Bits & Pieces - No 4

This blog covers the reinstallation of the stabs and other small items at the rear

Overview
After the repair of the stab it was time to assemble the tail for the final time.

Installation
This work was described in details in the blog category Elevator Stabs.

Rudder
The nose of of the fiberglass fairing was not aligned with the rudder mass balance cover and it was decided to fit a 0.025'' 2024-T3 at the end on both sides to engage by about 20 mm under the fiberglass fairing on both sides. The fairing was securely locked in position and after riveting the aluminium fairing back in position additional rivets were added to the fairing using the existing rivets lines. 

Alodined 0.025'' strip ready for closure

The final electrical plugs were added, checked and tidied up to allow installation.

Elevator Fairing Extension
The starboard faring was short when installed and aligned with the mass balance faring and it was decided to used the open end to add auto filler. The filler was supported until cured on a piece of scrap aluminium. After curing the aluminium was removed and the filler sanded to shape top allow installation of the fairing.

Elevator Stab Installation
The front attachment straps were install ready to accept the elevator stab with a scrap block of builder foam to support the stab while the front bolts were installed. The lower bolts were installed first using a 3/8'' open ender then the top bolts as these have the best access. All bolts were only nipped to allow the front bolts to be installed. The yellow line marking the high point on the tapered packer was critical to correct installation.

With the rear bolts the rear spar was jacked up using the foam block and a combination of 1/4'' drives used to install the bottom AN4 bolts - finally the upper AN3 bolts were installed into the factory captive nuts.

A final check of the level was taken though little could be done to change it. The front longeron was used by the factory as the datum when setting the wing alignment and with the digital level zeroed and the level was checked at the rear - all seemed OK so all bolts were torqued and marked

Elevator

Rubber dust seals

The elevator was now reinstalled using the 5 mm unbrako bolts. Doing this by oneself is not recommended but it had to be done. With the rubber seals in position installation started at the starboard outside hinge with each one inserted until the port side was reached. Installing the bolts while grimly holding the elevator using the bolts was ruled out and 3 mm cable ties were inserted across the four [4] points. These were chosen as they are pointed and insert easily with one hand while acting as nylon nails.

At this point the bolts were inserted one by one starting again at the starboard side. To allow the bolts to be torqued a standard allen key was cut to fit.

Note: These bolts are called up now as AN3 and the tool that was described previously is invaluable as you need to guide, force and keep hold of the bolt by its head

Rudder Stab

The rudder stab was now fitted using the six [6] attachment point at the rear of the fuselage using AN3 bolts. once fitted the final task was to install the front bolt. 

Previously a captive floating nut was installed on the fuselage attachment and without it I cannot see how I could have done up the bolt. The usual collection of 1/4'' drives were required to access the bolt requiring a dummy nut to be fitted into the socket to allow pressure to be applied while rotating the bolt. 

Finally the rudder hinges were installed using four [4] AN3 bolts each.

Flash photo taken late on a Monday night before leaving to go back  home

Comment
This is the first major progress in a long time but like all these tasks it is only the cumulation of may days of small tasks

Will complete the rudder next week and hook up the cables and finish up a few other small tasks and functionally the tail group will be finished. 

The work group lies in the baggage compartment after adjusting the elevator push tube.