Vertical is done!
Jan 25, 2010 - Finished riveting the aft spar into the vertical stab tonight. Cleaned up and on the shelf. Set up to start the rudder, probably tomorrow.
Time : :55
Vertical Stabilizer work
Jan 20, 2010 - After the paint cured for the vertical stabilizer parts, I riveted the aft spar doubler and rudder hinge brackets to the aft spar. I also clecoed the stabilizer skeleton together.
After a nap on my Friday (which is currently Tuesday, by the way), I riveted the skeleton together. I found out that rivets don’t go in as neatly when you’re tired, and I had to drill out a few. But I got it done, and I knew I wasn’t going to touch the skin until I’d had some sleep.
The next day, I clecoed the skin to one side of the stab, and riveted it in place. Then I riveted the other side. The instructions say just to cleco the skin in place and rivet, but I found it easier to rivet one side at a time. That gave me a little more room so I could see what I was doing.
I then wanted to seal the aft spar in place, like I did with the horizontal stab. I want to seal areas that are directly exposed to the elements. All I did was spread sealant across the row of fastener holes on each side of the stab. Then I could slide the spar into the sealant, and hopefully not have a whole lot of mess, becasue I’d be pushing the sealant into the stab. If I spread the sealant on the spar, the sealant would smear when I slid it into place.
Now it’s clecoed, and I’ll give it a day or two to set up before I squeeze those last rivets.
Time: 4:20
Started Vertical Stabilizer
Jan 13, 2010 -Over the last couple of days I have been working on the parts for the vertical stab. Since everything was drilled and dimpled already when I purchased this part of the kit, this has been pretty straightforward. I did cut the optional lightening holes in the doubler for the aft spar, but I had an “event” while cutting one of the 2? holes at the bottom, and I was gunshy, so I decided not to cut the last one. I went on to prep the parts and the skin, and was able to prime them all today.
Time: 3:30