Started Assembly Of The Flaps

I started assembly of the flap reinforcements to the various flap ribs and spars.  After I riveted the FL-706B-L plate and the FL-704-L rib together, something sure didn't look right.  I didn't notice anything when these two were clecoed together.  It looked like everything fit together as it should.  What appears to have happened here is that when I bent the plate for the 6.3 degrees (yeah right), I had set it on the bench and hit it with a "no bounce" hammer to tweak the fit up against the rib.  Well, that appeared to work, however, in reality, the way I was hitting the plate, must have given it a slight "curve".  When I riveted the plate to the rib, the curve of the plate was enough pull it away from the rib.  Well, I sure couldn't leave it like that.  You can see LIGHT between those two.  NOT GOOD.


What I ended up doing is drilling out all my AN470 rivets, placing the reinforcement plate in the bench vice between two sacrificial plates and squeezing the bejesus out of it.  I also had to place it in the vice in varying positions and trying to take the curve out by bending it by hand.  It is not easy to bend that by hand I tell ya...

When I was happy with the fit again, I clecoed it back together (and this time, I put the rivet factory head on the thinnest material. i.e.: the rib) and riveted the plate and the rib back together.  The second picture is a little blurry, but you can clearly see that there is no air gap between the rib and the plate.  MUCH BETTER...


I had better luck riveting these two together putting the factory head of the rivet on thinner material.



I then moved on to the flap spar and the FL706A angle reinforcement.  Again, I put the rivet factory head on the side of the thinnest material.  This turned out well with no problems.  Just make sure to leave the holes open where the rib is riveted to this assembly.


Next, I attached the flap ribs to the bottom skin.