Today I tore everything down from the test fit and got ready to prime the skeleton.

Just like most other builders, I went back and forth on the whole priming issue. Living in Arizona, I can avoid the whole Alodine mess. I could probably get away without priming at all. I settled for somewhere in the middle. I will prime the inside of the skins and the skeletons with self-etching primer. I went with one-part primer from Sherwin Williams. I didn’t want to deal with the mixing of a 2-part primer. I am just cleaning and scratching the surface with the 3M pads and spraying on the primer.

For this batch I hadn’t received the mini-HVLP I found on eBay, so I just used the rattle can version. I have a quart of the stuff waiting around for when I get the spray gun.

Today I received the missing parts from Van’s, so I was able to finish those sections and test fit the vertical stabilizer together for the first time.

One thing that I noticed is that it was rather hard getting the holes in the skin to match up with the holes in the center nose rib. Had to joggle things around a little. Eventually it all fell into place.

Time to get the primer items all straightened out. Need to order a mini-HVLP spray gun and run to Sherwin Williams.

Today I started working on the vertical stabilizer. Right off the bat you have to do some minor fabrication. The spar caps have to be trimmed as specified. No big deal though.

While I was doing inventory on the kit I noticed a couple missing parts. One was for the horizontal stabilizer, so not required immediately, but the other was the lower rudder hinge brackets that are needed right away. Bummer, called up Vans and they sent them out right away. In the mean time I did a test fit of the skeleton. Everything went together just fine. I will have to flute the rib flanges a little to straighten them out.

It’s good to finally get started.