to the VS and used sand paper to gradually reduce the size of the foam until I got an interference fit.

I mixed up some epoxy resin with glass micro bubbles to . nice thick paste that wouldn’t run.

…and used it to glue the foam into place.

Today’s Time (hours):	1.5
Empennage Time (hours):	206.5
Total Time (hours):	206.5

Sanded and attached horizontal stabilizer tips

Sanded and fit the HS tip to fit. Before I paint the airplane, these will need to be filled and finish sanded.

Final drilled #30, dimpled the skins, and machine countersunk the tip.

I picked up a pneumatic rivet puller at Harbor Freight yesterday. I used it to set the rivets and attach the tips. So much nicer the the manual puller!

This completes the work on the horizontal stabilizer and elevators. So I’ve moved them to a safe place until I’m ready to final attach them at the end of the build.

Today’s Time (hours):	1.5
Empennage Time (hours):	205.0
Total Time (hours):	205.0

Attached right elevator tip

Same drill as as the left tip… Final drilled #30, remove counterweights, dimple reinstall and torque counterweights, countersink tip, cleco, and pop rivet.

Tada

I used this bit on the Dremel to cut some fiberglass and phone out of the middle of the HS tip to correct the fitting issue I mentioned yesterday. Not a precision instrument. At least not in my hands. But it got the job done.

I added a temporary foam block to hold the correct width.

I used some masking tape to compress to the correct width. And adjusted to an interference fit with the HS skin.

Cut some cloth to fit the inside of the tip.

Added epoxy and set aside to cure. Once it’s hard, I’ll remove the temporary foam spacer and backfill the gap I cut with micro at the same time I fill the front side.

Today’s Time (hours):	2.0
Empennage Time (hours):	203.0
Total Time (hours):	203.0

Fiberglass work on HS tips

Jared came by with all of his fiberglass stuff and showed me how to close out the horizontal stabilizer tips. I am so grateful to have someone who built the same plane as well as a couple of others that’s willing to help me out as I am learning to build my first plane. Thank you Jared!

We started by attaching the elevators to the hs on the bench. I drilled and clecoed the elevator tips that I had trimmed and fit yesterday to the elevators. Then we trimmed and fit the HS tips to the horizontal stabilizer. We drilled and clecoed them in place and trimmed the trailing edge to match the profile of the leading edge of the elevator tip with a 1/8″ gap.

Then we trimmed and fit the HS tips to the horizontal stabilizer. We drilled and clecoed them in place and trimmed the trailing edge to match the profile of the leading edge of the elevator tip with a 1/8″ gap. We removed the tips and cut out a foam backer and sanded it to fit into the HS tip.

I traced the inboard edge of the tip on some glass cloth and cut it out with shears.

We used West Systems epoxy with the fast hardener. First we mixed up a batch of epoxy and incorporated glass micro bubbles into the resin to make a thick paste that we used to glue the foam in place.

Then we mixed up another batch of epoxy and laid the glass cloth over the foam. I used a brush to impregnate the cloth with resin and set it into place. It’s rare that I get a picture of me actually building my plane! Photo credit to jared. I had the mask on to work with the micro bubbles. it’s powder fine and super light so it disperses into the air easily and probably isn’t very good to breath.

And here are the HS tips setting up. Once they’ve cured I’ll fill them with micro and sand them to match the profile of the leading edge of the elevator.

Today’s Time (hours):	4.0
Empennage Time (hours):	200.0
Total Time (hours):	200.0

Trimmed and fitted the elevator and rudder tips

As much as I enjoyed looking at the aft fuselage with the tail feathers attached progress must continue! I remove the rudder, elevator, vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer. I trimmed and fitted the elevator and rudder tips using a Dremel with a diamond cutting wheel, files and 60 grit sand paper.

I also received the molex pins I ordered from Mouser so I fixed the wire I accidentally yanked out of the aft wiring harness molex connector.

Tomorrow Jared will teach me how to fiberglass and we’ll close out the VS and HS tips. I’ll need to drill, dimple, countersink and rivet/screw the rudder and elevator tips as well.

Today’s Time (hours):	3.0
Empennage Time (hours):	196.0
Total Time (hours):	196.0

Attached elevators and checked rudder clearance

Definitely looking airplane-like!

Plans call for 3/4″ clearance. I’m at 5/8″. I’m not entirely sure what to do about the 1/8″ difference. I’ll email Van’s but it seems like there’s plenty of clearance.

Today’s Time (hours):	0.5
Empennage Time (hours):	193.0
Total Time (hours):	193.0

Finished Elevators and Worked on Aft Three Bulkhead Assemblies

Yay! Rivets came in the mail and I was able to finally complete the elevators.

Cleaned up the edges and deburred the longerons and J stiffeners.

Matched drilled the aft bulkheads to the VS aft spar.

Countersunk the tie down support.

Dimpled the bulkheads. I think I found a problem with the plans. They called for dimpling the #30 holes in the web of the bulkhead. Note the two dimples along the edge of the tiedown bracket. they are keeping it from sitting flush against the bulkhead. I’ll likely need to undimple these holes somehow.

Match drilled the next bulkhead to the HS attach bars and dimpled the flanges.

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Likewise with the next bulkhead…

Ready for deburring, scuffing, and priming.

Today’s Time (hours):	6.0
Empennage Time (hours):	137.0
Total Time (hours):	137.0