Week 48 - 22 October 2003

One sheet of sheeting was installed on the hump in the fuse above the bomb bay area.  Also more shaping was done to the leading edge of the vertical fin.  But the emotional Biggie of the night was installing the rudder to the vertical fin.

First the appropriate gap was figured .  Then a centerline was drawn on the fuse right below the rudder and a hole drilled to accept the hinge rod.  After a little thought we cut the air seal, off the vertical fin.  It was our way of getting things centered.  We will add the air seal back later using 1/32 ply, which should  be better then the existing 1/16 balsa air seal.  Next we used a scrap piece of lite ply, drew a center line on it and drilled a hinge rod hole through it.  We aligned the center of the vertical fin on the centerline of the scrap and spot glued in place temporarily.

Our hinge plate is 1/8" thick Delrin.  Since glue will not stick to Delrin it must be bolted in place inside the Vertical fin.  Appropriate thickness basswood blocks were cut to sandwich the balsa vertical fin ribs.  All was taken out and holes were drilled, then re-assembled with bolts with aircraft lock nuts.  Once done, all was glued using ca glue including the bolts for double safety.

Next week we will finish sheeting the vertical fin.  We are not going to cut access holes in the vertical.  We feel this is a no fail set-up.  If  necessary we could always cut access plates in the future when they were needed..

The first two pictures show the sandwich inside the vertical fin.  To get your bearing, in these pics the rudder is on your left and the Vertical fin is on the right.  The last picture shows the whole assembly from the opposite side.

-- Gary Himes
 

Week 49     -     29 October 2003

Yet another night spent on the Vertical Fin & Rudder.  We finished sheeting the Vertical Fin on the starboard side.  The leading edge of the rudder was egg shaped in relation to the hinge pin,  therefore
extensive reshaping was done.  It still needs a little more shaping but put off doing so till next week.

Next the end cap was installed on the Vertical Fin.  The appropriate hole was drilled through the cap for the hinge pin, then carbon fiber tubing installed and glued in place.  Just so we didn't only work on the
tail section we added one more sheet to the starboard side hump over the center of wing.

Not sure if not very talkative tonight or just nothing to talk about.  The pictures will tell the rest of the story for tonight.
-- Gary Himes