Vans Aircraft RV-12 Airplane Build, Section 12: Empennage Fairings (part 8)

Reference for this entry: pages 12-10, 12-11; 3.0 hours

Today's entry will complete the attachment of the tailcone to the RV-12 airplane.

Reference: page 12-10.

Step 11: Check the clearance between the Trim/Servo and the upper and lower tailcone fairing.

Step 12: Extend the Trim/Servo and check for clearance through the full travel. I ended up needing to enlarge the hole in the bottom of the tailcone to get the 1/8" clearance.



This completes page 12-10.

Reference: 12-11.

Step 1: Install the upper and lower tailcone fairings.

Step 2: Re-check the clearance throughout the travel of the Rudder, Stabilator and Trim/Servo Assemblies. At least a 1/8" of clearance is needed.

Builder's note: I needed to trim and deburr the Stabilator skins to get the correct clearance.





This finally completes the installation of the tailcone fairing on the RV-12 airplane. Next I'm going back to the fuel tank and new vent system and then on to finishing the avionics. Until then enjoy!

Vans Aircraft RV-12 Airplane Build, Section 12: Empennage Fairings (part 7)

Reference for this entry: pages 12-10; 4.5 hours

Yet another entry on the installation of the RV-12 airplane's tailcone fairing. I was not very happy with the fit of the two halves of the fairing after I had drilled the attachment holes. So I fill the screw holes with epoxy and fiberglass and redrilled them. After that I had to remove some material where they join together (see pictures below). This may or may not have been avoided if I had removed the stabilator during the process.







Step 1:Make a drill jig with a #6 screw and nutplate by threading the screw through the back of the nutplate.

Step 2: Match drill #40 one of the attach holes into the tailcone Assembly. Cleco taht hole and then drill the second hole. Do this for each nutplate.



Step 3: Tap the two nutplates called out by Van's aircraft in the RV-12 plans on page 12-10 figure 1.



Step 4: Deburr and dimple the #40 huntplate rivet attach holes in the tailcone.



Builder's note: Some of these hole are hard to get to with standard rivet squeezer, so I used a pop riveter dimping set as needed. It was purchased from Aircraft Tool Supply.



Step 5: Dimple the nutplates and bend them to fit the tailcone's shape.



Step 6: Rivet the nutplates to the tailcone using the called out rivets.



Step 7: Drill a 3/4" hole using a step drill using the scribed line as a guide on the bottom of the tailcone fairing.



Step 8: Install the Trim/Servo Assembly.



Step 9: Activate the Trim/Servo to be full retracted to check for clearance of the Trim/Servo arm.



Step 10: Attach both the upper and lower fairings.



This completes today's entry and work on the RV-12 airplane.