Dec 18, 2023     Week 32 - (20 hours)       Category: Firewall

The replacement insulating firewall blanket from Airtex arrived, so much of this session was devoted to installing it. Many things attach to and through the blanket, so this was not an easy job. The old blanket was used as a rough template. Holes were cut and the blanket was trimmed to fit around various things on the firewall. Installing it required a lot of time crawling up under the panels and matching screw holes through the blanket and the firewall. In the end it fit perfectly and looks great – a great improvement over the old one. Meanwhile, a new limit switch was installed on the flap motor. We also had our business meeting which set a record for length. There was much to discuss and decisions to be made. We raised our projected budget and decided to do away with the vacuum system. A pair of UAvionics AV-30s will replace the AI and DG which were removed. A trip was also made this week to East Coast Propellers in Lititz PA. We took the Cessna's prop there in hopes of having it overhauled. We got a tour of the facility which was very impressive. During the tour the shop manager described the conditions that can cause a prop to fail inspection and be condemned. A lot of what he said sounded like our airplane, so we're hoping we don't have to buy a new prop. We also brought a wing into the hangar, planning to install bell cranks etc. But after some discussion decided to wait and install them after the wings are painted.