One of the last things I have to do before I move onto the fuselage, is to drill the flap hinge to the wing.  Before I do that, I wanted to install the aileron on the wing to verify spacing and align the trailing edges of the aileron and flap so that they are straight. 

The print has you fabricate some upper and lower spacers to place between the aileron bracket and the rod end bearings.  It is some small tubing that Van's sent in the "little baggies" of parts that I have been wonder "what's this for".  I could see right away, my challenge making these things is cutting them straight while trying to hold on to them.  Band saw>  Off comes a finger??  I decided to try the more docile tubing cutter, but I still couldn't grab the little suckers to hold them.  Then I had a great thought>>>  I wonder if the drill chuck could hold it.  Sure enough, it grabbed them just fine.  This worked great and the tubing cutter will definitely cut them straight.

Along the theme of trying to hold onto these spacers, I was having a hard time lining up the little washers and spacers needed that make up the aileron pushrod assembly.  Then I remember I bought some washer wrenches just for this purpose.  I got these from Cleaveland Tools for a couple of bucks (about $37 of them).  There are about four of these things of different sizes which hold probably just about anything I will be using on the RV.  Needless to say, these things worked GREAT.  I was able to slip in washers in places that I couldn't get with any other tool in my toolbox.

These little washer wrenches worked well. Imagine trying to hold onto these washers with a needle nose pliers.  Probably not going to work all that well.

One thing I had with reference to Van's washer call outs on the Aileron pushrod assembly was that their washer callouts were good for an idea where to start, but they weren't even close to what fit in their correctly.  I had to just experiment a little (and yes, my spacers were cut to dimensions as called by the prints).

A picture to document the washers I ended up using to get a proper fit.  This is the outboard aileron assembly (left wing).

Inboard aileron assembly (left wing).

I have the bell crank jig Van's sends out attached to the pushrod assembly.  This is jig is supposed to place the bell crank assembly in a position where the aileron will be in its neutral (inline) position.

Just another angle on the aileron bellcrank jig.

This is a milestone for the wings....  This is the last parts to be primed for the wings.  YAHOOO....  Flap braces, aileron gap seal, inspection covers, and the servo brackets for the TruTrak roll servo.

I managed to talk Tami into helping rivet the flap brace.  Yes, this could have been done by one person, but it is so much easier with two people.  Anyway, we knocked riveting braces for both wings in about 45 minutes.

Now all I need to do is drill my flap hinge to the wing and that should wrap up the wings for now.

After composing myself from mis-cutting the aileron bell crank to aileron push rod, I picked up where I left off on the aileron bell crank to stick push rod and drilled the ends to accommodate the 6 blind rivets used to hold the threaded rod end.  I again used masking tape to mark the location of the 6 holes as follows:

• The push rod is 1.125" in diameter.  This gives a circumference of 3.53".  When I divided the circumference by 6, each hole was drilled .58" apart.
• The flange for the threaded rod end will be inserted .5" into the push rod tube.  I placed the rivet holes .25" from the end of the push rod.

Using the spring loaded center punch kept the drill bit from wandering when I started drilling the hole.  Without center punching the hole, I couldn't keep the drill bit properly centered on the curved surface.

I drilled the holes in three stages.  I started drilling with a size #50 drill bit, then drilled to size #40, and finally drilled the holes to size #30.

I clecoed the rod end to the push rod to hold it in place.  The threaded rod end fits fairly snug in the tube, but I didn't want the thing to shift while I was drilling and then an oblong hole or a hole that didn't line up.  It was quick to throw a cleco or two in and it resulted in perfect alignment of all the holes.

Mix up a little epoxy primer and a couple of blind rivets and you have a finished aileron push rod.  I did deviate slightly from the plans in that I used 3 MSP-42 blind rivets and 3 Cherrymax rivets per end.  I have a lot of faith in the strength of a Cherrymax rivet so I figured that using them may add a margin of strength to the riveted connection.  At 50 cents per rivet, I didn't want to fill all 24 holes with Cherrymax rivets.

The aileron bell crank to stick push rods are done for now.  On to the next wing task.

I decided that I would start fabricating the aileron push-pull tubes.  My remaining wing crate is getting fairly empty (finally).  Not everything is fully assembled, but is clecoed so something that is.  I have been told that it is possible to finish the wings.

I started with the shorter, steel tube push-pull rod.  This is the rod that goes from the aileron bell crank to the aileron.  Van's specs state to cut this rod to 23 13/16".  Okay, say it again, Twenty Three Inches and Thirteen Sixteenths..... I got it... lets cut....

What the HE double hockey sticks is this?  The push rod has been cut to 23 13/32".  What is worse is that I didn't notice my error until I started writing up my log entry for aileron push rod.  I wonder if I can apply the man-hours to the re-work that will be required to the 51% rule.  Do you get bonus points for doing 10% of the airplane twice?

Okay, let me take a moment to digress and talk about when you SHOULDN'T build.  Sometimes it is very obvious when you shouldn't build the plan.  Some examples may include: when it conflicts with other family obligations, when you are sick, or after drinking plenty of beer.  Now those seem obvious, but then there are the not so obvious times you shouldn't build.  Some examples of this may include:  When your mind is on other things, you are equally interested in what is currently on the satellite TV channel, and when you want to HURRY up and get this done before you go to bed.  Now you may get by and have one of these things happening while you are building and you may not make a single mistake.  I was not that lucky on this activity.  This was a case when it was not clear that I should maybe put the project down until after a good nights sleep.  Start fresh in the morning.  I know that everyone makes mistakes, but it doesn't make me feel any better, when in retrospect, this was a stupid mistake.

Other than the push rods being 13/32" of an inch short, they turned out perfect.  I knew it was going to smoothly....

To get my two holes setup for the solid rivets that would hold the threaded rod end, I used a piece of masking tape, marked where the edge of the threaded rod end would be and then divided that distance by 3 to equally space the two rivets.

I bought the V-jig when I first started this project, knowing that I would need it for some of the control push rods.  This worked great to hold the push rod in place and centered for the drill press.  I really only needed one vice grip clamp to hold the push rod in place.  The rubber tips that came with the clamps worked great to hold the rod in the jig.

I read were some builders had a hard time getting the holes started as the drill bit wants to 'wander' when you start drilling.  If you haven't gotten yourself an automatic (spring loaded) center punch, buy one now...  They work great and I didn't have any difficulty drilling the push rod holes.

I wish Van's would just sell these welded and powder coated so they looked great.  This solution works, but it isn't the prettiest looking device.  I have also read where some builders had difficulty in setting these rivets.  I did two things based on reading Dave Parsons experience with these rods.

1. Van's calls out the use of AN470AD4-12 rivets to be used here.  I used a shorter rivet (-11).  These are still pretty long when pushed through the hole.  Even using the -11 rivets, I was concerned about being able to form a shop head without bending the rivet shaft over.
2. I placed the push rods in a vise to hold them securely while trying to rivet them.
3. I was able to use my pneumatic squeezer with the no-hole yoke.  This was the only yoke I could get opened far enough to squeeze the -11 rivets. 

With the vice holding the tube and me having some leverage with the squeezer, I was able to squeeze some decent looking rivets.  I touched up and primed the ends with some rattle can self etching primer.  Now if those rods hadn't been cut to SHORT......

I then cut the longer stick to aileron bell crank push rods.  After I learned that I cut the previous push rods to short, I had to go back out and check my measurements on the longer push rods.  My heart skipped a beat when I learned I DID cut those correctly!!!!

I did double check the overall length requirement of those shorter push rods (27 5/8").  I can obtain the overall length required per the print and still have numerous threads engaged in the rod end bearing.  However, I decided that I AM NOT going to compromise here and I have already ordered the replacement parts.  I believe the push rod parts will cost me around $25.  Not worth compromising for that kind of money.

Today, my goal was to get the right aileron assembled.  We did the table rivet hammer and bucking bar on the top skins.  We only had to drill out 4 rivets today.  Them rivets near the stiffeners are real bears.  A different bucking bar may have helped, but that space is tight.  Anyway, after getting done with the top skins, I moved on to the bottom skins and started pulling the CS4-4 rivets.

I went to pull the rivet in the picture below and it didn't "feel" quit right during the pull.  Sure enough, when the rivet shaft busted, I had a protruding shaft from the rivet.  Crap....  Now what?  I was able to push the shaft down and then I just drilled it out.  I was expecting it to take an hour to get this drilled out.  I got lucky.  I just pulled a new CS4-4 rivet with no further problems.

After I got everything riveted, I mounted the aileron brackets.  Pretty straight forward here.  I reference my trusty aircraft handbook to look up the torque values for these AN3 10-32 bolts and it gave a torque value of 20-25 in-Ibs.  I torqued them to the high end at 25 in-Ibs.

Don't forget your washers on the back side and I also had two threads past the end of the locknut.  I like to see at least two threads past the end of the nut.

The inboard bracket has three bolts and note that the center bolt has a washer on this side.  That is because in order to install this bolt, you have to turn it from this side since it secures to a nutplate.  The plans called for a 10L washer.  I tried to locate what the "L" means, but I couldn't find it.  I think that it is the thin washers.  Anyway, that is what I put in there.

Again, washers on the back side, two threads past the end of the nut, and torqued all hardware to 25 in-Ibs.

Both ailerons are done and the trailing edge looks as straight as can be....  YAHOO!!!  Now, back to the left fuel tank.  Tami can't wait to work with tank sealant once again.

Everything in the wing kit feels like deja vu.  You do it once and then turn around and do the same thing again for the other side.  I need to move on to the fuselage kit.  Anyway, my goal for today was to get all the drilling, deburring, dimpling, and priming done for the right aileron so that I could rivet it together tomorrow.

I will be brief on the right aileron as the ailerons are pretty basic structures to assemble.

Mounting and drilling the counterweight balance.  I started by drilling out everything along the leading edge to size #40.

Clecoed and drilled the nose rib holes out to final size.

Went back and drilled all the leading edge holes out to #30.

Just me dorking around with the camera again.

Next, I went back and bent the aileron using the brake I put together for the empennage kit.  I have yet to like this as a method bend skins to their final radius.

The makeshift brake did the job, but I can't wait to disassemble this thing when I get done.

I didn't show this on the left aileron, but this is how you drill the aft hole in the nose rib to counterbalance weight (water pipe).  I just drilled it out to a #40 and then drilled out the counterbalance weight to #30 after I had disassembled everything.  You could, however, drill it out to a #30 just like I show it here.  Those two holes line up perfectly.  Sometimes, Van's surprises me with the thought they give this (or maybe it was just coincidence they lined up).

Piece of cake.

After about 6 hours of really solid drilling, deburring, and dimpling I set up to prime the parts so that the epoxy primer could dry / cure overnight.  The epoxy primer is usually dry to the touch in about 30 minutes to an hour, but it seems rather "soft" for several hours.  It doesn't scratch or flake if I let it sit for at least a couple of hours.

I made my goal for today.  The right aileron is ready to assemble tomorrow and I am TIRED!!!!  I think I will call it a night.