Empennage Attach

So while we wait for the next good time to continue with the cabin cover, I thought I'd try something new and continue with some other unfinished business, such as attaching the empennage to the tailcone. Technically speaking, this task is part of the Empennage kit plans as Section 11, and could have been performed LONG ago before we even started on the wings or fuselage. However, many builders don't do this until even later in the build than we are, and wait to attach everything for the first time until the plane is in its hangar and ready for final assembly. I think it will be advantageous to attach the tailfeathers now and get an idea of what we're up against before moving to the hangar.

Fetching the empennage plans and turning to Section 11, I got started. Basically, you need to secure the horizontal stabilizer to the work table and attach each elevator, one at a time, to do some alignment, clearance checking and drilling. Then, you attach both elevators and match-drill through the control horns so that both elevators are perfectly aligned. I didn't take too many pictures of the entire process, but here's at least a few:

L Elevator installed for drilling

L Elevator attached and moving for the first time

Duct tape holding the elevator in 'trail' position for match-drilling the control horns

The process went pretty well altogether, and before long we had two elevators and a horizontal stabilizer ready to install to the fuselage. Next, it was time to start the attachment process. First, the horizontal stab gets clecoed into place, and then some more match-drilling and alignment is performed.

Horizontal stabilizer clecoed (and now bolted) into place on the aft deck

Starting to look pretty cool back there!

The trickiest part of this process was aligning the horizontal stabilizer to be straight and true. The plans have you take a long piece of string and attach it to a center rivet hole further forward on the tailcone, and ensure that you have the same distance between there and each aft corner of the stab. The initial measurement was off by just a gnat's eyebrow, so a little tweak with the clamps holding everything in position made the second measurement fall perfectly in line. Match-drilling things together permanently placed it into alignment!

Next, things started to come together pretty quickly. I fetched the rest of the empennage parts and was able to perform all the steps of attaching the vertical stabilizer, elevators, and rudder in fairly short order!

N165MJ with tailfeathers attached for the first time!

We're going to need a higher ceiling...

Wow! Although these parts have been built for a long time, it's pretty impressive to see them all come together on the plane and actually make it actually look like a functional thing! So, we played arouind with the elevators and rudder for a bit, and called it a night. Awesome day of pretty rewarding work!

Next time, I think we'll probably be back to fiberglass work... womp womp.