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Vertical stabilizer frame on work table

This is where I started building, although I had already made my wings ribs, the vertical stab seemed to be the most logical place to start my actual construction.The layout of the frame looked so simple, so I just jumped right in. Big mistake!    After I had all the pieces layed out on the work table, nothing fit. Well it's time to check the plans again, and again. I must admit some of the channel parts have a few sets of 3/32 "lightening" holes in them. Lucily they are located inside the vertical stab.    After that I started reading the plans more carefully before cutting and drilling. Believe it or not this learning experience was the best thing that could have happened. Just slow down and read the plans carefully and

have fun. It gets easier each day and the plans become more and more clear with each part you build. When finished I always proudly display the finished part on the kitchen table. Where better to photograph a completed airplane part?    I had purchased the vertical stab skin from Sonex, just to be able to compare my future skins that I planned to scratch build. The plans are so good, and with a little luck and patience, all my skins turned out fine with no re-do's.    Now it's time to start on the horizontal. this time I cut the skins myself. I purchased all the pre-bent channel from Sonex, which I ordered only as I needed, This was one of the greatest things about the Sonex company. You can scratch build all you want and order what you don't want to build yourself.

Completed vertical stabilizer, rudder and tail tip

Using leveled 2 by 4's on table top to assure
no twists in horizontal stabilizer frame

Horizontal stabilizer frame

Didn't run into many problems with this part, once you start to understand how the plans are laid out things start to smooth out quickly.    When I started using the coordinates to mark the skins for the horizontal stab,I still was aprehensive so I left extra along the inboard sides of each skin.    This turned out to only add work later as I had to cut this side a bit at a time to try to get it where it would have been if I had just followed the plans.

Just carefully check and re-check your measurements on those coordinates tables and everything will go great.    The fiberglass tips add a lot to the looks of the overall plane to me.    They really were not very difficult to fit just be careful to make sure the aft end of the tips are aligned correctly before riveting.

Horizontal stabilizer ready to rivet. Again using 2 by 4's standing on sides and leveled for straightness

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