Greetings all,
For quite some time now I've been working towards getting my top bonded on.
I've been trying to think of every conceivable task that needs done before the
top goes on in order to limit future time spent standing on my head. Just
about the time I thought I had everything done, I'd think of a couple of more
things easier to do with the top off. Well, after about a month of head
scratching, planning, thinking and diligent effort I believe I'm finally ready
for the
canoe to look like an airplane. The problem is, I'm having trouble getting the
fuselage moldings to fit exactly right at the tail. I have about a 1/2" gap at
the joggle at the very aft end of the fuselage which tapers forward to no gap
and I suspect it is because I've not yet trimmed out the little triangle
pieces left in place by the factory to strengthen the tail area. My theory is
that
the triangle pieces are causing the upper molding to ride up on the lower
molding and not allow it to drop into place, thus causing the gap at the rear.
The manual warns to not trim these little triangles out until ready to bond, but
I want to insure the fit is absolutely correct before mixing the green stuff.
So, those that have come before me, how weak is the tail after these are cut
out? I currently have my trigear up on it's gear and have been moving the top
---From a set of saw horses to the bottom half, back and forth, as I tweak the
fit. Will this be a problem after the triangles are removed? Is the tail sturdy
enough to be moved by two people without damage? It looks to me like the only
way it could be damaged is by rotating it after the triangles are cut away and
not supporting the vertical fin.
Regards,
John Lawton
Dunlap, TN
A-245 (Happy 4th of July to those on this side of the pond)
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