Weeks 131-178: Lots of stuff...

I have not updated this is a long time, but I have been making progress.

I have the windows trimmed to fit the fuselage and door openings. On the first attempt I made a template and then used that to rough cut the window using a dremel cutting wheel. Then I fine trimmed it with a grinding wheel to fit the opening exactly. I started with the left fuselage window and found that the lines put on by the factory were pretty accurate. On the right fuselage window I cut outside those lines to start with and then trimmed to make it fit exactly.

When I tried the same process on the left door window I discovered that the factory's lines were not very accurate and that I had over-trimmed that window. I ordered a replacement, which came with a clear backing film instead of the opaque one that the originals have. This let me temporarily mount the window over the opening and mark where it needed to be cut. It was still an iterative process to get it exact, but I manage to not screw that one up. On the right door window I peeled back enough of the film so that I could use the same process. I put clear tape on the exposed part of the window to protect it. On the front windscreen I used the same general process, but slowly trimmed the outside so it fit correctly on the fuselage.

Another significant task was getting the wheel pants done. These are all two parts that had to be match drilled. I used clamps to fix them together and then match drilled the holes before installing the riv-nuts on the inside piece. I trimmed the cover parts to match the same height as the outer pieces. Then I used the marked locations to drill the mounting holes.

When I test fit the front wheel covers I realized that I had the valve stem on the wrong side. The cover has an access hole to allow the pressure to be checked or refilled, but it was on the opposite side with how my wheel was mounted. I checked the instructions and determined I just missed that detail. Fortunately I was able to use the engine hoist to lift the front end and flip the wheel around to the correct orientation.

I then started focusing on interior work. I installed the parachute and rocket tube, but recently there was a service bulletin to remove the foam padding from the parachute installation. I need to go back and do that, but everything is still accessible. I also cleaned up the floor and made sure all the wiring was secured properly so that I could install the floor skins. Then I fit the interior panels and match drilled the holes so I could install the riv-nuts on the skins. I also used a hole saw to cut out the holes for the rear air-vents.

Midwest panel builders supplied me with a template to use to trim the dash panel and drill the electrical panel mounting holes. That made that task very easy. With the dash and instrument panel temporarily installed, I determined how I was going to setup the air vent controls. Instead of using the factory parts I decided to use pull knobs that I got on aircraft spruce. These also have labels to indicate that pulling them opens the fresh air intakes. While the air vent valve is still accessible I installed the bolt that will catch the control cable. This was still a little bit of a challenge due to the tight spaces, but I ended up using a cotter pin to hold the bolt in place while I fit the nut on.

One of the remaining big tasks I had was to finish the oil and cooling systems. First I mounted the oil cooler and radiator to the lower cowling. Then I was able to install the lower cowling and run all the required hoses with heat protection anywhere they are near an exhaust portion of the engine. I have everything firmly connected except for the connections to the oil cooler and radiator. I will remove those before I have the aircraft painted. One minor issue I ran into was that I didn't see a way in the instructions to connect the cooling lines on the engine side of the firewall to the lines going to the heater. I just ordered a couple of aluminum hose couplings and used those along with the kit supplied hose clamps.

Finally I did a little more interior work, installing the center console and working on the control sticks. I decided to paint these with a color that I think will compliment the upholstery. Most of the center console should be covered by carpet, but in case parts are not I think this will still look good. I used the same paint on the control sticks as well so those will not have to be painted later.

With the center console and inside seat rails installed I was able to temporarily mount one outer rail using clecos installed from the bottom (these will not be permanently installed until after the wings are attached). This let me temporarily install a seat which let me judge how much to trim the control sticks. I also found that I needed to adjust the elevator control rods so that the forward position of the stick didn't hit the control panel.

I have also recently found a hangar. This is a big relief since it has been much harder that I expected. I will be in a shared hangar with other experimental aircraft enthusiasts, so I am looking forward to that! I am also hopeful that those connections will also help me find a painter so I can get that process done and move on to assembly.