N439RC; Ron's RV-12

After a wonderful Christmas holiday with my famiy, I managed to squeeze in a full day on the RV project.  I pulled out the propane heater and turned on the Bowl games on the television in the garage.  I assembled all the completed components together, and began the “fit and function” portion of the instructions.  After three bowl games, and about eight hours, I had basically completed the assembly of the kit.  See photos below.

The first photo shows the vertical stabilizer, complete with rudder, attached to tailcone.  (See new shop stool … Christmas gift from my kids.)

Vert Stab and Rudder

 The second photo shows the horizontal stabilator attached to the bulkhead.  It includes the Anti-Server Trim pieces, as well as the counter balancle. 

Horizontal stabilator

The final photo shows the completed assembly; tailcone and all!  All the componets fit like a glove.  I’m very happy with the Van’s kit!

Completed Empennage

Wings arrive in February!

After many rivets … Thank goodness for the pneumatic rivet gun … I completed the main tailcone.  This completes the assembly of the main components for the empennage and tailcone.  The next steps will require me to put them all together to to confirm fit and function.

The weather is getting pretty nippy here in Wisconsin.  My garage (hanger) is not heated, so the project days will probably be few and far between.  I have placed the order for the next kit (wings), and have been given an estimated ship date of February 15th.  I will have to find some days in December and January to complete “fit testing” of empennage componets, then storage in preparation for the wing kit.

Completed tailcone