Hours to complete:
Vertical stabilizer, including fiberglass: 27 1/2
Horizontal stabilizer, 34 hours
Rudder (with top fiberglass,) 24 hours
Trim tab, 10 hours
Elevators, 55 1/2 hours
Fiberglass, 2 hours
Total for Empennage, 152 1/2 hours
106 hours on the Builder's guide through completion of VS & rudder
Nov 18, Emp kit arrived via FedEx
Nov 19, Inventoried and began organizing everything. All parts accounted for and in good shape. They really know how to pack 'em! (4 hours.)
Nov 24, De-burring HS and VS doublers. (1 hour.)
Nov 26, Arranged and cleaned workshop. (2 hours, although this should have been done anyway!)
Nov 28, 29, Built modified version of EAA Chapter 1000 workbench. Came out very well. Have material for a second bench. (6 hours) Clecoed vertical stabilizer together. (1/2 hour)
Nov 30, Deburred ribs. (1/2 hour.)
Dec 1, Worked on second table, over half done. (2 hours.)
Dec 2, Tools arrived via UPS
Dec 3, Finished second table. (2 hours) About ready to really "Hit it." Did video of tools, etc. (2 hours Guide work)
Dec 4, Good day! Preped all VS components, assembled, drilled all holes and deburred many or them. (5 hours, 4 work and 1 Guide)
Dec 5, Went to Indy to visit with Cleveland Tool at PRI (racing) convention. Deburred and dimpled. (1 hour)
Dec 6, Deburred, dimpled. (2 hours) (1 hour on Guide)
Dec 7, A day that will live in infamy. Deburred (1 hour) (3 hours on Guide)
Dec 8, Cut lightening holes and countersunk VS spar doubler, dimpled everything except holes in skin that require a "C" frame. (4 hours, 3 hours on Guide)
Dec 9, VS now ready to prime. (1 hour) Deburred horizontal stabilizer and assembled left side (3 hours) (2 hours on Guide)
To date: 14 1/2 hours on VS, 3 1/2 on HS, 10 on Guide (plus probably another 15 hours prep prior to Nov 16) and 16 on misc. Initial impressions: Amazed how well everything fits, and how well all aspects of the kit are engineered. Pleased at how quickly it has gone and very impressed with the quality of the tools Cleveland supplied. Also surprised how good my work has been. Glenda said she wasn't surprised. I like it when she says things like that!
Dec 10, Assembled, drilled and countersunk left HS. Ready to dimple skin. Ordered primer (6 hours)
Dec 11, Misc HS work (2 hours)
Dec 12, Dimpled left HS skin (3 hours)
Dec 13, Deburred right HS (2 hours) (Guide 2 hours)
Dec 14, Assembled right HS (1 hour) (Guide 1 hour)
Dec 15, Guide 2 hours
Dec 16, Drilled, deburred and dimpled right HS (4 hours)
Dec 18, Guide 3 hours
Dec 19, Primer arrived. Studied rudder (1 hour) (Guide 3 hours)
Dec 20, Countersunk right HS (2 hours)
Dec 21, Cleaned all VS & HS parts, finished countersinking HS and dimpling right skin. (4 hours)
Dec 22, Etched all HS & VS parts, primed same. Priming was a non-event; very easy. Prep is tedious. Assembled VS rear spar. Squeezed 60 rivets and had to drill out two bad ones. Not bad for a beginner! (5 hours, Guide 2 hours)
Dec 23, Sent parts off for anodizing. Made HS attach brackets. They look like jewelry! (2 hours, Guide 1 hour)
To date: 17 1/2 hours on VS, 22 on HS, 39 on Guide (including preliminary work.) Doing the Guide is just about doubling the time it takes, but it is also fun work. It has allowed me to find better ways to do things.
Dec 24, Guide 3 hours
Dec 25, 26 Enjoyed Christmas, flew on the 26th
Dec 27, Assembled, drilled, deburred and dimpled on rudder. Perhaps half done on it. Everything went very well. (6 hours, Guide 1 hour)
Dec 28, Rudder now ready to prime (3 hours, Guide 1 hour)
Dec 29, Guide 3 hours
Dec 30, Studied elevators (1 hour)
Jan 2, 2004, Built support brackets for elevators (2 hours, 1 hour Guide)
Jan 3-8, Got letter from Van's that my wing kit will ship March 8th. Decided not to start on elevators until finishing other assemblies already started. Waiting on ribs and other small parts to come back from the anodizer. Mounted trim motor, sanded fibergllass tips, made compass mount and control stick grip (REALLY thinking ahead!) Grip is cedar. (6 hours)
Jan 10, FINISHED the VS! Larry Stephenson (friend, brother-in-law and partner) helped and we riveted everything in 3 1/2 hr. (3 1/2 X 2 on VS, 1 hour on Guide)
Jan 12, Finished written portion of VS Guide. (Guide 2 hours)
Jan 13, Sanded and attached the fiberglass tip to the VS. Used screws instead of rivets. (3 hours, Guide 2 hours)
Jan 14, Finished video portion of VS Guide. (Guide 3 hours)
VS took a total of 27 1/2 hours on the VS, including the fiberglass. 9 hours on the rudder, 22 on the HS and 6 1/2 on the elevators & trim tab. 62 hours on the Guide so far.
Jan 15, Sent the first copy of the VS portion of the Guide off to Mike at Cleveland Aircraft Tool. Think it is good; hope he feels the same. (Guide 2 hours)
Jan 17, Assembled and riveted the left half of the HS. Didn't have to drill out any rivets, but made a couple of dings that will have to be filled. Thumbnail sized, but I had hoped to avoid things like that. At least the VS doesn't have any. (5 hours)
Jan 18, Finished the HS. Total time on it came to 34 hours and I am pleased overall. Couple of dings, but still very acceptable. IMHO came up with a better final assembly than what is in the book but you can be the judge of that. See details on the Tips page. Was assisted by Dave Williams, the flight instructor that turned me loose on the aviation world almost 30 years ago. (Photo of finished product soon) (3 1/2 hours X 2, 2 hours on Guide)
Jan 20, Parts for the rudder arrived back from Sean Settle, the anodizer.
Jan 21, Riveted one side of the rudder skin and the rudder skeleton. (3 hours, 1 hour Guide)
Jan 22, Finished rudder except for trailing edge and fiberglass. Assisted by Larry Stepehenson. Pleased, only one very small ding. Leading edge was almost a non-event and looks great. (4 1/2 hours plus 2 1/2 assistance, 1 hour Guide)
Jan 24, Larry helped 1 1/2 hour on trim tab. I worked 3 1/2 on it also. For such a small part it is a bear. (TT 3 1/2 + 1 1/2, 1 hour Guide)
Jan 25, Trim tab looking good, but not done yet (TT 2 hours)
Jan 26, Ready to glue in foam ribs and close. (TT 1 hour, 2 hours Guide)
Jan 27, Finished trim tab. (TT 2 hours)
Jan 28, Glued rudder trailing edge. (2 hours, Guide 1 hour)
Jan 29, Deburred, assembled and drilled right elevator. (5 1/2 hours, 1 hour guide)
Jan 31, Finished rudder. Rudder took a total of 23 hours. (2 hours)
Feb 2, Deburred and assembled right elevator, ready to drill (3 hours)
Feb 3, Drilled, deburred and dimpled right elevator. (4 hours, 1 hour Guide)
Feb 5, Assembled, drilled, deburred and dimpled left elevator (6 hours)
Feb 7, Sent last bunch of parts off to be anodized.
Feb 9, Installed top fiberglass on rudder (1 hour)
Feb 10-Mar 3, Waiting on parts and on wings. Mounted counterweights on elevators, mounted trim motor (5 hours, Guide 15 hours)
Feb 28, Went to the RV fly-in at Richmond, KY with my friend and flight instructor, Dave Williams. Dana Overall did a great job setting up the fly-in. Great weather and 86 RV's there.
Mar 12, Elevator parts came back from anodizer, built skeleton (1 hour)
Mar 13, Assembled right elevator, except trailing edge. Larry assisted 4 hours (5 hours + 4 hours Larry, 2 hours Guide)
Mar 15, Drilled trailing edge (2 hours, 1 hour guide)
Mar 16, Wired trim servo, assembled left skeleton (2 hours)
March 18, Brian helped rivet the stiffeners on and assemble the skin to the spar. (2 hours + 2 hours Brian)
March 20, Finished left elevator except for trailing edge. Larry helped 3 hours (5 hours + 3 Larry)
March 24, Drilled left traiiing edge, CS'd wedge & prosealed in place. (2 hours)
March 26, Thanks to the warm weather, finished the left trailing edge. (1 hour)
March 31, Riveted the right trailing edge, finishing the elevators and the empennage, except for the fiberglass tips (3 hours)
April 1, Finished the VS and rudder portion of the Builder's Guide. Shipped 12 copies to Cleaveland Aircraft Tool. (Guide, 8 hours)
May 3, 6 hours on elevator Guide May 4, Installed one fiberglass elevator tip w/#4 screws (2 hours)