Scale Wendell Hostetler 30% Piper Cherokee Glass Fuselage Build.

Plugging along slowly because I need to wait for the glue to cure before moving to the next step. Any rate now the tail pot and servo are installed the rudder linkage can be completed. Completed the part of linkage this morning and it is glued is glued into the rudder. Once this cures I will decide if the rudder will get glued on now or later.
The shaft fits into a groove on the top of the dowel and scored the shaft where it is n contact with dowel, this area was painted with glue, wetted the wood dowel and put Gorilla Glue in the rudder, don't think it will come out. The shaft threads are 6-40 if interested.

Fit and installed the rear cabin former today. It is 1/16" plywood lighten to almost 1/2 the original weight. This is very similiar to the rear cabin former in the Bryon Glasair. Even working through those large holes it is a pain in the behind to glass it in place. The former is in the approximate location of the full scale. Plan to add a former in the front of for the rear seats.

Postman brought the new to me engine today. I'm happy!



Also delivered the cf tube for the stabilator, 19 mm x 1mm. Not sure why I ordered a 3/4" x .3/32" and a 3/4" x .070" tube before but I did. This one is about 1/2 the weight. Tomorrow I can start making the tube sockets. Trying new process, will see what happens?

Big likes on both. The tube sleeve should be fun.

In the past I have used wax paper when I made wing tube sockets, decided to give parchment paper a try. The sockets will also be treated with peel ply and vacuum bagged, again these are deviations from previous work.
The carbon fiber tube was treated with a coat of Vaseline then one wrap of parchment paper was wrapped, this was smoothed into the Vaseline with my finger as it was wrapped around. Two wraps of 4 ounce cloth were wet out and wrapped around the tube, this was followed with peel ply and perforated release film, then place in a vacuum bug under full vacuum. I used rubber bands to keep the peel ply wrapped around the tube, that is the various colored lines in the second photo.
Hope I can get it off the tube! I was a pain doing the 36" length, two pieces would have been easier.
Time to start cutting the hot wire templates of the stabilator.
Working on the lengthened tail cone. It is currently getting a few coats of paint and it will be ready for molding. The rudder had a few pin holes that were easier to fix while off the plane so I've been holding off gluing it on. Those parts look good until you shot a little primer on then all the pin holes show up, even when using the vacuum bag they still show up!

The sleeve surrendered and came off the tube. Looks like it will work. Have the templates printed, need to get busy cutting them out.

Glued the rudder onto the vertical fin, Once cured the lower bearing block will need shimmed and mounted to tail post.
Started laying out the stabilator on one of the foam rib wing jig boards. I built the boards in the early 90's for my first foam rib construction, a 1/3 scale Wayne Urley Laser 200. There have been several wings built on it since then, the most recent was wings for the Bryon Glasair back in 2016, the layout for the platform is still there.
Have the templates cut and finish sanded, might get some hot wire cutting tomorrow if I get up early? Steelers play @ 1:00, weather forecast is 50f, been in the 20's the last few days, just might go tailgating.

I have the foam blanks in the stations and ready to start cutting. First cuts will be cutting the leading and trailing edges and adding foam to those areas. After the leading and trailing edges are added, the tube holes will be cut. Most of the foam at the centerline will be cut out. Out of foam, need to go to Lowes and get more.

There must have been more moisture in the rudder foam than I expected. Put 2 drops of Gorilla glue in each hole that were rather oversized and the glue foam all the way out. As I was cutting the excess off and working the rudder back and forth the top hinge point broke. When the other three were cut I found a rather large hollow spot in the top hinge. The hinges were drilled out of the rudder with and a piece of K&S brass tube that slid over the hinge knuckle. I also found three of the hinge points on the tail post had small holes in the center, this were used as a guide for the drill bit and these hinge points were drilled out rather quickly, the forth hinge point was also drilled out as well. Picked up a sheet of foam so I' ready to start cutting.

Cut a little foam. Trimmed the leading and trialing straight and added a sheet to each, this provides a gluing area around the perimeter. Cut the top of the blanks straight and added a sheet to the top. Plan to use the top half to press the skins onto the ribs. Cut the upper airfoil and the socket holes, the socket is glued in with expanding Gorilla glue. Once the glue cures the bottom airfoil will be cut.