Skynard,
Absolutely. I've recovered several planes without removing the surfaces. When it comes time to recover cut a strip about 1/2" wide, fold it in half, pull the control surface away from the gap you are going to seal, place the strip in the gap,and use your trim iron to seal it to both sides. Then seal the overhang onto the control surface and the stabilizer. Then cover over that with your main covering. Works just fine and seals your gaps at the same time.