The plans call for match drilling the stabilator’s aft skins to the ribs so the ribs were numbered to assure correct orientation for final assembly. Just as before in the anti-servo tabs, the last trailing hole in the ribs are not drilled. This is because the same rib can be installed facing inboard or outboard … because the trailing holes in the skins are offset slightly to prevent the rivets from hitting each other at the narrow point in the trailing edge, it is necessary to match drill using the trailing edge holes in the skin as a guide.
After match drilling and deburring the aft skin and ribs it was time to break both of the skin’s leading edges and then dimple both aft skins and the four ribs for the 120 degree flush rivets being used on the RV-12. Three dimpling methods were used depending on access. Pneumatic squeezer, hand pop rivet tool and dies with a hole in them used with a nail, dies and a C-clamp for the trailing edge hole where things are really tight.
Was able to dimple all the holes in both aft skins and their ribs without any issues. Next up is dimpling the stabilator’s main skins then on to primer.
