Pitot mast fit and all remaining wing parts prepped for primer and assembly

Cut, deburred, dimpled, and scuffed all the remaining wing parts to prep for priming. This included the aileron trim, the aileron push tubes, the inspection covers, and the wing tip ribs.

Fabricated a bracket to secure the pitot mounting bracket to the wing rib.Drilled the holes in the mounting bracket to match the holes in the rib. Then match drilled the new rib bracket to the mounting bracket and the rib. Match drilled everything to the skin and cut out the hole for the pitot mast using 1/2″ drill, Dremel, files, and sand paper. Pleased with how everything came out. Should be nice and secure once everything is riveted together.

Dimpled and scuffed the skins. Everything is ready for primer and assembly.

Ordered avionics and hoping to get the A/P servo, pitot tube, and magnetometer installed before closing up the wings. I also ordered tubing for the AOA line and wire for the pitot heat. Hopefully I’ll have everything and be able to get the wings buttoned up next week.

Today’s Time (hours):	6.0
Wing Time (hours):	239.0
Total Time (hours):	391.0

Started work on the bottom skins

After the mess of the fuel tanks, I took the time to clean up the shop, replace the paper on the bench tops, and vacuum the floor.

Fabricated the flap gap doublers. Dimpled the flap and aileron gap fairings. Peeled and scuffed the forward facing side of the fairings.

Clecoed the ADAHRS mount together and match drilled to the j-channel stiffener. Disassembled, dimpled, and prepped all the parts. Countersunk and fluted the retainers.

Clecoed the inboard bottom skins to the wing assemblies. Match drilled the nut plate holes to the inboard ribs. Final drilled and deburred all the #19 holes in all the bottom skins.

Today’s Time (hours):	4.0
Wing Time (hours):	233.0
Total Time (hours):	385.0

Completed assembling left tank

Same drill as the right tank yesterday…

Both tanks are now fully assembled. I’ll give them a few days and then pressure test them to find and seal any leaks. Then I can attach them to the wings and move on to the bottom wing skins and aileron actuation.

Today’s Time (hours):	3.0
Wing Time (hours):	229.0
Total Time (hours):	381.0

Finished assembling right tank.

Added a bead of tank sealant for the baffle. Clecoed the baffle in place. Riveted the baffle to the ribs and then riveted the z-brackets in place. Then riveted the baffle to the skin.

Installed the fuel drain, the fuel sender, AN fittings, and the fuel cap.

Machine countersunk the holes in the tank attach bracket for #8 screws.

The right tank is now complete and once the sealant has cured, I can pressure test it. Hoping to get the left tank to the same state tomorrow.

Today’s Time (hours):	3.0
Wing Time (hours):	226.0
Total Time (hours):	378.0

Added nutplates

Short build session tonight… Got all the nutplates riveted on to the inboard edge of the tank skins.

The sealant is curing up nicely.

I also temporarily installed the fuel senders in order to tweak the float rods to ensure the proper clearances. I’l permanently install them with sealant after I’ve riveted the baffles in place.

Today’s Time (hours):	1.0
Wing Time (hours):	223.0
Total Time (hours):	375.0

Recommenced fuel tank assembly

Jared came by again today to help out. Thanks, man. You’re the best!

We got the fuel drains, fuel filer and stiffeners re-installed.

Installed the ribs in the right tank.

Made up installed the vent line for the right tank. Added installed the right tank attach bracket and aft inboard rib and filleted everything with sealer. Both tanks are now ready to be closed out with the rear baffle.

I cannot over state what a sticky, smelly, messy process this is. My shop looks like a sealant bomb went off. Every tool I own has some sealant on it now.

Today’s Time (hours):	10.0
Wing Time (hours):	222.0
Total Time (hours):	374.0

Continued building left tank

Sealed and riveted the J channel stiffener to the tank skin.

Installed the tank attach bracket assembly and added a fillet of sealant to the seam with the forward rib. I used an inspection mirror to ensure I got good coverage.

Made up the fuel vent line and installed into the tank.

Sealed and riveted the aft inboard tank rib in place. I installed the bulkhead fitting for the vent line and connected the vent line to it.

I didn’t have enough sealant left to fillet the aft rib. So I’ll do that in the next session.

Today’s Time (hours):	3.0
Wing Time (hours):	205.0
Total Time (hours):	357.0

Made great progress on tanks

Jared cam over and helped with tanks today. I’m very grateful to have a friend that has done this before and is so generous with his time. I would never have made as much progress on my own. Learned a ton today.

Everything we did today involved fuel tank sealant. We used FlameMaster Chem Seal that I bought from Van’s. This stuff was invented by satan to torture builders. It smells like ass. It is incredibly sticky and gets on everything. Every part, every tool, every cleco, your hands, you arms, the work bench, the floor, EVERYTHING! I went through an entire box of nitrile gloves today. It is a two-part concoction that you mix ten to one by weight.

We sealed and riveted the flanges to the rear inboard ribs. Then we riveted the drain flange to the skins (after undimpling the holes that I accidentally dimpled in the skins). We riveted the fuel filler flanges to the skins. We riveted the stiffeners to the skins. We set up the left skin in the cradles, applied the sealant to the skins and then riveted the ribs in place.

Today’s Time (hours):	9.0
Wing Time (hours):	202.0
Total Time (hours):	354.0

Final drilled and dimpled tank skins

Final drilled and deburred all the #19 holes. Dimpled the #19 holes with the squeezer. Dimpled the #40 holes with a combination of squeezer, DRDT-2, and close quarters dimple dies.

Ready to start assembling and sealing.

Today’s Time (hours):	3.0
Wing Time (hours):	193.0
Total Time (hours):	345.0

Aileron assembly continues

Dimpled the leading and trailing edge holes in the top and bottom skins as well as the holes in the main ribs attached to them. Dimpled all the holes in the leading edge skins as well as the spars.

Machine countersunk the trailing edges.

Riveted the skins to the nose ribs.

Blind riveted the spars to the nose ribs.

Riveted the top and bottom skins to the nose assembly of the left aileron. Riveted the top and bottom ribs together. Riveted the nose skin to the counterbalance.

Prepared the left trailing edge by wiping it down the alcohol and applied the VHB tape to both sides. Then set it in place in the aileron and weighted everything down while resting the edge on a piece of angle iron. I remove the top backing tape by working my way across the aileron by removing a handful of clecos peeling the tape then replacing them with the next handful of clecos down the line until the whole backing tape was removed. I let the tape set up for a while and repeated the process for the bottom.

While the VHB tape sets up on the left aileron, I got started on assembling and riveting the right aileron. Got as far as riveting the top skin in place.

Today’s Time (hours):	6.0
Wing Time (hours):	185.5
Total Time (hours):	397.5