In this series I’m going to proceed through riveting the elevators. Please note that this didn’t all happen in one afternoon. There were times here where I worked alone and riveted what I could. Then there were also times where you need someone to help. The interior of the elevator is so narrow that as […]
Elevator balance weights
Today I’m ready for a change of pace on the elevators and I’m going to start building up the balance weights. I’ve been putting this off for a while as I know it’s going to be a complicated event. However, like everything in building planes, the process becomes clear when you chunk it down and […]
Elevator trim tab build-up continued
Today I’m continuing with building up the elevator trim tab. I’m starting by filing down the edges to get 3/32 inch clearance between the tab and the elevator. Once I got the edges filed down, I started to work on the trim tab end ribs. The S-51 plans don’t provide much detail here so I’m […]
Elevator Trim Tab
Continuing with building up the elevators, today I’m going to focus on getting the trim tab hinge aligned and positioned. To begin, I used a scrap metal strip to simulate the skin. I wanted to make sure the trim tab skin is in alignment with the elevator skin surface. Below is a picture from the […]