Small Steps

The counting is pretty much finished with only one part missing and a few washers. This is pretty amazing really considering the number of parts. I now need to give Vans the bad news and they will send the absent items. The fact that I have yet to do that is actually a good thing as will become evident in just a moment.

The urge to build is hard to resist, so naturally I dived right in. Construction of the empennage/tailcone is the approved starting point so being a obedient soul, that's where I started. The first part is the vertical stabilizer, that's the bit at the back that sticks up in the air.

The first parts to be built are upper and lower hinge assemblies. These are the attach points for the rudder and allows it to turn left and right around a vertical axis. This is a reasonably important control mechanism for any aircraft. I'd like to be proudly showing off the first completed parts, they look like this.

The components of each hinge assembly are connected by 5 solid rivets which with trembling hand I squeezed, (the first of many). Nine went in beautifully, not so the tenth. No problem, there is a technique for bad  rivet removal that involves drilling through the head of the rivet, removing the head and driving the rest of the rivet through with a pin punch. Drilling and head removal went beautifully however there is no pin punch in this ACF (Aircraft Construction Facility). Various other devices were tried with absolutely no effect. Apparently a pin punch really is necessary........... Of course instead of waiting until one is to hand, the constructor decided to drill the rest of the rivet right out, carefully using a drill bit the same size as the original hole. This worked a treat and the replacement rivet was duly inserted and squeezed. To my horror it pulled through the newly enlarged hole. This is not good and certainly not up to standard. I figure there are two options: a larger rivet if one can be found or a new part to be ordered to keep company with the missing parts. It seems buggering up a rivet or two is virtually a right of passage in aircraft construction and its sad to know that I'm no exception. Yet another lesson or two learned.

Undaunted, the intrepid constructor  proceeds with the next phase which is preparing the left and right upper and lower spar caps that will eventually mate with the vertical stabilizer rear spar. This involves lots of deburring of edges and holes and match drilling. People say these activities form possibly the greater part of the construction process so it is good to get early practice. It is also good to be able to report that all went well and tasks called out on pages 6-02 and 6-03 are complete. This is the product.

 

Time to call it quits and reflect on the highs and lows of building. While they are small steps the journey has really commenced.