Rudder Stop

I'm hoping I didn't screw up here. I fabricated the rudder stop with the holes, and then drilled it and clecoed it to the fuselage.

I noticed on other peoples build logs that no on else seemed to match drill the rudder stops to the fuselage yet.

Is there some reason I should not have done this yet?

Can't help, but there is another option, I am going with the interal stop.

I'm waiting

I'm gonna wait until the rudder and cables are on so that I can line up the top of the
rudder stop to be parallel with the cable.

The rudder stop will need to be fine-tuned to provide the proper deflection and clearance, so I would not install it permanently until rigging the empennage. This is one of those areas where the dimensions on the plans may not be exact for your application. The mounting location itself is probably fine however trimming the angle would be better left until rigging.

Chris

I had to make new ones that were longer aft to keep the rudder from hitting the elevators. The second ones were filed to fit after I had the rudder and elevators final adjusted. The picture shows them prior to filing.

I suggest not riveting until you''ve got the rudder mounted and cables attached.

On my -8, the size / shape on the drawing was not what was needed to get the recommended throws...

It takes a few iterations to get em right...

As others have said, don't be in a hurry to rivet in place. It takes a lot of fine tuning to establish equal rudder deflection and to not allow the rudder to get too close to the inboard elevators.
I previously posted that this little rudder stop kept the local FSDO from signing off on the first visit. They were concerned that when the rudder cable was loose (limp), that it could go up and over the stop and possibly jam the rudder. Perhaps hypothetical, but the FSDO would not sign me off. I put a doubler on the horizontal portion that helped reduce the possibility of the cable ending up on the top. They then signed me off

Jim Diehl 7A
Lock Haven, Pa.

Ok sounds good-I wasn't planning on riveting it one yet, but wanted to know if there was a problem with match drilling it now.

Like others, I may have re-make new ones to get the desired rudder throw, but it looks like drilling the holes now doesn't matter.

s10sakota said:

Ok sounds good-I wasn't planning on riveting it one yet, but wanted to know if there was a problem with match drilling it now.

Like others, I may have re-make new ones to get the desired rudder throw, but it looks like drilling the holes now doesn't matter.

Click to expand...

It has been a while, but on mine, a 7, . . . the old small rudder required a different stop than the newer larger rudder. I would not be sure the drawings were changed for the needed geometry. I made new, perfect rudder stop(s), perfect to the plans, they did not work AT ALL. I custom make one (2) and all was well. I would suggest not to drill the holes either, or you may have a challenge match drilling to your new stops. If they are needed. many build sites at the time all had the same issue, not just me.

My pet peeve: Vans (LLC) has an untidy habit (policy) of not completely updating old drawings to be geometrically compatible with changes. Blindly (trusting) making parts to the drawings means making some over when they don't work. This is just a reminder that we build planes, not just assemble them.

As others have said, lets wait till the rudder has been mounted in its final position.

On mine, I took great care with the angle to make sure the rudder hit the stop perfectly which took many times taking it off and filing a bit more only when it got riveted back, it was tighter fit than clecko and changed the angle ever so much 

As noted previously, many of us who fabricated the rudder stops per the plans had to fabricate new, longer ones once the tail feathers were in place. From what I could see anecdotally, the majority of 7A-9A builders had to re-fab the stops. Seemed like one of those area Vans could alter the plans a teeny bit and save MANY people the re-fabrication time.