Progress continues on wiring

I’ve neglected to post over the past week. Been a busy week at work. I have made some good progress though.

I vinyl-wrapped the fuse block panel and screwed the fuse block into it. I made a bus bar from a strip of copper to tie together the upper and lower buses of the fuse block.

I drilled some system holes through the left seat ribs, installed snap bushings, and ran the pitot and AOA lines from the wing root to the panel.

Drilled a couple of system holes in the lower sub-panel. Routed the the wires for the battery backup. Terminated the grounds for the the IBBS and the IBBS master switch.

Made up the connectors for the GTX 45R transponder and the GTN 625 GPS. I also started on the GTR 200B COM radio but didn’t get a picture.

Today’s Time (hours):	6.0
Finish Kit (hours):	112.0
Total Time (hours):	842.0

Began wiring the panel

I’ve spent quite a bit of time researching and documenting a plan to make the wiring easy. I complied a list of wiring nodes in a spreadsheet that I can use as a checklist to work my way through the project. You can see my work here… Wiring Plan

Didn’t actually wire anything today but rather did a lot of the prep work. I fabricated a center panel that will hold the fuse block in the center pedestal. I purchased the power panel option from Van’s which included the sheet metal for the center console. I purchased the 32 position Busman fuse block from Waytek.

Prepped everything up and painted it to match the interior.

Removed all of the avionics and the panels. I probably could have left the stuff mounted to the sub panel and left the panels in place. But when I had mounted everything with black oxide steel screws and subsequently learned that they would rust over time. So I purchased black oxide stainless replacements. This was the most opportune time to replace them all.

I installed a ground block being careful to remove all the paint and scuff up the sub-panel to ensure a good electrical connection. I re-mounted the backup battery, the GAD 27, GAD 29, and GEA 24 to the sub panel.

I drilled a couple of new wire holes through the bottom of the stand-offs and installed snap bushings. The original holes interfered with the GTX and the switches in the bottom of the middle panel.

Today’s Time (hours):	8.0
Finish Kit (hours):	106.0
Total Time (hours):	836.0

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.

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

Started assembling the lower skins and muffler shroud.

Dimpled the bottom skins and riveted the com antenna doublers and skin stiffeners to them. I’m only installing a single com radio so I only drilled out the right side skin for the antenna. The left side I installed some rivets to fill the starter holes. I did install the left side antenna doubler in case i want to add another radio later. I can just drill out the rivets and upsize the holes to install another antenna.

Dimpled the muffler shroud parts. Riveted the doublers and muffler hanger brackets to the shroud sides. Riveted the nut plates to the fuel pump brackets and then riveted the brackets to the shroud ramp.

Today’s Time (hours):	2.0
Fuselage Time (hours):	65.0
Total Time (hours):	519.5

Assembly continues

Fluted the outboard seat and baggage ribs to mach the curve of the bottom skin. Riveted nut plates to the seat ribs.

Bolted and riveted the seat ribs to the bulkhead assembly.

Riveted the seatbelt lugs and routing angles to the baggage ribs.

Riveted the aft bulkhead to the seat rib assembly. Drilled and riveted the doubler to the bulkhead. Fabricated and riveted together the idler bearing assembly and riveted to the bulkhead.

Clecoed the bottom skins together and match drilled some holes. Cut the landing gear leg openings in the forward skins. Machine countersunk the doublers and dimpled the skin stiffeners. Drilled the 9/16″ hole in the skin with a step drill. This hole will be used to mount the transponder antenna.

Today’s Time (hours):	5.0
Fuselage Time (hours):	31.0
Total Time (hours):	485.5

Started work on fuel tanks

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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

Final drilled ribs to spars and drilled systems holes.

Spent a lot of time finishing the deburring of all the holes in the flanges and finishing dimpling the lower flanges of the ribs.

Clecoed the ribs to the spars and final drilled all the holes in the forward flanges.

Disassembled everything and deburred the rest of the holes.

Measured, marked, and drilled the systems holes with the step drill.

Deburred all the the systems holes.

Ready to prime and assemble ribs.

Today’s Time (hours):	7.0
Wing Time (hours):	45.5
Total Time (hours):	256.5

Started attachment of elevators to horizontal stabilizer

Screen Shot 2019-05-27 at 10.08.19 AM

Screwed the rod end bearings into the elevator forward spar.

Fitting the right side was very tight. I’m sure theres a proper tool to do this but I ended up using a cresent wrench to twist the bearings. There was no way I could do it by hand.

On the left side I couldn’t even get the threads to engage. On close inspection I discovered that the nut plates were a hair off center from the hole in the spar and reinforcement plate. I enlarged the hole by a 16th being careful not to damage the nut plate. Then I was able to get them screwed in with the cresent wrench. I screwed them in to the measurement called out in the plans.

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I temporarily attached the left elevator to the horizontal stabilizer. I checked the clearance of the forward edge at the maximal up and down deflections. I used a digital level to fin the maximal deflection points. I had remove the elevator and backed the rod end bearings out three turns to get the necessary clearance.

I used a clamp to lightly hold the elevator in the trailing position to locate the pivot hole in the elevator horn.

I made a spacing block as called for in the plans and clamped it in place. I then honed down the drill bushing to get a snug fit in the bearing and used it to drill a #30 hole in the elevator.

I enlarged the hole hole to 1/4″ with a step drill and deburred the hole. Then repeated this whole process on the right elevator.

I reattached both elevators to the horizontal stabilizer. I used the appropriate hardware to make up the center hinge. It was extremely challenging getting the washers between the horns and the edges of the bearing. I ended up taping the washers to a small piece of scrap aluminum and using it to shoehorn the washers in place. Then I lightly clamped both elevators into the trailing position.

I measured and marked the location for the control attach hole on the right elevator and drilled a #40 hole and final drilled it to #12.

Tomorrow I’ll make a guide block and match drill the hole to the other horn.

Today’s Time (hours):	3.0
Empennage Time (hours):	189.0
Total Time (hours):	189.0

More work on bulkheads

Modified the bottom of the 1408 bulkhead.

Deburred and dimpled all the 1407 and 1408 bulkhead parts.

Separated, deburred, and dimpled the bell crank ribs.

I realized when I went to drill the battery angles that I somehow modified the wrong one. I could swear that I marked these parts carefully before I separated them but it appears I switched the A and B markings. I don’t think this will be a problem though. I just needed to modify the correct one. The modification to the wrong one is not consequential.

Once I fixed that, I drilled and countersunk all the nut plate holes and match drilled the angles to the bell crank ribs. I deburred and dimpled the 1406 bulkhead as well.

I think next weekend I’m going to have two solid days of scuffing and priming all these parts.

Today’s Time (hours):	4.0
Empennage Time (hours):	141.0
Total Time (hours):	141.0