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I made a mistake on my rudder hinge by drilling 1/8" holes for the rivets instead of 3/32" holes as called for in the plans. Can I leave it as is and just use 1/8" rivets for the assembly or should I buy another hinge and do it according to plans?

Don't hesitate to call or email Sonex tech support when you are unsure or need guidance!

While I am certain you will get good advice here, tech support should be consulted for every question you have so you can be assured of the factory's official answer.

Hinge is cheap - I personally would re do the work per plans.

Robbie
Sonex 1517

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The 3/32" hole called for in the plans is a pilot hole .The pilot holes are then updrilled to 1/8" when it is attached to the rudder,as all the rivets are 1/8" on the Onex with the exception of the solid rivets in the wing spars.So you should be okay.You will just have to be careful when transferring the holes to the rudder that you don't enlarge them.Use a new sharp drill bit and it will be fine I would think.
Mike

Bacon8tor wrote:I made a mistake on my rudder hinge by drilling 1/8" holes for the rivets instead of 3/32" holes as called for in the plans. Can I leave it as is and just use 1/8" rivets for the assembly or should I buy another hinge and do it according to plans?

The danger you face is enlarging the holes while you updrill the skins. If you think you can accurately clamp your hinge to the mating surface then updrill the underlying material to the same hole size, then go for it. This is not a place I would want any slack. If it were me, I'd redo the hinges at 3/32 and save the screwed up pieces for later like the battery box or cowl where its not critical. Control surfaces, no joy. Make them right and tight.