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 "Cloudster" Construction Project Session #15

Speed 400 Cloudster Project
 
The fuselage's stab platform has two 1/32" plywood plates, which are shown below.
 
1/32" balsa sheet is laminated onto the upper side of these plywood plates as shown below. This is to provide stiffness to the 1/32" plywood and save a little weight.
 
A countersink recess is drilled into the 1/32" balsa lamination as shown below to receive the heads on the 2-56 cap screws that secures the fin in the stab slot from the bottom.
 
This then allows the two mounting plates to be screwed down flush on the bottom of the stab as shown below.
 
With the two mounting plates screwed to the bottom of the stab, the stab and fuselage were jigged up and the two mounting plates glued on the fuselage top longerons.
 
Once the glued dried, the screws were removed and the stab taken off, leaving the two mounting plates perfectly aligned and glued in place as shown below.
 
The stab platform was then finished out with 1/16" balsa sheet in between the two stab plates and forward of the front stab plate as shown below. The two countersink recesses and the four mounting holes were hardened with CA to prevent wear.
 
The fin was inserted into the stab slot and secured with the two 2-56 cap screws from the bottom of the stab. Then a trial fit was made by attaching the stab to the fuselage's stab platform with the four 2-56 cap screws as shown below.
 
This is a good shot from the bottom showing the stab mounting plates screwed to the fuselage.
 
This final picture shows the removable fin and stab mounted to the fuselage via the stab platform.
 
Well, work will cease for the day now as the Cowboy game will be coming on soon. The repair of my prescription glasses will require a minimum of five days (all next week). However, I will try to build the elevators and rudder if I can find some cheap reading glasses that will permit me to see the work..........................Tandy 

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