Air box, air intakes, seats, prepping fuselage for paint
May 11, 2022
Climate control system - there are three valves controlled by the controller that is in the overhead - one from the shroud around the engine into the cabin and one on each side of the cockpit. There is an outlet on the firewall side so that if the air to the cabin is closed the hot air has a way to escape. The air that comes in from the engine goes into a distributor box that spits to each side of the cockpit and one hose down the middle to the back. On either side of the cockpit in the front the air from the engine is combined with air from the NACA duct via a valve to mix the hot and cold to get the desired temperature. In the back the hot air comes out from the center console and the fresh cold air comes in from overhead. That air is taken from an intake on each wing root. There was an issue with water joining the air and getting through the vents into the back, so R&D (Jono) designed an S curved piece where the water can pool (see photos below) and then be drained out the bottom of the airplane (still working out exactly where we will do that). Additionally, we are taking the outside air temperature out of that piece.
Changes to the placement of the fuel valve necessitated cutting the composite beam and putting a new structural composite piece that allows space for the fuel valve behind it
The bump on the left side of the cowl is for the external alternator. Progress on getting the top cowl cut down to size.
Getting dressed for a date with the paint booth
Airbox install - attached the hoses to the box
Reducer to the T peice
Firewall side - hose not yet attached
The mechanism on the bottom of the seats which slides on the rails are steel, and the rails aluminum, so i am filing and grinding down the rough edges so they don’t cut the rails when they slide back and forth
S water trap twice with Lear hose going down to the bottom of the fuselage
Installed - to the right it is attached to the “cowboy hat” peice that bonds to the inside of the wing root leading edge, and the hose on the left runs to the back of the aircraft
On the right the outside air temperature probe is placed inside the S peice
Had to remove the part to be able to twist the nut and install the probe.
We will ground the probe to itself as it has a mesh outer layer that goes to ground. The pipes with the tape on them are the feed and return for the fuel, and the black pump behind are the transfer pumps to transfer fuel from the extended range tanks into the main tanks
This is another airbox on the top of the dash to deliver air to the windshield to defrost/defog the windshield. It was moved a bit aft and needs sorted to still deliver to the two middle cutouts
Installing the S piece, the hoses and using a zip tie to get the best angle
Lots a grinding! Fear not - I am wearing ear protection
After making change to the interior need to repaint it so masking everting off. Ideally this would only have to have been done once but alas… modifications necessitated another spray.
Baggage door laminated to the hinge. We had to put a piece of glass over the carbon fiber to protect it form the aluminum which would have reacted to it. Still needs to be sanded down inside
Patience and fine attention to detail
This post is from Linda's Sling High Wing