CHAPTER 27 - Attaching the Control Surfaces

The aileron brackets were assembled with the wing brackets, without spacers. The inboard bracket was attached in approximate position with clamps while the outboard bracket was located using a string along the tooling holes of the wing and aileron rib as mentioned in the manual. When the tooling holes lined up, the bracket was clamped in place and drilled and clecoed in place.

Meanwhile, the flap brace was fabricated and fitted to the bottom skin. Once clamped in place, the semi-completed flap was added and adjusted laterally to fit near the aileron (spacers were added at the outboard aileron bracket to fix it's position). Once everything was perfect, then the assembly was drilled and clecoed. Next, the flap brace was clamped to the rear spar and the position of the innermost clamping point adjusted until the inboard flap rib tooling holes aligned with the wing rib tooling holes. That clamp was firmly tightened. By the way, I used C-clamps. Vice grip clamps would have been very helpful for this procedure, allowing for quick adjustment of parts.

Next, I ran a string tautly from flap root to aileron tip on both sides of the surface. From this, it was easy to see what adjustment needed to be made at the inboard aileron bracket and along the flap brace to bring the control surfaces into span wise alignment. These adjustments were made, and the surfaces removed long enough to drill the aileron bracket and flap brace and clecoe them in position.

Lastly, I clamped the top flap skin in place, using a taut line along the aileron trailing edge to ensure a continuously straight trailing edge. With the skin clamped in place, I carefully drilled it to the flap ribs, checking alignment carefully as I went. I was afraid that drilling the free-hanging surface would cause a bow, but checking against the taut strings kept me on track and the result proved true on a flat building surface.

It remained to remove the flap, drill the front spar to the ribs, and clean up all the parts in preparation for painting.

(August 2002) I added a couple of photos of the controls at the root and tip end of the wings so that you can see some details such as the fit of the flap top skin and how it ends before the flap brace. You can also see how the aileron gap seal is fitted and how closely. Yes, the red on the hinge bracket is rust (somehow I forgot to have the brackets primed) but it is not deep so I will polish the parts before making the decision whether or not to replace the part.