I don't know where the last few weeks have gone but I finally made it back into the workshop today. To progress the fuselage I need to get it out of my small workshop and work on it outside but its been much too cold for that recently. Also, I've just completed the first annual on my RV9A G-OPVM. Finally, I've got involved with a project to build a state-of-the-art single seater aircraft designed to meet the new single seat deregulated rules in the UK; 105kts cruise on a 28hp engine!! (see
http://www.e-go.me/ for details). Anyway enough of the excuses and Happy New Year to all.
By turning the fuslage upside down and suspending the tail of the fuselage from the roof I've created enough space to complete the work on the tail of the aircraft (you can just see the tip of the fin in the picture). Today I constructed the left side horizontal stabiliser framework using the same jig blocks as were used for the right side (see
http://tailwindbuild.blogspot.com/2008/08/6th-august-2008-right-horizontal.html for details). I could just about remember how to weld and happily the two sides have come out identical. In fact the stabilisers are not handed being fully symmetrical and it is only the control horns that differentiates the two elevators. Now I can build the second elevator and braze the rib channels onto the stabiliser frames. Hopefully by then the weather might have warmed up a bit.
Today I cut and installed the ribs that will support the fabric on the left horizontal stabiliser. These are fabricated from 3/8" "Piper" channel which is mild steel 0.019" thin!These were cut approximately to length and then the fronts tack welded together at the angle required to curve nicely towards the main spar. The front was then cut to the angle of the leading edge and notched to fit round it. The ribs were then bent gently around a spare length of the spar tubing to meet at the rear. They were then test installed and the rear cut to accurate length allowing for notching round the rear spar. The ribs were then installed and tack welded to the leading edge and rear spar to hold them in place. This required very low currents with the thin material so rather than welding the complete joints they were brazed to complete them. Finally the ribs were brazed to the main spar.
