Empennage: Rudder, vertical and horizontal stabilizers priming.

I decided to redo my rudder due to the trailing edge.  Here is the post outlining the new rudder.

When priming for the empennage, being a smaller portion of the aircraft as opposed to the wings, it makes sense to try to aggregate many parts together.  This helps minimize the amount of time spent cleaning, etching, spraying primer and on the wait for curing.  Thus, I jumped ahead to get many of the rudder and horizontal stabilizer match drilled, countersunk, etc. so they can be primed in the same batch as the vertical stabilizer parts.

Primed:  All vertical stabilizer parts.  Front horizontal spar, doubler and stringers.  Rudder ribs and spar.

I use Stewart Systems for priming.  Being water-based, it's far less toxic to use though I still wear my respirator.  The vast majority of aerosol doesn't get airborne.  It just falls and collects as dust.  Do not, however, use water-based primers for steel.

Empennage: Horizontal stabilizer. Match drilling and deburring.

To make better use of my time priming, I've jumped ahead to prepare more parts for the event.

Both horizontal stabilizer spars have doubler plates in their centers.  Deburring can be time-consuming without the right tools.  For the intersection of the forks, I used a small flap wheel (left).  It makes for a quick, great job in those tight corners (right).

My 3M Scotch-Brite fine-finishing sander perfectly smoothed out the lightening holes in both spars.

The rear spar has "caps" that must be both cut on an angle and then match drilled to the spar.  I'm guessing these caps help stiffen the rear spar to prevent distortion when the elevators are engaging in significant force-creating AOAs.

When match-drilling the second cap, I kept the first cap on the spar thinking it will help stiffen things up better.

After all that's done, both spars get their #40 holes countersunk for the skin dimples.  Of course,  there are 18 holes in the rear spar that are cut for flush rivets instead.

Empennage: Vertical stabilizer. Cleco'd and match-drilled.

The wings are not yet complete as I have a small "squawk list" to punch through.  I'm waiting for a second set of hands to help with that.  So, today marks the official beginning of the empennage.  The plans start off with a relatively easy assembly of the vertical stabilizer (though I may change that assessment after I start riveting).  It's merely a deburr, cleco and match-drill job followed by riveting.  I've completed the match-drilling.  Need only a few countersinks, dimpling then time for priming.

My compressor is down since I decided to change its oil, only to find I didn't have enough to replace it.  So I've been using the cleco pliers.  Oh, how I miss my cleco gun.

The spar-rib assembly.

All cleco'd up and match-drilled.

Hopefully the vertical stabilizer never finds itself in this attitude during flight.

EAA Technical Counselor visit

I had a visit from a gracious EAA tech counselor this evening.  I asked him to visit for input on an egregious error I made (I thought I had cracked a rib!).  His input was great and he had no major findings.

Wings: Full picture, though not complete.

Though not yet complete, they appear to be.  Here are a few pics of the left wing with tip, aileron and flap.  Much larger chord than, say, a Lancair.  Curious what a completed empennage looks like?  Go here.

 

Zero degrees flaps for cruise.

210 degrees flaps.  For when you really gotta slow down.