Tuesday, September 3, 2013

10-11, top skin. Tailcone Completed

Fairly straight forward application of the top skin and forward attach rib for the vertical stabilizer.  It's almost anti-climatic as this step is the final step for the completion of a big, visible part—the tail cone.

Side view of tail cone

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close up of the forward skin rib for the vertical stab.  It's amazing how dimpling and riveting felt routine instead of nerve wracking.

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I think this is kind of cool.  The internal reflections from the smooth aluminum make it look like there are lots and lots of internal frames, but there are actually only 3.  You can see some of the internal plumbing on the floor:  taped strings that are looped through the rudder and stabiliator cut outs, and the trim motor wires and aft pitot line coiled up on the lower right side of the picture.  It's very hard to see, but the static line and pitot line are hanging from the middle of the forward frame.

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This is a bit easier to see the pitot and static lines.  You can also see the attachment plate sticking up from the aft frame, through the top skin.  Note the brass cleco on the inside of the skin.  I elected to place a cleco in the forward-most holes of the skins to keep them from flapping around, but I didn't like the look of the clecos on the otherwise finished tail cone, so I put them inside out of sight.

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