Tailcone Assembly
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 8:50 am
by pfhoeycfi
I am fairly deep into the tailcone and was curious about when best to rivet. The plans call out to rivet as you go…ie the bottom longeron, not the top etc etc. Is it better to do it this way (rivet as I go) or get the entire tailcone assembly updrilled and cleco’d first before any riveting (in he proper order of course)?
The plans do call out to leave the bottom skin cleco’d until final assembly.
any thoughts, pro or con, would be appreciated,
thank you
peter
SNB0021
Re: Tailcone Assembly
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 9:58 am
by Bryan Cotton
I pretty much followed the plans. Documented starting page 6 of my thread.
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=578&start=50
Re: Tailcone Assembly
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2019 7:42 pm
by pfhoeycfi
The 2 lower attach plates (factory machined) for the B tail-cone has 3/16 holes used to secure it to the longeron. A machine screw is inserted thru the skin and longeron then thru the plate. The surface where the screws come through the plate is not flat due to the radius made by the adjoining side. Therefore the nut will not sit flat. I am curious as to what builders have done in to rectify this. I’ve made little radius blocks approx 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/8. All 4 machine screw holes in each lower plate will require the radius block and I imagine the upper attach fittings will require blocks as well…unless of course somebody has a better solution.
Any advice is greatly appreciated…
thank you,
peter
Doylestown, Pa
SNB0021
Re: Tailcone Assembly
Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2019 10:34 am
by Rofomoto
Peter. I’m building a legacy model but if you want to look at mine I’m close to you in Royersford 19468.
Billy
Re: Tailcone Assembly
Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2019 4:29 pm
by pfhoeycfi
Rofomoto wrote:Peter. I’m building a legacy model but if you want to look at mine I’m close to you in Royersford 19468.
Billy
yes I’ll have to take a look some time.
thank you,
peter
Re: Tailcone Assembly
Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 6:35 pm
by pfhoeycfi
Getting ready to put the turtle deck skin on the tail cone. The plans say attach the skin assembly to the left longeron, then the right. Anyone have any additional advice on this initial placing of the skin…ie do I pilot drill one side then pull the other side into position…or should I have both sides clamped into position before pilot drilling. It’s a big piece that I will be handling on my own and want to get it right. Any advice, order of assembly would be appreciated…
Thanks,
Peter
SNB0021
Re: Tailcone Assembly
Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 8:10 pm
by Rynoth
Hi Peter, I also did my turtledeck by myself and it was a handfull but can be done.
http://www.rynoth.com/wordpress/waiex/2 … eck-cleco/
I drilled and clecoed/secured the left side first per the plans. I also had the spine clecoed though I can’t remember if it was called out that way in the plans. Because of the spring tension when you start bending the deck, Im not sure if it would be possible (alone) to position both sides without securing one side first with clecoes.
Also, don’t be shy with the clecoes when installing the turtledeck. The sides and spine are under a lot of stress as you bend the form into shape, more clecoes = better in my opinion to keep the bending pressures spread out.
Re: Tailcone Assembly
Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 8:20 pm
by Rofomoto
pfhoeycfi wrote:Getting ready to put the turtle deck skin on the tail cone. The plans say attach the skin assembly to the left longeron, then the right. Anyone have any additional advice on this initial placing of the skin…ie do I pilot drill one side then pull the other side into position…or should I have both sides clamped into position before pilot drilling. It’s a big piece that I will be handling on my own and want to get it right. Any advice, order of assembly would be appreciated…
Thanks,
Peter
SNB0021
Peter… if you would like a hand I’m near you in Royersford
Re: Tailcone Assembly
Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2019 3:39 am
by Bryan Cotton
Like Ryan I followed the plans and used lots of clecoes. Unlike Ryan I had help and can’t figure out how he managed.
Re: Tailcone Assembly
Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2019 7:03 am
by peter anson
An extra hand is always helpful but I did my turtledeck by myself and I don’t remember it being difficult. I cut some strips of scrap 0.025" sheet, 4 or 5 per side, and poked them down between the longeron and the side skins to help guide the edges of the turtledeck into place. It worked well.
Peter
Re: Tailcone Assembly
Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2019 10:12 am
by sonex1374
I did the same thing as Peter Anson - use a few scrap strips or aluminum to make a “shoe horn” to guide the skin in between the longeron and lower fuse skin. Start the turtledeck skin on one side, add a few clecos to hold in in place, then roll the skin over the turtledeck formers until you can get the shoe horn to capture the skin on the other side. This makes it very easy to get the turtle deck in place.
There are a few pictures on my website describing the turteldeck process, but this picture shows it best.
Jeff
Re: Tailcone Assembly
Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2019 8:56 pm
by Spaceman
I did the same thing with the “shoehorn” technique and got the skin fit by myself without much trouble. If I remember right, 1 inch worth of turtledeck skin gets sandwiched between the longeron and fuselage skin on each side. Just mark that 1" on the outside of the turtledeck skin first while it’s flat, and then it’s pretty easy to just insert the skin up to your sharpie line on each side before drilling/clecoing.
Edit: here are a bunch of pictures: https://paegelow.blogspot.com/2017/10/t … ck-25.html
Re: Tailcone Assembly
Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2019 7:15 pm
by pfhoeycfi
The pics are very helpful.
Thanks,
peter
SNB0021