elevator skin problem...

Clecoed the R. elevator skin on the skeleton today and the trailing edge is really bad! Was this caused by something I did or is it a deffective skin? Was the factory pre-bend at the wrong place?

The RV7 elevator is only pre-bent some and you will have to bend it furter to fit. I suspect this may have happened when you bent it to the position.

Excellent news

Lets be positive here: unlike many other parts you could mess up, the elevator skin is an excellent source of raw sheet stock you will need later in the build and for years after you are flying. Good choice on your part.

Mike,

I had the same thing on one side of the right elevator after folding the trailing edge. The prepunched holes don't always line up skin to rib. I would send Ken at vans the pics and see about a new end rib. That may be a solve or he might have another solution. It did take some skin stretching but I finally got mine to fit.

elev skin

Yes it will certainly add to my spare material a.k.a. scrap pile!
I'll compare the end rib to the one for the right elevator but i think it's the skin that's messed up. I'll order a new skin and stiffeners on monday for the re-do. I have sent the pics to Van's so we'll see what they think is wrong. It was all going so well! I'm sure it's not the last piece I'll have to redo but there are not that many pieces left in the box at least.
On the bright side the lead counterweight looks fabulous after trimming.

Whatever tool you used to bend the TE, I wouldn't use again. It looks like something in the bending device is warped.

checked left skin

Checked the left elev. skin and it's spot on. The trailing edge bending device has made two other RV7 elevators and was a hand me down so it should be fine. Operator error? perhaps... I might make another trailing edge bender just in case though.
One end rib has one flange longer than the other so that's another problem but it didn't cause the TE to be pulled off like that. The skin is definitely bent wrong, checked the hole alignment and they are way off so bend is at the wrong place. New skin and stiffener time.

Trailing edge bent at wrong place

Well...sent some skin measurements to Van's and the final word is that the trailing edge bend might not have been correctly placed. Drilled all the stiffeners off and ordering a new skin today. Oh well.