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Elevator skin position

RandyAB

Well Known Member
Good day all!

I'm working on the elevators and I'm wondering if the group could clarify the proper position of the elevator skins with respect to the elevator counterbalance tip skins. The plans make it look like the lower skin tucks under the horn tip skin and the upper skin lays over top. It would seem to me that both should be underneath to keep the air flow from striking the overlapped joint head on.

Thanks!
 
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I may be a bit confused because you mention both horn and tip, while they are at opposite ends of the elevator, but I think you are talking about the counterbalance? If I am wrong, someone else is sure to answer your question.

For the counterbalance, the skins are supposed to go under the main elevator skin. This is contrary to the airflow but the counterbalance skin is intended to nestle in the slight recesses in the counterbalance rib. I seem to recall, though, that people have gone the other way without noticable deformation in the skins. In any case, it's a very small frontal area and won't be noticable in flight either way.
 
I understand your logic and the reason for the question. But the plans do show main skin on top, and this is how mine are assembled.
 
The intent is for the main skins to lap over the outside of the counterbalance skins.

Thanks Scott.

Both the upper and lower skins sit on top? The plans seem to show the bottom skin sandwiched under the tip skin. It's clearer for the top skin. It makes more sense to have both the same.

Just a question: why would Van's design it in such a way so that the joint is into the wind the the resultant tendency for the slipstream to be forcing them apart?
 
I understand your logic and the reason for the question. But the plans do show main skin on top, and this is how mine are assembled.

Yes they do the top skin on top. The bottom skins look like they are underneath however which makes more sense to me. In any event it seems that they are both meant to be outside.
 
I may be a bit confused because you mention both horn and tip, while they are at opposite ends of the elevator, but I think you are talking about the counterbalance? If I am wrong, someone else is sure to answer your question.

For the counterbalance, the skins are supposed to go under the main elevator skin. This is contrary to the airflow but the counterbalance skin is intended to nestle in the slight recesses in the counterbalance rib. I seem to recall, though, that people have gone the other way without noticable deformation in the skins. In any case, it's a very small frontal area and won't be noticable in flight either way.

Yes, my terminology was off. It was the counterbalance skin that I was talking about, not the horn :eek: Thanks for the reply! :)
 
90 deg check too..

You may well be past this and riveting onward, but I would check for a good 90 deg angle of the elevator counter balance weight to the elevator spar (before match drilling, riveting, and attaching counterweights). This is important down the road when you hang the elevator and I found some "wiggle room" when clecoing up and adding the wingtip fairing. Just something to keep an eye on for what it is worth. Happy building!
 
You may well be past this and riveting onward, but I would check for a good 90 deg angle of the elevator counter balance weight to the elevator spar (before match drilling, riveting, and attaching counterweights). This is important down the road when you hang the elevator and I found some "wiggle room" when clecoing up and adding the wingtip fairing. Just something to keep an eye on for what it is worth. Happy building!

Thank you for the advise Michael.
I'm not past that point yet. I'm waiting on a part for the R elevator so I jumped ahead to the tailcone.

Do you have a precise method for ensuring the squareness of the spar to the counter balance weight arm? After squaring it how do you keep it square? I'll have to check later but I don't recall a lot of wiggle room (I could be wrong).

Regards
 
wiggle room...

I measured using the spar or spar rivet line and the edge of the horn rib with a simple L-square, this should be 90 deg when the elevator is fit onto the horz stabilizer (down the road). What I found was that I should have rechecked my fluting job on the two ribs that riveted together, this helps define that 90 deg angle as well as the skin your clecoing to those ribs. It is amazing what clecos can do to pull a skin, sometimes this is good, sometimes it can not be so positive. I think as you go along, with fluting ribs and clecoing you will notice that when you get the fluting right, the clecoing is effortless, and that sometimes you struggle a bit more to get it tem all set. This comes from that ever so small non-linear line of holes in the flutted rib, the skin holes are flawless of course in alignment. Have fun as you build, what a great project the 10 is!!:)
 
I measured using the spar or spar rivet line and the edge of the horn rib with a simple L-square, this should be 90 deg when the elevator is fit onto the horz stabilizer (down the road). What I found was that I should have rechecked my fluting job on the two ribs that riveted together, this helps define that 90 deg angle as well as the skin your clecoing to those ribs. It is amazing what clecos can do to pull a skin, sometimes this is good, sometimes it can not be so positive. I think as you go along, with fluting ribs and clecoing you will notice that when you get the fluting right, the clecoing is effortless, and that sometimes you struggle a bit more to get it tem all set. This comes from that ever so small non-linear line of holes in the flutted rib, the skin holes are flawless of course in alignment. Have fun as you build, what a great project the 10 is!!:)

Hi Michael.

It's funny that you posted this now. Yesterday I removed the horn and fluted the two horn ribs as you said so that the holes were in line. What a difference it made for the fit as you said. It squared everything up nice (I measured as you described). Up to this point I was a little apprehensive about fluting but it really is quite simple and satisfying, and it made a huge difference.

Regards
 
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