A few weeks ago, I removed the tail wheel blade of my taildragger KR2 to resurface and repaint it. Last week, when I was ready to put it back in place, I noticed that the wood of the tail block looked funny, and did notsand right . Being by no means a wood expert, I asked the most experienced builders in the homebuilder's club for opinions. The consensus is that there once was water ingress in the tail compartment. The water got infiltrated in the block, which started rotting at the bottom, but ultimately dried up nicely, so it is now OK . Good. Aircraft saved. But these guys also pointed out that the way the horizontal stabilizer and elevator join the tail encourages water ingress there. Rain striking the tail will ultimately drip in, and be trapped.
So, my advice is: if you still can, seal the wood as well as you can in this area. See if you can make a drain, too. And if you intend to leave the aircraft outside, see what you can do to cover the gaps. And I still recommend an inspection hatch in this area. Serge Vidal KR2 "Kilimanjaro Cloud" Paris, France
