Elevator Skins Cut

I cut the elevator skins last night, and have to say they are some of my best work to date.  They are dead-on to plans spec, and look good.  Here's the right one:

And here are both together roughly as they would be installed, with the wide cutout to the rear to allow for rudder movement:

I need to work on getting the ribs and hinges for the elevators done, and to do the horizontal stabilizer parts.  It's all moving along more quickly now, and I feel like I have a better handle on the best ways to get things done.

I Put Together My First Parts!

I have been fabricating individual parts for a while.  This weekend I finally got to assemble some of them!  I was going to start with the vertical stabilizer rear spar, but during the drill process I messed up one of the parts, so I had to order a replacement from Sonex.  In the meantime I went ahead and finished up and assembled the forward stabilizer spar.  My lovely wife immortalized me pulling the first rivet on Sonex 1416:

Sonex warns builders to keep the pressure on the pneumatic riveter around 35-40psi.  I found at 35psi it sometimes did not have enough power to break the rivet stem.  Above 38psi, however, it sometimes broke the rivet with enough force that the gun would jump and sometimes mar the surface of parts.  So 36-38psi seems about the right pressure for me to use.

Once my replacement part arrives later this week I can finish the rear spar and finish assembly of the vertical stabilizer.  In the meantime I've started fabricating parts for the elevators, starting with the skins which are a little tricky to get just right.  I laid them out last night, and will start cutting them this evening.  Onward!

My Parts Bin is Filling!

My shelf of completed tail parts is growing nicely.  I have basically finished the first three sheets of plans, which is most of the rudder and vertical stabilizer parts.  The third page is the stabilizer skin, but since that comes pre-cut and pre-bent in the kit, all I had to do was deburr the rivet holes and the edges...about a half hour of work.

I'm currently making the parts on page SNX-T10, which I believe will finish up the parts I need to make the vertical stabilizer.  I'll then have everything I need to build the vertical section of the Sonex tail.  Almost.

Almost?  Yes, the rudder drive horn on the first page (and ironically, the first part I worked on) has been driving me nuts.  It is required to be bent at a 5.2 degree angle to match the rudder angle.  However, the piece is a very asymmetrical shape, with one side being perpendicular to the bend line, and the other side being about 45 degrees to the bend line.  This means there is less material on one side of the bend than the other on that side, which tends to make the part bend toward the thinner part rather than on the line.  The following image shows the plans build line (solid) and the actual line where the bend occurs (dotted):

I have ruined two of these parts (at $38 + shipping each) trying to get this right.  I've about given up trying to make it correctly, and will employ the wizards at my local EAA chapter to help me get it right.  In any event, eventually I'll get that correct and I have plenty to do in the meantime!

My FAA Build Log is Online

I had to figure out how I was going to log my build time, as required by the FAA for an Experimental Amateur-Built (EAB) airworthiness certificate.  I knew I wanted to make a computerized log rather than an "old school" paper based log.  I looked around at the options, and found several programs that would do the job.  In the end I chose KitLog Pro.

What I like about KitLog Pro is that it stores your log info on your PC, but the company also hosts a website that you can upload your log to and keep a web-based copy so that other builders or interested parties can track your progress (and learn from your mistakes).  Also, it's very easy to include up to three images with each log entry.  I wish the number of images was unlimited, but it's probably a good idea to limit the number of pics I include so things don't get out of hand.  After all, I'm logging my project, not scrapbooking!

Now that I have this in place, it makes it easier to know what to post on this blog.  I'll post technical information on my KitLog page: http://www.mykitlog.com/MrMorden .  That's where I'll include technical information, pictures of completed parts, etc.  I'll use this blog for information that is more general, about the build process and how I think about it.  Things the FAA doesn't care about, but that my friends and family might.  I'll also include images here of major complete assemblies...things that actually look like they came off of an airplane.