RV12 Vertical Stabilizer (continued)

Reference: page 06-04, page 06-05, page 06-06 hours 4

Step 5: Rivet the VS-1212-B-R Upper Spar Cap to the VS-1203 Rear Spar as shown in Figure 2. Leave open the spar flange rivets for this step. Install the VS-1212B-L Upper Spar Cap as a mirror of the right. (The rivet wedge tool fabricated at the beginning of this section may be useful here for the rivets closest to the rear spar flange.)





Step 6: Rivet the nutplates to the VS-1203 Rear Spar and VS-1212B-R & -L Upper Spar Caps as shown in Figure 2.



Step7: Rivet the nutplates to the VS-1202 Front Spar per call-out in Figure 3. This completes page 06-04.



Reference: page 06-05

Step 3: Rivet the VS-1202 Front Spar, the VS-1208 Lower Main Rib, and the nutplates together. Orient rib flanges as shown in Figure 2. Flush rivet on the previously counter sunk side of the front spar.



Step 4: Rivet the VS-1207 Upper Main Rib to the VS-1202 Front Spar. Hardware call-out and rib flange orientation shown in Figure 2.

NOTE: I ran into a possible GOTCHA in this step. The front two flange tabs (on the VS-1207) had rivet holes that were under sized and needed to be drilled out to #30 size. As best as I can tell if this isn't done the tab would not be riveted during the final riveting of the skins.





Step 5: Rivet the VS-1212A-L & -R Lower Spar Cap to the VS-1203 Rear Spar using the rivets called out. Place tape over the holes to be left open. Leave open all rear spar flange holes and the rib attach holes for this step.





Step 6: Rivet the VS-1207 Upper and VS-1208 Lower Main Rib to the VS-1203 Rear Spar and VS-1212A-L & -R Lower Spar Caps.

Step 7: Rivet the VS-1206 Mid Rib to the VS-1203 Rear Spar.

Step 8: Rivet the VS_1205 Tip Rib to the VS-1203 Rear Spar.

Refer to this sub-assembly as the V-Stab Skeleton Assembly.
This completes page 06-05.



Reference: page 06-06.

Step 9: Rivet the previously dimpled K1100-08 Nutplates, to the VS-1201 Mai Skin per call-outs in Figure 4. This completes page 06-06.

RV12 Vertical Stabilizer (continued)

Reference: page 06-02, 2 hours

Primed all the vertical tail parts today. I'm going old school; alodine and zinc chromate. Originally planned on using alodine and epoxy like I used on the RV-10. It had large section of the plans you would do with a final disassembly to deburr and dimple before riveting. However, the RV-12 plans call for riveting small assemblies together through out the process. I feel the alodine and zinc process will work better with this assembly method, as small batches are not a problem to treat and prime. The main thing is to be careful and protect yourself and the environment.



Reference: page 06-02

Step 9: Insert the called our bearing into the largest hole in the VS-1211A Hinge Spacer. Re-cleco, then rivet the hinge spacer between the two VS-1210 Hinge Brackets in the same position as drilled per call-outs in Figure 4.

Refer to this assembly as the Lower Hinge Assembly.



Step 10: Insert the called out bearing into the largest hole in the VS-1211B Hinge Spacer. Re-cleco, then rivet the hinge spacer between the two VS-1210 Hinge Brackets in the same position as Hinge Brackets in the same position as drilled per call-outs in figure 5.

Refer to this assembly as the Upper Hinge Assembly.



Note: The pneumatic squeezers are over kill for this project, but I had them and like them.

This completes page 06-02

RV12 Vertical Stabilizer (continued)

Reference: page 06-05, 6 hours

Step 1: Radius the edges at the narrow end of the VS-1205 Tip Rib, the VS-1206 Mid Rib and the VS-1202 Front Spar as shown in Figure 1.



Step 2: Flute (section 5N) between the holes in the flanges of the VS-1202 Front Spar and any of the other vertical stabilizer ribs as necessary to straighten the flange hole pattern.







Held off on steps 3 - 8 on page 06-05 until parts are primed.

Reference: page 06-06

Step 1: Remove the material from the VS-1204 Fwd Skin, called out in Figure 1.



Step 2: Remove the material from the VS-1201 Main Skin, called out in Figure 2, Detail A.



Step 3: Final-drill #19, the nutplate screw holes in the VS-1204 Fwd Skin per call-out in Figure 1.



Step 4: Final-drill #19, the nutplate screw holes in the VS-1201 Main Skin per call-out in Figure 2, Detail B. NOTE: Plans don't call it out but I also drilled #40 the nutplate attachment holes.


Deburr all of the final-drilled holes from Step 3 and 4.





Step 5: Dimple the #19 holes in the VS-1204 Fwd Skin using a #8 dimple die as called out in Figure 1.



Step 6: Dimple the #19 holes in the VS-1201 main Skin using a #8 dimple die as called out in Figure 2 Detail B.



Step 7: Dimple the nutplate attach rivet holes in the VS-1201 Main Skin using a 3/32 dimple die as called out in Figure 2, Detail B.



NOTE: A small diameter female die is required to dimple the nutplate attach rivet holes on a countersunk nutplate. An alternative would be grinding material from a standard female die to clear the recess of the nutplate.



Step 8: Dimple the nutplates attach rivet holes using a 3/32 dimple die as called out in Figure 3.



Finished deburring all the edges. Cleaned and alodined the vertical stabilizer parts in preparation for priming.

RV12 Vertical Stabilizer (continued)

Reference: page 06-04; 1 hour

Step 1: Final-Drill #12 the 3/16 holes in the web of the VS-1202 Front Spar.



Step 2: Machine countersink (section 5E) the six #40 holes in the web of the VS-1203 Rear Spar flush for 3/32 rivets.



Step 3: Machine countersink the four #40 holes in the VS-1212B-R & L Upper Spar Caps flush for 3/32 rivets.



Step 4: Machine countersink the #40 holes in the web of the VS-1202 Front Spar flush for 3/32 rivets. NOTE: I removed the countersink cage to clear the flange on the two holes that are nearest the flange.



Held off on steps 5 & 6 until parts are primed.

RV12 Vertical Stabilizer (continued)

Reference: page 06-03; 1 hour

Step 4: Nest the VS-1212A-R Lower Spar Cap into the VS-1203 Rear Spar. Align the bottom edge of the lower spar flush with the bottom edge of the rear spar web then clamp it in place along the rear spar flange.

Start from the #30 hole nearest to the bottom of the rear spar web, match-drill #30 about every fourth hole of the rear spar web into the lower spar cap. Cleco each hole as you drill and be sure to drill perpendicular to the rear spar web. After reaching the top of the lower spar cap, move on to the VS-1212B-R Upper Spar Cap. Match-drill #30 the four #30 holes in the rear spar web into the upper spar cap.

Remove the upper and lower spar caps and deburr the match-drilled holes. Clear away any chips, then cleco the upper and lower spar caps back in place. Match-drill the remaining #30 holes of the rear spar web into the upper spar cap.





Step 5: Match-Drill #30 the VS-1203 Rear Spar flange holes into the VS-1212A-R and VS-1212B-R Upper and Lower Spar Caps. Cleco as you go. NOTE: Make sure to drill perpendicular to the flange as it is not 90 degrees to the rear web.



Step 6: Match_Drill #40 the nutplate attach rivet holes from the VS-1203 Rear Spar into the VS-1212B-R Upper Spar Cap. With the same size bit match-frill the #40 holes near the bottom of the rear spar web into the VA-1212A-R.


Step 7: Match-Drill #12 the 3/16 holes of the VS-1203 Rear Spar into the VS-1212A-R and VS-1212B-R Upper and Lower Spar Caps.

Remove the spar caps, deburr the holes and clear away any chips.

RV12 Vertical Stabilizer

Reference: page 06-02 2.5 hours

Wedge Tool Steps 2-4
Step 2-4: Fabricated the wedge tools that will be used during riveting hard to reach areas. deburred and smoothed the edges so they won't scratch either me or the skins when they are used.




Step 5: Final drilled to #12 the 3/16 inch holes in the flange of the VA-1210 Hinge brackets.



Step 6: Separated the VS-1210 Hinge Brackets and deburred the edged. Note: Part on right is not deburred.



Step 7: Marked and cut apart the VS-1211A & B parts. Removed the extra material attaching the two parts.



Step 8: Clecoed the VS-1211A hinge spacer between two of the hinge brackets and final drilled the #30 the 1/8 inch holes. Repeated step 8 with the VS-1211B hinge spacer and the remaining two hinge brackets. Mark the parts so they can be returned to the same position as drilled. Remove the clecoes and deburr the edges and holes.







Held off on step 9 and 10 (riveting of hinge asemblies) until I have enough parts to prime as a batch.

Reference: Page 06-03

Note: Step 1-7 describe installing the VS-1212A-R lower and VS-1212B-R upper spar caps. Installation of the left side is a mirror of the right and is done at the same time.

Step 1: Separated the VS-1212A-R lower spar cap from the VS-1212B-R upper spar cap/ Recovered the material called out in Figure 1 of the plans.



Remove the material called out in figure 1.



Step 2: Mark the VS1212B_R Upper Spar Cap with a reference line on the surface that nests against the VS-1203 Rear Spar web per the dimension shown in figure 2.



Step 3: Nest the VS-1212B-R Upper Spar Cap into the VS-1203 Rear Spar so the reference line shows through the center of the #30 hole in the rear spar web called out in Figure 3. Clamp the upper spar cap in place.

Inventory of RV-12 Tail Kit

It took all of a week to come to grips with building of another airplane. This is lightening speed for me as it normally takes six month to decide on buying a car! After getting the tail kit home, I started to unpack and inventory the parts. It still amazes me at all the little things that go into designing and delivering a great kit. My hat is of the the staff at Van's Aircraft for doing such an amazing job.

One nice addition to the RV-12 kit is a copy of the Standard Aircraft Handbook. It's a nice touch.

Just a thought on blog house keeping. I'm going to work out a way to keep all the RV-10 information available and I'm thinking of doing a page by page log of the RV-12 build here on the blog. This will be referenced by the page number of Van's building instructions.

Light Sport Aircraft & the RV-12

I have been given the opportunity to investigate and fly LSA. So N44QT headed out to it's new owner and I started researching various airplanes that would fit my mission - our new mission statement is posted in the column to the right.


Joe Blank at Van's Aircraft offer to take me for a flight, so as soon as our schedules meshed with the weather I found myself standing on the tarmac at Van's hanger.




What's it like to fly? Fun! It's not an RV-10 but it is definitely not a Cessna 152 either. We climbed out at 900 feet per minute. After leveling off, cruise was 120 knot indicated, which is not bad for a fuel flow of 5.5 gallons per hour.


Next we did some aileron only turns. Thats right no back pressure on the stick, surprisingly there was no loss of altitude in the turns. Next was slow flight no surprises here. In case your wondering it is flown with three fingers (after all it is an RV.) Just a well mannered fun airplane to fly.


Couple of unique items are there is no mixture control. Also, Joe mentioned the need to ensure the throttle frication lock is set properly, because unlike Continentals and Lycomings the throttle is spring loaded to go to full throttle. This can happen if the friction lock is set too loss. Also in the "different" category is the sound of the Rotax as it runs happily at 5,500 rpm. Well, it sound a lot like my Toyota Prius when it accelerates so I felt right at home.