After the A-1202A&B aft skins were riveted onto the A-1205 ribs using the same method as on the left flaperon, a small assembly procedural change was made for the way the nose skins were riveted. After the counterbalance tube was installed on the left flaperon, theA-1201C outboard nose skin was riveted in place first, then the inboard and center skins were riveted in place. This time, since the nose skins were already match drilled, after the counterbalance tube was riveted in place on the right flaperon, the A-1201A, B &C nose skins were secured in place onto the right flaperon’s skeleton with Clecos, then riveted with flush rivets.
Securing the A-1202A skin onto the right
flaperon’s skeleton with Clecos.
Using the pneumatic rivet puller to rivet the
right flaperon’s aft skins in place with flush rivets.
As with the left flaperon, the hand rivet puller
was used to set the aft most row of bottom
rivets which sit high at first
because they touch the set rivet on the opposite side.
Right flaperon’s aft skins riveted onto the
A-1205 ribs with flush rivets.
Riveting the counterbalance tube onto the right
skeleton’s outboard nose ribs with a LP4-3 pop rivets.
Placing Clecos into the A-1201C nose skin to
secure it onto the right flaperon’s skeleton.
All three nose skins attached to the right
flaperon skeleton with Clecos and ready for riveting.
Using the pneumatic rivet puller to rivet the
nose skins in place with flush rivets ... almost finished.
Setting the last flush rivet in the right
flaperon with the pneumatic rivet puller.
After completing the riveting of the skins, the
last thing the instructions call for is to install two pivot bearings on each flaperon
using Loctite 243 on the first third of the threads. The plans instruct the
builder to screw the pivot bearings into the pivot brackets until the center of
the bearing hole is 11/32" above the flaperon skin. Because the bearing
wants to flop around, measuring can be tough … one tip on the forums was to place
a long AN3 bolt (which is 3/16” diameter) through the bearing and then measure ¼"
from the bottom of the bolt to the flaperon skin … which would be the 11/32"
minus 3/32" (half the thickness of the bolt) or ¼".
That procedure was utilized and improved upon by
cutting two small pieces of ¼" OD tubing to use as a visual reference. The
pivot bearing was screwed in until the bolt touched both pieces of tubing
evenly. Then a square was used to true up the bearing.
Using two pieces of ¼" OD tubing and a long
AN3 bolt to achieve a
clearance of 11/32" from center of the pivot bearing
to the flaperon skin.
Completed left and right RV-12 flaperons riveted
with flush rivets.
