Bulkhead Assembly & Longerons

There really isn't much to do to get the bulkheads ready to install in the tailcone.  I started by riveting the angle onto the F-710, then the attach bars to F-711.  The horizontal angle piece for 711 doesn't get riveted until the side skins have been riveted on.

The 712 bulkheads got riveted together.  The tie down bar will be attached here, but doesn't get riveted on until later on when the tail is ready to install.

I still can't get over how flimsy the bulkheads are.  There isn't much to them!

The longerons were up next.  I measured and measured and measured, then cut them to length - almost 14 1/2' long!  The longerons get bent, curved, and twisted to create/match the fuselage shape, but first the aft ends had to be cut in a couple of places.  The very aft end got an angled piece cut out, then further up the longeron a slot was cut out to allow the attach bars from the 711 bulkhead to slide through (to attach to the vertical stabilizer).

I think that brings me to the bending and twisting portion of prepping the longerons.  Van's gives instructions for how to do it, but from reading online it sounds like there are better options (Van's just says put them in the vice and whack with a hammer).  Everybody says that bending the longerons is nerve wracking, but ends up not being all that bad.  We'll see!