Paul Lee - SQ2000 Project, Pierre SD USA
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1. & 2. Instructions are to remove the elevator hinge pin - but it was already in there and could not get it out of the black hole (nothing to grab it by). So had to work around the elevator. The Dremel tool does not have a bit to get in there. But I found that a zip cutter bit can be fitted into it and great for reaching / cutting in such places. 3. & 4. I found it best to preform some 2 ply flat and then shape/flox it into place.

Here is one way to get a round shape in foam for the balance weight filler. The weight / balance in place ready for initial floxing / glassing so it will hold in place for complete glassing. The hot glue did not want to hold the lead to the jig so a plastic strap did the trick.

Actually it turned out well that I left the elevators initially in place, since that way the outboard weight position fitting/floxing/partial-glassing can be more exact.

In order to glass the outboard lead weights I had to find some way to pull the hinge pin and remove the elevator. Since the pin was deep in there I removed the end cap by drilling out the rivet holding it (shown after the fact).

The 1543 E glass is extremely stiff and uncooperative - will not stay bent around curves. Had to find another way to hold it to surface. Hope it works.

And sucess......

Positioning, lining up the canard into place.
After lining up the canard as best as possible, I did not want to disturb it by removing with lift tabs temporarily in place and after removal not exactly lined up with bulkhead FS-43. So first I applied the magic release tape (plastic packing tape) to FS-43. then on my work table I laid 4 plies of S2 glass on top of peel ply and then the lift tabs on top of that and then placed the combination on FS-43 in place and let cure. Some flox was added in front corner and peel plied. An aluminum angle bar with a center screw is securing the tabs in place while curing. The front of tabs will be glassed afterward in place and then holes will be drilled without prior removal of anything.
Have been wondering how to seal out the weather around the canard torque tube AND cover up the gap as shown. Decided to make a canard shape for the gap and at same time attempt to seal out the weather. I laid out two glass of plies over canard as shown\ after applying mold release (plastic packing tape). The result will be cut to fit opening and glassed in.
The gap cover is taking a long time. Showing the cover shaped and then floxed/glassed into place - canard is upside down.

Fuselage around bottom of canard is floxed/glassed/PeelPlied and canard with release tape is placed (squeezed) into place). The release tape allows the canard to be removed easier if needed later although the fuselage part around canard will be glassed permanently. The unatached fuselage part and gap cover show how the gap cover streamline the canard/fuselage joint.
After sanding and partially priming the canard, it is bolted into place and the fuesalage pieces over the top of it is floxed/glassed into place.
Puting the boot cover backstop over canard opening is one of the trickier jobs. You are closing the thing so you have no direct access from the bottom to place the glass strip for the backstop. After positioning with wood pieces and hot glue (extra wood bits are for precision positioning), I glassed the inside edge with the hatch open, leaving about .5" of wetted glass sticking up beyond edge. Then applied PeelPly over it. Then I placed the lid on top of the wetted glass and crawled inside the fuselage and with stiring sticks (two glued together) and wire from a coat hanger with a plastic wrapped felt on end, I poked the wet glass onto the hatch edging (remember to put release tape over the hatch edging beforehand). The crude coat hanger and stiring stick devices are shown.
One of those automotive tool mirrors on a stick helps to see around the canard.
After curing the hatch cover was removed and the edges sanded with a taper toward outside. Then the edges were recovered with release tape and the space between the hatch opening and the cover floxed. After curing that should leave a precision fit with almost no space between hatch opening and the cover - an aerodynamically smooth look and eliminates need for installing weatherstripping.
A door hinge cut in half and a couple of 2" electrical conduit clamps with a little bit of welding/sanding/glassing make nifty goose neck hinges for the hatch. The clamps and hinge halves were cut down to only necessary size to save weight.
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