Identify all the rudder parts .. these include the nicely pre shaped trailing edge from the factory.

The rudder post and two main ribs need to have ‘V’ slots cut in to allow them to be shaped around the trailing edge.

The top ribs need to be marked up as per diagram and trimmed, finally found some good cutters that do the job.

Assembly is in situ making sure everything is lined up.

Drilled out the inner half of the hub to accept the 6 fixing bolts.

Then seated the larger half into the tyre centre, carefully pulling the valve through the valve hole (drilled earlier). Make sure it seats comfortably and is not straining the valve or jamming the inner tube at all.

Use fairy liquid around the tyre inner rim to help it pop onto the rim as you fill with air. Boy does it go with a bang ! ..make sure your fingers arent nea the lip when its filling !

Finished wheel on rim

Bolt the other half of the hub in place tightening opposit diagonals to make sure it tightens evenly. Then soap the tyre inner edges on both sides to encourage it to pop out onto the rims when you inflate. It takes a while for it to pop out so make sure you keep your fingers clear. With two loud bangs it pops onto the rim !

Now deflate completely … I bounced it a little to make sure it sat evenly, then reinflate to standard pressure (2 Bar). Check bolts again.

Soft fit and check brakes dont bind

Just need the yellow paint to mark the witness marks.

Got all the parts for the tailwheel out and prepared by etch priming all metal parts. I have been using a small hand aerosol etch prime (silver/grey) with a view to re etching the whole body with the kit supplied gold etch when all tail feathers and rudder are on.

Tailwheel parts are nicely formed and very strong. A few items require drilling out but ‘soft’ assembling lets you check your reading of the tech diagram so all parts are seated correctly and line up nicely.

As I have opted for the steerable tailwheel, I have some other parts in the kit to add on so seeking advice from Paul. The Stampe I used to have the pleasure of flying was my first use of a fully castoring tailwheel and was great when you got it right and buttock clenching when you got it wrong ! Remember once taxying downhill at Jersey with an Airbus 320 about 30 yards behind me …. the wind caught and I went for the brakes but caught one and it did a 180 so I ended up looking up at a grinning BA pilot ! So Steerable for the Sherwood will be a  bit more predictable when trying to park on busy fields in tight spaces !

To check all alignment, temporary fit of brake backplates and then slip on spacers then wheels over that. The wheels had had the brake drums painted with silver Hammerite on the outside surface and then bolted to the wheel bearing housing.

Had to raise the body slightly on the tressles to get full wheel clearance but wheels spin freely and brakes grab nicely when the levers are pulled.

View from the rear

Having cleco’d and supported everything in place and checked tracking – drill out pilot holes in legs and axle and drag struts.

First time to get unloaded suspension struts in place and connect up to axles.

All a bit tricky when its your first time ! but worth it when you step back

Some rivets need a bit of planning

This is a bit more thought provoking … Well worth Pauls recommendation of reading and planning ahead … Think what is happening 5 steps ahead … Took me a while to realise that gentle emery on inner legs was never going to get them sliding smoothly. 

A weekend email to Paul with a photo brings back a quick response and good solid engineering advice on how and where I should file. 1 hour later and its sliding beautifully … Great care not to take too much off.

Prep of bobbins andinternal stops introduces gluing with dual compound loctite … Sticks like …. Well very strong ! wipe the excess so it doesnt seep into the legs and jam your carefully prepared inners.

Lay out all the u/c parts first to check all ready … Ivor has made a great job of packaging all parts in neatly labelled packages.

Some joints to pre form … The ones done in the factory have set the standard ! Very clean .. No pressure !

Getting hold of drill bits like 3.2mm and 4.8mm are impossible in Jersey ! Special order ! So this is very frustrating and holds up progress.

Discovered the top of the range hand riveter from Stanley is definately NOT heavy duty … Those nickel copper aircraft rivets are super hard

Called for very accurate leg alignment – any fraction out could mean toe in or out later and no chance to adjust

Shaping and filing and lineshing (getting ridof all those awful looking scrape marks)

Benjamin reassembles the body following transportation