1075- Tailcone- p.10-11 step 3-5

Tailcone- 1 hr 21 mins (Tailcone 25:38, Empennage 201:10, Total 222:06)
Rivet count: 0 (Total 3,686)

The name of the game today was to drill. Every future rivet location that is common between the outer skins and the frames or bulkheads was matched up today. The bottom skin too...
Pretty simple work today. However, I made three significant observations tonight:

1) For every hole that was match-drilled (a lot of them), there are at least 4 surfaces that will need to be deburred. So that's three hours of deburring that will take place in the future that I'm really not looking forward to.

2) Now that I'm done with the side skins, the next stage of building involves adding the top skins to the assembly!! This means more drilling and deburring, yes. However, the aesthetic feedback of seeing a project slowly coming together is what I'm really looking forward to. 

3) I'm low on 3/32" clecos. The tailcone looks like Pinhead, but I'm going to need more clecos for the top skins. This means I'll have to spend some time rearranging clecos to use less while maintaining structural strength. I'm at one cleco every third rivet, so looks I'll be going to 1 per 4. I don't mind, it's just an observation of wasted time.

-M

1074- Tailcone- p.10-10 step 1-6 & p. 10-11 step 1-2

Tailcone- 3 hrs 16 mins (Tailcone 24:17, Empennage 199:49, Total 220:45)
Rivet count: 0 (Total 3,686)

Continued work today by attaching the stiffeners that were fabricated yesterday and match drilling them in place. Then manufactured a spacer out of stock aluminum and taped it in place. I didn't have carpet tape per the instructions, but a few well placed pieces of masking tape will get the job done just as easily. Two more pieces were deburred on the edges and added in place. This is where the horizontal stabilizer will eventually attach to the tailcone. 

Lastly, we added the two longerons that were made and bent months ago. I needed to use the Dremel to file away a bit of the frames that weren't quite big enough to accommodate the longeron edge. After, the majority of today's work took place. We clamped the longerons in place to the skins, and then drilled through them using a #40 drill. Lots of aluminum everywhere and two major structural pieces are now attached and part of the tailcone assembly! -M

1073- Tailcone- p.10-8 step 4-7 & p.10-9 step 1-5

Tailcone- 2 hrs 27 mins (Tailcone 21:01, Empennage 196:33, Total 217:29)
Rivet count: 0 (Total 3,686)

Yeah! Back to building!! It's been five months since I've touched anything in the garage. Pilot training has been consuming my life with 12 hour days and our firstborn made her way into this world six weeks ago. No complaints, though, everything that has happened in the last 5 months has been worth prioritizing over.

Today we started by cutting some pieces to make stiffeners and braces for the back end of the tailcone. Funny enough, I made two braces when I only needed one, so I'll be needing to order a 7 inch piece of angle iron (aluminum) from Van's to make whatever part that extra was going to be originally. At least I screwed up a $3.35 part instead of a $100 skin. I'll take it as beginner's bad luck for getting back in the swing of things.

After, we cleco'd the last frame to the front of the tailcone, and then attached a few supporting parts. Lastly we made more stiffeners for the front of tailcone that will eventually support the plane's battery. After countersinking, and match drilling the platenut holes, it was time to call it a day. G has some beers and working while drinking is never a good idea. I'll continue tomorrow. -M