Vertical Stabilizer

April 4, 2002

Not many parts for the vertical stabilizer. This is it!

April 5, 2002

Fluted ribs. Assembled the skeleton for the vertical stabilizer.  Didn't get much else done tonight.

April 6, 2002

Cleco'ed skin to VS skeleton. Match drill all skin to spar to rib #40 holes. The jig makes it easy to work on both sides of the VS.

April 8-9, 2002

Disassembled Vertical Stabilizer assembly and deburred all edges and holes.  I finally bought and started using a cordless screwdriver with the one-hole deburring bit from Cleaveland Aircraft Tool. What a time and effort saver. I wish I had done this on the horizontal stabilizer. Deburred all the rib and spar holes in about an hour. Dimpled all rib flange holes. Cut the optional lightening holes in the vertical spar doubler plate. I'll save a few ounces anywhere I can.

April 10, 2002

Machine countersunk the forward side of VS spar doubler plate. Dimpled coordinating holes in the rear spar. Completed dimpling on remaining VS skeleton parts.

April 12, 2002

Dimpled Vertical Stabilizer skin. Pre-painting prep work is now completed on all vertical stab parts. I am going to move on the rudder at this point since there is really not enough parts here to set up for priming and assembly. I will prime the vertical stab and rudder at the same time, and then complete assembly.

May 21, 2002

Here (left) are the vertical stabilizer parts (and rudder parts) after acid etching. On the right is the skin being alodined with clear alodine. (All rudder and vertical stabilizer pictures of the acid etching and alodining are in the rudder section).