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Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Empennage>Fit vertical tail fin
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
88 of 343
Final fit the vertical fin
You will need 2 other people to help you position and final fit the vertical fin. This step takes
around 2½ hours in our factory with experienced personnel, so allow yourself at the very least
4 hours, possibly longer depending if your helpers can lay up glass fibre cloth with you or not.
Remove the peel cloth from both sides of the fuselage and the mounting stub and from the
inside and outside of the vertical fin. Use a scraper to remove any edge strips of the peel cloth
that have not peeled off cleanly. Lightly sand the inner surface of the vertical fin, the outer
surfaces of the mounting stub and the front of the fin reinforcing channel.
Mix a batch of resin and carefully brush coat all surfaces to be joined in this step. Add flock
and mix, then apply a 3 – 5mm coat of flock to one side of all surfaces to be joined in this
step: both sides of the mounting stub and the front of the fin reinforcing channel.
With one person holding each side of the vertical fin, lift the fin into position and lower it
down while holding the sides apart. Take care not to let the fin just slide down into place
because it will push all the flock out of the join, and keep the fin in the joggle, not below it.
When the fin is all the way down allow the sides to push in and onto the flock. Push the fin all
the way forward and check the fit, particularly at the strake/fuselage join.
Tie a plumb bob to a string line and fix the string line to the top of the vertical fin then align
the fin until it is precisely vertical: the string line should be exactly in the centre of the fin
when viewed from the rear as indicated by the yellow line in the photo below.
Recheck
this alignment at every step from here on.
Once the alignment is correct, secure the fin in
position. You could use a strip of heavy adhesive
tape from the outside edge of the horizontal
stabiliser, over the top of the vertical fin and down to
the other side of the horizontal stabiliser.
Recheck
.
Rivet the front of the strake into place with a
countersunk pop rivet at each side of the strake and
then rivet at each side of the inspection hole and the
rudder cable slot.
Recheck
.
Remove the self-tapping screws from under the fin.
Wipe away the squeezed-out flock from each side of
the join with a clean mixing stick.