Upon completion of the rudder (what felt like four times after all of the rivet drilling and re-setting of course) it is time to move on to the horizontal stabilizer. The first order of business was to reorganize the shop into a new configuration so that my work tables would support the length of the horizontal stabilizer spars. 
Oops! Almost forgot to post a picture of the finished rudder! I took the pillowing out of the leading edge and did end up drilling out those rivets to fix it. I’m quite glad I did – it looks infinitely better now.
Shop reorganization and starting on the horizontal stabilizer. This will be one of the spars that runs the length of the entire stabilizer. It’s pieces like this, while individually do not bother me, but the notion that I see that much countersinking and deburring in my future that gives me chills…
Work was relatively limited today due to other family obligations and other work that I had to get done around the house, but it’s all necessary so I’m not complaining. Nothing really significant or of note yet – the horizontal stabilizer is so far just more match drilling, deburring, and clecoing together, apart, and back together again.
Total time today = 2 hours
Total time empennage = 42.5 hours
Total time aircraft = 42.5 hours