Today I finished the prep on the internal spars for the vertical stablizer as well as the stiffeners for the rudders. Now that I've replaced the pieces I can be confident in match drilling with the skin attached.
I cleco'd both skelotons together, then cleco'd the skin to the vertical stabilizer. It was a tight fit, but the holes lined up perfectly. It beautifully demonstrates the semi-monocoqque structure that most aircraft have today. The structure was somewhat flimsy but once the skin was attached, it became clear that the structure simply shaped the skin so that the skin could be the load-bearing surface. Thus, semi-monocoqque.
Next steps for the vertical stab and the rudder will be to match drill, de-burr, prime, and rivet. Then on to the elevator!
Skeleton and one-piece skin
Starboard side cleco'd
Fully cleco'd, skin taut, ready for match-drilling
