05-13-2011: 4.5 hrs
Because of a bad rivet at the mid reinforcement plate for rudder hinge, I drilled another rivet hole and added a 470AD4 rivet. This should take care of the load in this area. The counter balance rib and counter balance skin are riveted and the counter balance weight is screwed in per drawing. I had a little trouble to figure out which skin, the rudder skin R-901 or counter balance skin R-913, is the outmost because the drawing and rivet call out give different interpolation. I asked question on Vansairforce.net and checked out other builders websites and confirmed that the rudder skin is on top of the counter balance skin. Building on. Need to be very careful when riveting the counter balance skin, rudder skin, and spar together. Different rivet lengths are called out. This part went eventless. Riveting the rudder tip rib to skin is quite difficult because I don't have many choices of bucking bar and squeezer yoke. I gave up on riveting the last two (aft most) rivets, and used pop rivets per instruction. Riveting the rudder skin to spar is an easy job. Then went ahead to rivet the skin to the bottom rib. After all riveting done, then I realized I made a stupid mistake. I forgot to rivet the rudder horn brace and the bottom attachment strips. I spend half hour to drill out all the skin to bottom rib rivets. Luckily, the drilling out part went well. Clecoed the bottom attachment strips and rudder horn brace to the rudder skin and called it a day. Too late, don't want to make more mistakes due to tiredness.
Counter balance weight is attached to the rudder tip
Counter balance skin is riveted to counter balance rib
Counter balance skin is beveled for smoother transition to rudder skin
Rudder skin is clecoed for riveting
Shop heads of rudder skin to rudder tip rib rivets
Rudder is done. NOT. I forgot the bottom attachment strips and the rudder horn brace. Had to drilled out all the bottom rivets
