Chapter 3 – The Empennage (Horizontal Stabilizer)
The Empennage (AKA Tail Kit)
Dec 28, 2004 – Ordering “The Kit”
Jan 10, 2005 – It’s Here!! It’s Here!
Jan 12, 2005 – Let’s see (& count) those parts….
Jan 13, 2005 – Ordering the Tool Kit
Jan 18, 2005 – Starting the Work Benches
Jan 19, 2005 – A Package from Avery arrives
Jan 23, 2005 – Finishing the Work Benches
Jan 26, 2005 – Picked up the Compressor
Jan 30, 2005 – Finally Started making chips!! (1.75 Hours today – 1.75 hours Total)
Jan 31, 2005 – Continued HS 908 (0.5 hours today – 2.25 hours total)
Feb 1, 2005 – Continued HS 908 (0.5 hrs today – 2.75 hours total)
Feb 2, 2005 – Picked up a Soldering Gun
Feb 3, 2005 – Continued HS 908 (.25 hrs today - 3.00 hours total)
Feb 4, 2005 – Completed HS908 angles & started Rear Spar (3 hours today – 6 hours total).
Feb 5, 2005 - Started the Main Ribs & Nose Ribs (2 hours today – 8 hours total)
Feb 7, 2005 – Continued Nose & Ribs... Assembled HS Skeleton (1.5 hours today – 9.5 hours total)
Feb 8, 2005 - Completed Shims HS 909 (0.5 hours today – 10 hours total)
Feb 10, 2005 – Started Fluting the Ribs (1.0 hours today – 11 hours total)
Feb 11, 2005 – Continued to work on the shop (no building time)
Feb 13, 2005 – Completed Fluting the Ribs (2.5 hours today – 13.5 hour total)
Feb 15, 2005 – Deburred Ribs & Spars (3.0 hrs today – 16.5 hours total)
Feb 17, 2005 – Clarified HS Jig Cutout (0 hrs today – 16.5 hrs total)
Feb 18, 2005 – Completed HS Jigs (1 hr today – 17.5 hrs total)
Feb 19, 2005 – Assembled HS Jigs & Fastened to Bench (.75 hrs today – 18.25 hrs total)
Feb 21, 2005 – Clecoed & Drilled Left HS, Clecoed Right HS (11 hrs today – 29.25 total)
Feb 22, 2005 – Completed drilling Right HS (1 hour today – 30.25 total)
Feb 23, 2005 – Removed inside vinyl Skin strips. Dimpled Ribs. (2.5 hrs today – 32.75 total)
Feb 25, 2005 – Smoothed & Scotchbrited HS Skeleton (4 hours today – 36.75 total)
Feb 26, 2005 – Deburred Skin Holes (10 hours today – 46.75 Total)
Feb 27, 2005 – Started Dimpling Table (3 hours today, 49.75 Total)
Feb 28, 2005 – Ordered Primer & Finished Dimpling Table (0.75 hours today – 50.50 Total)
Mar 4, 2005 – Final machined HS Ribs & Doubler plates (3 hours today – 53.5 Total)
Mar 15, 2005 – Finished & Primed Doubler Plates (0.5 hours today – 74.0 Total)
Mar 17, 2005 – Started Coutersinking HS Spars (1.5 hours today – 75.5 hrs total)
Mar 18, 2005 – Finished Countersinking HS Spars (1.25 hours today – 76.75 total)
Mar 19, 2005 – More deburring - of the same holes! (3 hours today – 79.75 total)
Mar 22, 2005 – Started Dimpling skins & Riveted HS Spars (5 hours today – 84.75 total)
Mar 24, 2005 – Riveted Hinge Brackets on Rear Spar (1.25 hours today – 86 total)
Apr 2, 2005 – Dimpled HS Skins and VS Skins – Primed interior surfaces (3 hours today – 89 total)
Apr 3, 2005 – Started Assembling Left HS (.25 hours today – 89.25 total)
Apr 8, 2005 – New Riveters Arrive
Apr 9, 2005 – Finished Front HS Spar (.25 hours today – 102.25 Total)
Jun 6, 2005 Horizontal Stabilizer Final Assembly (3 hours today – 153.25 total)
Chapter 4 – The Empennage (Vertical Stabilizer) 1
Mar 5, 2005 – Assembled VS Skeleton & Clecoed Skins (4 hours today 57.5 total)
Mar 6, 2005 – Drilled, Stripped & Deburred VS Skeleton (4 hours today – 61.5 total)
Mar 7, 2005 – Removed vinyl strips from VS skin (1 hour today – 62.5 total)
Mar 8, 2005 – Continued cleaning VS Skeleton (1 hour today – 63.5 total)
Mar 10, 2005 – Deburred VS skin (1 hour today – 64.5 hours total)
Mar 11, 2005 – Drilled optional lightning holes in VS Spar Doubler (1 hour today – 65.5 total)
Mar 12, 2005 – Cleaned VS Spar doubler –Started prepping Ribs (6 hours today – 71.5 total)
Mar 13, 2005 – Prepped & Primed HS / VS ribs (2 hours today – 73.5 hours total).
Apr 2, 2005 – Primed VS Skin (0.5 hours today – 89.75 total)
Apr 4, 2005 – More VS808 & VS803 Spar Work (1.5 hours today – 91.25 total)
Apr 5, 2005 – Started Riveting VS Spar (1.5 hours today – 92.75 total)
Apr 7, 2005 – Continued VS Spar & Skeleton (1.25 hours today – 94.0 total)
Apr 8, 2005 – Almost finished VS Spar (1.5 hours today – 95.5 total)
Apr 9, 2005 – Completed VS Spar & then screwed up the Skeleton (6.5 hours today – 102 total)
Apr 28, 2005 – Received New VS skeleton / started spar prep (.75 hrs today – 108.5 total)
Jun 6, 2005 – Completed VS (2.5 hours today –150.25 total)
Chapter 5 – The Empennage (Rudder) 1
Apr 24, 2005 – Cut & Prepped RS Stiffeners (4 hours today – 106.25 total)
Apr 26, 2005 – Drilled Stiffeners to Rudder skins (1.5 hours today – 107.75 total)
Apr 29, 2005 – Removed Skin Vinyl (1.5 hours today – 110 total)
Apr 30, 2005 – Completed Skin Preparation (6.5 hours today – 116.5 total)
May 1, 2005 – Back Rivet Jig & Final Prep (3 hours today – 119.5 total)
May 2, 2005 – Final Prep for Stiffener Assembly (2 hours toady – 121.5 total)
May 3, 2005 – Completed Stiffener assembly (2 hours today – 123.5 total)
May 6, 2005 – Started Rudder Skeleton (2 hours today – 125.5 total)
May 8, 2005 – Continued Skeleton (1.5 hours today – 127 total)
May 14, 2005 – Completed Skeleton & Drilling Skin (5.5 hours today – 132.5 total)
May 19, 2005 – Prepped Parts (2.5 hours today – 135 total)
May 20, 2005 – Primed parts (.75 hours today – 135.75 total)
May 21, 2005 – Assembled Rudder skeleton (4 hours today – 139.75 total)
Jun 5, 2005 – Skinned Rudder / Started Trailing Edge (5 hours today – 144.75 total) -
Jun 6, 2005 - Completed Rudder (3 hours today – 147.75 total)
Chapter 6 – The Empennage (Right Elevator)
June 7, 2005 – Pulled out the Elevator Parts (0 hours today – 153.25 total)
June 9, 2005 – Trimmed Right Side Stiffeners & Match Drilled Parts (3 hours today – 156.25 total)
June 10, 2005 – Completed Prepping Stiffeners (2.5 hours today – 158.75 total)
June 18, 2005 - Prepared Right Counter-Balance Arm (6 hours today – xx total)
June 19, 2005 – Started Riveting Right Counterbalance Arm (2 hours today – xx total)
June 21, 2005 – Prepped Right Elevator Spar (1 hour today – xx total)
June 23, 2005 – Match Drilled Right Elevator Skin (2 hours today – xx total)
June 25, 2005 – Finished Right Spar Assembly – More Match drilling (7 hours today – xx total)
July 3, 2005 – Completed Right Balance Arms (1.5 hours today – xx total)
July 4, 2005 – Dimpled & Primed the Right Elevator Skin (6.5 hours today – xx total)
July 5, 2005 – Completed Priming Skin (.25 hours today – xx total)
July 7, 2005 – Back Riveted Upper Skin Stiffeners (1 hour today – xx total)
July 10, 2005 – Riveted Top Skin to spar (1 hour today – xx total)
July 11, 2005 – Oops (0 hours today, xx Total)
July 14, 2005 – Fretted about Spar Assembly (0 hours today, xx Total)
July 16, 2005 – Riveted End of Counterbalance Arm (.5 hours today, xx Total)
Sept 1, 2005 – Received Blind Rivets for Arm (0 hours today, xx Total)
Sept 2, 2005 – Riveted Counterbalance Arm to Spar (.25 hours today, xx Total)
Sept 9, 2005 – Riveted Spar/Ribs to Lower Skin (2.5 hours today, xx Total)
Sept 10, 2005 – Prepared Trailing Edge (4 hours today, xx Total)
Sept 11, 2005 – Countersunk & Prosealed Trailing Wedge (2 hours today, xx Total)
Sept 13, 2005 – Cleaned & Riveted Trailing Edge (1 hour today, xx Total)
Sept 14, 2005 – Riveted Outside Edge (.25 hours today, xx Total)
Nov 5, 2005 – Cut & Installed Counterweights (1 hour today, xx Total)
Nov 11, 2005 – Stored Right Elevator out of the way (.5 hours today, xx Total)
Chapter 7 – The Empennage (Left Elevator)
June 25, 2005 – Pulled out Left Elevator Skins (0 hours today, xx Total)
Aug 6, 2005 – Match Drilled Front Spar & Skin (1.5 hours today, xx Total)
Aug 7, 2005 – Cleaned left Counterbalance (.25 hours today, xx Total)
Aug 13, 2005 – Cut & Shaped Stiffeners (1 hour today, xx Total)
Aug 20, 2005 – Completed Front Left Spar Sub Assembly (5 hours Today, xx total)
Aug 23, 2005 – Match Drilled Stiffeners to Skin (2 hours today, xx Total)
Aug 25, 2005 – Completed Left Elevator Stiffeners (3 hours today, xx Total)
Aug 26, 2005 – Deburred Left Elevator Skin (1 hour today, xx Total)
Aug 27, 2005 – Started Trim Tab Servo Reinforcement Plate (2 hours today, xx Total)
Sept 3, 2005 – Dimpled Left Elevator Skin (2 hours today, xx Total)
Sept 4, 2005 – Completed Front Spar Assy & Back Riveted Top Stiffeners (4 hours today, xx Total)
Sept 5, 2005 – Countersunk Rear Spar (1.5 hours today, xx Total)
Sept 6, 2005 – Set up Upper Skin / Spar for Riveting (45 minutes today, xx total)
Sept 8, 2005 - Completed Trim Reinforcement Plate / Stiffeners (1.25 hours today, xx Total)
Sept 9, 2005 - Riveted Top Skin to Spar (1.25 hours today, xx Total)
Sept 10, 2005 - Riveted Stiffeners to lower Skin (1 hour today, xx total)
Sept 14, 2005 – Fab & Install Brace (1.0 hours today, xx Total)
Sept 15, 2005 – Riveted Top Skin to Skeleton (.75 hours today, XX Total)
Sept 17, 2005 – Riveted Rib to Rear Spar (.25 hours today, xx Total)
Sept 19, 2005 – Sealed & Clecoed Trailing edge (3.5 hours today, xx Total)
Sept 21, 2005 – Complete!!
Chapter 8 – The Empennage (Trim Tab)
Sept xx, 2005 Prepped inside of Skin (1.5 hours today – xx total)
Sept xx, 2005 Shaped Foam Ribs & Cut Wedge Clamps (1.5 hours today – xx total)
Sept xx, 2005 - Trim Tab Horns (xx today – xx Total)
Sept xx, 2005 – Looking at the Hinge (0 hours building, xx Total)
Oct xx, 2005 – Bent Ends & Attached Lower Skin (3 hours today – xx Total)
Oct xx, 2005 – Glued in Foam Ribs (.5 hours today, xx Total)
Oct xx, 2005 – Riveted End Tabs (.25 hours today, xx Total)
Oct xx, 2005 – Drilled and Clecoed Hinge (5 hours today – xx Total).
Nov xx, 2005 – Built 2nd Trim Tab (14 hours over several days, xx Total)
Nov xx, 2005 Bending lower Skin (1 hour today, xx Total)