Straightening the ribs with fluting pliers and counterboring the hinge bolt lands on the hinges (to create a flat surface for the heads to seat on) were the highlights of this assembly.
After completion of the rudder we were advised by MAM that a "fix" kit was being issued to reinforce the vertical spar where the hinge/rudder horn is mounted due to signs of weakness observed in their demo aircraft. Installation of the kit was straight forward other than it required removal of a number of rivets to install reinforcement brackets.
Along with other builders of the Elite we observed that the ends of the elevator and the top of the rudder give the appearance of being unfinished as the kit is designed. After consultation with MAM, Darryl Murphy has advised that the proposed design should be acceptable with the only noticable result being control forces will be reduced slightly, in proportion to the area added to the spade portion relative to the "working surface" of the control surface. Since the added area is minimized it is not expected the change in "feel" will be significant.
The fairings are molded in ABS plastic providing a good balance between performance, finish and cost. They are designed to be installed either before or after the control surfaces are completed. If they are to be installed before completion of the control surface, the last row of rivets should be replaced by countersunk versions.
These fairings will be marketed by DARTEC Engineering Inc.
