Jul 08, 2023     Tunnel access panel finish up - (1.2 hours)       Category: 28: Fwd Fuse

Finally go around to finishing up the tunnel access. I was putting it off a bit because I really don't like #8 plate nuts. I dimpled the ears then straightened them back out a bit. Then cleco'd one ear and installed the #8 screws. Then riveted the other ear. They all came out really good, happy with the results. Riveted the reinforcement ring to the tunnel rib and screwed in the cover plate. Done.

  Apr 30, 2023     28-14 & 15: Fwd fuse finish up - (6.8 hours)       Category: 28: Fwd Fuse

Finally got a chance to prime the final few parts to close out this section. Assembled the fwd seats with a lot of plate nuts.

5/1: before I turned in last night I noticed an error that I made weeks ago. The side skin support has a joggle that is supposed to go behind the bulkhead flange. Seems obvious but I had installed it with the joggle still on the outside. Today I decided to drill out all the rivets in the bottom of side skin support and try to bend it back into place. Got all the rivets out without too much trouble but there was no way it would bend into place. The tip flange of the side support has a relief notch in it but the bottom does not. I decide I would need to cut a small relief notch in the bottom flange too to allow it to bend. Cut a triangle with snips and then drilled the tip and smoothed it all out with a file. Was able to just bend it into place. Looks good. Bullet dodged.

5/2: got the bottom rivets on the right side redone and riveted the F1004K side pa els in place. Flipped the fuselage over to tackle the other side.

5/3: drilled out the left side and fixed the side support skin, then cleco'd everything up for riveting.

5/4; got everything re-riveted tonight. This section is finally done. Shouldn't have been that much work. Just took a while.

  Apr 22, 2023     28-13 & 14: Riveting bottom skin to spars - (4.5 hours)       Category: 28: Fwd Fuse

Did a little prep work throughout the week and then today finally got the wife to help me rivet the bottom skins together and to the center bulkhead spars.

Moved on to countersinking the seat pans and associated pieces.

4/22: permanently installed and torqued bolts for the forward seat support bulkhead parts. Had my first passenger as I was comfortable letting Everett sit in the back seat.

Crappy weather today so didn't get to prime.

  Apr 15, 2023     28-9 thru 28-11: More forward fuse assembly - (8 hours)       Category: 28: Fwd Fuse

Started this morning with back-riveting the forward fuselage ribs onto the bottom skin. Had a little help from Everett with setting rivets and taping them in place. Was able to back rivet all except the short "-D" ribs which are C channel shaped and needed to buck. Temporarily clecod the firewall and tunnel ribs in place to support the assembly and my wife helped me get the 6 or so rivets on each side. Back-riveted the seat support bulkhead pieces to the skin with the exception of a few that had to buck, but was able to get those myself. Back-riveted the systems support brackets in place.

Time to join the firewall permanently to the front skin. I used 3M Firestop caulk along the bottom flange of the firewall to skin and also used it to fill the gaps in the corner of the firewall recess.

4/16: big day today. Wife helped me rivet the tunnel ribs to the bottom skin then I finished a few of the rib tab rivets myself. Time to join the fuse halves together. I got the front propped up on a crate about the height of the rear, which was on the cradle. Then pulled them together and installed the spacers with some hardware store bolts. All lined up pretty well.

Cleaned up the shop and then permanently installed the heater controls boxes in the firewall.

  Apr 10, 2023     28-11: Forward fuse assembly - (2.2 hours)       Category: 28: Fwd Fuse

All the parts are primed so began assembly this evening after work. Dimpled the systems brackets and the bottom holes of the forward fuse ribs. Installed the nut plates on the seat supports. I'm short a nut plate and short AN426D4-5 rivets. Ordered some from Spruce.

Riveted the side brackets on the center fuse ribs and riveted the seat support brackets to the seat frames. Riveted the nut plates to the floor panels.

4/15: parts arrived from ACS today and was able to squeeze the final rivets in the seat support bulkheads and finish the fuel flow bracket.

  Apr 08, 2023     28-4 thru 28-10: Forward fuse work - (12.5 hours)       Category: 28: Fwd Fuse

Just a little work here and there over the last week. Haven't really been logging well. I got the seat supports assembled and fabricated the control support angles. Got everything cleco'd and bolted together just to see how it fit. Confirmed everything was already final sized and had to drill a few of the #12s.

This morning I fit the floor plates and then took everything apart. Installed the mid fuse spar and match drilled the holes for the tunnel ribs. I skipped 28-9 which would have temporarily joined the front fuse to the back since there was nothing left to match drill or final drill. Then proceeded with countersinking all of the seat supports and the bottom of the spar.

Smoothed out the landing gear elliptical holes and then marked and cut the radius on the 1049K sidewall.

Then deburred everything. Ready for priming.

4/9: was planning on flying today but overcast sky. Perfect for prepping and priming. Got all the fuse forward parts done.

  Mar 30, 2023     28-2: Starting on forward fuse - (4.5 hours)       Category: 28: Fwd Fuse

Just a little light work during the week. Removing vinyl and deburring some of the front seat support parts.

4/1: prepped and primed the seat supports and some miscellaneous parts.

4/2: installed the nut plates and assembled the forward seat supports.