Saturday, I "black bag" cured the rudder for over two hours at 137 degrees. I then trimmed the bottom cutout for the bell arm. Monday, Chuck came over and we finished cutting the cutouts for the middle and top brackets.We then glassed the cutouts using the "flox corner" technique. We made a temporary hot box using insulation sheets and a heater and cured the fiberglass two and a half hours (max temp = 124 degrees F). Tuesday we sanded the edges of the cutouts and cut a hole above the bell arm to allow us to use a socket wrench when we bolt the rudder onto the lower rod end hinge. We glassed the inside of the hole and heat cured for two hours. After trimming the hole, we bondo'd the brackets in place and test fitted the rudder onto the vertical fin. Looks great!

April 14: Rudder as seen from starboard (right) side showing three of the cutouts on the leading edge. The rudder hinge pivot brackets fit in the cutouts.

April 15: The rudder is test-mounted to the vertical fin. It is starting to look like an airplane!!