Horizontal Stab #2

Been working on the stab as per plans.

I originally only bought 100 clecos, those silver things in the picture, but seems 150 would make it easier and faster. More are on order.

The kit has the pilot holes in the parts very precisely punched using a computer controlled machine at the factory. Very precise. Much like an Erector set. In the horizontal stab jig, the rear spar holes where a little off, probably 3 thousandths. I lifted up the stab from the fixture and everything came into alignment. It seems if the holes in the mating parts don't match up, something is wrong. In this case, the jig is probably not precisely leveled. No big deal, just gotta take that into account. Others say that on first flight, most planes fly very true; this probably has a lot to do with the precise fabrication of these parts.

Not much else to report as I progress through. This is fun.

Horizontal Stab

This weeks progress has been the first half of the first page of the instructions. I have decided not to count hours; I don't really want to know. So if anybody asks, the answer is 1/2 a page :-)  And I will be done on Tuesday. I figure counting hours would be like these credit card mileage plans; they are a scam to get one to buy more stuff one didn't know one needed.

So all ribs and spars for Horizontal stab will be done tomorrow. I am looking forward to the first flight rivet in two weeks, I figure.

I originally tried the butterfly deburring tool on the ribs, but this didn't work. I tried a scotch bright wheel, and this seemed similar to using a die grinder to trim fingernails.

What I settled on was 1/4" strips of 320 grit sandpaper with the part clamped loosely into a plastic hobby vise. It might take a little longer than the scotch-brite wheel, but I think it will feel a whole lot better when I am 3 miles up.

The spars were a challenge not so much because they were hard, but because they take careful work. Here precision seemed to pay off.

I still haven't decide to prime or not, but am leaning towards priming and painting rear spar white to match the elevator hinge brackets, and then priming all faying surfaces with rattle can.

Steady progress is my goal.

Officially started

So I have officially started the tail feathers. Not a lot to write about but inventory is complete. I have finished the tool box and am very pleased with the results. I have brought some parts to the hotel to deburr during a soccer tournament weekend. I figure hours on the project are hours towards completion, no reason to let a little soccer interfere with progress. Besides teenagers don't really want to hang around with dad all day anyways when there are teammates to bond with.