I CHOSE THE EMPENNAGE ATTACH
After much deliberation, I have realized that while physically I am prepared and ready to work on the wings, I have not planned for it appropriately. Therefore, it is time to do the empennage attach stage. I will also admit being pretty excited about this. I finally get the opportunity to start putting all of the pieces together. After all, that is the point.
I rotated the tailcone and placed it on a single table. This way, when the time comes, it will be easier to rotate it back in to place and attach the horizontal stabilizer. I then placed the HS on my other work bench and prepared it for all of the steps that follow. I screwed it in to the top of the table and supported it under the leading edge. I will also say that I am now immediately happy about my choice earlier this year to go back and fabricate new brackets for the HS. Seeing how they hold the HS to the plane is amazing.
PREPPING FOR ELEVATOR ATTACH
I had some time left in the day so I began prepping the elevators. There are a series of bolts that attach the elevators and if they are out of alignment, then the travel on the elevators is no longer true. You can get rubbing against the HS or over or under rotation as well. Nothing too exciting to photograph on that one. This is another step that is one line in the book but a ton of effort in reality.
- Total time today – 1.5 hours
- Total time empennage – 199.5 hours
- Total time aircraft – 207.5 hours