Tonight, I continued working on the flap reinforcement brackets.  The inboard end (rib) reinforcement bracket (FL-706B) is supposed to be bent 6.3 degrees 15/32" from the forward end of the bracket.  Yeah right.....  How am I gonna get exactly 6.3 degrees?  I know, let me put this in the vice and whack it with a "no bounce" hammer...  Nope, that aint gonna work....  I got a better idea, I have a 4 ib sledge in my toolbox.  WHACK, WHACK>>>  Nope, that aint gonna work either.  This is some pretty thick aluminum.

After not achieving the control I really was hoping for bending these brackets, I ended up taking both brackets with me to work.  I have access to some metal working tools (shear, brake, presses and saws, etc.).  The metal brake at work bent these brackets easily, but even with the brake, it was next to impossible to bend the brackets to Van's specified 6.3 degrees.  I was able to get the brackets bent to around 8 degrees.....  CLOSE ENOUGH.

When I got home, I test fit the reinforcement bracket...  Yep, that 8 degrees is to much.  Once again, I broke out the "no bounce" hammer again.  WHACK, WHACK>>>  Test fit again.  I ended up doing this a couple of times and I was able to get really good fit.  That is what 6.3 degrees (+/- 2 degrees) looks like.  It fits the flap skeleton great and that is what I was going for.

I started match drilling the spar reinforcement bracket, but first I had to get it lined up.  I ended up using two data points to line up the spar reinforcement:

• I centered the bracket in the spar web using the 3 holes on the spar and a center line I measured out on the reinforcement bracket.  I just placed my reinforcement bracket centerline in the center hole of the spar web / end rib rivet holes.

• I lined the bracket up with the end of the spar.

While trying to hold that all in place, I placed a couple of small vice clamps to hold the reinforcement bracket in place.

To match drill the pre-punched spar holes to the reinforcement bracket, I used a long #30 drill bit and started back drilling.  I only drilled until I got the holes started (3 of them).  If you have assembled the horizontal stabilizer in the empennage kit, you need to drill similar holes in the HS-710 and HS-714 reinforcement angles.  When I drilled those holes way back when, I wasn't able to get the drill in straight and kind of had a "wandering tunnel" type hole in those angles.  Nothing Van's didn't correct for a few $$$'s.

By just starting the holes, I got their exact placement.  I then removed the reinforcement angle from the flap spar and then finished drilling those with the bracket flat on the workbench.  Again, I re-attached and clamped the reinforcement angle in place and then ran the drill through from the forward side of the bracket.  Everything lined up great.

Changed the vice grip clamps with cleco's and then drilled the remaining 5 holes I had measured out in the spar reinforcement bracket.

This is just a close up of the back drilling of the "starter holes" I was talking about.

This would be the easy side to drill from if it was the one with the holes in it.

Once I got the spar reinforcement bracket clecoed and clamped, then I started drilling the rib to reinforcement bracket holes (7 of them).

At this point, it was just a matter of running a #30 bit through all the remaining holes in the rib and spar reinforcement brackets.

Then last but not least, I match drilled the 5 holes that rivet the two reinforcement brackets together.  Van's pre-punches the hole on the rib reinforcement plate (FL-706B) so this was pretty easy at this stage of the game.

Next came the 1/4" hole for the matched rod end bearing attach point.

I used the rod end bearing to ensure the 1/4" hole(s) and the nutplate lined up and then drill the #40 holes for to attach the nutplate to the end rib.  Just make sure that you don't drill the #40 nutplate attach holes through the rib reinforcement plate.  I had removed the reinforcement plate prior to aligning the nutplate with the 1/4" hole.

Now all I have left is to drill the flap side of the hinge.  I am procrastinating that task.  I need to make an order to Van's for some other parts, I suppose I better drill the hinge before I place that order in case I make a non-recoverable boo boo (terminology censored to "G Rated" for internet use).