Top VS rib won't fit

Hi,

I am just starting out and am building the VS. All the spars and ribs are fitting great except for the forward part of the top rib (VS-706, I believe). It seems like it is too long. All the holes line up except for the two forward of the tab (well, there is just one hole per side on the rib itself, but the skin of the VS has two). I can't post any pictures to show until Monday. I have the video Van's sells and I see how it is supposed to be, but it it like the forward quarter inch or so needs to be trimmed back. I try to bend it to get it to fit, but it takes a pretty big bend to get it in, then the holes aren't anywhere close to lining up.

Has anyone else come across this? Am I explaining myself ok?

Also, this clecoing is hard on the old hands! I guess one's hands get used to it after a while.

Jeff

I'm trying to picture what you are saying, I'm at work and my plans are at home. If I remember correctly, the VS skin has two extra holes near the leading edge. Just cleco the rib in place, making sure it is snug in the skin, and drill the two #40 into the rib using the holes in the skin as a guide.

Jeff R said:

Also, this clecoing is hard on the old hands! I guess one's hands get used to it after a while.

Jeff

Click to expand...

Hi Jeff. The clecoing only gets worse. The wings have sooooooo many more cleoes. I got me one of those pneumatic cleco devices because my right elbow doesn't like all the twisting that is needed to insert and remove clecoes from un-drilled holes. I recommend the "pistol grip" type. I got the "straight" cleco device and now I believe I would rather have the pistol type. Tried to save a buck.

I also got a pneumatic squeeze because I'm unable to do many 1/8 rivets before my elbow starts to cry and complain. Old age ain't really all bad - yeah - right!

Jeff R said:

All the spars and ribs are fitting great except for the forward part of the top rib (VS-706, I believe). It seems like it is too long.

Click to expand...

Check to see that it really isn't too WIDE. These ribs require a little fluting to make them thinner. Or...if the holes don't line up re-check the direction of the rib.

Jeff R said:

Also, this clecoing is hard on the old hands! I guess one's hands get used to it after a while.

Click to expand...

"No pain, no gain!" By the end of the empennage you're going to have one heck of a handshake and Popeye forearms!

I seem to remember having to flute the holy **** out of the nose of those ribs to get the holes to line up. Like Fred noted, for width at the nose.
http://rv9a.card-net.org/archives/category/empennage/vertical-stabilizer/

Well, I now have pictures, but this site hasn't given me permission to post attachments. So, I posted the question, and the pictures, to the Matronix site at :

http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=117768#117768

in their RV9 forum.

I have appreciated the feedback received, and would appreciate any additional comments.

Thanks,
Jeff

Jeff,

Remove the blue stuff and that will help a little. It is amazing how much this thin skim of plastic effects parts and how they fit together.

I would say that it would be OK to trim a little off the leading edge of that rib but be aware that these ribs normally fit very tight into the leading edges.

If you do decide to trim, make sure you leave enough metal for the edge distance on the forward most hole that you will be drilling in the flanges.

Wait till you get to the wing and attempt putting the leading edges and tanks together At first it will seem impossible but it can be done.

Some ribs can be tight, but in my experience they fit with a little bending in the right place. If you do trim it, trim as little as possible.

MORE Fluting

Just saw your pictures on Matronix. My suggestion: Flute the bejeezes out of that rib at the WEB to make it thinner at the tip! Then begin clecoing from the leading edge on back. It looked like the whole rib was too far forward (based on the alignement of all the rivet holes). If the rib is clecoed to the spar, check to make sure the spar is assembled correctly or aligned properly (not to insult your intelligence just offering possible suggestions).

I have had only minor fit issues (1/32 to 3/32 inch misalignments) which were tight but manageable.

Good luck!

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Yes, I triple checked to make sure I was using the correct rib.

Removing the blue plastic does not help in this case. The rib overhangs the skins.

I think it will take more than fluting to get the rib to fit.

It is a bit confusing as to why I have a problem here. I doubt that the die Van's uses to form the rib has changed, and I would doubt they bend the skin any different. I am still kind of hoping it is builder's error (I am still a newbie so I am allowed to make one stupid mistake, right?), but I sure don't see what that error could be. I have the right parts, but they don't fit. But?how could they NOT fit when they come from standard, computer controlled dies?

I posed the question to Van's via email, but have not heard back from them yet. Until then, I won't be doing anything with it. I have lots of other stuff on the plane I can be working on. If Van's can't explain it, I will do what I proposed - flatten the tab part, cut back the length, reform the flanges, re-install it and then drill.

And pneumatic cleco pliers would be neat, but I am getting used to the manual pliers. As my finger heals from the surgery, I will do better. Plus, I need that bit of exercise.

But, thanks to all. I will let you know the final resolution.
Jeff

Jeff,

I had a similar problem on my horizontal stab. I found that by removing the blue plastic from the skin and fluting the WEB of the rib I could get everything to fit.

I did get a response from Vans and was told much of what the rest of you suggested. However, none of that works, so I guess I will simply rework the part to get it to fit in my particular application. This is really strange. I have an EAA meeting tonight so, before I go a cutting and a bending, I will seek some advice there. Hopefully, someone can look at it and say "Hey, dummy, you did ..... "

Thanks to all,
Jeff

OK, I got the rib to fit. It wasn't too difficult. I pretty did what I had proposed to do. I trimmed back on the length, ultimately taking off not quite 1/8". I also cut back at a bit of an angle, and did a bit of fluting at the tip to narrow it down a bit.

Also, I removed the blue plastic, and that also helped out a little.

Thanks to all for your help.

RV-14 Trim rib tip VS-706

I was having the identical issue with my initial RV-14 build, 15 years after the last post on this chain. To add to the confusion, my kit initially didn’t have a VS-706 included, rather an HS-706 which looks very similar but with a different hole pattern. I had to order my VS-706 separately, so perhaps there is some variation in this part history. Regardless, I was forced to trim approx. 3/16 from the front end, and also flute the web portion at the front of this part to get it to fit correctly. Final grind and radius of the rib IAW instructions allowed for a clean install. Hope this helps someone...