Finally got to put some larger parts together this week. Nice to have something that is looking like the tail of an aircraft.
This week I finished up the longeron bends, then started assembling the tail cone.
Since I'd finished up the aft ends of the longerons in my last session, it was time to bend them as prescribed in the plans. There are a couple of things that fall into the "dreaded tasks" category among RV builders, and this is one of those tasks. You're going to take a nearly 15 foot long piece of aluminum angle, put a pretty significant curve in it (all while keeping it flat), then put a vertical bend in it (also keeping that straight), then twist it almost 20 degrees. Fun note in the plans - "if you are within 1/16" of the template that should be adequate". Love the understatement. :)
Plans page for the longerons:
I don't have much in the way of pictures. Basically you clamp it tightly in a vise (after a gazillion double-checks to make sure you really are bending it in the right direction), put a pre bend on it, then whack it with a rubber mallet (I used a deadblow hammer). Move it an inch, do it again, etc. Once you think you're close to what they want, lay it against the paper template to see how you did.
Repeat. Take the unwanted bend out (oops, you mean you straightened it out more than you wanted when you made it level again??? try again).
Here's what it looks like when I'm getting close.
The first bend on the right longeron took me nearly 2 hours before I was satisfied.
