Installed baffles and snorkle

Installed the aft baffles.. Pretty straightforward. Only thing I needed to trim was a path for the Manifold pressure line form the number 3 cylinder.

Installed the forward baffles. Also straightforward. Needed to trim a bit where the left baffle meets the case just forward of the #2 cylinder.

Decided to go with safety wire to tie the bottom of the baffles together rather than the rods. After a bit of research this seems to be a tried and true method and it’s a lot easier to install and remove.

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Fit and trimmed the snorkel. clecoed/bolted it all in place and bonded it to the air cleaner frame with epoxy and flox.

Connected up the SCAT tubes for the oil cooler and cabin heat.

Today’s Time (hours):	8.0
Finish kit (hours):	293.0
Total Time (hours):	1027.0

Completed Cowling

Drilled the screw holes on the bottom of the cowling

Attached the inlet ramps with epoxy and flox. Filled, sanded and sealed the areas where the baffle seals will seal against the top cowl.

Installed the heat shield foil in the lower cowl and sealed the edges with epoxy.

Today’s Time (hours):	10.0
Finish kit (hours):	277.0
Total Time (hours):	1011.0

Work on canopy fairing continues

Sanded the rest of fairing to the proper shape and feathered the forward edge. I used 80 grit sandpaper and then a pass with 220. The shape looked really good.

I was going to shoot the fairing with some filler primer. I masked everything off and then wiped the surfaces down with some alcohol. After wiping everything down, I noticed that I had a few small voids and a couple of areas where I had sanded through to the canopy. So rather than filler primer, I decided to go with an additional layer of fiberglass. I used the “A” ply template to cut out some fiberglass cloth. I mixed up some epoxy with black pigment. I wet down the areas to be covered, applied the cloth, stippled it down, and positioned it. I also mixed up some epoxy and micro balloons and used it to fill the voids. I let it all set up for a bit then applied a top coat of epoxy and covered with peel ply.

Up next… More sanding. Yay.

Today’s Time (hours):	5.0
Finish Kit (hours):	84.0
Total Time (hours):	814.0

Laid up the fiberglass canopy fairing

Sanded the filler down and replaced the aft line of doubled electrical tape. It got pretty scuffed up. Then I added the layer of sacrificial masking tape over the electrical tape

Laid out the fiberglass cloth and cut the strips according to the cut list in the plans. Then cut out the sides using the provided patterns. Cut the peel ply.

Used plastic wrap as a backing for the bottom layer which is applied wet. Wet the A and D plies with epoxy that I dyed black so it would look right from the inside of the canopy. I wet the masked of canopy and skin with the dyed epoxy. I removed the inside plastic wrap carrier from the A and D plies, applied them, then removed the outer plastic wrap. I stippled the fiberglass down with a chip brush.

I let the inner plies set up until tacky then applied the B and C plies along with the first of the narrow strips. I continued to build up the forward part of the canopy with successively wider strips until I got to a 4″ radius curve. I used the gauge I had fabricated earlier to measure the curve.

I applied a thick top coat of epoxy. Then I removed the sacrificial masking tape and applied the peel ply.

Next up… remove the peel ply and sand it to final shape.

Today’s Time (hours):	6.0
Finish Kit (hours):	76.0
Total Time (hours):	806.0

Sanded the filler and filled the low spots

Used some 60 grit sandpaper to quickly take down the filler to the profile of the canopy. There were a few low spots on the sides and voids around the canopy clips. So I mixed up a small batch of epoxy with micro and filled them in.

Today’s Time (hours):	1.0
Finish Kit (hours):	70.0
Total Time (hours):	800.0

Attached the canopy to the frame.

Riveted the side skins and canopy handles.

Tightened the screws and nuts holding the canopy to the aft frame in the middle section called out in the places. Tightened the screws and nuts holding the canopy and skins to the frame rails.

Fabricated and attached the canopy wear strips.

Mixed up some epoxy resin with micro balloons and black pigment. Used the mixture to fill the void where the canopy and skin come together.

Today’s Time (hours):	5.0
Finish Kit (hours):	69.0
Total Time (hours):	799.0

Attached vertical stabilizer tip

I final drilled all the holes to #30, dimpled them, machine countersunk the holes in the fiberglass, and blind riveted the tip to the VS. I detached the rudder from the VS and put the VS aside. Won’t be needing it again for a long time.

I marked the rudder bottom fairing and cut the hole for the tail light with the Dremel tool.

Used the sanding drum on the Dremel to finish up the hole.

I primed the outside of the doubler with SEM rattle can primer.

I mixed up some flox and used it to adhere the doubler to the rudder fairing.

I blind riveted it in place. I’ll clean it up with sand paper once it has cured.

Today’s Time (hours):	1.5
Empennage Time (hours):	211.0
Total Time (hours):	211.0

Attach bottom rudder fairing

Last night I put a layer of glass over the foam in the VS tip.

This morning, I trimmed and sanded the edges.

I filled with a thick mixture of glass micro bubbles and epoxy resin.

I set aside the VS tip to cure and got started attaching the bottom rudder fairing. I measured and marked the fairing and match drilled #40 and clecoed in place.

I used a nut plate, a #6 screw and a rivet as a drill jig.

I dimpled all the nut plate attach holes with the squeezer. I needed the close quarters dimple dies for the aft-most holes.

I dimpled the nut plates.

I machine countersunk the rudder horn bracket. It’s too thick to dimple.

I riveted the nut plates in place. I made the aft-most hole too close to the aft edge of the attach strip. So I cut one ear off of the nut plate.

I machine countersunk the fiberglass for #6 screws.

Everything went together just fine.

I disassembled and started work on the doubler for the tail light. I centered and taped it in place. I drilled the #30 holes and clecoed. I ordered a #43 drill and a 4 40 tap from amazon for the other two holes.

Today’s Time (hours):	3.0
Empennage Time (hours):	209.5
Total Time (hours):	209.5

Attached top rudder tip

I was away in south Florida all last week for work. Good trip but glad to get back in the shop today.

I final-fit the top tip to the rudder with some sand paper. I match drilled #40 all of the holes.

I final drilled the holes to #30.

I machine countersunk the holes in the tip to fit the dimples in the skin.

I dimpled the holes in the skin.

I attached the tip to the rudder with the pneumatic pop rivet gun.

Et viola…

I attached the rudder to the vertical stabilizer on the workbench. I fit the VS tip with sandpaper and match drilled all the holes #40.

I used the band saw to cut some foam to back the fiberglass closeout. I test fit the assembly to the VS and used sand paper to gradually reduce the size of the foam until I got an interference fit.

I mixed up some epoxy resin with glass micro bubbles to . nice thick paste that wouldn’t run.

…and used it to glue the foam into place.

Today’s Time (hours):	1.5
Empennage Time (hours):	206.5
Total Time (hours):	206.5

Filled the horizontal stabilizer tips

Filled the crag I cut in the right HS tip with micro.

Then filled the aft space of each with micro. Once hardened, I’ll be able to sand the curved profile into them to match the leading edges of the elevator tips.

Today’s Time (hours):	0.5
Empennage Time (hours):	203.5
Total Time (hours):	203.5