12/23/2003
5 hours: I realized that I have my first cockpit controls and instrument already in my possession. This is the elevator trim servo, toggle switch, and indicator LEDs.
Anyway, back to the trim tab. The construction order on this part continues to be really dubious...after drilling the spar it is time to dimple, but that rivet just to the right of the control horn is now very hard to dimple (and rivet) because the horn is in the way. I was able to dimple it with a countersunk piece of aluminum, squeezing a sacrificial rivet into it with my squeezer. I ended up having to use a pop rivet here though since I couldn't get any tool onto it to squeeze or buck it.
Countersinking the trim tab spar.
I tried to do the right thing by using solid rivets on the bottom of the spar, though you can substitute pop rivets if you can't hack it. After creating a lot of apparatus I was able to rivet it without too much trouble.
Unfortunately, the spar doesn't line up with the top of the skin anymore now that I have riveted it. If I pull it into alignment, the skin warps into a bad shape...not airworthy. Maybe the spar wasn't the right shape, or maybe holding the skin open kept the spar at the wrong angle.
Looks like I will get to build this one again. I wouldn't have had this problem if I had used pop rivets from the start...so much for trying to do the right thing...
