Fuselage, empennage, elevator, vertical stabilizer, rudder component installation

Vertical stabilizer mounted.

Aft wiring harness run through the vertical stabilizer rear spar, heat shrink applied (though not yet shrunk), and ground terminal installed.

Vertical stabilizer final-mounted with forward spar nut torqued and safetied.

ELT installation complete. Both twisted pair wires have been connected to the audio alert, the antenna coax has been connected to the ELT, and the DIN connector has been fabricated & connected to the ELT.

The only remaining ELT connection to be made is the forward end of the gray twisted pair to the remote on the panel. Once the panel has been installed, that’s probably the easiest connection to make!

Elevators installed!

Rudder installed. For the first time, the aft end has that distinctly RV look. The deflection was perfect – no adjustment to the rudder stops or side skins required, thankfully.

Throughout this project, I’ve been marveling at how much larger various pieces of the -14A are vs. their -8 versions. The tail just looks huge. Maybe ⅓ again larger, but I could be misremembering. In any case, it’s big.

Rudder installed. For the first time, the aft end has that distinctly RV look. The deflection was perfect – no adjustment to the rudder stops or side skins required, thankfully.

Right rudder cable installed.

Left rudder cable installed.

Empennage, vertical stabilizer, fuselage components

ELT audio alert install location under the vertical stabilizer nose rib. Template fabricated, holes drilled & deburred, and zip ties inserted. Lots of fun with my long fingers, but it’s done now.

ELT cockpit remote awaiting its battery and eventual installation on the panel. Stein left a nice spot on the right side for it including screw holes.

ELT audio alert box awaiting its battery and installation under the vertical stabilizer.

ELT mounting tray installed on the fuselage aft deck. All of those wires coming up through the snap bushing will be connected, in one way or another, to the ELT.

Wings, component installation

Archer antenna wired, secured, and ready for wingtip installation.

Nav light wires (with necessary extensions spliced in) and antenna cable ready for wingtip installation.

Right wingtip rib drilled and clecoed in place.

Right wingtip ready for installation.

Right wingtip wiring complete.

Right wingtip clecoed in place and ready for, ahem, screwing.

Right wingtip fully installed and ready for flight.