I've updated quite a bit of my check list, though I still have quite a few revisions to make. I only updated the Horizontal Stabilizer section, and a few spots under the Vertical Stabilizer and the Tail Boom sections. Today, I did a tiny amount of work on the tail boom.

I didn't really do any actual work on the tail boom, but I made a bit of a jig for it to keep it roughly in the shape it needs to be for me to proceed with working on the tail end. This ensures the fin tab slot will be very close to its actual dimensions once the boom is completed. The boom will not be completed until after the fuselage is assembled, because I need the fuselage to be assembled to determine the proper fit for the tail boom. But the fuselage has a long way to go as far as design considerations and putting the assembly checklist together. But while the boom is close to final configuration with the jig in place, I can focus on completing the tail section.

The horizontal stabilizer has become rather warped over the past three and a half years, so I thought I would hit one side of it with a spray of water to see if I could coax it into straightening itself out a bit. I hit it with a spray, and almost immediately, it began to change shape. In many ways, it did exactly what I wanted it to, but in another way, it has elongated the wet side along the grain, so now the stabilizer is cupped slightly. I'm going to observe how it changes over the next few days so I can estimate how much moisture I need to apply, and where, to get it close to straight, and how long it takes to dry out, so I can determine how long ahead of time I need to spray it before I cover it to seal in the moisture that I want to retain. But in short, the results were fairly positive.

UPDATE: In the time it has taken me thus far to write this summary, the wood has already dried out considerably and is beginning to warp back into its original twisted shape. This means I will need to work fast when it comes time to covering the horizontal stabilizer.

FURTHER UPDATE: The next morning, the stabilizer looked pretty good. Just as an experiment, I sprayed the other side and let it dry as well. This thing just needs some moisture balancing. ;)

Monday, I am back to work, but I have a two-week vacation coming up, so I expect to make some progress on this aircraft during my time off. That is, if my back ever decides to finally heal up. It always feels better after getting out of bed in the morning (but not before), and then starts to ache again by the end of the day. I've never had it last this long, but I have to believe I am on the mend. Nothing is getting in the way of Questor this time, however. :)