Nick Leonard
Member
It started when my rudder gust locks came loose on one side during a high wind allowing the rudder to slam against the right rudder stop (RV-10). This completely sheared off the horizontal rudder stop...that's three #4 rivets sheared like "butta". I would never have thought that you could slam the rudder hard enough to shear off three rivets.
Because of the challenge of squeezing in three new rivets in the confines of the rudder rod end bearing plates, I chose to install three rudder stop plates sandwiched between the upper and lower plates. Recall that the rudder is attached with three rod end bearing with bolts that drop down between two plates attached to the spar of the vertical stab. Originally the rudder stop was riveted to the top of the two plates with three rivets. I now have three stacked plates held with #6 screws that go through both the top and bottom plates (plus a spacing washer).
I now have the thickness of three stop plates instead of one and steel screws instead of aluminum rivets held in at the top and bottom instead of the top only.
Of course, the real answer is to be sure that you have good gust locks that will stay in place in a high wind (like we had go through Oshkosh this past year). I just wanted to share what that wind can do to your airplane. I'm still amazed that it could shear clean through the three rivets!
Because of the challenge of squeezing in three new rivets in the confines of the rudder rod end bearing plates, I chose to install three rudder stop plates sandwiched between the upper and lower plates. Recall that the rudder is attached with three rod end bearing with bolts that drop down between two plates attached to the spar of the vertical stab. Originally the rudder stop was riveted to the top of the two plates with three rivets. I now have three stacked plates held with #6 screws that go through both the top and bottom plates (plus a spacing washer).
I now have the thickness of three stop plates instead of one and steel screws instead of aluminum rivets held in at the top and bottom instead of the top only.
Of course, the real answer is to be sure that you have good gust locks that will stay in place in a high wind (like we had go through Oshkosh this past year). I just wanted to share what that wind can do to your airplane. I'm still amazed that it could shear clean through the three rivets!