With the wings mounted, it was time to move to the rear fuselage section.
Photo 1: The carbon fiber formers were prepared by sanding them with 80 grit. The aluminum vertical stab recepticles were screwed in place and the horizontal stab mounting plates were glued together using a plywood jig to set the proper dihedral angle for the horizontal stabs.
Photo 2: The vertical stab has 2 carbon fiber rods sticking out of the bottom that go into the aluminum recpticles so the vertical stab can be attached to the fuse. Holes for the carbon fiber rods and the 2 set screw holes were opened up at their scribed lines. The slots for the horizontal stab mounting tongues were also opened at their scrib lines. The location of the full-sized former is found by placing it into the fuse and putting the forward carbon fiber rod of the vertical stab into the aluminum recepticle. The former is then adjusted until the set screw is even with the hole in the side of the fuse. Once the location is found, I used the stick alignment technique to ensure the vertical stab lined up properly with the fuse.
Photo 3: Next, the set crew was tightened and the former was hysoled in place.
Photo 4: The location of the small, partial former for the rear carbon rod of the vertical stab was found in the same manner as the full sized former and it was hysoled in place.
Photo 5: After the hysol around the vertical stab mounting formers set, the horizontal stab mounting plate was set in place and the stabs were attached to check the fit. Everything fit so the stabs and mounting plate were removed. A bead of hysol was run just above the slots and on the vertical stab formers where the mounting plate touched. Grease was smeared on the mounting plate tongues to prevent hysol from adhereing to them. The mounting plate was installed and the hortizontal stabs were attached and the front of the plate was hysoled to the side of the fuse.
Photo 6: The plywood elevator servo mounting former was hysoled in place.
Photo 7: The final results.
Kirk