Completed Aileron and Elevator Systems (Section 36)

Checked the fore and aft travel of the control system with a digital level using the top of the cover rib as a reference. Filed the control column bracket stops until I achieved the specified range of travel in each direction and the control column hit the stops on both side simultaneously.

Installed the control sticks and measured the distance between them. Thy were spot on so I guess I measured the control stick tie rod correctly. No adjustment necessary.

I double checked that I torqued all the hardware properly and marked everything with torque seal. I decided to wait on installing that aft elevator push tube until I reinstall the tail feathers at the airport.

Today’s Time (hours):	1.0
Fuselage Time (hours):	215.0
Total Time (hours):	670.5

Finished riveting right side

Finished riveting the right side of the fuselage. Then I reinstalled the landing gear bracket and bulkhead bar.

Today’s Time (hours):	2.0
Fuselage Time (hours):	127.0
Total Time (hours):	581.5

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

Completed forward mid fuselage bulkheads (Section 25)

Received the new bulkhead bars from Van’s. Cut and deburred them. Scuffed them, Machine countersunk and riveted them. Reamed all the holes and bolted them to the aft bulkhead.

Today’s Time (hours):	2.0
Fuselage Time (hours):	22.0
Total Time (hours):	476.5

Finished the forward and aft center section bulkheads

Riveted the cover ribs to the forward center section bulkhead. Added the AN3 bolts, nuts, and washers and torqued them down.

Secured the bearing bracket braces to the bearing brackets with screws, washers, and nuts. The riveted them to the bulkhead and opposing ribs.

Reamed the .375 and .311 holes in the center section bulkheads.

The parts I ordered from vans should be here Tuesday. Then I can finish out this section.

Today’s Time (hours):	2.0
Fuselage Time (hours):	13.0
Total Time (hours):	467.5

Continued assembling the mid-fuselage bulkheads

I was using the squeezer to do some dimpling and riveting. About halfway through it started leaking air from the valve. I disassembled the valve and found that the o-ring that prevents the poppet from-over extending had sheared in two. I called Cleaveland Tool and they were more than happy to ship a new o-ring at no charge. Nice folks over there. In the meantime I’ll be using the DRDT-2 and C-frame dimpling duties and shooting all the rivets with the gun.

I assembled the bulkhead bars. Unfortunately I screwed up one of them and had to order a new part from Van’s. Here’s the good one…

I moved on the the aft center section bulkhead. I machine countersunk all the holes then riveted the nut plates in place. Then I riveted the side angles to the bulkhead.

I countersunk and riveted the bearing brackets.

I dimpled the cover ribs and riveted the nut plates in place. I riveted the bearing brackets to the ribs as well.

Machine countersunk the bearing bracket braces and riveted on the attach angles.

Moved on to the forward center section bulkhead. I machine countersunk the holes on the flanges and riveted on the nut plates. Then riveted and bolted the side angles in place.

Today’s Time (hours):	5.0
Fuselage Time (hours):	11.0
Total Time (hours):	465.5

Finished riveting the bottom left skins

Finished riveting the forward half of the outboard left skin.

Riveted the nut plates to the inboard bottom skin and the inspection ports.

Installed the pitot mast, pitot tube, and pitot heat control box.

Two of the crimp-on quick disconnect terminals on the pitot tube were not properly crimped by Garmin and pulled off when I went to connect them. Disappointing! Unfortunately I had already put in an Aircraft Spruce order this weekend. I’ll wait until I have more stuff to order and get some new connectors.

Reinstalled the aileron push tube and torqued the fasteners.

Reinstalled the flaps.

Today’s Time (hours):	5.0
Wing Time (hours):	280.0
Total Time (hours):	432.0

Installed Autopilot Roll Servo

Drilled and tapped the aluminum tubes to accept the 1/4 threads of the rod end bearings. Assembled the AP pushrods. Fabricated the spacer for the roll servo.

Installed the roll servo into the right wing.

Today’s Time (hours):	2.0
Wing Time (hours):	266.0
Total Time (hours):	418.0

Tested the Fuel Tanks

Tested the tanks using the test kit from Van’s. Attached a balloon to the fuel strainer to regulate the pressure and as a visual indicator that the tank was pressurized. Used a spray bottle with soapy water to spray down the tank to find any leaks. No leaks found!

I attached the tanks to the wings but had to remove them because the tank skin overlapped the outboard leading edge skin by a few thousandths. I used a file to adjust the edge of the skin. I final-attached the tanks to the wings with AN3 bolts, torqued them to spec and marked them with torque seal. I got about half way through putting all the screws in. I’ll have to finish those up next week when I get back from Florida.

I’m definitely in the home stretch with the wings. Looking forward to getting everything buttoned up next weekend.

355bfa

Today’s Time (hours):	3.0
Wing Time (hours):	242.0
Total Time (hours):	394.0

Finished the left flap

Worked on both left and right flaps simultaneously; performing each step on one then the other. Riveted the top skins and nose skins to the spars and then to the ribs. I back riveted the aft-most two holes in each rib.

Clecoed then riveted the bottom skins and nose skins to the spars. I had to stick my arm down between the skins, slightly pulling back the bottom skin to be able to back these rivets. Glad I deburred well. My arms were pretty well scraped by the end of this step.

Final drilled #33 and blind riveted the nose skins to the nose ribs.

Applied 3M double-sided VHB tape to the trailing edge extrusions. I clecoed the extrusions in place in the left wing, removing the bottom backing from the tape as I went. I let the VHB adhesive set up for an hour or so and remove the top backing form the tape; removing and replacing clecos as I went.

I let the top tape set up for a couple of hours. I clecoed and taped the trailing edge into the right wing at this point and moved on to riveting the left wing while the bottom tape set up.

I used the squeezer to just barely set rivets in the trailing edge. Then used a mushroom set in the gun with a back rivet plate to fully set the back of the double flush rivets.

I final drilled #33 all the bottom skin/rib holes and blind riveted. I used the squeezer to set solid rivets in the inboard and outboard end ribs. I installed the rod end for the flap actuator. Left wing done!

I removed the backing form the top tape on the right trailing edge. I’ll finish the right flap up in the morning.

Today’s Time (hours):	6.0
Wing Time (hours):	166.0
Total Time (hours):	377.0