ORIGINAL: UStik
Good analogy to building model yachts! But the center rib is lofted (has two tabs), it's just drawn outside the plan view as is the tip block. I think the plan view is a bottom view and the stab is built upside down because it has anhedral. Rib #1 and #2 are different, and each rib is correctly shaped for its position diagonal in the swept and (single) tapered stab. Notice the thickness at leading and trailing edge!
Notice also the horizontal line on top meaning the building board and the stab lower (actually upper) edge with the shape of the supporting block under the tip, which is also shown in the top view.
UStik...We can't afford NOT to have you contributing to this thread.
You "engineer types" are going to really come in handy during the course of this thread. I said early on that the TBX-1 is drawn more like a plan Lookheed or Boeing would put together...it is not a simple little plan you find in a kit or even a model magazine construction article. I NEVER would have picked up on the idea of a "bottom view", and building the stab upside down, which I assume everybody here is now in agreement on. Does everybody agree with the "German guy"?
This sheds new light on a big question I had that I was going to "spring" on you later. When looking at the wing, I was perplexed when I studied the wing ribs. Here's just a hint of what is coming.... the wing is semi-symetrical, and the plan looks like each wing rib has the thickest portion on the BOTTOM. I have NEVER seen a semi-symmetrical wing configured that way..how could you get any lift? If the WING is ALSO built upside down, that would explain a lot. That's for a little later.
To get back to the stab. I have a few extra views of the completred TBX including one I haven't shown before because I didn't think it was important. To me it looks like the bottom of the stab is essentially flat, and the top tapers down somewhat...is that the "anhedral" you speak of? Take a look at these pictures and see if they throw more light on and confirm the orientation theories of the stab. After all, we don't want to glue the stab on upside down do we?
BTW..I have spent times these last few days photographing the 5 plan sheets in detail, and each section will be discussed as long as it takes to unravel the TBX's mysteries, (hopefully so that even I can understand them).
This thread may go on for a while.
BTW-2 Burkhard...I've loaded the XTR-Ultimate on my new computer, and will start "playing" with it more. The planes seem to be underpowered compared to the real thing.
Duane