Started Cowl Baffle (Section 47)

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Picked, Inspected, and deburred all of the cowl parts.

 

Trimmed and deburred the cylinder baffle doublers and riveted to the cylinder baffles.

 

Installed nut plates and oil cooler flange and assembled aft baffles. Added strips of RTV to the mating surfaces.

 

Trimmed the air cleaner frame, added nut plates and fit to the inlet ramp. Assembled the left inlet ramp.

 

Attached the SCAT tube flange and screen for the heater air inlet to the right inlet ramp. Assembled the right inlet ramp. Added RTV strips to the mating surfaces of the inlet ramps.

 

 

Today’s Time (hours): 8.0
Finish kit (hours): 285.0
Total Time (hours): 1019.0

Finished rear window and started on Canopy Latch

I used the edge roller to break the edge of the top and side skins where they meet the rear window. I final drilled the skins #27 and dimpled the holes for #6 screws. The squeezer wouldn’t fit into the space between the top skin and the roll bar brace. After a fair amount of ass-scratching I tried using a #6 screw and a K1000-06 nut plate to press the dimple into the center hole. It worked well.

I decided to wait until later to actually install the window. This will enable better access to the fuselage and keep me from beating up the window while I’m working on the rest of the stuff. But everything’s done and all I have to do is add some sealant and screw it in. For sealant I’ve decided to try Lexel. It’s a clear solvent based sealant that is safe for acrylic. Other builders have reported good success with it.

 

I separated, deburred, and painted the stiffener angles. I’ll rivet these in place as soon as the paint dries.

 

I picked and inspected all of the parts for the rest of the canopy.

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I peeled all of the parts for the canopy latch mechanism. I separated the peices that needed parting. I deburred and scuffer all the parts. Then painted everything to match the interior.

 

I test fit the canopy latch pins in the bushings that I installed in the roll bar. I realized that I neglected to mask of the bushings when I painted the roll bar and got some paint in there. I wrapped some sand paper around a brass drift and used it to clear the paint. Everything fits fine now.

 

Today’s Time (hours): 4.0
Finish Kit (hours): 18.0
Total Time (hours): 748.0

 

 

Cut the co-pilot-side panel

Same drill as the pilot side…  Lay everything out, drill pilot holes, final drill with step drill, cut with Dremel, deburr, machine countersink, paint, rivet, and bam! We have a panel.

 

Mounted the GDU and the ELT switches to the panel and mounted the panel in the plane.

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Next, I’m going to cover the panel in flat black vinyl. I’m also thinking about adding a carbon monoxide detector beneath the ELT buttons.

Today’s Time (hours): 3.0
Options and Miscellanea (hours): 25.0
Total Time (hours): 708.0

 

Began work on Roll Over Structure (Section 37)

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Picked, inspected, and peeled all the parts. Cut apart the pieces that needed to be separated on the band saw. Deburred and scuffed all the parts.

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Today’s Time (hours): 1.0
Fuselage Time (hours): 205.0
Total Time (hours): 659.5

 

Began work on the Aileron and Elevator Systems (Section 36)

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Picked, Inspected, and peeled all the parts. Cut the parts on the band saw that needed to be separated. Deburred, and scuffed everything.

 

Used the template from the plans to drill the ends of the elevator push tubes. Match drilled the rod end fittings to the tubes.

 

Everything ready to prime.

 

Today’s Time (hours): 2.0
Fuselage Time (hours): 204.0
Total Time (hours): 658.5

 

Began work on the flap actuation system (Section 34)

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Picked and inspected all four parts.

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Used the alignment template thing-a-mabob to locate and match drill the holes from the crank to the torque tubes.

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I primed the inside of the tubes with SEM. I’ll let them dry tonight and install everything tomorrow.

 

 

Today’s Time (hours): 1.0
Fuselage Time (hours): 171.0
Total Time (hours): 625.5

Began work on rudder and brake systems (Section 33)

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My sister and brother-in-law were in town for some turkey. So I enlisted John to help with prepping and painting all the rudder pedal parts. I decided to flat black everything. I’m going to go with some grip tape on the face of the brake pedals. We got all the parts cut, deburred and scuffed. Then painted with Rustoleum Painter’s Touch rattle-can.

 

We’ll let the paint cure tonight. Then we can assemble tomorrow and shoot another coat to cover the rivets.

 

Today’s Time (hours): 2.0
Fuselage Time (hours): 160.0
Total Time (hours): 614.5

Work continues on baggage area

Fabricated the seat back hinges and match drilled to the floor skins.

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Deburred, Scuffed, and primed all of the parts.

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Dimpled the floor skins and riveted the nut plates in place.

 

Installed snap bushing and routed the rudder cables, static line, and ELT wire.

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Today’s Time (hours): 5.0
Fuselage Time (hours): 149.0
Total Time (hours): 603.5