12/22/2020 – 1.6 hours
I reached a stopping point on the rudder while I wait for a replacement shear clip and skin stiffener, so I moved on to the plans for the horizontal stabilizer. One new step that I hadn't done previously was to go through the RV-14 Revisions and Changes posted on Van's website to ensure that my plans are up to date. It turns out there was a recent change to this section of the plans related to “labeling steps to help prevent builder errors”. I compared the plans on the website to my printed plans to ensure I had the latest before starting to prepare parts and assembly.
12/23/2020 – 1.0 hours
I finished my detailed review of the plans prior to starting work on the horizontal stabilizer. This section introduces a few new parts including in-spar and nose ribs, spar caps, stringers, and a stringer web. It also relies more on traditional rivet gun and bucking bar techniques to attach the skins to the internal structure, so I'll have to practice some before I get to that point. I am excited to start on this section because it is essentially a preview of how the wings will come together. Big Fun!