KiloCharlie, Inc.

structural and misc. steel detailing services

Got started on the horizontal stabilizer by printing and gluing the paper templates to the aluminum, then cutting them out.

Then I piloted drilled BOTH skins at the same time by clecoing them together and using the fan "layout" tool as a drill guide. (Yes they say don't do it, cause it isn't accurate but when I checked it out it is out by about 1/32 at its worse place...which is more accurate than I could be by hand...)

Then it's time to form the leading edge radius...easy enough with a couple of clamps and some boards on each end to keep you from "squeezing" too far or unequally...the quick-clamp bar clamps are great to control the whole operation...

Next it is time to roll out another AutoCAD plotted template to use as the layout of the individual pieces.  Thumb-tack down the paper, pull the measuring tape a few times to make sure the paper hasn't grown then screw down wood blocks to clamp to, and as stops.  Then start drilling and clecoing.

And there it is aligned and clecoed together.  The fiberglass reinforced strapping tape is to keep the frame square when out of the jig until you get the skin on it...great tool...first cousin to "duck tape (or duct if you prefer)"...

And here the skins are being checked to make sure all the pilot holes hit out on the rib centerlines...amazing how accurate the Sonex prints are...if you make the parts by the plans, they will fit together...

Second skin getting drilled...

TADA!!!

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