Mid fuselage skeleton / Start Roll Bar

Continued working on the midfuse skeleton. The fuselage latch pin was riveted to the arm rest and then the arm rest was installed on the fuselage.  At this point I need to wait until tools arrive before I can make the longeron and proceed with the side skins.

I decided to start section 24 - Roll bar, so I prepared the roll bar parts and clecoed them together as per plans so the holes could be match drilled. The outside holes were then countersunk as per plans.

Time: 2 hrs

Fuselage pin latch

Mid fuse skeleton

Match drilling roll bar

Countersinking rollbar

Countersinking rollbar

Start section 23 - side skins

Started section 23 today which starts out in fabrication of the longerons.  I did not expect it to be hard to work with the metal and opening the angle as per plans, but no matter what I tried it would not open.  I only had a mallet on hand. So I have ordered a 5 lb soft faced hammer to see it that will do the trick.  In reading others experiences there is also a way to use a vise and a pipe coupler to help open the angle. I also read that there is some longeron dies that can be used to help form the curve of the longeron, so before even wasting time trying to form it by hammer as per plans I have ordered the dies and hopefully this will reduce the stress of making these longerons.  For now I have skipped the longeron fabrication until tools arrive and have moved forward with other pages that can be done.

The roll bar attach plates were prepared and nutplates attached. The mid fuse brace, closeout, and roll bar attach plates were then riveted to the fuselage.  The mid fuse skeleton was then started with attaching the bulkhead side channels.

Time: 2 hrs

Roll bar attach plates

Mid fuse brace

Roll bar attach plate installed

Mid fuse brace close-out

Mid fuse skeleton

Forward lower fuselage complete

The forward lower fuselage was completed today with the help of N and B.  We started by attaching the pedal support channels and nutplates to the firewall shelf.  With extra hands we went back to section 21 to install the system block studs. We had tried to install before, but ended up breaking a stud. I ordered a new wrench and they installed without any problem.

 We then had our first time using fuel tank sealant to install the firewall shelf.  I mixed a little by hand and placed in a syringe. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  The shelf was installed without problem.

The bracket that attaches on the tunnel rib was then prepared, primed and installed.  The diagonal brace was installed on the firewall bottom.  The forward lower fuselage was then attached to the remaining fuselage.

Time: 2.75 hrs

Rudder Pedal support channels

System Block Studs

Firewall shelf

Fuel tank sealant under shelf

Bracket on tunnel rib

Diagonal Brace

Prime

Attaching forward lower fuselage

Current state of fuselage

Interior view

Assembling forward lower fuselage

 Started assembling the FWD lower fuselage section.  The cowl stiffener was attached. Firewall spacers were made as per plans and then the cowl attach plates were installed.  I used a unibit to enlarge the hole between the gascolator attached holes.  Marks were made to keep hole centered.  I did a pretty well job but it was difficult in that the flange of the tunnel ribs was in part of the hole and it made it difficult to keep centered. 

The rudder support channels were separated and holes dimpled as per plans. The corresponding holes were dimpled on the firewall shelf.

Time: 2.25 hrs.

Riveting together FWD lower fuselage

Cowl attach plates

Unibit used to enlarge hole

Rudder support channels separated and dimpled

Start forward lower fuselage

 Today was a days of oops. I have learned that you have to read and re-read the instructions and even then sometime I do something in the wrong order. On page 22-02 the instructions can be very confusing as the instructions and pictures show many things. The thing I did wrong today was attached the nutplates to the fwd fuse skin to soon. The rivets were easily removed, but it sure wasn't nice to waste time on a step too early.  Lesson: maybe read another time.

Given that some progress was made. The nutplaes were attached to the tunnel ribs and the engine mounts were placed.

Time: 2.25 hrs.

Machine countersink fwd fuse skin

Machine countersink cooler stiffener

Nutplate attached to tunnel ribs

Nutplates attached to FWD fuse skins (mistakenly done at this time)

Riveting engine mount brackets

Step floor / baggage bulkhead.

Had the help of B today.  We riveted the step floor and baggage bulkhead. During these steps part of the autopilot brackets were installed.

Time: 1.25   hrs.

Riveting step floor

Riveting baggage bulkhead

Clecoing autopilot brackets

Auto pilot brackets

Facet pump bracket

Step attach angle install

The step attach angles were installed along with the bulkhead. Instructions state that the steps can be added at any time during the install, so I have elected to wait until later in the build.  Bushings were placed.

Time: 1 hr.

Riveting step attach angles

Riveting bulkhead

Interior view after riveting step attach angles.

Step angle bracket / step floor nutplate a

 Worked today on the step attach angles. It involved cutting and match drilling the step attach angles and leveling the step to match drill the hole for the step.  The angles required priming, so while the primer was setting I moved forward and attached nutplate to the step floor and the baggage bulkhead.

Time: 1.5 hrs

Match drilling step attach angles.

Match drilling step hole

Priming step attach angles

Nutplates on Step floor

Nutplates on step floor

Nutplates on baggage bulkhead

Finish bottom skin

Bottom skin was completed today. Lots of rivets.  The stiffeners and doublers were placed while riveting the bottom skin. The step attach angles and nutplate brackets were then cut and prepared. Nut plates were attached to the brackets.

Time: 2.75 hrs.

Bottom skin clecoed

Bottom skin riveted

Step attach angles and nutplate brackets