Finished deburring all the horizontal stabilizer parts and started into dimpling. Below is my C-frame dimpler. It has a 22" throat which is the exact size that allows you to access almost every hole in the skins of an RV. You simply place your correct size dimple dies in the upper and lower holders, align the hole in the skin with the dies, and give it a good whack with the hammer. Kinda like Whack-a-Mole, but Whack-a-Hole (for those not familiar with obscure arcade games, I added a video of Whack-a-Mole below).
This is what a dimpled hole looks like. Dimpling allows the rivet to sit flush with the skin. Making the outside of the airplane smooth makes it faster and much more fuel efficient. You wouldn't think that a small bump from a rivet would make that much difference, but at higher speeds, they add a lot of drag.
Yes, I'm building an airplane in my garage. It's a 2 seat side-by-side, 200+ mph, all metal aircraft capable of 6g aerobatics with a range of about 900 miles on one tank of gas getting 25 mpg. It's powered by a traditional 180hp Lycoming just like a Cessna 172. There are over 8000 like mine completed AND flying. This is where I'll document the build for friends and family to see. This isn't meant to be a construction how-to, just a little show-and-tell.
Oh, and to answer the question, "when will it fly?" I'm planning my first flight on Thursday. I'm not saying which week, or which month, or even which year, just Thursday.
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