Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Empennage>Fit vertical tail fin
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
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Clamp the join
Wax one side of each of 2 lengths of aluminium angle so that the flock will not stick and
place along the full length each side of the join line and secure with a clamp at the front and
the rear and one as close to the middle as possible.
This step really requires 3 people: 2 to place the aluminium channels in position (one person
per side) and one to put the clamps on. This is a critical step!
Take great care
not
to move the aluminium channels
at all
once they touch the peel cloth – if
they are allowed to move
even slightly
then the glass fibre cloth may move with them which
could weaken the join, so be
very careful
at this point! Leave overnight to cure.
Next day remove the aluminium channels and the peel cloth, then use a hole saw to open the
inspection hole and a drill and jigsaw to recut the rudder cable slot. File out any rough edges.
Use a small wire hook to pull the rudder cable out of the slot.
Fit the VHF Antenna
Ensure that the VHF coax cable exit hole is on the hinge (left-hand) side of the vertical fin –
elongate the hole with a file if it is not. Sand the back of the lower section of the VHF antenna
and place it so that it is exactly 15mm below the upper section and fix it in place with 5-
minute Araldite.
Note that the factory fitted upper section of the antenna has been offset slightly to the left to
allow for rudder movement: keep the lower section of the antenna exactly in line vertically
with the upper section. Ensure that the threaded hole for the electrical connection is at the top
of the lower section as shown above right.
Mix some resin and lay up 2 pieces of glass fibre cloth across each section of the antenna in 3
places, using flock to fill the gaps at each side of the antenna before placing the cloth. Leave
overnight to cure.
15mm
Lower
section
Flock