I wanted some BONES in the fuse.


So the turtle deck is ribs and stringers


I cut the 2 ends ribs to shape and gluued them in with out the stringer notches. The back one is 1/16" birch ply. the front is 1/2" balsa. I then added three more ribs equally centered in between. They are two layers of 1/8" balsa at right angles to each other sorta of making a balsa ply.


I first glued the center rib. It was cut well oversize as well as the other two. It was then block sanded to size and shape. I use a long bar with about a 3" piece of sand paper glued onto it's middle. I then shape the rib. Next I did that back center rib, followed by the front center rib, all the same way.


Then it was time for stringer slots. The center stringer is spruce. The outer 4 stringers are balsa. I made stringer slots in each end rib. Laid a piece of spruce stringer into the two in slots and then marked and cut the other 3 slots for the center stringer. I the repeated this process for the outer 4 stringers.


When covered the shape of the stringers will show through the covering, giving me some bones in the fuse.


At some point I will make a head rest for the front turtle deck rib and extend in backwards 2 or 3 inches.


The aft fuse really stiffened up a lot with the turtle deck installed. It is one very rigid fuse, but still seems to be quite light.


Ken

I keep forgetting to add that all the stringers all 1/8" square stock.