Apr 16, 2024     Tail light, and the wiring, bonded and riveted the firewall. - (10 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Finished up the tail light fairing and strobe light wiring. Hooked up fuel pump, and associated plumbing. Finished the firewall and bonded and riveted to the fuse. installed the lower exhaust tunnel, placed insulation on the backside of the firewall.

  Apr 12, 2024     Install ELT, build shelf for ELT, Rivet bottom skins - (20 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Built a shelf for the ELT, fabricated a doubler for the ELT antenna, installed the wiring and riveted in the baggage dividers. Also ran the wiring for the rear light/strobe to the cockpit.

  Mar 20, 2024     Trimed Flaps, install belly skin, install auto pilot servos - (8 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Installed flaps, and trimmed the ends to match the fuselage, then cut the flap angle bracket, and riveted the end flanges, and brackets to the flaps. Then installed the belly skin with the polysulfide compound, and rivet to the fuselage. Installed the control box, autopilot servos, and the transponder antenna.

  Aug 01, 2023     Finishing the Fuselage - (8 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Finished dimpling the side skins and the bottom skin for flush rivets. Clecoed the skins and cheeks to the fuse, and when the gear arrives I'll be able to move it to the other garage and start the spars to build the wings.

  Jul 26, 2023     Miscellaneous assembly of fuselage parts - (8 hours)       Category: Fuselage

While I'm waiting for my landing gear and a few other items, I installed the bearings in the wing bell-cranks, assembled the control rod heim joints, and bushings. Cut, drilled, and built the flap handle, then installed the rest of the flap control system. Installed the throttle/mixture control, and the trim lever. Cut the 2" dia. tube that supports the folding wing , and installed the U-joints for the folding wing option, as well as locating the wing tripods on the sides of the fuse. Built the Control Box (still waiting for the 2 main bearings) and assembled the nylon stop, the bearings for the control stick, and attached all of the hardware so that it will be ready when I can install it. Built the tailwheel control, just need to re-mount the rudder to finish it.

  Jul 20, 2023     Install 2 wiring bulkheads in firewall - (6 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Installed the bolts to join the tail cone to the fuselage, which now makes it one piece. Installed two stainless wiring bulkheads in firewall, finished up the trim tab lever, and throttle quadrant. Plumbed the brake master cylinders to the installed reservoir.

  Jul 13, 2023     The Tail Cone (TC) meets the Fuselage (F) - (6 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Finished the side air vents, and rearranged the garage to join the TC with the F. Leveled both pieces, joined them, and will drill the holes to bolt the two together.

  Jul 09, 2023     Air Vents Install - (4 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Layed out holes for a set of Van's RV side vents. I was thinking about moving them 4 inches forward of this location, but now that my seat is in it would have been too far forward to operate. These are very reasonably priced and will work quite well I believe.

  Jul 07, 2023     Finished the radio panel cover, and built seat, and installed rudder pedals. - (8 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Applied the former for the top panel on the firewall, and similar on the Instrument panel. Assembled the seat, and installed. I got in and set up the rudder pedals, and brakes to my liking.

  Jul 03, 2023     Install cheeks, Exhaust tunnel, joggle strip - (4 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Finished the cheeks, installed the joggle strip for the cowling, then flipped the fuselage over re-installed the bottom and side skins, and installed the formers for the exhaust tunnel.

  Jul 02, 2023     Fuselage Skins - (8.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Attached Left and Right side fuselage skins. Drilled all holes #40, Installed wing, gear and side stiffeners, map box, firewall, and side cheeks. Cheeks still need to be trimmed, and both panels need to be up drilled. Firewall needed quite a bit of massaging to fit properly, I'm not too happy with the way that was designed, as there is no way to make it perfectly flat due to the fuselage construction.

  Jun 29, 2023     Started the skin application on the fuselage       Category: Fuselage

Centered and clamped the bottom skin to the fuse, drilled #40, installed the bottom stiffeners, fuel box, and a few other misc. parts. Placed the side skin on the fuse to get ready to drill #40.