left elevator tab cracked while bending

So how serious is this? The crack appeared after hitting the bend tabs with the rivet gun to finish it up. I stop-drilled the crack, but is this gonna call for a re-do of the left elevator skin? I have a feeling that it's OK, as this part can't be too structurally critical since there are stiffeners and the trim tab spar to carry all the loads within inches of this spot... And the rivets holding it together will be quite a ways farther back from it.



I'll be calling Van's about it Monday, but I figured I get some people's opinions...

Thanks,

Instead of ordering a new skin you can cut the end tabs off and make a rib to go in the hole. I have seen it done on a few local RVs and it looks pretty good. You should have some small sheets that came in a trim bundle to make them out of. Have the flange of the rib face inward so the web will be flush with the trim tab end.

The edges of the tabs should be ligning up with the top and bottom of the skin. Your's looks to be short of that, meaning the tabs were possibly bent too short and they did not extend down far enough to close up the end properly. I would not leave it like that as that crack may be extending (microscopically) beyond the drill stop and may rear it's ugly head later. I think Bill's suggestion of cutting that out and fashioning a rib is good advice. Or replace the skin. You need to use some clamping and blocking to make those bends nice and clean.

This is showing blocking and clamping on the trim tab, but the method is the same on the elevator. This is in the instructions.




Then once the bends are formed, some LIGHT TAPPING with the flush set will flatten them nicely.



Roberta

The skin wasn't clecoed to the skeleton in that pic. That's why it looks like it was bent short, it was just spread apart a little bit.

I don't feel like replacing the whole skin, so I'll probably just do the rib trick there.

The trim tab came out perfect. When I was working the bottom tab that top piece (just right there at the end) got bent upward a little, so I think bending it back down is was caused it to crack.

elevator tab

I had the same problem and went with the filler rib approach and I think it looks better. Very easy to do, see pictures at my web site

Alternative to bending the tabs down

I ended up snipping those tabs off and closing the elevator's trim tab cutout with a little rib I made out of scrap aluminum. Took about 15 minutes to make the rib. The hardest part is riveting it to the skin, because it's hard to get a squeezer or a bucking bar in there...it's pretty narrow.

Mine looked worse than yours...that's what made me seek an alternative.

Martin