Charles,
It is a lot easier if you have not closed the vertical stab yet. In
the area of the strake that rises to meet the vertical, one could carve foam to
fill the rise up to the bulkhead/forward-spar, flox it into the installed half
of the vertical stab, glass the foam to the tail cone (and bulkhead) and
use flox to fit the final vertical skin as directed by the manual for pre
closing. Then bond the skin on to the ribs and the new structure added in the
strake area.
Note that Legacies ordered for racing had extra layers of carbon cloth
wrapping the area somewhat forward of the tail cone and on up the
vertical stab for strength and stiffening of the tail
crucfix.
If you have closed the vertical stab, you will need a thin person with
very long arms or a small obedient child to install the plug and cover it
with glass. Send inquires on technique to Mark Ravinski.
Remember that stiffening one area transfers applied forces to
another. Also, If the structure is subjected to vibration (uh, what part
of an airplane isn't?) its response to that vibration will change if part of the
structure is stiffened.
I installed Mark's fix. The 2" barely-visible hairline crack in
the paint along the mid-strake joining seam has not gotten larger. I
believe I have seen increased effects of vibration in the loosening
(wearing) of the right outboard elevator hinge. I have the small
tail.
Scott Krueger
AKA Grayhawk
Lancair N92EX IO320 SB 89/96
Aurora, IL
(KARR)
In a message dated 8/19/2009 5:30:12 A.M. Central Daylight Time,
Csims440787973@aol.com writes:
If you have the pictures available, I would like to see them. I am
building and have heard various solutions to the problem of the cracks round
the tail. I would like to do this right if other builders have already
solved the problem, I would like to follow the correct path.
Charles Sims
360 builder