Jan 12, 2024     Tail fairing - (3 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Manufactured retention brackets for tail feather fairing. Getting closer.

  Jan 10, 2024     Hi horizontal tail fairing - (4 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Fitted rear horizontal, stabilizer, fairings. Needed to drill out several rivets along the upper longeron . Use a hole finder to match drill the fairings. Nutplates installed. Fitted vertical tail fairing. Additional work needed.

  Dec 11, 2023     Rear fairing - (2 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Split rear fairing to follow contour of horizontal vertical stabilizers. Single sheet of fiberglass applied with west system 105 epoxy resin system.

  Dec 17, 2022     Horizontal tips - (5 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Finished installation of horizontal tips and closure. Ribs. Also safety wired and secured hinge pins for vertical and horizontal tail.

  Mar 14, 2022     Permanent attachment a tail feathers - (4 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Removed temporary hardware on vertical and horizontal tail. Replaced with appropriate close tolerance bolts. Rear vertical tail spar with NAS 6603–6 bolts. Forward vertical tail spar with NAS 6603–8 bolts AN 960 PD 10 washer additional AN 960–10 washer and MS 210–42L3 locking nuts. Tail socket permanently secured with AN525-10R12 and AN 365 1032 a. Additional AN 960–10 flat washer required for proper tightening of forward vertical tail spar to fuselage attachment.

  Apr 16, 2021     Completed the VT - (7 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Completed assembly of vertical tail. Dimpled and flush riveted all surfaces. Marked and drilled rudder hinge in place between outer skin and spar stiffener. Then dimpled and replaced into position beneath the aft spar channel. Used BSP-43 rivets for rudder hinge. Trail fitted rudder to completed VT. Note discrepancy on lower end of hinge.

  Apr 15, 2021     Prepare for VT rebuild - (3 hours) Category: Tail Feathers

Prepared vertical tail parts for assembly.

  Apr 03, 2021     Test       Category: Tail Feathers

Picture test iphone

  Apr 03, 2021     HT finished - (6 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Big day. Dimpled all skins. Riveted rear portions of ribs to spars. Borrowed an old cheap rivet puller which fit these rivets. Clamped hinges to rear edge of skins and drilled, then dimpled. Hinges should recess rear edge of skin by 1/16" to give proper clearance from sitiffener and allow enough metal around rivet hole ( formula is 2-2/1/2 diameter of rivet). Attached skins, clecoed and riveted flush. Attached elevators to check fit. Happy day.

  Apr 02, 2021     HT build - (5 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Turns out the reverse flutes on the ribs were not wrong. They are needed to allow the skins to fit flush with the forward spar. Reversed my error with a c- clamp and rolled in some elevation to the forward rib flange with a brass compressor connector. Refitted all parts and disassembled once again for dimpling of all surfaces. riveted aft spar stiffener.

  Apr 01, 2021     HT build - (5 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Assembled HT. Repaired improper fluting on all ribs to straighten. Drilled attach point of spars through existing pilot holes with drill press (per Dan). Assembled table jig and affixed and verified structure with tapemeasure and level. Deburred. Riveted ribs to forward spar. Un-clecoed ribs from aft spar to allow ribs to be displaced to side allowing pneumatic rivet gun access to forward rivets. Applied skins and verified line up of pilot holes. Had a beer and look forward to match drill of skins tommorrow.

  Mar 31, 2021     HT build - (2 hours) Category: Tail Feathers

Received new Aft spar channel from SPA. Fitted perfectly. Clecoed but not riveted as per notes in BM reference later flush dimpling needed in aft spar.

  Mar 30, 2021     Failed VT build - (5 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Today was a very frustrating day. Completed entire VT assembly with jig. Everything looked great. Unfortunately could not get skins to line up. Disassembled entire vertical tail. Drilled out and removed Forward spar stiffener which appeared salvageable. Unfortunately forward spar channel and three ribs could not be saved. Ordered new parts from SPA. Still waiting for elevator channel to arrive. Not a total waste as I did learn how to remove SS rivets. (not so easy). Ego and a few pieces of metal injured. Will get better.

  Mar 29, 2021     Started VT build - (4 hours) Category: Tail Feathers

Prepared all pieces. Clecoed assembly. Dimpled Aft spar channel and countersunk Aft spar stiffener. Trial fit all pices. Cut supporting blocks.

  Mar 28, 2021     HT spar build - (3 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Prepared spar stiffeners. Beveled edge of stiffener . One of the aft spar channels was too small in width and spar stiffener would not fit properly despite quite a bit of beveling with the spinning debur tool. Will need to discuss with manufacturer. Nominal width should be 3 5/128ths. Second channel under 3".

  Mar 27, 2021     HT build - (3 hours) Category: Tail Feathers

Extended project table to 86" for horizontal tail build. Started to prepare spars and spar stiffeners.

  Mar 25, 2021     Rudder completed - (8 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Straightforward build. Followed plans and build manual. Yes, dimpling takes forever (at least 2 hours). Hinge spacing set with drilled yardstick jig 1 inch on center. Used drill press to drill # 40.. Clecoed to skin and updrilled to # 30. Used flush BSC 4-2 rivets on skins. BSPS 4-2 protruidng rivets on hinge and BSPS 4-4 rivets on control horn Rudder and hinge extremely straight. Very happy!

  Mar 24, 2021     Started Rudder - (3 hours) Category: Tail Feathers

Prepared all parts for rudder. Trimmed stiffeners. Manufactured jig/template out of yardstick for proper drill spacing for hinge. (can be used for all hinges with one inch drill spaces.)

  Mar 23, 2021     Left elevator build completed - (5.0 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Final dimpling, re-assembly and riveting.

  Mar 22, 2021     Left elevator build - (8.0 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Countersink trim tab hinge. Fitted all parts for lt elevator. Ready for disassembly and final build. Novel technique for dimple of trailing trim rivet. No twist.