Roll bar baggage bulkhead riveted

Spent an hour this morning riveting the roll bar, and baggage bulkhead.  I also riveted the map box.  At this point I am pretty much at a stand still until I pick up the finish kit in December.  I guess I should have ordered it a little earlier, but I didn't think I would make it this far by this point.  I am waiting on installing the tail section until later in the build.

Time: 1 hr.

Roll bar riveted to base

Roll bar brace

Roll bar brace

Baggage bulkead

Map box

Side skins riveted

Guess what came from Fedex today?  My repaired rivet gun.  Sure have missed that thing.  So we went back to work on the side skins.  The rivet gun makes fast work. N, T, & B helped me rivet the side skins.  We were able to get both sides completed in less than 1 hr.

B also got to be the first one to sit in the plane and imagine flying.

Time: 0.75 hrs.

Riveting side skins

B riveting side skins

B, T, & N working on side skins

Left side 

B imagining flying

Panel base / upper FWD fuselage skin

Got a good few hours put in today working on the panel base and panel.  B and N helped me for a bit.  The panel base and canopy ribs were riveted. The oil tank bracket was riveted. Fuel sealant was placed over each rivet of the firewall and at the base of the canopy ribs as per plans.

We then worked on the upper FWD panel skin. The holes were dimpled and permatex sealant was placed on the firewall doubler along the boelube on the skin and then the skin was screwed to the doubler and canopy ribs. I sure hope enough boelube was placed. We will see when we have to remove the skin.

Nutplates were riveted to the panel attach strips and the strips were installed. The panel pieces were then screw in place.  I did have an issue with a couple screws breaking.  It seemed that some of the screws were a little difficult to get in place.  I think when we place the final panels I may need to run a screw in each nutplate beforehand to make sure that go in smoothly.

I am now waiting on the return of my repaired rivet gun (cost a little money to get fixed).  Hopefully it will be here next week and we can work on the side skins.

Time: 4.25 hrs.

Panel base and canopy ribs installed

Oil tank bracket

Oil tank bracket

Fuel sealant at base of left canopy rib

Fuel tank sealant at base of right canopy rib

Upper FWD Fuselage skin dimpled

Installing panel attach strips

Upper FWD skin installed

Panel attach strips installed

Panel installed (this are not the final ones as the final ones will come with avionics kit)

Fuel line testing goes on

After 24 hrs the pressure went down some, so I had to search out another leak.  Luckily this was easy to find as it was at the end cap I put on the return line in order to test the fuel line. I tightened it a bit and the pressure is holding at 15 psi. (In fact it held here for one week as it was a week until I could get back on the project)

Time: .25 hrs.

Pressure holding steady at 15 psi.

Fuel line testing cont.

 Well I have spent a few minutes the past several days trying to locate a leak in the fuel line.  It was a small leak as the pressure would go down some after 24 hrs. I finally located using kids bubble soap and found it at the forward connection of the FT-60.  After several attempts of unattaching, retightening, reflaring, rebending, I finally was able to get it to stop leaking.   I was about ready to give up and order a new piece of tubing, but I gave the connection a little more torque and it seemed to hold. No more bubbles.  I put the pressure at 12 psi and we will see if it holds over night.

If you noticed I purchased a new pressure gauge that would allow for better accuracy of smaller psi.

Time: 2 hr.

Smaller increment pressure gauge

Small leak at forward connection of FT-60

Pressure at 12 psi.

Fuel line testing

Finally have all the parts to test the fuel lines.  I added pressure to 20 psi and noticed a drop.  I checked all the connections and made sure they were good.  Added pressure again and it seemed to hold so we will see after 24 hrs.

Time: 1 hr.

Pressure gauge for fuel line testing

Pressure reading 20 psi