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Thread: aviator79's build

  1. #111
    Senior Member jrevens's Avatar
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    Default Re: aviator79's build

    Hi Brian,

    It’s looking good! I want to let you know about a minor issue that I had (self-inflicted) that you might encounter also. In the 4th picture down (“installed tail access cover mounting strips”) it looks like you did the same thing that I did... the short plywood “rib”, that the end of your elevator push-pull tube is laying on, appears to be bonded to and sitting on the top of the 2 tabs at the forward edge. It made sense to me that it should be on the top of those also, but I believe the manual shows it bonded to the bottom surface of those tabs. Here’s what I found - when everything is hooked up, and the horizontal tail trim is in the full “down” position (leading edge up), the end of the push-pull tube contacted the edge of the rib and actually prevented it from moving as far as it needs to. If the rib had been mounted against the bottom of the tabs there would have been adequate clearance. I had to cut away some of the plywood (enlarge the cut-out) to remedy it. It would be a lot easier to do that before the fuselage is covered and the tail-feathers mounted. You may not have the same issue, but I thought I’d let you, and any other builders, know.
    John Evens
    Arvada, CO
    Kitfox SS7 N27JE
    EAA Lifetime
    Chap. 43 honorary Lifetime

  2. #112
    Senior Member aviator79's Avatar
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    Default Re: aviator79's build

    Good eye to even see which side I mounted it on John! In my manual, the tabs aren't visible at all in the illustration. Because the illustration is a top-left iso view, I would think it indicates the rib goes on top of the tabs. It could also be that they just aren't depicted. To be honest, I don't think I noticed or thought about this until you mentioned it. Nonetheless, I appreciate the heads up. I have the elevator on now, and I'll rig the elevator and check for clearance as soon as I have the trim servo installed.
    --Brian
    Flying - S7SS

  3. #113
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    Default Re: aviator79's build

    Man, you are making fabulous progress Brian !. At this rate you’ll be done by end of the year. Would make one recommendation and that would be to put some stiffeners on the ribs in the horizontal stab and elevator. I found with mine that when I bonded them in place and left them for couple of weeks, they started to bow, even though they’d been varnished ... twice. Same thing happened with the false ribs on my wings.
    David
    SS7 Builder

  4. #114
    Senior Member aviator79's Avatar
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    Default Re: aviator79's build

    I'll definitely add the stiffeners. More glue syringes arrived from Amazon just now!
    --Brian
    Flying - S7SS

  5. #115
    Senior Member efwd's Avatar
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    Default Re: aviator79's build

    Thanks John E. . Now I understand what happened to me. I too had to cut into that wood.
    Eddie

  6. #116
    Senior Member aviator79's Avatar
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    Default Weekly Update

    This week, I finished the tips on the horizontal stabilizer and elevator, and rough shaped the tips of the vertical stabilizer and rudder. I installed the trim motor and elevator, adjusted the trim per the manual, adjusted the elevator pushrods and set the stops.

    One thing to note here. With the elevator set at neutral with control stick set at 80 degrees off the floor, I did not have enough forward stick travel to get 20 degrees of downward deflection in the elevator. There is a forward-facing flange on the left side of the control column assembly that hit the floorboard. I cut a notch into the floorboard to accommodate this flange, which allowed me to get the full 20 degrees of travel. Also, John was right about having to remove material from the VS rib to clear the rod end. I'm not sure that it would have cleared the rib even if the rib were installed under the tabs, and I'm not convinced it's intended to be installed under the tabs. The best illustration in my manual does not show the tabs on top. Nontheless, I'm glad I rigged everything before covering so that I could fine these things and make adjustments.

    I varnished the ribs with the HS and elevator installed, and prepped for covering. I started covering the HS. While the scale is smaller, it's a bit more difficult than the wing because the geometry is more complex. I've spent almost 7 hours just attaching the fabric. Nonetheless, I'm happy with my work so far. I'm going to cover the HS, elevator, and rudder at the same time.

    I didn't take enough pictures this week, but here's what I have:

    Shaping the tips:






    Rigging the horizontal tail:


    Starting to cover. I'm pleased with the result of heat-forming the fabric around the curved tubes, and the compound curve of the tips.


    --Brian
    Flying - S7SS

  7. #117
    Senior Member aviator79's Avatar
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    Default Re: aviator79's build

    One other thought for those who come after me...

    I'm not building in the order things are in the manual, although pretty soon I will be back to that order. For anyone else going out of order, I'll say that if I had it to do over again I would have finished the horizontal tail before working on the vertical tail. The ribs get in the way when you want to drill the trim slider blocks, and there's a bunch of extra stuff to work around when trying to get the washers to stack up while installing the trim servo. Incidentally, superglue to hold the washers in place while you fit them is a big help.
    --Brian
    Flying - S7SS

  8. #118
    Senior Member jrevens's Avatar
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    Default Re: aviator79's build

    That’s looking real good Brian! I wish I could’ve accomplished as much as you have in such a short time... I’m not getting any younger!
    John Evens
    Arvada, CO
    Kitfox SS7 N27JE
    EAA Lifetime
    Chap. 43 honorary Lifetime

  9. #119
    Senior Member aviator79's Avatar
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    Default Re: aviator79's build

    You've still got me beat by a T-18 and most of a Kitfox, John. I doubt I'll catch up to your plane count by the time I catch up in age.
    --Brian
    Flying - S7SS

  10. #120
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    Default Re: aviator79's build

    Nice job of the HS tip shaping. And yes, 7 hours attaching fabric to the HS is the same as me. And the elevator and rudder take about the same. You'll have to get creative around the base of the rudder. I know others have filled this area and done various adaptions, but I went with just fabric covering. Seemed to work out ok. But your progress is amazing. Do you do a Graveyard shift as well ??!!
    David
    SS7 Builder

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