Brian, I am really kicking myself for not being proactive and doing all the rigging before covering. It was a definitely a mistake I didn't really think of but I know I won't have fun doing that now that it's covered...
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Brian, I am really kicking myself for not being proactive and doing all the rigging before covering. It was a definitely a mistake I didn't really think of but I know I won't have fun doing that now that it's covered...
It probably won't be that bad Josh. If you need to trim that rib, it should be pretty accessible through the tail access cover. The more challenging part will be accessing the rod ends to adjust them. I wouldn't worry about it though. You'll be fine.
I trimmed that rib on mine after cover; it was very doable.
The elevator push rod rod ends adjustment are no problem either, PROVIDED you put one of those round access covers on the belly right under the swing arm in the tail cone. You will be glad you did in years to come at every annual when you need to inspect and lube these joints.
I skipped the update last week because I was on some work travel. I also missed a couple days of building, and will miss a few more this week. But in the last two weeks, I've continued covering tail feathers. It's been pretty straightforward. The only challenge was getting tapes to go around the corners. I used 4" bias. 3" might have been easier. I'm satisfied with the results, but there are a few imperfections I couldn't quite tame with the iron. I have included some pictures of how I did the rudder for anyone else approaching it in the future. I imagine there are a million ways to do this, but none seemed obvious. I ended up scrapping my first attempt. I'm not sure if it means I'll run out of fabric before finishing the fuselage, but fabric is relatively cheap.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/eJ...1U5mUoHAs=w600
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c...W_MSK_fMg=w600
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1...oPCCvfRxA=w600
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tt...6Nw2U8UbA=w600
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JY...zLDEEiq8g=w600
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/px...IFlhrnEDc=w600
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Av...kdQz35j3g=w600
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O...sjT39q8GY=w600
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/El...fvmBFgaJ0=w600
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tD...d-T6mRrE8=w600
Looking good Brian. Thanks for the post.
Eddie
Yes, those curves in the tail feathers can be tricky. I used 3”bias tape and it seemed to work ok. Biggest issue was the intersection between the spar tube and the tip fairing. Looking good Brian.
No pictures of the build from this week. I got all the rudder tapes applied. I'm currently prepping the tail feathers for spraying.
I flew my wife to a trail race at Zion. So while I don't have build pictures, I thought you might enjoy these instead:
Shiprock, NM
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ag...7EQRKBrCI=w600
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/be...dwGHw5MnU=w600
Monument Valley, AZ/UT
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ww...6m_8u18kE=w600
Lake Powell, AZ
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5y...5Bpjlx_Mo=w600
Grand Canyon
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/sd...me3TUesiU=w600
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QP...cUqsETeD4=w600
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lL...zv7IO0TBY=w600
Love the photos Brian. I need to fly Monument Valley one of these days. Some great old western movies shot there.
Those are cool pics. Was the route over the canyon a painful endeavor or was it not bad?
Im in on that trip Steve, just let me know when. Of course we have work to complete first.
Eddie
The route over the canyon is a piece of cake. Just study the chart a little bit. The corridors/altitudes are a bit restrictive, but you still get some great views. We just did the Dragon and Zuni Point Corridors. If we had more time and smoother air, it might have been fun to fly all of them, but I don't feel like we missed out on much.
If you guys do plan that trip and my plane is done, I'll join you. It would have been nice to take in the views from the panoramic cockpit of a Kitfox instead of through the cloudy 40 year old windows of the club Cardinal. I saw plenty of fun places that it would have been fun to explore more. It would be neat to organize a multi-day tour of the broader area. There are so many beautiful landmarks within a few hours of each other.