Mar 08, 2024     Vertical Stab and Rudder cables - (3 hours)       Category: Empennage

Final assembly of vertical stabilizer and rudder cables. Tightened and torqued all 10 mounting bolts on front and rear vertical stab spar attachments. Installed rudder stop block on rear spar attachment. Installed rudder horn on rudder post. Installed rudder cables to rudder horn. Ensured cables were routed properly on all pulleys. Attached tailwheel steering spring, cable and S hooks to tailwheel. This is definitely a 2-person job as the stab mounting bolts and rudder horn are very difficult to access and tighten due to confined space. It's really starting to look like an airplane again.

  Mar 07, 2024     Vertical Stab - (2 hours) Category: Empennage

Installed all mounting bolts for vertical stab. Only able to tighten 3 bolts on my own. Will get help next session. Mounted rudder stop block on rear spar attachment.
Also, fabricated and installed a cover for the electric fuel boost pump. My kit did not come with this cover. Fabricated using a friends cover as a pattern and used .040 6016.

  Mar 06, 2024     Horizontal and Vertical Stab Mounting - (1.5 hours)       Category: Empennage

Mounted horizontal stab. First snugged up incidence adjusters on front to lowest setting per manual for the Titan 340. Leveled stab with wings visually. Made slight adjustment to raise right incidence adjuster a very small amount. Tightened socket screws and used blue loctite. Placed 2 AN970-4 large washers between rear spar and rear mounting bolts to take up gap. Drilled and reamed left rear mount bolt and torqued all mount bolts. Horizontal stab is final mounted. Assembled rudder to Vertical Stab using proper hinge bolts which were tightened. Installed vertical stab/rudder combo in fuselage. Temporarily attached Vertical stab using 2 bolts. Will finish installing all bolts next session.

  May 09, 2023     Horizontal Stab fairing - (2.5 hours)       Category: Empennage

Drilled and installed all nutplates in horizontal stab for the stab to fuselage faring. Started install of wingtip strobe/nav lights. Measured tip for drilling.

  May 23, 2021     Elevator - (4.3 hours)       Category: Empennage

Completed riveting elevator tips. Fit trim servo motor and trim tab. Stored elevator. Gathered wing spars, bellcranks and wing ribs to begin left wing construction.

  May 23, 2021     Elevator - (2.2 hours) Category: Empennage

Sealed tip rib with silicone for future epoxy/lead balancing. Riveted bottom of tip skins to tip frame.

  May 21, 2021     Elevator - (4.5 hours)       Category: Empennage

Finished riveting top elevator skins. Riveted tip rib to elevator. Clecoed and fit tip skins. Match drilled tip skin.

  May 19, 2021     Elevator - (5.5 hours)       Category: Empennage

Took bottom skin off frame to re-bend the leading edge. It did not match up to allow riveting after the initial 90 deg. bend. Bent both top and bottom leading edges slightly more and then re-clecoed the skins back on the frame. This allowed leading edges to match up for riveting. Riveted the bottom skin and leading edge. Cut bend tabs off tip skins and cleaned up. Riveted bulkhead rib to tip rib. Match drilled tip rib to elevator end ribs.

  May 18, 2021     Elevator - (4.7 hours) Category: Empennage

Trimmed hinges on trim tab for better fit. Match drilled trailing edge skins. Took skins off to deburr and clean. Clecoed skins back on and began to rivet.

  May 18, 2021     Elevator - (2.3 hours) Category: Empennage

Riveted hinges to elevator and trim tab. Test mounted Ray Allen Trim motor and tested operation. All OK.

  May 16, 2021     Elevator - (6.7 hours)       Category: Empennage

Match drilled and clecoed trim tab. Riveted trim tab together. Clecoed bottom skin on elevator. Aligned and measured trim tab hinges. Drilled and clecoed to elevator and tab.

  May 15, 2021     Elevator - (1 hour) Category: Empennage

Clecoed top elevator skin to prep for trim tab fitting.

  May 14, 2021     Elevator - (3 hours)       Category: Empennage

Formed leading edge of elevator skins using PVC pipe per the plans. Laid out and riveted ribs to trim tab and clecoed skin in prep for riveting. Cut hinge stock in prep for measuring and mounting hinges on trim tab/elevator.

  May 12, 2021     Elevator - (4 hours) Category: Empennage

Deburred ribs and spars; riveted elevator horn; clecoed and riiveted frame; test fit tab to elevator.

  May 08, 2021     Elevator - (0.9 hour)       Category: Empennage

Drilled out screw holes in trim servo ribs and installed nut plates for servo mounting. Up-drilled servo mounting holes to #20 per plans. Test mounted servo for fit and tested operation with 9V battery. Works normally.

  May 08, 2021     Elevator - (1.8 hours)       Category: Empennage

Riveted horizontal stab tips. Initial assembly of elevator frame to check for fit and do inventory of parts needed for elevator and trim tab.

  May 04, 2021     Horizontal Stabilizer - (0.6 hour) Category: Empennage

Final drilled horizontal tips for install. Glued 1/8" backing washers prior to riveting.

  May 03, 2021     Horizontal Stabilizer - (5.7 hours)       Category: Empennage

Final riveting both skins of horizontal stab. Fit and drilled stab tips for riveting.

  May 03, 2021     Horizontal Stabilizer - (2.6 hours)       Category: Empennage

Dimpled nose ribs with pop rivet puller. Had to grind die to modify so it fit into flange of nose rib for dimpling. Clecoed top and bottom skins and started to rivet.

  Apr 30, 2021     Horizontal Stabilizer - (5.6 hours)       Category: Empennage

Riveted Ribs and nose ribs to front and rear spar, dimpled skins in center section and countersunk front spar on top and bottom flange in center section.

  Apr 28, 2021     Horizontal Stabilizer - (5.4 hours)       Category: Empennage

Completed disassembly of spars, doublers and ribs. Finished deburring spar match drilled holes. Riveted doublers to front and rear spars. Riveted inspection plate reinforcement rings in place. Test dimpled scrap aluminum and set countersink depth in prep for riveting center section of skins with countersunk rivets.

  Apr 27, 2021     Horizontal Stabilizer - (4.3 hours) Category: Empennage

Removed all clecos and deburred spar holes that were match drilled. Drilled stab tips for install. Clecoed inspection covers reinforcement rings.

  Apr 26, 2021     Horizontal Stabilizer - (3.5 hours)       Category: Empennage

Completed match drilling and up-sizing skin to spar holes to #30. Trimmed bend tabs from skin. Trial fit Aerosport tip fairings-- which are a prefect fit with no trimming required.

  Apr 25, 2021     Horizontal Stabilizer - (2.2 hours) Category: Empennage

Match drilled bottom skin front and rear spar flanges.

  Apr 24, 2021     Horizontal Stabilizer - (1.6 hours)       Category: Empennage

Clecoed bottom skin. Ready for match drilling spars.

  Apr 23, 2021     Horizontal Stabilizer - (1.5 hours) Category: Empennage

Clecoed top skin in place.

  Apr 23, 2021     Horizontal Stabilizer - (5.6 hours)       Category: Empennage

Cleaned and deburred spars, doublers and ribs. Clecoed assembly today. Fit skins initially.

  Apr 21, 2021     Horizontal Stabilizer - (3.5 hours) Category: Empennage

Modified Wing cradle to hold vertical stab and rudder temporarily. Leveled and clamped my 6ft and 8ft work table together for the horizontal stab assembly.
Inventoried and laid out all parts for the horizontal stab and aligned spars and doublers in correct orientation.

  Apr 19, 2021     Vertical Stab Top Fairing and Pull Handle - (2.2 hours)       Category: Empennage

Completed assembly and install of tail pull handle. Test fit rudder and Vertical Stab tip fairing.

  Apr 18, 2021     Vertical Stab Top Fairing and Pull Handle - (2.6 hours) Category: Empennage

Finish fabricating tail pull handle per the plans. Used JB weld to glue the handle doublers together. Started fitting top tail cone fairing. Fairing is aftermarket from Aerosport Products which fit perfectly the first time- no trimming required.

  Apr 17, 2021     Vertical Stab and Pull Handle - (3.2 hours)       Category: Empennage

Completed riveting of side skins and leading edge skins. Began install of pull handle. Drilled out initial 3/4" hole in skins.

  Apr 16, 2021     Vertical Stab - (3.2 hours)       Category: Empennage

Continued riveting skins. Completed left side skin and leading edge skin.

  Apr 15, 2021     Vertical Stab - (2.5 hours) Category: Empennage

Removed clecos, cleaned and deburred the match-drilled holes in the front spar, leading edge skin and side skins. Clecoed skins back on, aligned surface and began pulling rivets on side skin.

  Apr 14, 2021     Vertical Stab - (3.5 hours)       Category: Empennage

Leveled and secured assembly. Removed leading edge skin and edge-formed the trailing edges for overlap of side skins. Clecoed back in place and match drilled leading edge skin, side skins and front spar. Clecoed in place. Initial fitment of tail pull handle doubler plates.

  Apr 13, 2021     Vertical Stab - (2 hours)       Category: Empennage

Fit side and leading edge skins to frame.

  Apr 12, 2021     Vertical Stab - (5.5 hours)       Category: Empennage

Inventoried all vertical stab parts. Flutted ribs to straighten, then clecoed all parts together. Pressed in bushings in rudder hinges. Riveted front spar doublers first, then the rear spar doublers, then all the ribs. Finally, riveted hinges to rear spar taking care to install an AN3 bolts in the hinges prior to riveting. Reamed hinges bushings to 3/16".

  Mar 19, 2021     Rudder Build - (4.5 hours)       Category: Empennage

Attended RANS Rudder Build Workshop. Constructed Rudder under Eddie's supervision. Great class. Great people at RANS.