There are several small items I did between the last post and this one, mainly centering around systems routing and wiring. Sadly I am still waiting on a couple more items before I can close so I skipped ahead and completed the aileron actuators and the bellcrank assembly. I did not yet install the auto pilot servo as it will make riveting the bottom skins a little more difficult and I can instal that though the access panel later.
Once again I was able to cut the steel tube and drill all the holes with my harbor freight band saw, drill press and my Ryobi hand drill. It is quite a pain working with steel parts.
The puzzle of final assembly was pretty challenging as I primed the inside and outside of all the parts that were not already powder coated. These parts were already very snug before priming and adding the primer proved to be too much. Thus, I ended up having to remove-assemble-repaint all the parts that overlap
When you assemble the actuator in the wing root, you have to actually push the home-made tube deep into the bell crank, so yet again I had to remove and repaint the primer in the outside of the tube. Luckily this was not too difficult.
Once I got everything on I was incredibly pleased with the measurement once I put the aileron bellcrank in neutral using the jig from Van'a. Both sides were spot on perfectly 2 & 17/32 “ from the rib. Incredibly impressed once again with the accuracy of Van's parts and this time I proved to be quite accurate myself given all the different chances I had to be off if I wasn't perfectly accurate.
Now that I have finished this I am just about ready to close. I will only have the wing tips left before the finish kit awaits. It's getting closer!