After closing the stabilizer, the inside of the spar area are glassed
and additional glass added for the hinge mounting areas. The counter
balance area is filled and glassed. Two ply fiberglass bids are then
applied to the ends to finish out the stabilizer and it's just about ready
for installation.
The forward edge of the stabilizer is joined by the overlap of the
upper and lower halves of the molded parts. This forms a very rigid
and rather thick edge. Some filling and sanding are required to produce
a clean smooth edge.
This above shows the arc shape I formed to allow for closer tolerance
between the elevator counter weight and the stabilizer. This provides
for about a 1/4 inch gap that is consistent through the entire movement
cycle.
I modified the center bottom of the stabilizer to allow a viewing
area for inspecting the control horn without having to remove the inspection
covers. It should also help with the installation process. (We
will see.)
A cheap and handy method of holding the horizontal stabilizer, elevator
and rudder during construction and some finishing operations. Just
a couple of lengths of carpet tacked to the tops of two sawhorses. They
hold the parts and protect them at the same time.