Jul 18, 2022     Cockpit Work Platform       Category: Fuselage

The temporary seat I made is good, but I needed something WITHOUT the back so I can crawl under the panel to work on the fuel system. This is the result, it has legs underneath it so it sits close to level and bears on the SEAT cross-member, NOT on the relatively flimsy rear spar carry through. I can stick my legs down the tailcone and get well under the panel. I wish I was younger sometimes.

  Jul 04, 2022     Temporary Seat       Category: Fuselage

The Sonex seat is very light, very clever, and very much a PITA to install and remove. I need the wings on and off and on this airplane before it flies, so I have no desire to put the seat in at this time, but it's also a PITA to try and work in the cockpit without one. This temporary version is 1/2" ply bottom and 1/4" back, with a Hardware Store piano hinge at the junction. The foam "tractor seat" makes it bearable to sit on.

  May 01, 2022     Belly Skin is on Category: Fuselage

Finished riveting up the belly skin last month. Spent the day today updating the plans, with the revisions from circa 2001 until now.

  Mar 20, 2022     Still on the belly skin       Category: Fuselage

Riveted most of the belly after about 2 hours of struggle getting the machine screws in the tail where the cross tie joins the lower longerons. The picture shows the ONLY access. The screwdriver is at the head of the screw.

  Mar 06, 2022     Aft fuselage belly skin Category: Fuselage

I started about 2 weeks ago fitting the aft fuselage belly skin, after finishing the repairs to the dent in the turtledeck. The pre-drilled skin did not match up 100% with the structure, and I needed some hardware. Today i used some long bar clamps to tweak the fuselage a little bit to get the pilot holes for the machine screws at the forward end line up, and drilled and reamed them to the finished size, and installed the fasteners. I fabricated the needed spacers for that end, and drilled them to suit, and riveted them in place. It was getting cold and I was tired, so I quit before finishing, and there are still some pesky fit up issues.

  Jan 23, 2022     Pulling dents       Category: Fuselage

The turtledeck got a little banged up in moving the airplane, as the clamp we improvised to keep the rolling door up was not 100% effective. This afternoon I worked on the skin. As you can see, I drilled the rivets that join the port and starboard skins, and tie them into the C-channel that forms the "spine". Since the Bottom Aft fuselage skin in not on yet, I can (barely) access the underside to "sister" the buckled "spine" - today was about persuading the skin back into alignment using a "Pops-A-Dent" glue pulling tool. It's taking some careful hammer and dolly work as well as this tool, but I'm getting there, without having to re-skin the aft fuselage or fabricate a complex insert. The hot melt glued "dolly" literally pops off the panel when you screw the center knob to the limit.

ALSO installed another inspection port cover plate.

  Jun 29, 2021     Install missing Rivets - (2 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Ryan Young found several locations on the fuselage, wings and control surfaces where rivets were missing and drilled necessary holes, deburred holes and installed rivets.

  Apr 14, 2021     Complete Replacing Short Rivets Securing Fuselage Rear Skin To Longerons - (2 hours) Category: Fuselage

Bill Lawrence completed replacing short rivets securing fuselage skin to longerons.

  Apr 13, 2021     Continue Drilling Out and Replacing Short Rivets In Fuselage Skin - (6 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence continued drilling out and replacing rivets securing the fuselage skin to the longerons that were too short. Did about 70 today. About 25 left to finish tomorrow.

  Apr 10, 2021     Continue Replacing Fuselage Skin To Longeron Rivets That Are Too Short. - (5 hours) Category: Fuselage

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence continued the process of replacing the fuselage rear skin to longeron rivets that were too short. The bottom row of CCP42 rivets were replaced with CCP43s on both sides. About 60 rivets were drilled out today, the holes deburred and new longer rivets were installed.The upper row with the overlapping skins will require CCP44s, which are on order.

  Apr 06, 2021     Replace Rivets Securing Fuselage Skin That Are Too Short - (4 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence identified about 220 rivets securing the fuselage rear skin to longerons that are too short. Began drilling out about 60 original rivets and replaceing them with proper length rivets. Will continue process when ordered additional rivets arrive.

  Mar 20, 2021     Fill Extraneous Holes In Fuselage Skin - (3 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence filled extraneous unneeded holes in the fuselage skin with solid rivets.

  Mar 10, 2021     Rivet Seat Sling Piano Hinge - (2 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Bill Lawrence riveted the upper seat sling piano hinge to the fuselage. Left the lower front hinge loose for access to the area beneath the seat for now. The wiring crew may not be completely finished with the autopilot servo.

  Mar 09, 2021     Finished Installing Tail Cone Rivets - (5 hours)       Category: Fuselage

While Lee Teicheira researched the Magnetron ignition concern, Bill Lawrence finished riveting the L/H side of the fuselage tail cone.

  Mar 07, 2021     Rivet A Portion of the Tail Cone Sheet Metal - (4 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence drilled, deburred and clecoed remaining holes to size. Riveted a portion of the fuselage tail cone. More to be riveted on next work day.

  Mar 03, 2021     Cleco Fuselage Tail Cone, Order Specified Rivets - (5 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence clecoed the fuselage tail cone and researched the plans to determine rivet requirements and ordered needed rivets.

  Feb 21, 2021     Paint Glare Shield - (1 hour)       Category: Fuselage

Lee Teicheira applied second coat of flat black texture paint to glare shield.

  Sep 20, 2020     Cleaning Up Fuselage Rough Edge - (1 hour)       Category: Fuselage

Ryan Young sanding and dressing rough edge on fuselage r/h front edge.

  Jun 20, 2019     ELT and Wing Tips - (9 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Secure ELT, rivet glare shield extension and fit and cleco wingtips in place.