Devin W.C. Ryan

Fin Glued Back Side

Building Aero 3D Day 67: Fin Glued

Yesterday, did some more work on the Aero 3D. In the previous session looked at how the fin would go on and discovered I previously chopped off a piece of the trailing edge that I shouldn’t have.

I was wondering how the fin would remain stable on the fuselage and this was in part due to cutting the trailing edge flush with the bottom of the fin. Peter cut the piece off at home and attached a new piece. Once I got it back in my shop, measured and cut the excess off so that it fit down into the slot between the tail end side sheeting and butted up against the bottom plate. Will need to eventually install guide wires to stabilize the tail like I’ve done on previous planes.

With the fin fitted in place, marked where the top of the fuselage came up on the trailing edge and mixed up a batch of glue. Placed glue along the bottom of the fin and below the marked line on three of the sides (not the back/trailing edge). Then pinned the front in place and clamped the fin in place. Used a square to make sure the fin sat perpendicular to the horizontal stabilizer.

After this process was complete and checking from further away how everything was sitting noticed that the horizontal stabilizer was tilted to one side. Determined that the fuselage has become warped, which must have been from the humidity/environment changes in the mudroom over the past few months. The project has been on a hiatus for quite a while due to COVID-19 (required some assistance) followed by my first child! Priorities 🙂

I’ve been assured this is fixable, will likely have to wet the fuselage and twist it back and add some sort of bracing mechanism. The other issue discovered was that the wire, nor the grove for the wire, were built into the back of the horizontal stabilizer prior to gluing so that will be trickier. Not sure how we can fibreglass it like on a past build.

You can see a different angle of how we left the tail below. I’m sure we’ll figure it all out and everything will come together. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was a bit nervous at this point due to some missed steps, backpeddling, etc. that has occurred. But that is just the times I’m in right now. The hiatus and lack of instructions included with the build will make for an interseting finish!

Fin Glued Front Side
Fin Glued – Front Side

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