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Kupe's Zodiac 650B
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Date:  8-28-2017
Number of Hours:  4.00
Manual Reference:  
Brief Description:  Tail Section Integration 10

Was a big day at the hangar today. It all started by firing up the ol' Porter-Cable compressor because today was a big riveting day (about 120 of 'em) and hand squeezing that many rivets is too much work.

First completed job was the right horizontal tail (HT) tip final installation - same as the left so nothing to add here. Second completed job was riveting the elevator hinge (with the elevator attached to it) to the HT. I've been waiting about 3 years to do that! The next small job was to rivet the two brackets that hold the aft part of the saddle to the HT. Next, I riveted the rudder fairing to the front of the vertical tail. Then I removed the HT from the back of the plane and set it aside to do some last minute Dremel-grinding on the top rear fuselage skin where the leading edge of the HT fits up inside of it.

I then sat in the cockpit and crammed my big hand down into the armrest where the control stick connects to the control stick torque tube to remove the upper elevator cable which is attached to the stick down near the floor. I'm so glad I hadn't cotter pinned that attachment yet. It seems the plans call for attaching the turnbuckle for the upper elevator cable to the bottom of the stick and then somehow, one-handed, tension up the cable to spec and then safety wire the turnbuckle. No way. So I'm reversing the cable and the turnbuckle will now be attached to the upper elevator horn under my (now) removable saddle.
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Right horizontal tail tip all drilled out and ready for riveting.

Right horizontal tail tip all drilled out and ready for riveting.

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Completed horizontal tail with both tips, the elevator, and 2 saddle brackets riveted in place.

Completed horizontal tail with both tips, the elevator, and 2 saddle brackets riveted in place.

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Rudder fairing riveted into place.

Rudder fairing riveted into place.

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