The tailcone has six stringers that must be cut to length. The ends also need some shaping, but fitting them to the tailcone now will allow me to shape the ends to fit the bulkheads precisely.
Next up, I fit the tailwheel spring mount between the last two bulkheads. This will eventually be bolted to both of them. These are both double bulkheads, and they’re riveted to both the side and bottom skins, the side stringers and the longerons. Needless to say, this will be a phenomenally strong part of the airplane.
This skin needs an arched section removed to allow the tailwheel spring mount to stick through. The plans provide a template for the shape of this. I traced it onto a sheet of paper and transferred it to the tail skin. It was pretty close, but required a little further sanding right at the rear edge of the mount.
I then clecoed the tail skin to the bottom skin and slid the stringers into place. I’ll trim the stringers tomorrow and then the side skins can be clecoed on.
