Finished riveting the forward top skin

Finished riveting the skin and hinges. Just need to seal everything up with some tank sealant and that will complete the section.

Today’s Time (hours):	2.0
Fuselage Time (hours):	200.0
Total Time (hours):	654.5

Began riveting top skin and installed canopy release

Sealed and riveted the top skin center section in place leaving the sides free to provide access to install the canopy hinges and release mechanism.

Installed the canopy hinges and canopy cradles and connected up the gas springs.

Installed the canopy release mechanism.

Today’s Time (hours):	3.0
Fuselage Time (hours):	198.0
Total Time (hours):	652.5

Match drilled the cowl attach hinges

Match drilled the cowl attach hinges.

Took everything apart and dimpled the skin, the firewall flanges, and shims. Machine countersunk the hinges and longerons.

I got the nut plates I ordered. So I also finished riveting the instrument panel in place.

Today’s Time (hours):	2.0
Fuselage Time (hours):	195.0
Total Time (hours):	649.5

Installed Canopy Decks and Panel Frame

Laid a bead of tank sealant to fill the gap between the side skin, longeron, and canopy deck. Then I clecoed and riveted the canopy decks in place.

Riveted the wire supports to the bottoms of the panel standoffs.

Clecoed the panel in place. I couldn’t rivet it because I ran out of K1000-06 nut plates. Ordered from Spruce.

Today’s Time (hours):	2.0
Fuselage Time (hours):	191.0
Total Time (hours):	645.5

Continued assembly and did a bit of painting

Clecoed then riveted the sub-panel assembly to the fuselage.

Riveted nut plates into the wiring channel. Painted the assembly and later installed it into the fuselage after the paint dried.

Match drilled the forward and aft canopy decks to the left and right longerons. Then dimpled the holes in the canopy decks and machine countersunk the holes in the longerons. Painted the canopy decks as well as the panel brackets and wiring supports.

Machine countersunk all the holes in the instrument panel frame. Riveted the instrument panel angles, nut plates, and flange doubler to the frame. Painted the assembly.

Ground one of the corners off of the fresh air vents to match up to the flange that connects it to the fuselage and naca duct.

Today’s Time (hours):	5.0
Fuselage Time (hours):	189.0
Total Time (hours):	643.5

Primed everything and started assembling

Got all the forward fuselage parts primed.

Machine countersunk all the doublers. Riveted the stiffeners and doublers to the forward fuselage ribs.

Machine countersunk the doublers and riveted them to the canopy hinge ribs.

Riveted nut plates to the pivot block channel and riveted that assembly to the forward fuselage channel.

Riveted the map box doubler to the sub panel. Riveted the sub panel angle, canopy hinge ribs, forward fuselage channel to the sub panel. Riveted the forward fuselage rib assemblies to the sub panel. Riveted the instrument panel standoffs to the sub panel. Riveted the seal angles to the sub panel. Painted the aft side of the sub panel to match the interior.

Today’s Time (hours):	6.0
Fuselage Time (hours):	184.0
Total Time (hours):	638.5

Riveted brake pedals

Riveted the brake pedals together. Decided to machine countersink the front of the pedals and use flush rivets. I plan to put grip tape over the front of the pedals. So the universal rivets wouldn’t have worked for me.

I’ll hit the pedals with a final coat of paint to cover up the rivets tomorrow morning. Once that dries, I’ll apply the grip tape and cut out the lightening holes.