Category: Empennage
-
Tailcone Upper Skins
Getting close to completing the tailcone. This weekend was spent preparing the upper side skins and the top skin of the tailcone. Then riveting. Lots and lots of riveting. The tailcone skins are fully riveted except for the top skin. I may hold off on that until I’m sure I won’t have to access the…
-
Tailcone Progress
Continuing work on the tailcone. Staring with prepping and priming the lower skins. Then attaching them to the still-upside-down tailcone and riveting to the bottom skins. A lot of work getting the rear bulkhead finished. A large variety of rivets on that piece. Finished off with clecoing in it’s spot at the back of the…
-
Tailcone Start
The tailcone is a fun part of the airplane to build. In just a short amount of time you can see the structure coming together and start imagining what the plane is going to look like. The work started with preparing the frames and rear bulkhead. Then I was able to get a start on…
-
Horizontal Stabilator: Spar Box
The horizontal stabilator is the horizontal control surface at the back of the airplane. Unlike a separate fixed horizontal stabilizer and a moveable pair of elevators, the RV-12 employes a “stabilator” which is a combination. The whole assembly moves. I started on the spar box, the structural spine. My RV-12 empennage kit is down to…
-
AST
The ASTs are the Anti Servo Tabs. Completely different than what I thought they were. When originally looking at the plans, I thought they were trim tabs, i.e. for trimming pitch. The RV-12 uses a sensitive horizontal “stabiliator” – the entire surface moves rather than a more traditional horizontal stabilizer + elevator design. So these…
-
Rudder
The rudder is done! Started a little of it on Mar 29th, but did most of it on Sat. Apr 4th, 2026. Total estimate on number of hours is ~9.5 All went according to plan until my pneumatic pull rivet gun stopped releasing rivet mandels halfway through riveting the skin. Took it apart, cleaned it,…
-
Vertical Stabilizer
Was able to complete the empennage inventory and pretty much finish the Vertical Stabilizer pretty quickly. This started with creating a couple of hinges, then framing the skeleton with 5 ribs and a spar. As usual, more prep than construction… match drilling (spar caps) and deburring. I’m going to prime the interiors of the tail…
-
Empennage Kit Arrives
Today was delivery day! The driver unloaded the oversized crate on the liftgate with ease. I was surprised, and pleased, to learn that the crate is now a huge box instead of a one-time custom built plywood crate. This way it’s easier to reuse/dispose/recycle and much lighter too. There were pretty thick corragated cardbord inserts…
-
Empennage Kit Ordered!
The empennage kit, or tail kit, has been ordered and paid in full! The committment has been made! Van’s website is currently publishing a 4-week lead time, so I should expect to have it roughly by the end of February!
Renegade 12 