Total build time: 201 hours.
Some might wonder why this airplane is called the Waiex and not the VeeEx. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s because this is actually a Y-tailed aircraft, as opposed to a V-tailed aircraft that has been more prevalent in the past (such as the V-tailed Bonanza.) This fact is due to the small “stub” rudder located below the stabilators. It begins its life much like the ruddervators did.
The drive horn for the rudder is particularly intricate, with 4 parts making up its shape.
The rudder skin needs some subtle angles cut into it. Since I’ll be using a miter saw to make the cuts, finding the angle using the dimensions from the blueprints helps simplify things while still staying accurate. Whoever said you’d never use trigonometry after high school!?
I then clamped my drive horn to the workbench for drilling to help keep things straight.
With drilling and deburring complete, all that is left is polish and rivets.
Hi Ryan,
This is AL Roberts with another question; On the Rudder, The fiberglass Cap fits snuggly inside the Rib which fits snuggly into the Skin. Putting it together this way would mean the thickness on the rib would be sandwiched between the Rudder skin and the Cap. It sure don’t look to me like this is the way it’s supposed to be. So I guess my question is ; did you have this problem ? and if you did did you modify the Rib so it would fit inside the Cap, which would give a metal backing under the fiberglass.
It looks to me, judging by the photos in your Blog like there is no metal between the Cap and the Skin, so I am wondering how you did it.
Sure will appreciate your idea on how to solve my problem. Thanks
AL
Hi Al, I don’t believe there is a rib at the top of the rudder. The fiberglass cap should rivet directly to the skin of the rudder at the top.