Latest Work Completed Mantua, New Jersey
Original Site:
September 2004
E-mail: usav8or@yahoo.com
Stabilizer times two... otherwise I'd be rolling all day long
June 20, 2007 waiting on a friend...
Laid out the basic shape of the stabilizers. Had a question on one of the measurements... threw that out to the
group on the Biplane Forum. Waiting to hear back from someone. Once that happens I can then begin to bend the 7/8th .049 4130 tubing.
Earlier I had purchased some of the, make that most of the, metal ribs for the rudder, vertical stabilizer, horizontal stabilizers and elevators. Took a better inventory of them and saw that I needed to
make about four additional ribs. A good thing... I'll be able to say that I produced several of the metal ribs for the 'bolt. (As a side note: It doesn't matter how much of a task you have done on the plane,
in the FAA's eyes, it's whether you did it or not that counts. Its about the quality of learning... not the quantity.
Got the word from the biplane forum that the leading edge of the stabilizers is a measurement to the front edge and the
trailing edge of the stabilizers is a measurement on center. That being said I went back to work on the jig.
My first assumption was correct, so... I didn't need to re-draw any of the layout. The final step to completing the jig was to attach the jigging blocks.
To make sure that the tubing would be on center I made blocks the size of the tubing and metal ribs. I drew a line down the center of these that would be lined
up with the lines of the pattern I drew. See the photo for a visual on this. (The lines I drew for the pattern were drawn on center.)
After lining up the centering blocks on the drawn out jig, I would then screw the jigging blocks into place. This guaranteed that I would have all my tubing on center.
I'll upload a picture of the jig when I have the tubing bent and fitted into it. Not much to see right now... just a piece of wood with some blocks on it.
This weekend I'll bend the tubing for the stabilizers. Hell, I may even tack weld the pieces together. Put this, along with the rudder and I've got myself the beginings of an airplane, boys !