April 10, 2020
Today was the start of the trim tab. It seems to be the most dreaded piece in the entire tail based on the horror stories on Van’s Air Force. We ordered an extra trim tab skin with our last replacement order because we assumed we would mess up the trim tab like most folks.
We did some research online (other builder blogs, VAF, etc.) and decided to go off plans for how to bend the trim tab. We made up the 2 wooden interlocking blocks called for in the plans and decided that we weren’t comfortable with how everything was fitting together. The common problems reported by others were the blocks slipping and the whole assembly was pretty precarious.
Another run to the hardware store for some 1/8″x1.5″ flat steel bar and we had a plan. The steel bar clamped to the table, holding the trim tab in place along the bend line. A 2×4 butted against the steel bar and clamped to the table as well. This kept the bar from shifting in as we bend the tab. It took some time to set up for each of the four bends but it was consistent with zero slipping.
After we had 70 degrees of bend into the tab a hit on a dead blow against 2×4 resting on the trim tab made some really nice, crisp 90 degree bends. Unless something goes horribly wrong during final assembly we could be in the 1 trim tab club….
Cheers,
-Kacy
(Total Build Time: 114.5 hrs)