Tip: RV-7 Horizontal Stabilizer ( HS )

Ok, I was assembling the HS today, somewhere about the third paragraph of the 6th chapter in the plans, it says to drill all the spar to rib holes out to #30 except the HS-708 to 603PP. It should also include the HS-405 to 603PP, since those should be be drilled AFTER the skin is clecoed in place so the can be lined up correctly.

Lucky for me, I justed drilled them based on the centerline of the HS-405 flange, and it was pretty close, I'll have to trim a bit, but the plans could be a bit more clear on this. I also found the placement of the HS-404 and HS-405 on the front spar could be much more clear on the drawing...

In a follow up, the instructions early on say to drill ALL ribs to the spar with a #30 drill EXCEPT the HSHS603PP because they are drilled to #19 (which I think ought to be #21 for AN470-5 rivets, but they are using blind ones there). If you read further in the plans, you will realise that the HS404 and 405's aren't suppose to be drilled to EITHER spar until the skin is clecoed in place. The instructions DON'T say that, so it confused the heck out of me at first. I read ahead in the plans, but not far enough to see that. As a result, I will have a small amount of trimming to do. Fortunitely I'm either lucky or have a good eye for where these things should be, because it all turned out really freakin close, but a word of warning... read ahead. I'm going to e-mail Van's to let um know that they ought to revise this in the plans.

osxuser said:

If you read further in the plans

Click to expand...

Something most builders learn the hard way is that it's not "if" but "when". Reading ahead is enlightening in some cases. Van's is not the best at writing a construction manual, and while it can sometimes seem contradictory, all of the info is provided in the drawings & instructions.

The book makes good toilet reading...