Rudder Frame - Part 1

The frame was assembled as outlined in the factory drawings with all parts clearly marked at the factory for reassembly. Once the frame was clecoed together the pre-drilled skin was fitted and clecoed ready to fit the D-nose. No issues were encountered and the skin was pop riveted to the ribs EXCEPT at the last hole, spar and the upper and lower ribs. This is required to undertake the fitting of the D-Nose and fabricating the faring attachments at the top and bottom.  

Rudder frame assembled and clecoed
Ensure all captive nuts are installed before proceding

Fitting D-Nose
The front former's for the D nose were installed for this operation. The D-Nose is supplied as a pre-bent shape, cut to length with cutouts for the hinges. The main task is to match drill it to the skin/spar while in contact with the former's.

The initial fitting required two flat hockey straps 600 mm long with the D-Nose edge's slid under the under the rudder skin. The skin was maneuvered into its correct location after a number of trial fittings. Once satisfied a single hole was match drilled at the top side and clecoed. Then the skin was formed by hand around the nose rib at that location and a hole marked at the other side with a felt tip pen and the D-Node was removed,drilled,re-installed. This was repeated about half way down and finally at the base. 

Note taper

The force applied at the base nose rib created an error that required rework later when the issue created was noted at the trial fitting of the bottom fiberglass faring. [see note]

This will be outlined in the next rudder blog.

The D-Nose was refitted, checked and then all holes from the running down the spar were marked drilled and the D-nose removed and drilled. The edge was trimmed using the factory jig and Ofla Cutter as outline in previous blog. 

The D-nose was refitted with clecos await final fixing.

Note: If doing this again a former based on the inside face of the lower fiberglass faring would be  cleoced into the rudder attachment mount at the base.  The skin would be formed around this fixed reference to the fiberglass faring that has to be installed later. 

Mass Balance
The kit is supplied with a mass balance and associated hardware. It was unclear on the plans if the two attachments were only riveted onto the former, it was decided to integrate the mounts into the rib. This was achieved by enlarging the two 5 mm alignment hole's in the ribs to suit the OD of the fittings. Both bushes were drilled for 4 [four] 1/8'' pop rivets, reassembled and fixed to the rib's.

Fairing Mount Top

The fairing mounts were manufacture from aluminium strip supplied with the kit. The strip was cut to length inserted in between the rib and the skin. The mounting hole center line was marked and aligned through the existing holes in the skin and matched marked using a 1/8''  transfer punch.

A tapered timber backing was used to support the aluminium during the process.

The strip was primed with Grey SLS Etch primer, installed at both side's with cleco's. 

All holes were now pop riveted. The final two rivets at the back required a 1/8'' x  6 mm pop rivet as the factory supplied rivets foul on each other.

Rudder Assembly Phase I