Back to the Pitts today. I started out with getting the elevator stringers in place. Just like the stab, nothing too big here. I did add one stringer to the elevators where it did not show one. I decided to split the stringer so that it would support both sides of the strengther plate. Once all the stringers were in place, I sheeted both sides of the elevators and off to the pressure cooker they went. Not really but kinda sorta. As everyone knows, when balsa is glued together with wood glue, the balsa will have a tendency to "warp" and twist because of the glue being "wet". To insure my stab, elevators, rudder are perfectly straight and not warped, once the sheeting was in place, I set them aside on the concrete floor, separated the parts from each other with wax paper and on goes the weight. About 30 pounds is what I used. Once the elevators were under weight, I got busy on the rudder. Like the elevators, I added another stringer for strength. Not that I feel there is anything wrong with the design Jtec has put together. I am just "ANAL". I am only going to do one side of the rudder for now. I want to design a different rudder control horn system. For the elevators, the 3/8" hard wood plates are fine. But I want to use something like a fiberglass control horn in the rudder. So once I get that design installed, I will finish up the rudder. I did get the elevators rough sanded. I will do the rest when the airframe is done. Which remindes me....AL, Kevin..... Or
@Wacobipe, Does the trailing edge of the wings, stabs and fin get a trailing edge cap glued to them? Also, do the ailerons, rudder and elevators get leading edges installed on them. I do not see anything mentioned in the manual. Words are good...but even pictures at this point would have helped.
So back to the fuse... I got started on installing the stringers and cross bracing. Not really difficult here either. Simply place and glue. I did however add a couple of features though. I do not like how the aft fuse plates just simply "glue" to the longerons of the fuse. I just don't feel comfortable with the idea of trying to get the glue to adhere to cauterized wood. So I added a little insurance policy to the area where the plates glue to the fuse. I also added, (though probably not necessary) 3/8" tri-stock to the front and rear of F1 as well as F2 and F3. I have not seen in the past where these slight additions really added any measureable weight, but sure added a lot of strength to the fuse. I probably would not have added these if this plane were being built with anything other than the 70 twin "dub". The horsepower is going to be really awesome, but heaver than newer and more modern engines.
Once the cross bracing was done and all the side stringers installed, I decided to call it good for the day. It is raining and cold here this weekend, so probably means no flying for us. Oh but that is ok. Cuz I can certainly build right? Plus, my teenie-tiny 10cc gasser arrived today for the grandson/student trainer. Been a long time since I flew anything that small...I wonder if I still can remember how. LOL.
