Now that I am near the end of the empennage kit, I have finally found a reason to question a point of design. I just spent the most frustrating several hours mounting the rudder and stabilator. Even considering the fact that these were both trial fitted earlier in the plans, getting them to mate together today was excruciating. There is just NO room to see what you are doing, or get any reasonable sized fingers where they need to go. Then there is the problem of knocking loose those super-glued washers multiple times. It took two of us several hours before success was finally achieved.
Possibly the worst of it is that according to the plans it all has to come apart again to work on the fairings! Couldn't they have at least come up with a sequence that only requires doing this once, not twice.
It also would have been a nice touch to have suggested covering the side skins on the fuselage with heavy paper or cardboard BEFORE I scratched them up trying to install the stabilator.
So - am I doing something wrong, or missing something? How have you guys that finished the empennage kit coped with this? Any secrets?
Possibly the worst of it is that according to the plans it all has to come apart again to work on the fairings! Couldn't they have at least come up with a sequence that only requires doing this once, not twice.
It also would have been a nice touch to have suggested covering the side skins on the fuselage with heavy paper or cardboard BEFORE I scratched them up trying to install the stabilator.
So - am I doing something wrong, or missing something? How have you guys that finished the empennage kit coped with this? Any secrets?
