Apr 29, 2024     Skybolt Flanges - (4 hours)       Category: Firewall

Spent the day putting the Skybolt flanges onto the firewall. They had to be bent a certain amount (some of them, not all). I put a spacer underneath them - .032". I was able to mount the Skybolt fastener on all but two of them - I used two more than planned on the belly - 3 per side, rather than 2, so I was short two on the upper firewall. They are all clecoed in place except for the lowest two on each side. I riveted the bottom one in completely and the one above it is half riveted in ( I have to wait for the upper fuselage skin before I can do the other rivets).
Now I think I can put the engine mount back on - I had to take it off in order to attach the lower flanges.
Oh yeah, the reamer came in the mail today - except it is a #15 reamer and not a 5/16" reamer. Had to send it back.

  Apr 28, 2024     Skybolt Flanges - (2 hours)       Category: Firewall

I spaced out the flanges for the Skybolt fasteners that will go from the left side of the firewall up and over to the right side. I will use hinges for the rest of the cowling fasteners - for the left and right side lower cowling and going forward between the upper and lower cowlings. It just seemed like the Skybolts was a really good choice for the upper firewall. I drilled all of the holes in the flanges and the .032 spacer beneath them. I will need to deburr and countersink all of them and I will be able to rivet the lowest one on each side in place. I hope I didn't jump the gun in drilling all of those flanges but I think I am fine.
Kind of in a "can't do this until I do this" setup. Waiting for a carbide reamer so I can clean up the holes in the landing gear, then I can mount the engine mount. Once the aircraft is on it's feet, I can mount the antennas (couldn't do that with it on it's belly). The engine can be mounted and connections made. Once all of the wires are connected, I can test the electronics and avionics. Once they are good, I can rivet on the upper fuselage skin and the Skybolt flanges. Lots of dependencies.

  Jan 06, 2024     Heater Control - (2 hours) Category: Firewall

Put in a cushion clamp to hold the cable in the right position. Then went to the firewall side to mount the holder of the cable just before the heater valve. Did the holes and put in nut plates. When I went to connect the bolts to the nut plates, they didn't line up so I used one bolt through the nut plate and then removed the second nut plate, enlarged the hole, and used a standard washer and nut. No access issues.

  Jan 05, 2024     Heater Control - (2 hours)       Category: Firewall

Removed the engine mount again. Figured out what kind of mount to build for the cable termination for the Cabin Heat control. Got it ready for nutplates.

  Jan 04, 2024     Cushion Clamps - (1 hour)       Category: Firewall

Set up two cushion clamps on the right side of the engine mount.

  Jan 03, 2024     Engine Mount - (2 hours) Category: Firewall

One of the problems keeping me from being able to put on the engine mount is not being able to slide the landing gear legs in place. Today I got out the emery paper and cleaned up the ends of the landing gear struts and more importantly, the tubes on the engine mount that they slide into. I was able to get both struts in place so I put the engine mount in place.
Pretty sure it will come off again soon.

  Jan 02, 2024     Parking Brake - (2 hours)       Category: Firewall

Got some springs to try to fix the issue where the parking brake will not go all the way off but instead the cable bends. I safety wired a spring in place and now when the parking brake is released, it goes all the way off. Criticality, the spring doesn't keep it from staying on.

  Dec 29, 2023     Parking Brake - (2 hours) Category: Firewall

Finalized the location of the Parking Brake actuator - under the G3X Touch display. Mounted it there and ran the cable to the Parking Brake valve. Got the length of the cable set and attached the cable to the valve.
The Parking Brake works when you pull it out BUT when you push the control back in, at the last part of the travel, the cable bends and it doesn't go completely off. I will have to work that issue out - I think I will have to mount a return spring to pull it back off. The only concern there is that if the return spring is too strong, when you set the brake and release the knob, the spring will pull it back to the OFF position.

  Jun 28, 2023     Center section - (2 hours)       Category: Firewall

Riveted on the fuel connection doubler then attached the fuel 90�nnector.
Put some of the center section covers in place.
Put some cushion clamps in place holding the conduit along the firewall.
Put connectors on the fuel pump wiring.
Worked on the placement and gluing of the fresh air intakes.

  Jun 27, 2023     Fuel Fitting - (2 hours)       Category: Firewall

Got the doubler made. Primed and painted it. Now waiting to install it.
The kit I bought had carbon fiber plenums for the NACA vents on the forward fuselage. I had to cut a hole in the plenum and glue the outlet on. Once that dries, I will epoxy the vent to the fuselage side.

  May 21, 2023     Stiffener - (2 hours)       Category: Firewall

Riveted the F-601D-R-1 stiffener in place. Also involved riveting the WD-602-R-1 upper engine mount back into place (it was removed to facilitate the removal of the damaged F-601D-R-1 stiffener).

  May 03, 2023     F-601 Stiffener - (6 hours)       Category: Firewall

Drilled out all of the rivets on the F-601D-L-1 stiffener. Unable to remove it - didn't think I would be able to. Drilled out the rivets to remove the WD-602-L-1 Upper Engine Mount Bracket and removed it. Once that was out, I was able to pull out the 601 stiffener. I ordered it yesterday and it is already being shipped - I guess the shipping backlog at Vans has been brought up to date.
Drilled 1" holes to pass through some 45 wires. Put in stainless steel firewall pass-throughs, one on each side of the firewall near the top.
Attached the Forest of Ties to the cabin side of the firewall with a smaller one on the engine side (probably won't use any of those).
Secured the manifold to where it will remain - I will remove it to paint it red.
Secured the cabin heat air deflector.
Began process to remove the instrument panel.

  May 02, 2023     Oil Cooler Mount - (4 hours)       Category: Firewall

Spent awhile doing the final mount for the oil cooler. Pretty satisfied with it however, when I drilled the holes to mount it, one of them went through the F-601D-L-1 stiffener. I thought it wasn't a problem but I looked again at it and then took some close-up pictures. It is not going to stay on the airplane. I went in and ordered a new stiffener. I swear 1 and a half steps forward and 1 step back - this airplane will take forever.

  May 01, 2023     Oil Cooler Mount - (5 hours)       Category: Firewall

Finished riveting the doublers to the firewall. Then fitted the oil cooler mount to the mount. Had to rivet the oil cooler mount together and then apply RTV to the openings. Once that was done, I mounted the oil cooler mount to the firewall and then mounted the oil cooler to the mount.

  Apr 26, 2023     Oil Cooler Mount - (5 hours)       Category: Firewall

Working on the oil cooler mount. Decided to mount it to the firewall using screws going to a doubler on the cabin side of the firewall. Had to break the doubler into three parts because of previously installed items. Got all three doubler sections completed with nutplates. Positioned the first one in place and riveted it in.

  Feb 20, 2023     Engine Mount - (1 hour)       Category: Firewall

Drilled the last two holes in the engine mount - the bottom center two holes. All holes are drilled and the mount is on, at least temporarily.

  Feb 19, 2023     Engine Mount - (3 hours)       Category: Firewall

Drilled out lower two corners to mount the engine mount. Took awhile to get the lower left one (looking forward).