Painted canopy and seat backs

Masked off the top of the skin and the outboard sides of the side rails. Painted two coats on the the aft canopy frame and the inboard sides of the side rails. Tomorrow night I’ll flip it over and paint the bottom after everything dries.

 

Scuffed the seat backs and braces. Wiped everything down with solvent and then with a tack rag. Painted tow coats on the forward side. I’ll get the aft side tomorrow night after everything is dry.

 

Fabricated the hinge pins for the seat backs and braces.

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Are we having fun yet?

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Today’s Time (hours): 5.0
Finish Kit (hours): 56.0
Total Time (hours): 786.0

 

 

Painted the glare shield

I traced the forward edge of the canopy onto the skin with a sharpie. Removed the canopy from the frame and set aside in a safe spot. Removed the frame from the fuselage. Masked off the glare shield, scuffed it, and wiped it down with solvent and a tack cloth. Sprayed it with two coats of Rustoleum Painters Touch flat black.

 

Next, I’ll mask off the skin and spray the rest of the frame with dark gray to match the rest of the interior.

 

Today’s Time (hours): 2.0
Finish Kit (hours): 47.0
Total Time (hours): 777.0

 

 

Cut, deburred, scuffed, and primed the canopy frame parts.

Cut all the parts that needed parting.

 

Fabricated the canopy handles from aluminum angle.

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Deburred and scuffed all the parts.

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Primed everything.

 

Started assembling the canopy frame. Dimpled and rivered the hinge intercostals. Dimpled the skin. Fluted and fit the substructure. Started riveting the substructure together.

 

Today’s Time (hours): 6.0
Finish Kit (hours): 26.5
Total Time (hours): 756.5

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

Finished brake pedals and painted interior

Put a final coat of paint on the rudder and brake pedals. I covered the front of the brake pedals with grip tape that I bought from Amazon.

 

I finally picked a color! I went with Rustoleum Painter’s Touch Dark Gray Gloss. Changed my mind on the color at least five times. I even bought the paint for what turned out to be the runner up. Hopefully I can return it. The paint came out okay. I think I shot it a bit too heavy and got a pretty good orange peel going. But it’s good enough. Most of it will be covered with carpet. I’m happy with the result.

 

 

Today’s Time (hours): 4.0
Fuselage Time (hours): 165.0
Total Time (hours): 619.5

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