While wing rib work is on hold awaiting laser cut parts resolution, I decided to start work on Section 15 of the RV-10 plans with the wing rear spars. All parts in this section are punched, and the work involves creating a number of smaller assemblies that will be riveted when the rear spars get riveted to the wing ribs. I therefore should be able to complete most of this section without issue.
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| Rear spar parts laid out. Several small parts need to be straightened |
I started by labeling the inboard/outboard and top/bottom of each rear spar to avoid any confusion.
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| Labeling the ends of the rear spars |
I then worked on straightening each of the smaller parts by putting the part in the vice and applying either force by hand, or light to medium whacks of the rubber mallet. The thicker, 1/8" parts required more straightening than the thinner parts (especially the rear spar reinforcement forks), but being careful to not over bend I was able to get all parts sitting flat on the work bench.
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| Aileron hinge bracket assemblies clecoed and ready for prep after straightening |
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| Straightening the rear spar reinforcement forks using the vice and a rubber mallet |
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| Rear spar reinforcement fork clecoed to doubler plate now lays flat... |
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| ...and also fits well with no bending force when clecoed to rear spar |
After straightening all the parts, I started working on the outboard aileron hinge brackets, trimming off the tabs on the spacers, and countersinking the 5 holes on theW-1013C inboard face. I then deburred all holes and edges, and clecoed the brackets to keep the parts together.
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| Outboard aileron hinge brackets ready for priming and riveting |
I then labeled and cut the W-1013FG aileron angle bracket as specified to create 4 separate angle pieces.
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| Aileron angle bracket cut into correctly sized pieces |
After deburring the cut edges, I clecoed the inboard aileron bracket assemblies together with appropriate pieces of angle, taking care to ensure the angles were in the correct orientation based on hole to edge distance (all described clearly in the plans).
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| Initial assembly of inboard aileron hinge brackets |
Next, I labelled, separated and deburred the Aileron Attach Doubler parts.
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| Left and right aileron attach doubler plates |
I then started working on the rear spar doubler plates, first marking a rivet line along one edge of the W-1007D doublers.
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| Rivet lines marked on one side of W-1007D doublers |
Moving on to the W-1007E doublers, I aligned then to the outboard ends of the spars and match drilled all the #30 holes. Ensure that the web and top flange of the doublers are clamped securely to the spar when starting to match drill! While drilling the first doubler, I didn't have the top flange clamped, and I was lucky that it remained secure against the rear spar top flange during drilling.
After match drilling the #30 holes, I match drilled the #40 holes along the top flange.
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| Math drilling the W-1007E doubler. I peeled back the blue vinyl to get a better reflection of the drill bit and ensure a perpendicular hole. Also, note the clamps holding the flange tight as well as the web. |
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| W-1007E doubler fully match drilled. I clecoed each hole as it was drilled, and then labeled the part |
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| W-1007E doublers are done |
I followed the same process to match drill the W-1007D inboard and outboard doublers. All #30 holes and #40 holes were drilled, and for the two outboard W-1007D doublers I also traced the aileron pushrod holes to mark them for cutting out in the next step.
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| Match drilling the W-1007D doublers |
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| W-1007D doubler match drilled and aileron pushrod hole location marked |
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| The inboard W-1007D doublers do not have any additional holes |
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| W-1007D doublers match drilled and labeled |
To cut out the aileron pushrod holes, I first drilled a #12 hole near one edge and then used a
1/8" rotary bit in the Dremel to cut the hole within 1/32" of the marked line
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| Pilot hole drilled to starting cutting out aileron pushrod hole |
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| Aileron pushrod hole rough cut using a rotary bit in a Dremel. Note the amount of aluminum dust left on the vice after cutting |
After rough cutting the hole with the rotary bit, I found that the best way to sand to the line was to use a
minature sanding drum in the Dremel. I was able to gradually shave away the Aluminum and ended with a smooth finished surface that only required a small amount of deburring using a ScotchBrite pad to finish the hole.
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| Aileron pushrod hole after sanding and test fitting against the hole in the rear spar. Everything aligned perfectly! |
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| W-1007D doublers are done and ready for priming |
Build Hints
- Take care when using the disc sander and deburring wheel to trim the ends of the 1/8" angle bracket. The aluminum gets hot, gloves are recommended.
- To countersink the holes in the 1/8" angle for the inboard aileron hinge brackets, this either needs to be done by hand (without a cage), or the countersink cage needs to have one side cut away to fit in the space available. I bought a cheap countersink cage from YardStore, and used a cutoff wheel in the Dremel to trim it to fit. I'm sure it'll come in useful elsewhere in the build
- Using a rotary bit to carve out shapes generates a lot of aluminum dust in the vicinity of the cut. Take precautions to protect eyes and avoid breathing in any dust
- A small sanding drum in the Dremel works great for accurate smoothing of cut edges
Dates: August 28 - September 4 2023
Wing Rear Spar Total Time: 10.5 hours
RV-10 Build Total Time: 465.7 hours
Priming Total Time: 47.2 hours (not included in build time totals)
