AST = anti-servo tabs
Stabilator = stabilizer and elevators in single piece
So here is the next section of tail completed. So Greg is doing the same techniques on these pieces as well: drilling, deburring, assembling, cleeko-ing, riveting. And the assembly part is done over and over and over again! He now has over 92 hours into the project. Estimated time left to complete the plane: 718 hours! Whew!
These next few pictures are of the AST. These are later attached onto the stabilator.
Hand riveting - much harder than using the hydraulic rivetor.
Yep, I got to rivet! I did one half of the AST. Not too bad!
Assembly line of parts.
Ribs of the stabilator
This is a neat picture of how he puts the skin on the ribs of the stabilator.
Now we get why we were sold 12,500 pop rivets.....I think there must be a couple of hundred just in this side alone!
Stabilator: one side riveted
Putting on the aft stabilator skin.
Final pieces - there is a long bar that has counter weights for controlling this part of the plane.
The finished stabilator! It sits on two pillows to keep the pieces that hang through the middle from being damaged. On to the tail cone section. Won't be long until we are ordering the wing kit!
