VS_LeftBonded_2

Left Side of VS Bonded to Aircraft. Another thing to consider is a way to close the gap between the top of the HS and the cutout for the HS that you make in the left VS. Ours varied from 0.3 to 0.6". We made a capstrip (a la the old days before fastbuilds!!) on the inside of the VS. We laid up a 2 BID on the inside of VS itself and gently bent it to about 90 degrees toward the centerline of the fuselage. We then set it into position and clecoed it in place on the fuselage. Of course, there was package tape laid down on the HS to release the cap when it cured. We then teased the strip into place from the outside to make a decent 90 degree turn and lay (sag) down on to the HS. All of the strip is on the inside of the VS. When we closed out the left VS, we simply removed the tape, sanded the HS, put a thin coat of flox on the bottom of the cap, floxed up the other areas and put the left VS into place per normal. This added the extra strength of a 2 BID to the left VS-HS joint. The right skin got it because the area was open and accessible. In the manual, it is left off the left side for obvious reasons - you can't get to it. Another benefit to having it is that it forms a dam for adding a good flox bead later to fill the HS-VS gap. When that dries, you add a micro fillet to the area and lay up the BID over the fillet.