983RV Life983RV Life
  • Build Log
  • Research
  • Additional Builders
  • Travel

Empennage

Empennage

First rivets in the rudder

I got the bottom section of the rudder as well as the reinforcement ribs along the inside of the rudder skin done. Not too bad, but I did learn a little bit on the backriveting. Even with a rivet that is of the correct length you can still have it Read more…

By olanandkate, 4 yearsDecember 29, 2020 ago
Empennage

Initial VS Skin Rivets

After a hiatus with COVID and holidays, I finally got the skin rivets started. I got a few going but I ended up having my first bad rivet not too long down the road. I pressed too hard from the bucking bar and ended up with the rivet slightly high Read more…

By olanandkate, 4 yearsDecember 27, 2020 ago
Empennage

Day 20 & 21 – Vertical Stabilizer Riveting

Well, the luck finally fell on me. I got COVID so I’m spending alot of time in isolation from everyone. I spent some time doing some riveting but it’s gotten a little worse recently so I’m going to put this on hold until I get better. I got all of Read more…

By olanandkate, 5 yearsOctober 17, 2020 ago
Empennage

Day 19 – First Day Priming!

October 3rd, 2020 Today was the first time getting the chance to prime. I had all of the parts from the VS, rudder, and first few steps of the HS to prime. I took some ideas from these two paint booth setups to figure out how to do my own Read more…

By olanandkate, 5 yearsOctober 4, 2020 ago
Empennage

Day 18 – Horizontal Stabilizer Initial Steps

October 1st, 2020 Page 8-2: Step 1 – 4 This was the biggest piece I’ve ever had to deburr. It took quite a bit of time just getting the spar deburred, let alone the doubler. It looks great now though! I also got the bend out of the doubler as Read more…

By olanandkate, 5 yearsOctober 2, 2020 ago
Empennage

Day 17 – VS Skin Redimpling and Separating Parts

I spent the whole part of today finishing the dimpling on the skin. I used the close quarters dimple die for a few holes but they just didn’t turn out very well. So I used the other close quarters die that is mounted to my table to redo those. After Read more…

By olanandkate, 5 yearsOctober 2, 2020 ago
Empennage

Day 16 – New VS Skin Arrived!

September 29th, 2020 The new skin arrived! And I was surprised that it had final sized holes! Sped up the work a TON. I almost got all of the dimpling done, but I’ll finish that tomorrow. I did break the small tip of the male dimple die off inside of Read more…

By olanandkate, 5 yearsSeptember 30, 2020 ago
Empennage

Day 15 – Reassembly & HS Parts

September 28th, 2020 I didn’t do too much work today as I was trying to determine if I could fix the trailing edge of the rudder skin or if I should reorder it. I put the rudder back together to check fitment after doing the dimpling and the rudder trailing Read more…

By olanandkate, 5 yearsSeptember 29, 2020 ago
Empennage

Day 14 – Dimpling and Countersinking Rudder

September 27th, 2020 Page 7-6: Step 11-12 I didn’t spend too much time today on this. I spent alot of time trying to get the platform setup right. I started dimpling the trailing edge and it just didn’t look right. It was cupping and the dies were leaving marks on Read more…

By olanandkate, 5 yearsSeptember 28, 2020 ago
Empennage

Day 13 – Deburring and more Deburring

September 26th, 2020 Page 7-6: Step 8-10 Steps 8 & 9 were done very quickly as it wasn’t alot of effort or deburring. The bend in the trailing edge of the rudder was pretty easy with the tool from Cleaveland Tools. I had previous experience using it with the small Read more…

By olanandkate, 5 yearsSeptember 27, 2020 ago

Posts pagination

Previous 1 … 8 9 10 11 Next

Aircraft Build Time

Airplane sectionBuild time (hrs)
S06 - Vertical Stabilizer22.5
S07 - Rudder34.25
S08 - Horizontal Stabilizer49.75
S09 - Elevators59
S10 - Tailcone75.75
S11 - Empennage Attach27.75
S12 - Empennage Fairings26.5
S13 - Main Spar18.25
S14 - Wing Ribs35.5
S15 - Rear Spar29.25
S16 - Top Skins32.75
S17 - Outboard Leading Edge34.75
S18 - Fuel Tank23.75
S21 - Aileron35
Total504.75
Recent Posts
  • Tank Assembly Prep
  • Tank Dimpling & Countersinking Complete
  • Left Tank Fully Deburred and Some Countersinking
  • Left Tank Disassembled and Partially Deburred
  • Ailerons Complete!
Recent Comments
    Archives
    • June 2025
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • July 2024
    • September 2023
    • August 2023
    • July 2023
    • June 2023
    • May 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • September 2022
    • August 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    Categories
    • Costs
    • Empennage
    • Research
    • Tools
    • Travel
    • Uncategorized
    • Wings
    • Workshop
    Hestia | Developed by ThemeIsle