After the huge success last night, I was ready to move back to the elevator so I could get to prepping and riveting. First thing tonight was to take some small measurements, then transfer some lines to a piece of cardstock to create a template for the riblet I need to create. (Notice the title of the post is …Day 1. There will be multiple days of this dance, unfortunately.)
Here’s my first try at a template, and then the adjusted second try before being cut out.
I don't know why my first try was so big. Must have measured wrong.
Here’s a shot of the space I am trying to fill. It’s not edge finished here, but will be after I get a riblet created.
Left elevator's trim tab cutout.
Ginger was being bad inside, so she was banished to the garage (“go annoy your father”). Ha, little did we know that there was sawdust that she could be rubbing her face in. Serves us right for trying to punish her.
She's not cute at all.
So this is actually my second aluminum riblet after bending one of the flanges up in a vice. I think that edge is too sharp.
It's looking good so far.
But, even though I was really careful to finish all the edges before bending (like I forgot to do on the first one), I still got a crack.
I put a picture of my crack on the internet. Ha.
Even with the crack, I thought I would show you what I intended before scrapping the piece and starting over.
This is the general idea.
But then I got frustrated and just cut the forward part of the riblet off, and put it in place to see what it would look like.
Hmm. This doesn't look horrible, but I'd rather have the forward part of the rib, and the tie-in to the spar.
So, after an hour outside, I have to scrap the part and start over. Boo.
(To be honest, this is the really fun part of building. I get to use my thinking cap.)
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Andrew's RV-7 Build Log 
I would have thought your crack would have been a little bigger.
(slow clap)