Jun 26, 2023     Review XNB-F06 - (2.5 hours) Category: Cockpit

Review and plan glare shield installation.

  Jun 21, 2022     Reinstall Controls - (1.4 hours)       Category: Cockpit

Reinstallation of spoiler control pulley brackets and fuel bulkhead fitting.

  Aug 21, 2021     Prep for primer - (1.1 hours) Category: Cockpit

Removed rudder pedals, throttle/mixture controls, through lines and fittings for brakes, spoiler pulleys and brackets. Vacuumed and wiped down forward cockpit with acetone.

  Jul 31, 2021     Finish Spoiler Controls Mount - (0.5 hour) Category: Cockpit

Finished back-riveting the vertical attach bracket to the spar tunnel with my nephew Chase. The bottom rivet was difficult to set squarely due to interference with the rivet gun.

  Dec 12, 2020     Glare shield to firewall fitup - (3.2 hours)       Category: Cockpit

Purchased four SNB F07 09 firewall angles (2 spares). When fitting pre-drilled holes to the existing firewall holes (factory drilled as QB kit), it was found that when starting at the top half, the holes aligned well, but the lower half did not. The misalignment with the previous firewall angles demonstrated the misalignment. The angles were cut in half, which allowed the top and bottom halves of the angle rivet holes to align.

  Nov 14, 2020     Rudder and brake bolts - (0.7 hour)       Category: Cockpit

Replaced bolts on brake cylinders with appropriate sized AN-4 drilled with castle nuts.

  Sep 19, 2020     Paint Instrument Panel - (0.5 hour)       Category: Cockpit

Painted two of the three instrument panel cover segments with yellow acrylic paint over the previously applied self-etching primer.

  Feb 10, 2020     Begin Tank Vent Relief on Glareshield - (0.5 hour)       Category: Cockpit

  Feb 10, 2020     Spoiler Pulley Mount Assembly, XNB-C06-10 - (2.3 hours) Category: Cockpit

Made pulley assembly from drawing XNB-C06-10. Substituted two 0.125" spacers made from angle for the 0.25" thick -13 spacer. Substituted AN-3a bolts for AN525 machine screws.

  Oct 26, 2019     Glare Shield Prep - (1.1 hours)       Category: Cockpit

To prepare the cockpit for glare shield/fuel tank, the Peter Anson (http://www.ansoneng.com/sample-page/products-summary/fresh_air_intake/) air vents were removed. One vent had broken the 3D printed mount holding the open/close nut. Removed center control stick to provide room for the fuel cell.Drilled out port side rivets on glare shield angle, as riveting the glare shield with the angle attached to the firewall doesn't permit riveting the glare shield to the angle. Will rivet angle to glare shield and then rivet the angle to the firewall.

  Aug 17, 2018     Begin Tank Vent Relief on Glareshield - (0.5 hour) Category: Cockpit

Opened hole to 1", filed and deburred relief notch for fuel tank vent in glareshield.

  Jul 07, 2018     Pilot Side Seat Pan Nutplates, XNB-F08 - (4.5 hours) Category: Cockpit

Install nutplates for fastening the pilot side seat pan. Seat pan removable to allow installation of remote radios and transponder.

  Jun 20, 2018     Spar Tunnel, Seat Attachment - (2.5 hours) Category: Cockpit

Alternating pattern of rivets and #8 screw along width of spar tunnel. Rivets secure tunnel edge while the tapped holes provide for removable seat pans. Plan to locate remote radios and transponder under seats.
May need nutplates installed along seat rear at 1" angle and fiber nuts inside spar tunnel in the front.

  Jun 20, 2018     Seat back Install - (1.5 hours) Category: Cockpit

Used nibbling tool to rough in cutouts for control cables and wiring. Drilled and riveted top seat back hinge. Set bottom hinge rivet holes and Cleco'd in place. Could have used another 1/8" down from top.

  Jun 16, 2018     Determine Seat Pan Attachment - (1.5 hours) Category: Cockpit

Determined that the seat removal can be accomplished by using #8 screws with a tapped hole on the spar tunnel and rear spar angles. Nutplates will be used for seat support.
Using CCC-44 flush rivets in a 2-1-2 alternating pattern, with two rivets, a screw for securing the forward seat pan, and two flush rivets.
The rear seat pan will us all #8 tapped holes to secure the seat.

  Jun 10, 2018     Cut Seat Pan - (2 hours) Category: Cockpit

Cut seat pan into port and starboard sections. Trim port side to fit opening. Plan for three removable seat sections, port and starboard to conseal radios and transponder.
A center section will need to be made to replace the cutout.

  May 12, 2018     Install Seat Belt and Inertial Real - (3.5 hours) Category: Cockpit

Attached Corbeu inertial reels ( pilot red, passenger yellow) using bushing and AN5 bolts. Inboard seatbelt attachment needs to be threaded through seatpan and then bolted. Appears to not be possible to maintain seatbelt access with riveted seat pan.
Testing operation indicates additional knowledge for adjusting Corbeau inertial reals.

  Apr 28, 2018     Installation of Starboard Fresh Air Vent - (1 hour) Category: Cockpit

Starboard side took a lot less time than port. Used the HB air nibbler to carve much closer to the outline, much less work with a file.
The vents will need to be removed before installing the glare screen.

  Apr 27, 2018     Cockpit Vent - (0.6 hour) Category: Cockpit

Located the port-side Peter Anson Engineering cockpit fresh air vent to clear the spoiler control handle. Made a template by laminating Peter's dimensional drawing to a piece of foam board and cutting out the NACA outline.
Best location follows the advise on the Sonex builders board recommending as 'high and far forward as possible'.
Anson Engineering vents: http://www.ansoneng.com/sample-page/products-summary/fresh_air_intake/

  Apr 27, 2018     Install Port side Fresh Air Vent - (3 hours)       Category: Cockpit

Drilled initial forward mounting hole from inside the cockpit. Clamped template to hole, using template to drill remaining #40 holes.
Up-drilled to 1/8", deburred, used simple dimple tool to dimple skin.
Drilled #40 holes at inside corner locations. Drilled large hole in center trying several air tools to cut away material. Nibbler provided te best results.
File work, sanding and Scotch-brite finished NACA cutout.

  Apr 21, 2018     Locate Hydraulic Parking Brake Valve - (0.8 hour) Category: Cockpit

Looked for possible MATCO hydraulic parking brake (AS p/n 06-17200) , best candidate looks to replace the factory location for the master cylinder.
Bolt length is close to rubbing against fuselage skin
MATCO valve: http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/lgpages/matcoPBVALVE.php?clickkey=7491.

  Mar 25, 2018     Pilot Seat Belt, XNB-F04 - (1.4 hours) Category: Cockpit

Updrilled shoulder harness attach point to 7/16" to fit inertial reel.
Drilled 7/16" hole in seat support to fit 5/16" reamer for opening seat belt attach points.
Ordered 7/16" OD x 5/16" ID stock to make bushings for seat belt holes.

  Jan 20, 2018     Drill Landing Gear Legs at Axle, XNB-L01 - (1 hour) Category: Cockpit

Setup landing gear legs on drill press with leveling stand supporting the far end. Near end clamped in vise. Using drill marks set with axles assemblies on air-frame, drilled half way through diameter with a 1/8" HSS-Co bit. Took time to not heat the drill bit, using Boelube wax as a cutting oil. Turned leg to mark on reverse side to complete through hole. Both leg holes broke through from reverse hole near the center, resulting in centered 1/8" pilot hole through gear legs.

  Dec 16, 2017     Up-drill Windscreen Skirt, XNB-D01 - (2 hours) Category: Cockpit

Up-drilled windscreen skirt with #30 bit. Broke a bit point in fuselage. Removed several nearby rivets to provide assess to the bit tip. Backed broken tip out with needle nose after removing skirt.
Placed windscreen to observe fit with pre-drilled holes in skirt.

  Dec 10, 2017     Test Fit Windshield - (2.5 hours) Category: Cockpit

Drilled and cleco'd skirt to fuselage.

  Dec 09, 2017     Fit Canopy Skirt, XNB-D01 - (2.5 hours) Category: Cockpit

Marked the firewall contact points with blue marker to ensure visibility though the skirt holes. Fit canopy skirt to fuselage, aligning front cutout and rear to longeron. Matched drilled forward-most 3/8" bolt holes and cleco'd.
Measured 5/8" firewall overhang from plans and carried the dimension around the forward edge of the windshield skirt. Drilled with #40 through SST firewall and cleco'd.

  Dec 01, 2017     Nutplates, Secure Instrument Panel - (1.5 hours) Category: Cockpit

Used solid rivets to attach instrument panel to attach angle at rivets that were loosened during dimpling. Removed several pulled rivets that had become loose, using a small pliers to hold the back end during drilling. Used squeezer to set recessed rivets for countersunk nut plates.
Attached instrument panel to glareshield with #10 countersunk screws.

  Nov 29, 2017     Install Nutplates on Instrument Panel - (2.5 hours) Category: Cockpit

Drilled glarescreen holes to 3/16" and dimpled for funnel head screws. Drilled, deburred holes for riveting nutplates to glarescreen attach angle. Riveted several recessed nutplates in place. Found that solid rivets were more reliable in securing nutplates, as sever pulled rivets loosened and had to be removed.

  Nov 12, 2017     Fit interior ABS panels - (0.8 hour) Category: Cockpit

Removal of flashing and fit up on right side ABS parts.

  Sep 09, 2017     Pulley Cable through Seatback - (0.5 hour) Category: Cockpit

Examined interference point between cable and seatback. It would be desirable to maintain the seatback cutout resting on the lower longeron, possibly by drilling a semi-circular hole on the outboard side of the seatback to permit the cable to run without interference.

  May 20, 2017     Winshield Bow Rivets - (1.5 hours) Category: Cockpit

Cut MS20426AD6-14 rivets by 1/8" to make MS20426AD6-12. Initial riveting with C-frame riveter put marks on Windshield bow as keeping the bow square to the frame was difficult. Final technique was to set initial rivet with two hits using the C-frame, followed by 'squeezing' with 12 ton bottle jack press.

  May 14, 2017     Seat Back Top Hinge, XNB-F08 - (1.5 hours) Category: Cockpit

Cut, drilled, deburred, riveted top piano hinge. Rivets used where soft, solid Al AN rivets installed with squeezer. Alerted Sonex to the error in drawing XNB-F-08 seat back assembly. Bottom hinge should be XNB-F-08-05 hinge 1 and not -06 hinge 2.

  May 03, 2017     Fuel Tank Stop - (1 hour) Category: Cockpit

Drilled and dimpled holes in glare shield for fuel tank stop. Found that in my haste to rivet the stop angle, the angle was incorrectly facing aft. Drilled and removed rivets, faced the stop angle correctly and riveted.