10/17/2005 - Started work on the Vertical Stabilizer I clecoed the VS-808PP Spar Doubler to the VS-803PP Rear Spar. Then I clecoed on the rudder hinge brackets and drilled out the two missing holes in one of the brackets, using the holes in the spar cha ... read more
10/18/2005 - Final drilled the #40 holes in the Vertical Stabilizer skin I took a 4 inch thick foam mattress and cut out 2 pieces that fit between the clecoes on the side of the vertical stabilizer skin. This kept the clecos from hitting the workbench top while I worked on ... read more
10/21/2005 - Countersinked the reinforcement spar and dimpled rear spar After walking back and forth multiple times looking at the plans to make damn sure I was working on the right side of each spar, I started countersinking and dimpling the spars. I dimpled the main rea ... read more
10/24/2005 - Finished dimpling, sanding all of the VS parts I used my various grades of sponge type sanding blocks to get all of the edges rounded as suggested by Van's manual. Now I will rub all of the ribs and spars down with a Scotchbrite pad to get them re ... read more
10/26/2005 - Finished riveting the rear spar components together I was really smokin' on putting these rivets in using the Avery rivet squeezer until I got to the middle rivets on the bottom elevator brackets, just inside the elbow bend. I had to drill these two ri ... read more
10/27/2005 - Clecoed on the VS skin I finished riveting the ribs to the front spar but forgot to take a picture of it. All of the rivets went in easily except for the bottom ribs where they attach to the front spar. I just couldn't seem ... read more
10/28/2005 - Finished riveting the VS skin to the front spar and middle rib I started thinking that maybe I'm getting the hang of this riveting thing, slamming these rivets in one after another. Then I got to last rivet and screwed it up. Murphy strikes again. Get the Drill! ... read more
A website designed for Van's Aircraft Homebuilders, helping them find the
information they need to build the most dynamic aircraft in the world.
The "cover your butt" section
This website was built to document the construction of an RV-9A in
compliance with the FAA requirements needed to certify the aircraft. Any experiences and/or comments are by
no means to be considered as instructions on how to build an RV-9A or any other aircraft.