VerticalStabilizer

Finally got a chance to hang up the vertical stabilizer! I used some hooks from Lowes.

I found a solution for the VS rear spar dimpling problem. I remembered that I bought this tight fit dimpling fixture from Cleaveland Tools at the time I bought most of my tools and this thing saved the day! I had to shave off a bit of the head of the tool, but after that I could nicely fit it onto the flanges of the rear spar and get my forgotten dimples in. My wife helped me out here, because I could not do this alone.

Today I riveted both sides of the skin on the structure, closed it up using the (now dimpled) rear spar and tada! Another part of my plane finished.

Doesn't this look cool? Can you see it flying?

I've started laying out the parts for the rudder which I will start working on tomorrow.

Riveted the VS front spar and ribs together, cleco'd the skin on and have started to rivet the skin on the left side. Things are rolling along and I should be able to finish this tomorrow or Sunday. I could do most of the ribs with the squeezer except for vs-704 and 705, which I had to do with the gun. Wish I had a 4 inch yoke for my squeezer; that would have done the trick. Haven't found a solution for the forgotten dimples in the VS rear spar yet, but I will figure something out I am sure.

Got some time in the shop today and riveted the VS rear spar and stiffener together, but my oh my have I been stupid: after that I noticed that I forgot to dimple the flanges of the rear spar. I might have to pull all of these with the pop rivet dimple dies; that's going to be an intensive job! I guess I must have been sleeping.

I primed the VS spars and ribs, but noticed that I didn't countersink the bottom part of the VS stiffener yet. Will have to do that tomorrow.

Got in some time taking the VS apart and dimpling the vertical stabilizer skin. Most of the time today (and probably tomorrow too) went into painting the ceiling of our bedroom. Almost done with that now! I want to get all of the parts primed tomorrow though, so that I can start riveting the HS and VS next week.

A very productive afternoon today (although a short one): I cleco'd the vertical stabilizer together and match drilled all the holes in the skin to #40 and all the rib to spar connections to #30. This thing went a whole lot faster than the HS :-) Next steps will be deburring, dimpling and priming all the parts of both the VS and the HS. Hopefully there will be a day without rain in the next days, so that I can do this outside.

Also finished the C-Frame table: put the carton-board and the carpet on and made the holes.