Riveting the Rudder Trailing Edge

Tonight. I decided to take on the most difficult part of the empennage:  The Rudder Trailing Edge!  This one simple little piece of kit causes the most headache and heartache out of the entire tail section, and for good reason.  If you can’t get a good straight trailing edge on … Continue reading

ProSeal Party!

Today was actually a pretty fun day.  I decided to wait on prosealing the rudder and elevators until I could do it all at once, and save on the cost of mixing up two different tubes for two different sessions.  I also took advantage of having some helpful friends to … Continue reading

Riveting the Rudder

Tonight I started riveting the rudder together.  I planned on getting the majority of the rudder riveted, while leaving the out the last few rivets along the trailing edge.  This way I can more easily spread the trailing edge to make it easier to bond the trailing edge wedge and … Continue reading

Rudder Final Assembly Continued

Tonight I continued working on the rudder final assembly.  I stopped by Home Depot and picked up some 1.5″ aluminum angle so that I could use it when I bond the trailing edge. It came in an 8 foot length, so I trimmed to be just a few inches longer … Continue reading

Fitting the Rudder Counterweight and Beginning Metal Prep

I only spent about an hour on the project tonight.  All I have left on the rudder is to fit the counterweight and then start the process of deburring, dimpling, and edge finishing so I can get the parts ready for priming.  I am seriously considering building an air tight … Continue reading

Assembling the Rudder Skeleton

After a short break, I started on the second work session for tonight.  I had finished up the rudder stiffeners prior, and now its time to construct the rudder skeleton.  The assembly starts off by clecoing R-904 rib to the spar R-902.  Once its clecoed, we need to wide the … Continue reading