Empennage, rudder, horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer underway

Waiting for epoxy to set up after each operation caused some delays this week (plus, my compressor died and had to be replaced), so there are several days of progress represented in today’s update.

All three empennage tip fairings are shown here having received their initial internal flox fillets and fiberglass layups.

One of the spinner gap fillers shown here with its flox fixes in place. They came out pretty nice and should look fine once they’re primed and painted.

The other spinner gap filler shown here with its flox fixes in place. They came out pretty nice and should look fine once they’re primed and painted.

First post-sanding pass at fitting the left horizontal stabilizer tip fairing to clear the elevator counterweight arm.

First post-sanding pass at fitting the right horizontal stabilizer tip fairing to clear the elevator counterweight arm.

First post-sanding pass at fitting the vertical stabilizer tip fairing to clear the rudder counterweight arm.

Taillight installed and Molex connector fitted to the wiring harness.

Lots of micro slathered on in this (hopefully final) step. Some sanding tomorrow and another coat of filler primer should see these puppies ready for riveting. Hopefully.

Empennage, horizontal stabilizer, firewall forward continued…

Spinner gap fillers trimmed to fit.

A little more needs to come off (marked in red) and I’m going to have to add some material back between the edges of the gap filler and the spinner. Must have gotten a little carried away with the sander.

Back to fiberglass work. Yay. Not.

Right horizontal stabilizer tip fairing closure in progress.

Left horizontal stabilizer tip fairing closure in progress.

Vertical stabilizer tip fairing closure in progress.

Empennage, horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer continued…

Right horizontal stabilizer tip fairing patch marked for trimming.

Left horizontal stabilizer tip fairing patch marked for trimming.

Right horizontal stabilizer tip fairing patch trimmed and ready for glassing in place.

Left horizontal stabilizer tip fairing patch trimmed and ready for glassing in place.

Vertical stabilizer tip fairing trimmed and drilled in place.

Vertical stabilizer tip fairing drilled up to final hole size.

Vertical stabilizer tip fairing patch layup commencing.

Vertical stabilizer tip fairing patch layup happily snuggled under its peel ply for the night.

Empennage, horizontal stabilizer in process; engine arrival

Horizontal stabilizer tip fairing patch forms ready for glassing.

Horizontal stabilizer tip fairing patch layups.

Now, what could be in that box…?

Lots of giant staples to remove before the unveiling.

There it is: a brand-new IO-390.

A thing of beauty…

Lots of fittings to install on the rear case tomorrow prior to hanging the engine on Thursday.