So, two weeks later...
I finished both of the hatches and just did not like the way they were not forming up to the curve of the stab. I put balsa on them, sanded, put filler on them, sanded, and I still don't like them.
I found myself not wanting to work on this project at various times just because of a certain piece that was not working right or a part of the process that I did not find to be entertaining enough.
SO, instead of letting it sit there, I decided to just put the stab aside and start on the elevator:
I cut out the 1/16" sheeting to the right shape, marked where the ribs go, and started gluing. I shaped full balsa support pieces where the horns will go, which will not be the same as the plans, so I adjusted as necessary.
Since I'm going to be using a round (vs. beveled) leading edge of the elevator with a cutouts for the hinges, I needed to add some balsa where the hinges would go. There will be six of them. I then decided that it would be wise to just put the same amount of balsa in the rest of the elevator for the additional support.
Rough finished product.
Now that I was having fun again, I decided to start on the rudders.
This should have been simple, but getting the shape correct for some reason was a little difficult. I will also add that National Balsa again forgot some wood, this time for the trailing edge of the rudders. I ended up getting the shape I wanted by just extending the sheeting.
Adding the top counter-balance provided a chance to sand a bunch...
It took a long time to make the stupid rudder, but I think it turned out pretty okay! One thing I forgot to do was plan for the hinges, but space in there is so tight that I will just use some Gorilla glue to get the space filled in and the hinges set in place.