REFLECTOR: airelon balancing

["Bob Kuc" <bkuc1@tampabay.rr.com>]

As I start working on the aileron controls, I was wondering how the
balancing would be done.  In the manual, it mentions the steel tube inserted
into the aluminum torque tubes are attached via a bold and then pop riveted
together.  Once this is done, you get an aileron with the long torque tube
attached.  Since you want to balance the ailerons after painting, do the pop
rivets get installed  after the paint job or is the torque tube part of the
balancing process.  Or does it not matter since the torque tube assembly is
so close to the pivot point?

On a separate note, does the weight of the aileron (8.5 LB suggested max
weight) include the long torque tubes?

At this point, I was trailing edge heavy by quit a bit.  I started to sand
the micro fairing on the ailerons to the point of where the glass is
starting to show.  This has made my ailerons much lighter and have almost
1/2" less TE heavy deflection.  I plan to sand the ailerons even further,
since the alternate plans says that you can use bid instead of triax to make
them lighter.  I would think that I can sand the triax down into the uni
layer before getting into the bi threads.  This should even make my ailerons
even lighter.  At this point, I should be able to add some weight to the
leading edge to balance my ailerons a little TE high so that the paint will
bring it down.  If not enough, I should be able to remove some of the extra
weight that was added.

Is there a flaw with this thinking?

Bob Kuc
173 LWE