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Both panels updrilled, deburred and cleaned up. Piloted the access covers and installed the fair leads and grommets in the verticals. Installed the rudder strike plates. Down to installing the splice plates and polishing before riveting it all together.




Another deburring pile


Radiused an edge to make sure the rivets would not interfere with the fairleads as noted on other sites

After becoming frustrated with the way I bent some of the splice plates, I ordered some replacements. Meanwhile, I wanted to see how everything else would fit together since a while back I was concerned with placement of the vertical channels causing the lower cross ties to be a little proud. Everything worked out great after all, placed the lower skin in and it fit like a glove, squaring the fuse right up.

Then I realized I would be out of space to do the turtle deck.. Took everything apart and placed in storage. I'll deal with the bloody splice plates another time, that is all that is left before polishing the sides and riveting the verticals on, then assembling the rest of the box.


Assembled aft box, almost piloted the lower skin at this point


Laid out and ready for up-sizing and polishing

Back in the build again after a looong hiatus.
The turtle deck assembly is ready for polishing and I finally finished the much dreaded splice plates.



Back to polishing the sides and turtle deck skins!

Looks good Ken! Welcome back. I understand the long hiatus.

Thanks Bryan, I was roped into a 2 car garage self help friend project;
All the F-9 passes have been done. Changed the butcher paper and cleaned up the shop.
First up for the C is the turtle deck skins since they will be last after framing up the aft fuse.




I will be real glad to be over this round of polishing illness!

Polishing complete, riveted both sides up. Will QC the riveting and then start the box framing.





Riveting in a garage with adequate lighting on polished skins seems to be a challenge for me..

After replacing some poorly pulled rivets due to improper support while riveting, I removed the splice plates and framed the sides up with the upper / lower cross ties, cross tie box and aft bulkhead clecoed in place for upsizing. I also laid the bottom skin in for a nice tight fit, thus squaring the fuse symmetrically. I wasn't quite ready to pilot the lower skin as I wanted to have the lower vertical fin post assembly piloted in place.

This is where I am hesitating as I am not entirely sure yet if the tail wheel mount is completely up-sized for the AN-3 bolts while still on the vertical fin, it makes sense to do it at this time as that section (last 6 holes) of the vertical spar were only piloted during initial assembly. Further study of that detail will be needed.


Tail wheel mount and 3/16" spacer piloted, I beleive they get up sized for the AN-3 bolts at this time too?


Tail cone box framed up and squared. Had to support on 2X4 blocks as my 4 foot extension attach joint wasn't quite level with the rest of the table.

Keep going Ken...nice work. Glad to see you are being very accurate with squaring, leveling, etc. You'll be very pleased in the end when all parts fit together perfectly.

Thanks Darick, I hope you are enjoying your flights since completion. Someday, keep slogging along..

I piloted the lower skin to the longerons and now have the complete back end all piloted up to include the shear web as well, lots of fitting / drilling in tight places. I am down to fitting the splice plates to the #1 cross ties, seat belt attach assemblies and the two vertical supports for the elevator push rod. Then comes the massive upsizing for rivets and AN hardware, deburring and cleaning. I did run into a small glitch as my #1 lower cross tie came upsized on the lower flange where the skin and horizontal splice plates fit. Checking in with sonex tech as this may have been an earlier flaw that was later corrected after my purchase.


Raising the trunk to get up in there!


Cleco storm on this end.


All piloted up with the exception of the splice plate / cross tie fitting and a few other odds and ends.

Back in the game after another hiatus, somehow tweaked my back twisting and contorting to get some hard to reach spots in the back end.. A lot has happened though, Sonex replaced my lower #1 cross tie as it wasn't supposed to be upsized to 1/8" for the lower skin line, cleco'd the new one in and finished the lower cross ties and splice plates since I was still up side down. Threw it on it's side and finished piloting the seat belt attachments etc. Then it was an upsizing festival for everything I had access to while on the side. Flipped back over and finished the lower skin and aft end details. I am down to one row of rivets and it is deburring party time.

It has been rough in the garage, we have been in a cold spell averaging -13 degree ambient temps and the light winds have kicked that down to -35 or so.. My poor heaters are getting a workout averaging about 32 - 40 degree's in the garage while working! Still slogging on though..


Happy holidays!