Brief Description: Assembling & installing Vertical Fin & Tail Wheel
With a new pneumatic riveter in hand (looked very similar to the #$@#%$ broken one, but cost more, so must be better... right?) I was able to complete step 8 and move on with the Tail Wheel installation. In step 10 you are instructed to remove some material from the front edge of the bottom of the Vertical Fin Trailing Edge tube. This would be a lot easier to do before the frame was installed in the Boom Tube. See the first photo below. I used a Dremel to score the cut and then a hacksaw to finish the job. These are fairly complex installation steps in this section but the instructions are good and the parts fit well. I am doing this section with the frame still not in the hull so the Tail Wheel Extension Cable is not available to me in step 13 and beyond. But I just kept going to get as much installed as possible before putting the frame into the hull. Step 15.1 calls for a drilled AN4-35 bolt which did not come with the kit. I temporarily installed the AN4-34 which did and seemed to fit OK and pressed on. I have a AN4-35 on order from Aircraft Spruce and when it arrives will decide which bolt I will actually use. Step 15.2 describes a 1/4" hole pre-drilled horizontally through the Boom Tube which wasn't there. I drilled it as described 8.5" forward of the aft end of the Boom Tube in conjunction with the holes in the two Tail Straps Forward. I got as far as step 16 and the work up to here is shown in second photo. Note that the cable is not installed as yet. Step 17 is the assembly of the tire and wheel assembly which I had completed previously. I will install it per steps 19 - 22 once I have the frame in the hull.
