Finishing Fiberglass on Tail

I'm finishing up all the fiberglass on the tail. I haven't posted in a while partially because it's so messy working with fiberglass. I was nervous about getting resin on our camera and computer. Here, I've finished the bottom cap of the rudder.

Below is the last of the fiberglass tips on the empennage. It's the upper cap of the vertical stabilizer. I'm adding a resin shell to the part after adding and then sanding the lightweight filler smooth. I think of it as adding the candy shell to an M&M. The lightweight filler is too porous and won't paint well so that's why the outer layer is added.

Working On Fiberglass Tips

Here, I'm working on the fiberglass tips of the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator. I wanted to get the back side of the stabilizer tip to be concave to match the convex curve of the horn on the elevator tip. I used some of the green flower arranging foam from Hobby Lobby that I cut about 1/2" inch thick and then pushed the tip down onto it like I was cutting out cookies. The foam was only $1.77 and should be enough to do all the empennage. Plus, I didn't like the idea of buying a 4' x 8' sheet of insulation foam at Home Depot and throwing 95% of it in the trash.

I then used folded paper as a spacer taped to the elevator horn with sticky backed sandpaper on the leading edge.

I used the leading edge of the elevator horn as a sanding block to shape the green foam to the perfect concave shape with a consistent gap. Then I removed the tip and layed several layers of fiberglass over the green foam. The resin didn't stick to the foam and it was easy to chip out after it dried. I then filled the inside of the new fiberglass layups with several more reinforcing layers like shown in Vans' instructions. I can't imagine an easier or more accurate way to do this so I'll do the same with the left side and the rudder and vertical stabilizer.





Fiberglass Elevator Tips

Here, I'm getting some good work done on the fiberglass tips. This fiberglass stuff is messy but it's not too hard; certainly not as hard as metal building RV folks have made it out to be. Kind of like proseal and fuel tanks.

Finished the Empennage

Well, I've finished the empennage, sort of. Just a few little details like trimming the counterweights to balance the elevators. I still have to do the fiberglass tips but most people wait to do all the fiberglass work together because of the mess. The wings are next and I've gotten the OK from my Chief Financial Officer to order them once I've gotten the Hardi siding for the house ordered.

Finished Trim Tab

Yea! I finished the trim tab version II. This one turned out much better. I hadn't planned on this being a "how to" blog but I learned so much and the trim tab turned out so good, I thought I'd share some of what I learned. This post may be a little jumbled as it will take me more than one sitting to put everything together.

You can stop reading now if you don't want the technical stuff. Here's what I learned to make a great trim tab:

1. Use hard wood. I used oak. I first tried pine and it wouldn't make a crisp bend.
2. Use a strong clamp. I used a Bessey parallel jaw woodworking clamp.
3. Make your jig from 1 inch nominal (3/4) stock. I first tried 1 1/2 in. stock and the extra width put a crease in the skin when clamping.
4. Use a back brace. You can see it in one of the pictures below. Basically, it kept the jig from sliding when using the rivet gun on the fold.
5. Use a protective strip when softly riveting the folds. I used a very thin strip of oak but something like formica would work well, too. You can see me using the strip in the last video below.

Elevators Hung

I hung the elevators on the horizontal stabilizer to check for fit while I'm waiting on the replacement trim tab. There was a little trimming to fit required per the plans on the stab where the elevator horns swing. Also, I wanted to see a big airplane part. With the fiberglass tips, it's almost 9 feet wide. Cool, something that's starting to look like an airplane.

Elevator Riveting Help

I had some help today riveting the leading edges of the elevators. Here are nephews Spencer and Cameron with sister-in-law Jamie inspecting Cameron's riveting expertise. Looks great. Too bad it isn't cold as Cameron could wear his new letter jacket he got for varsity wrestling AS A FRESHMAN!

Here's Spencer pulling a cleco as he rivets the leading edge. Shelby and I got to watch him play in a select basketball tournament today. His Texas Tar Heels placed 3rd in Texas in the MAYB state tournament.

Ordered New Elevator Trim Tab

Dang...Dang...Dang. I said I wouldn't let perfect get in the way of very good and I've gone and done it. I've ordered a new elevator trim tab. I bent the elevator tabs and I let the edge hang over my workbench just slightly. When I clamped it down with my Bessey KR3 woodworking clamp (very high clamping pressure), I put a very slight bend near the edge. I can't measure it and can only see it in the right reflection but it really bothers me. I won't make that mistake again.

Finished the Left Elevator

I finished the left elevator this morning. Sure was nice to get up early and not have to sweat through another 100+ degree evening in the garage. If you look closely in the reflection on the elevator, you can see Austin holding my laptop taking this picture. Next, the trim tab and I'll be through with the empennage except for the fiberglass tips.

Bent the Left Elevator Trim Tab Cutout

One of the harder things to do on the empennage is bending the side tabs on the trim tab. The first tabs to be bent are on the elevator cutout where the trim tab goes. I'm happy with the bend but even more so with the flush rivets. The plans call for pop-rivets which aren't flush and then caution about interference with the trim tab. Binding flight controls = bad. I thought, why not make them flush. I searched my main reference, vansairforce.com, and couldn't find anything except countersunk pop-rivets or cutting off the tabs and using riblets. After sleeping on it and checking all the angles, I couldn't see why it couldn't be done so I just did it. Turned out nice.

Yes, that's my reflection. My face is red because it's 100 degrees in the garage. I'm still using the camera in my laptop so I have to contort myself to get a good picture. It is nice, though, having the pictures easy to post plus I get good wireless reception in the garage so I can post immediately. I'd like to have a live webcam going when I wanted. That would be nerdy but cool.

Left Elevator Deburred, Dimpled and Primed

I got the left elevator deburred, dimpled and primed with a little help. Here's Shelby helping me deburr as my delayed Father's day present. She did a really good job deburring the inside of the skin. Much better than me.

Yes, we're inside. It has been too hot to do much in the garage so we carried one of the workbenches right into the living room. After Shelby and Paula left to go shopping, I brought my small pancake compressor inside and dimpled with the pneumatic squeezer while watching the movie Aliens. Don't tell the girls that I had much more fun than them! Later, Austin cleaned parts with MEK and primed them for his part of my delayed Father's day present. He was proud of his painting and for good reason. Loved all the help today.

Final Drilling Left Elevator Skin

All clecoed together and ready to final drill the left elevator skin. I got up early this morning to beat the heat. It's been over a hundred degrees almost every day for the last several weeks. The big odd shaped hole in the skin is for the inspection plate for the electric trim motor.

Finished the Right Elevator

Here's the right elevator all finished except for rolling the leading edge which I'll do when I do the left elevator. I have been making good progress despite the lack of posting and the 100+ degree heat. My old laptop died which had the Sony software for easily importing pictures. This picture is from the webcam on my new HP laptop. Shelby held the laptop and clicked the picture capture. The skin from the left elevator is behind me on the workbench and I've already started on the understructure. Oh, and that's not a wrinkle in the skin, just a reflection of Paula's car.

Finishing Right Elevator

I've started the easy part, the final riveting of the right elevator. I haven't posted in a while because my laptop battery died. I do all the pictures from my laptop. Got a new one off ebay. I have been working on the plane, though. Since my last post I match drilled, deburred, scotch-brighted, dimpled, primed and reassembled the right elevator.

Right Elevator Match Drilling

Here's the right elevator clecoed together ready for match drilling the skin. That should only take 30 minutes and then it's on to the familiar pattern of deburring, dimpling, priming as required and reassembly for final riveting. I'm looking forward to using the pneumatic squeezer to dimple and rivet.

I mentioned (OK, I bragged) to Paula about how well things have been going together while I was showing her the trailing edge of the elevator below. She was thrilled, as those who know her could imagine. One thing that's surprised me about the build so far is how well the instructions from the manufacturer work. I made the bending brake exactly as described in Van's instructions and the trailing edge came our near perfect. I didn't make it like all the modified and improved versions I've seen on other's websites. I'm sure there are some great ideas out there but I will think long and hard before I deviate from Van's words of wisdom!

Elevator Trailing Edges Done

I finished bending the trailing edges of the elevators last night. It took me three days to bend the first one with all the careful measuring and reading and visiting websites to read about it and remeasuring, etc. The second one took 10 minutes. Life is kinda' like that. Once you've done it, it's easy.



NOT MUCH LEFT NOW! These are all the parts I have left to finish the entire empennage. I have to learn fiberglass for all the tips but most of the remaining work left to do is more of the same. Time to order the wings as there's an 8 week delivery time. I have to schedule an appointment with my aviation Financier.

Bending the Elevator Trailing Edges

After a little bit of a break working on the vehicle in the background (the famous Dodge Dart), I finally got my bending brake made for bending the trailing edges of the elevators. The hardest part was finding a straight board. I make sure I used plenty of hinges as I've read you can't have too many.

It's pretty simple, really. You just put the part between the boards and smoosh it. The trick is getting the correct radius of the bend. Too much and the aluminum will crack, too little and it will affect the flying qualities. I'm getting close to the goldilocks amount.

Finished Elevator Stiffeners

I finished riveting the stiffeners on the left and right elevators. The picture below is the inside of the right elevator. I haven't been posting much lately but I have been making progress. I always try and do at least something everyday even if it's just reading the plans or straightening up. Next, I'll make a bending brake to bend the trailing edge of the elevators. The plans call for 2 straight 2x8's with door hinges.

Here is the outside of the skin of one of the elevators after riveting the stiffeners. It's really easy to get a smooth rivet with the 3/4 inch plate steel back rivet plate I have.

Started Elevators

I started on the elevators. Here are the stiffeners being match drilled to the inside of the skins.

Elevator Stiffener Oops

I had a small setback when I trimmed three of the elevator stiffeners too short. I missed note 2 on the blueprints below and trimmed the distance "X" on note 1 from the next to the last hole. Note 2 said the last hole was not drilled until later. Dang! I was initially bummed when I went to order replacements but was happily surprised when the price was only $6.49 for the pack of 4. Way to go Van.