Taking a new stand

Posted on April 23, 2017 by majuro15

After drilling out all the rivets and removing the two ribs with feared corrosion, my suspicions were confirmed with a somewhat scary sight.

As you can see, there was quite a bit of corrosion between the two surfaces. I’m very happy I took the time to correct this and avoid potential problems down the road. I spent more time inspecting other areas of the tail cone and could find no other signs of corrosion, so I’m confident this is the extent of the damage. It took a few 3M pads to get all of this cleaned up, but after about an hour it was down to shiny smooth metal again. I was concerned about how much I had to grind away on the bulkhead, but a call to Vans alleviated my fears as they said I should be good to go. I removed the original primer (which was not applied very well, I admit) and did a thourough wipe down with MEK before properly priming with my SEM.

I did notice a small stress crack in the bulkhead lightning hole flange that I stop drilled upon Vans’ advice. I was able to move forward after this brief fix delay and was back on track. However, the next step was to mate the tail cone to the fuselage assembly. That requires getting rid of the sawhorses and coming up with a long term stand for the fuselage structure.

I checked out a few other build logs and decided to copy Justin Twilbeck and went with a four caster design with pillars for each side of the spar pass through and one each for the firewall and bulkhead near the steps. Using 2x4s and some OSB, I estimated the deminsions putting the structure at a nice working height, keeping in mind the cabin top and the height of my garage door. I won’t be able to mount the gear free hanging on this stand, but it will allow easy access and a comfortable working height for the next year or so. I put a bit of felt on the two bulkhead cross pieces and am pretty pleased with how securely it holds the fuselage. It also rolls quite easily which is good because the shop is filling up quickly!

Next up is actually mating the tail cone to this subassembly.

Spring cleaning: cobwebs and corrosion

Posted on March 23, 2017 by majuro15

It’s time to attach the tail cone to the fuselage which means a museum piece can be ceremoniously lowered from the ceiling and brought back into production. The last work was done over two years ago on the tail cone and it’s been in storage, basements, and garages since then. Unfortunately, moisture left its mark with some heavy filiform corrosion on the bulkhead and bottom skin.

The tail kit components had this elsewhere when I purchased it, but never this bad. On the bulkhead, I dug in with the angle grinder and 3M pads and made quick work of the nasty stuff. Fortunately, it wasn’t too deep in the metal and it all came off easily. The bottom skin is a bit trickier with the DuPont primer on it. I didn’t do a great job priming this and did it after assembly so there were areas the corrosion was actually underneath the primer. I’m not quite done getting that part cleaned up, as evident in the picture.

The biggest concern, out of it all, is the thin line of white corrosion along the ribs holding the battery tray (ignore the white flakes in the background, I haven’t finished vacuuming). The surfaces between those two parts aren’t primed and I’m suspicious that there is corrosion between the two.

I spent a good amount of time with a flash light and inspection mirror going over the rest of the tail cone. It’s the only area like this and I don’t want to risk long term issues. I concluded that the right thing to do is to drill out the rivets and clean these areas up properly. It’ll be easy to do now and I’ll combine this with the custom equipment tray that I’ll be putting in to replace the battery tray. Once this is complete, we’ll move on to attach the tail cone.

Service Bulletins

Posted on September 22, 2016 by majuro15

While having some down time at home that I can’t do much productive anything with, I decided to research quite a few things while lying in bed after surgery. One of those was service bulletins. There are a handful out there for the RV-10 and are a lot like AD’s issued by the FAA, but they are not mandatory by law. Highly recommended, however, so in the home built world, you comply with them. With this being a build log, I wanted to document them here and then I’ll make the associated entries in the air frame log book once I have one.

The empenage kit (oldest original kit) was delivered in October 2005 to the original builder, thus I have only addressed those SB’s relating to the dates affecting our kits.

SB 06-2-3 is for the vertical stabilizer rudder mount. This SB was completed by the original builder and complies with all aspects of the SB. I could not get a good picture inside a tiny access hole, however, visually confirmed the doubler plate is in place inside the main spar of the VS.

SB 06-9-20 is for the trim cable anchor nut on the elevators. While our kit does have the double welded nut, I chose to upgrade to the CNC machined piece by IFLYRV10.com.

SB 08-6-1 is for the F-1010 bulkhead near the vertical stabilizer in the tail cone. My kit came with the SB contents and I completed it as part of the original build of the tail cone.

SB 16-03-28 is for the aileron hinge brackets possibly cracking on the inboard aileron mount. I have removed the portion of the gap fairing to allow future inspection and no further action is needed until flying, at which time an annual inspection of the bracket must be made and noted in the log.

There are other SB’s that will affect our build, however, I have not gotten to that stage of the build yet, so will cover it in another post.

Control Approach to my rudder pedals

Posted on December 29, 2014 by majuro15

RV-10 builders have drooled for years over ControlApproach rudder pedal set up and I am no exception. A few lucky guys picked up the available sets and Paul hasn’t produced them for a couple of years. I always kept an eye out for the classifieds for a set but had no luck. I decided to take matters into my own hands and reach out to Paul directly.

As luck would have it, Paul was filling promises and had a small production run with one set left. I weaseled my way onto the list and within a few days, had a set on its way to my house.

These pedals first of all look amazing. The design is much better aesthetically then the Van’s setup and goes along way to making the aircraft interior look professionally done. They are also awesome functionally, feeling much better (in my limited experience, one flight with and one flight without them) especially with the free-castering nose wheel on the 10. They relocate the master cylinders to the back of the pedal arms to clear up some foot space and eliminate hitting them with your shoes. They also move the rudder cables to the tunnel for their entire run.

While the machining and quality of the pieces is amazing, the directions leave a lot to the imagine. The box was well packed but the hardware bag was a bit intimidating!

After a bit of organizing, it was much less messy and I was ready to get to work.

I had to re-read the directions a lot, but once I got a start and all the pieces laid out, it makes sense. A bit of jigging was required to get the four holes drilled for the inner and outer tubes that linked the pilot and copilot pedals.

There is also a shortage of thin washers with the hardware kit, but I fortunately have plenty in reserve and most that I need are needed when installing the master cyclinders. I put everything together and securely stashed them away in the storage racks until ready for the fuse.

Just a little trim

Posted on November 21, 2014 by majuro15

With the rudder complete according to the plans, it’s time for me to venture off into experimental land for the first time in the build. A lot of other 10 builders are putting an electric rudder trim in and I want to do the same thing. There are some great write ups on other’s build sites that I borrowed most of the ideas from and then just tweaked to make my own.

I started by laying out where the trim tab will be on the rudder. I didn’t want to add any structure outside of the rudder, so I’ll be cutting a tab out and hinging it. I choose the vertical mid point between two ribs for the location. I then measured out the tab based on very scientific eyeballing and comparing to others. I made sure to keep it centered and spaced evenly between the ribs and also to keep the hinge line perpendicular to the air flow. Once copied to the other skin, it’s time to break out the Dremel and start stressing about making the cuts right. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

The hinge was next coming from a stick of piano hinge from Aircraft Spruce cut to size. A main goal is to make it as drag resistant as possible, so I put the hing on the left inner skin which allows more movement to the right and a minimal gap when it is trimmed to the right (which is where it will spend most of its life).

Next step was to create a mounting arm for the servo rod. I started with a piece of manila folder to get the shape close. This is where all my experience with RC models really paid off, as the system is very similar to any RC plane or helicopter set up. I then cut two pieces of aluminum trim to the curved shape and bent the tabs in opposite directions to mount onto the trim tab. Again, to minimize drag and maximize coolness factors, I cut a slit for the servo arm to slide through so I could have the mounting tabs inside of the tab.

Rather than have an inspection panel with the servo mounted to it, I used another idea of having a piece of aluminum trim mounted to the hinge which serves as a base for the servo. This way, I can remove the entire trim tab system, servo and all, from the rudder for maintenance using a minimum number of screws. It’s also a little cleaner looking in my opinion.

A rudder cable fairing finishes it off, again mounted from the inside and finished with a little micro and epoxy to smooth things out and cover the rivets.

I trimmed a couple pieces of left over Styrofoam from the elevator trim tabs to epoxy in and keep the shape / provide structure for the tab. I finished it off with a little micro to seal it all up. The leading edge (non-hinged) was bent inward to create clearance for travel.

Overall, I’m very happy with the end result and it was a pretty easy project once all thought out. I’ll hook up the wiring connector later in the build. I did test it and get a pretty fair amount of travel. Based on other’s I saw at Oshkosh, this will be more than enough trim power for the 10 even during full power climbs.

I don’t like that color

Posted on August 27, 2014 by majuro15

I have had enough sanding for a while and figure it’s time to throw some primer on top and see what the results are on the control surface tips. I was pleasantly surprised how good they turned out. The sanding really paid off and with the few pinhole exceptions, the transitions between the fiber and the aluminum are very smooth. The primer is an ugly color, but at least it highlights where you still need work.

I was especially excited about the top of the rudder where I had to add a lot of fill to make it nice and smooth. The micro added to the West Epoxy is solid as a rock when cured but still sanded pretty easy. Really easy to work with.

So the elevators are complete now and went back up on the wall. I have just the bottom rudder fairing joint to smooth out and then I’ll start on the rudder trim.

Creamy peanut butter

Posted on July 23, 2014 by majuro15

After the epoxy set up on the fiberglass tips, it was time to put on the filler, often referred to as micro, to smooth things out. I’m using the West epoxy system and the 407 filler. It’s an extremely fine powder that is a tan color and according to others very easy to work with. You mix up the epoxy as normal with a 5:1 ratio and then add in the filler to get a consistency of creamy peanut butter. Then just spread it on and smooth it out as best you can then wait for it to cure.

I’m not a stranger to using Bondo, dry wall mud, and other fillers, but I still have a few lessons learned from my first experience on the plane. First is when mixing the filler, you want a really think peanut butter mix, not creamy. My first batch ran and settled a little too much, requring me to position the pieces so it wouldn’t drip. Keep in mind it takes a few hours for the slow hardener to set up. If you have a lot to add to build up, make it as dry as you can. Second, follow Ron Propeil’s advice and set it and forget it. Just like dryway, the more you mess with it, the worse it gets. You won’t get a perfectly smooth application so stop trying. That’s what sand paper is for! Third, is patience which I do actually have for this. One coat is seldom enough to smooth out whatever your working on. Go in stages and don’t try to build Rome in a day.

Thus, my first coat was pretty successful. I scuffed up the newly laid fiber and made sure the aluminum was scuffed with a Scotchbrite pad. Then clean everything with thinner and apply the filler. I filled in a lot on the tips’ leading edge where it didn’t match up with the aluminum well. I was also excited that it actually set up well! I have a fear of mixing the epoxy wrong and it just being a goopy mess. The pump system for the West epoxy is a must have.

Next, you get to break out the sand paper. And a lot of it. A couple lessons on this too. Have a variety of grits; I used 80 to knock off the big ridges and bumps, then 150 to contour, and 220 to smooth it all out. I found that the 150 really didn’t work too well as the dust would bond to the paper and clog it up. The 220 worked great and lasted a long time. I have a couple of different blocks that are working well. I’ve read never to use your fingers since they will not sand uniformly, but there are always a few spots that the block can’t get. Make sure not to sand too much off. It’s better to get it close and put another thin layer of filler on to really smooth it out.

I put the second coat on a bit dryer than the first and that was good for the big spots, but also harder to get a smooth application. For the finish coat, it’s better to have it a bit creamier so it will apply smoothly with no pinholes. The second coat was sanded with 80 and then 220. You can tell if you have low spots by the different color when sanding which is nice. Never sand out a low spot. Add to it then smooth it out. Blow off the dust, clean with thinner, and repeat the application process. This is the third coat and I’m pretty sure it will be enough. The corners are still hard so I gooped it on and will sand it smooth. I’m hoping the other side will go faster since I’ve got some experience under my belt. I’ll finish it all with a 440 grit before doing some quick primer and reevaluating.

And of course, you have to have things organized. So to keep all this sand paper (I have more than listed), I got a cheap expanding folio at Wal-Mart Aviation Supply and threw some labels on it. This works perfect and keeps it all in one spot.

Here’s a tip for you.

Posted on July 17, 2014 by majuro15

Fiberglass is very daunting to some while no big deal to others. I’m in the middle. I don’t like sanding for ever, but it’s a nice change from deburring. The tips of the control surfaces and both wings and stabilizers all are made of fiberglass and get riveted onto the aluminum. While the plans call for that the to the end of it, some builders will put a layer of glass over the joint to seal the gap, improve aerodynamics, and improve the look. Since I have plenty of time, I decided to do the same.

First step is to test fit the pieces and notch out around the trailing edge. I also needed to cut a bit off the flange so it would fit flush under the skin. Overall, these are formed pretty terribly next to the aluminum but they are old and I’ve heard Van’s molds are better now in newer kits.

After fitting, I drilled and countersunk the fiberglass while dimpling the aluminum to take the pop rivets. This was pretty straight forward and the only exception I will make is to put nut plates and screws on the bottom rudder fairing so I can access the nav light.

The first step in glass thing joints is scuff the area with 80 grit sand paper so the resin has a bit more bite surface to it. I then mixed up the West Epoxy system with the slow hardener and painted on a thin coat. I used a 1″ glass strip cut to size and laid it on the wet epoxy. Others have done more than one layer, but I plan on sticking with just one. Make sure that all the fabric gets soaked and minimize the excess then just let it sit. I did apply a bigger piece on the leading edge of the rudder tip since it was formed shorter than the aluminum structures. I’ll layer one or two more times to build up the difference then fill this with micro and create a nice smooth surface.

The trailing edge cut required a bit of sanding down to match the profile of the elevator. I used my belt sander which worked really well as long as I was careful to watch the shape and amount taken off.

This is the final result of the first glass laid on the project. I’m pretty happy with it. Next step will be some sanding and then a layer of micro to smooth it all out. Sand and repeat, I’m sure.

Hang in there…

Posted on July 8, 2014 by majuro15

We took this evening to install the eye bolts and ratchet straps to hang the tail cone from the ceiling. I had a couple of different options on where to put it, and I’m glad this worked out as it keeps it high, safe, and out of the way of the lights. My wife was able to help me lift it up and we secured it with the straps. Pretty simple and now I have even more airplane parts hanging from the ceiling!

I also cleaned up the garage a bit and got organized for the next project of installing and prepping the empennage fiberglass tips. Time to get dusty.

She’s getting pretty damned good at this.

Posted on July 5, 2014 by majuro15

We had a date this morning in the garage to rivet the top skin on the tail cone. Lucky that it was only in the seventies not the nineties so very good working conditions! I emptied our linen closet and all the guest beds of pillows and blankets to build a fort inside the airplane. This was needed to protect the bulkheads that are about three inches tall as well as the rudder cable bracket which sticks about six inches right in the middle of your back! All things considered, it was quite comfortable and worked very well.

I crawled inside and got the headlight, ear muffs, and bucking bar ready while Laura did the majority of the work from outside. I wrapped the bucking bar with duct tape which did a great job of protecting the new primer and preventing scratches. Laura has a great touch with the rivet gun and has very consistent trigger pulls which makes bucking rivets go very quickly. We breezed through the project in about two hours without having to drill out a single rivet. I did have one hole that had to have an oops rivet installed since it was drilled out too big.

I installed the nut plates for the fairing and bolted on the seat belt brackets and temporarily installed the completed battery tray. I plan to go back and mark all the bolts with paint that I’ve torqued with the new torque wrench, as a few bolts are not final set since they will have to come out in later steps.

This is as far as we go with the tail cone now, as I won’t be attaching the stabilizers until much later in the build for storage reasons. The tail cone will get tapped up to help keep bugs out and then hung from the ceiling in the garage to keep it safe and out of the way. Next project will be some fiberglass work on all the stabilizer and control surface tips.

Tim and Laura's RV-10 "Tess"

Building and Flying N1017H

Category Archives: Empennage