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I recently purchased an uncompleted Sonex kit. The previous owner completed the empennage and the left wing is in the cleco stage. I was looking over the horizontal stabilizer and noticed there is a rather significant gap between the fiberglass tip and the skin. Does this seem excessive or is it acceptable?





I am sure I will have more questions as I complete the inventory and get started on this journey.

I have a Waiex which is a little different. Still, I had to jam the tip forward pretty good to get a tight fit. If it bugs you you could probably glass over the holes and redo it, or head for the bondo.

While the gap isn't great, I think the bigger "sin" in those photos is some of the rivet heads that are not sitting down tight on the material. For proper strength you really want the rivet head in solid contact with the material all the way around; and a few of those rivets in your photo have the head "cocked" at an angle, and only touching the material below for part of the circumference of the rivet head... I would check the rest of the structure to ensure there aren't too many of these, and maybe re-rivet the ones that you can.

Just my $0.02,

--Noel
Sonex #1339, Empennage & Wings complete

It looks to me like he didn't push the tip all the way forward before riveting. I'd remove the rivets, fill the old holes in the tip with epoxy, and reposition as far forward as possible. It should remove a lot of the gap.

Noel- I noticed the rivets appearing to be sitting crooked in the photo as well. I just went and looked closer and the only ones I could find were the two leading edge rivets on either tip. The rest are sitting properly. Which if I have do try and close the gap by filling in the holes in the tips would afford the opportunity to fix those two rivets as well.

What concerns me more than the gap at the leading edge is the "bubble" in the skin a few inches back from the leading edge.

I have to head to the airport but when I get back I will look at it closer and will update.