The design report

Servo plate:
The 6 mm thick servo plate was used to hold the servo. The plate was made of ply to
provide strength.
Figure 4.1.302 shows the position of the servo plate assembled in CATIA
End plates:
The end plates were the only places which could connect the horizontal tail to the
fuselage. The plates were 4 mm thick made of ply. As seen in the figure, the plates sat in
between the ribs. These plates were also slotted in. We had to make sure the plates
were strong enough to hold the tail.
Figure 4.1.303 shows the position of the end plate in CATIA
Vertical tail:
A decision was taken during the conceptual design phase that the vertical tail would be
made of a flat plate and not airfoils because it would be easier to design and
manufacture. The vertical tail had a trapezoidal shape with a thickness of 5 mm. Its
dimensions were 156x188mm.Due to its small size; the tail was designed as a single
part as it was within the limits of the laser cutting machine. Ply was selected as the most
suitable material due to its strength. The diagonal strips acted as trusses which added
on strength in all directions. The edges of the holes were given a circular shape to
evenly distribute stress concentration. A hole in the centre was to hold the servo. The
vertical tail was to be stuck on to the fuselage using nothing but glue.
A small hole (diameter of 1.5mm) was inserted at the sides allow wires to pass through
which held the vertical tail and the fuselage together.
Figure 4.1.304 shows the vertical tail design during preliminary design (without rounded edges)