Rudder Finish

A few more tasks and the Rudder is finished. First set the remaining rivets of the tip rib. I could use the squeezer for all but the last two holes. The second last I could do with the rivet gun and a barn door hinge for a bucking bar. However even with this 3mm bucking bar I couldn’t set the last rivet, so I used a blind rivet for that.

In the bottom rib, I could also set all the rivets with the squeezer and only the last one I used a blind rivet.

The result of the bottom rib of the Rudder looks great, I’m really pleased with the end result.

Almost finished front spar, the left an right skin (here top and bottom respectively) need to be “curved” so they overlap.

Time for the most precise part of the Rudder, being the trailing edge. Back Riveting the trailing edge needs to be executed carefully in order not to punch a “hook” in it.

I decided to set the rivets in an alternate pattern, that is on the left skin all even rivets and on the right skin all odd rivets. The instructions call for setting all rivets on one side, but this is asymmetric and I don’t like it. The result her is after setting all the rivets and I like the symmetry of this approach.

I use a broom stick to “bend” the leading edge of the rudder. Just taping it to the skin with duct tape does the trick.

After clecoing the two skins together I can match drill and blind rivet them.

Great Rudder also finished, I guess I should have ordered the Wing kit earlier. However I still need to do the elevators and they are claimed to be the hardest part of the empennage kit.

Time: 3 Hours, Rivets: 112/0

Video

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