Back to work on the tanks

Got back from Toronto yesterday and my replacement tank skins had arrived. I cut the splice strips from the skins with the snips and filed/sanded the edges smooth. I clecoed the baffles into the skins and machine countersunk all the associated rivet holes.

I’ll get the dimpling done tomorrow and start assembly on Sunday.

In other news… Van’s charged my credit card for the balance due on the fuselage kit. Hopefully that means the kit is being crated and will ship in the next week or so. Now the pressure is on to finish the wings!

Today’s Time (hours):	1.0
Wing Time (hours):	190.0
Total Time (hours):	342.0

…And tanks are on hold again

Same drill as yesterday… Match drilled the right J-channel stiffener and machine countersunk the skin for the tank baffle rivets.

Then I started dimpling the skins. I started by using the squeezer to dimple all the holes it could reach. I caught one hole off center. Then moved on the second skin. I got through the all the ones with the squeezer and then moved to the DRDT and had the skin pop off of the dimple die just as I was pulling the handle. This created an extra hole about 2 mm from the original hole. I could probably salvage both of these issues if this were a regular skin but I’d rather not chance leaky tank skins. So ordered replacements from Van’s. Not my best day of building.

The good news is I’m not stuck waiting on the replacement parts. I can move on to the flaps and/or ailerons in the meantime. Could have been worse.

Today’s Time (hours):	2.0
Wing Time (hours):	144.0
Total Time (hours):	355.0

Work resumes on the tanks

I received the J-Channel that that I ordered from Van’s. I cut it to length with a cut-off wheel in the Dremel. Then cleaned up the edges on the Scotchbrite wheel. I measured and marked the centerline. Drilled the starter hole. Clecoed it in place and match drilled the rest of the holes, clecoing as I went.

I clecoed the baffle in place and machine countersunk the corresponding rivet holes in the tank skin.

I disassembled everything final drilled the #19 holes in the skin and then deburred them as well as the holes in the j-channel. I dimpled the J-channel with the pneumatic squeezer.

In other news… My propeller was delivered! It’ll be a while before I need it but ordered it at the same time as the engine to get a discount. The engine has a much longer lead time. Expecting it to show up mid October.

Today’s Time (hours):	2.0
Wing Time (hours):	142.0
Total Time (hours):	353.0

Primed all the tank parts.

When I bought my tools I bought my tools for this project, I decided to buy a DRDT-2 dimpler. I decided not to bother with a c-frame. Until this point I have not found anything that I couldn’t do without a c-frame. Today I needed to fill the locating holes in the inboard and outboard ribs with AN470AD6-5 rivets. I don’t own any tool capable of setting those big rivets reliably. Fortunately Jared offered up his c-frame and I went to his house and got these rivets set. Thanks, man! Ended up cutting the rivets down to like a 6-3. They are not structural and they were way to long. They just plug up the machining holes in the external fuel tank ribs. The shorter rivets set perfectly with the c-frame and a heavy hammer.

I primed the exterior side of all the fuel tank parts.

I riveted the bearings for the aileron controls to the tank attach bracket.

I riveted the shims and nutplates to the tank attach brackets.

I riveted the nutplates to the aft inboard ribs. I couldn’t get a mushroom set in between the clecos to rivet these. So I used a back rivet set on the tail and a bucking bar on the factory head.

I’ve completed everything I can on the Tanks until I get the J-Channel I ordered from Van’s. On the bright side… I received the tools I need to install the landing light lenses so that will be tomorrow’s project.

Today’s Time (hours):	3.0
Wing Time (hours):	133.0
Total Time (hours):	344.0

Work continues on Fuel Tanks

Final drilled the tank attach Z brackets and machine countersunk the nutplate attach holes. I cut the brackets apart on the band saw and cleaned up all the edges on the scotchbright wheel. I riveted the nutplates in place with the squeezer.

I machine countersunk the fuel filler flanges.

I separated the shims with snips and deburred on the scotch bright wheel. I clecoed the the shims to the tank attach brackets and trimmed the ends to be flush with the brackets with snips and cleaned up the edges on the scotchbright wheel. I final drilled all the holes in the shims and dimpled them with the squeezer. I machine countersunk all the holes in the flanges of the attach brackets.

I came up short on J-channel. Not sure whether I didn’t cut the stock I had efficiently when making up the wing stiffeners or if I missed something in inventory. Either way I don’t have anything long enough to make the two 54″ tank stiffeners. I ordered a couple more pieces from Van’s. Should be here next week some time.

Today’s Time (hours):	3.0
Wing Time (hours):	130.0
Total Time (hours):	341.0

Prepared tank stiffeners

Dimpled the nut plate attach holes in the inboard tank ribs.

Separated the stiffeners.

Used snips to make all the cuts. Doh! Should have peeled the blue vinyl off before I cut them.

Then cleaned them up on the scotch bright wheel, scuffed the mating surfaces and dimpled.

Today’s Time (hours):	2.0
Wing Time (hours):	127.0
Total Time (hours):	338.0

Started work on fuel tanks

Screen Shot 2019-05-21 at 9.57.47 PM

I ordered plexi bits and a zero flute countersink so that I can fabricate the landing light lenses. While I’m waiting for those to show up, I started on the tanks.

Fluted and straightened the tank ribs yesterday. Final drilled all the #40 and #30 holes in all the ribs tonight.

Located and drilled the 3/4″ hole specified in the plans.

Match drilled the rivet holes from the finger strainer flange in the inboard ribs.

Dimpled all the holes in the top and bottom flanges of all the ribs.

Today’s Time (hours):	2.0
Wing Time (hours):	125.0
Total Time (hours):	336.0