Gusset install, spar carry bolts, etc: 3.4 hours

• Installed left and right gussets (used drift pins to line them up with spar), torqued and sealed bolts
• Installed twelve an4 bolts in spar carry through, torqued and sealed. (These are bolts that are left off on the quick build fuselage to give the builder the option of tricycle landing gear.)
• Worked on right forward spar cover

Left gusset and six an4 bolts installed:

Right forward spar cover:

Right gusset installed:

Pitot / aoa line bracket, forward covers, fuel fittings and misc: 7 hours

• made bracket for mounting pitot / aoa connectors for tubes from left wing
• primed and installed above bracket
• installed safeair1 elbow connectors for pitot / aoa tubes
• made left and right f-782d brackets for forward spar covers
• started fitting forward spar covers
• enlarged pre-punched hole on right side of fuselage for fuel line grommet
• enlarged hole on left side for bulkhead elbow fuel fitting for inverted fuel pick up
• installed left elbow fitting for fuel line (positioning the spacer between the skin and gear attach web took a very long time)
• did some practice fuel tube work including bending, cutting and flaring
• spent time throughout the day researching all of the above items online

Pitot / aoa line connector mounted in fuselage:

F-782D forward spar cover brackets:

Forward spar cover work:

Fuel fitting for line to inverted pickup:

Grommet for right fuel line to wing tank:

Interior view of inverted fuel pickup elbow fitting:

Wiring and pitot / aoa research: 1.5 hours

• Researched wiring plans
• Started switching out snap bushings in fuselage to a type with a larger opening to allow larger wiring bundles
• Researched pitot and aoa line routes from wing to instrument panel

No photos today.

Spar carry through and fuselage gussets: 6.2 hours

In working on fitting the fuselage gussets I found that there was some interference with the wing fit drift pins with some of the supporting sheet aluminum around the spar carry through bars. After doing some research I found that this is a common problem as the parts can shift a bit during riveting.

The fix is to very carefully enlarge the supporting aluminum sheet with out touching the spar carry through bars. This took a long time but turned out very well. I used a dremel tool to do the adjusting and some wood dowels to protect the spar carry through.

Also:

• Finished left gusset after tweaking the spar carry through
• Primed both fuselage gussets
• Did some grinding and polishing of the seat floor rib connector pieces to allow full control travel (also primed these pieces)
• Very carefully drilled and deburred two additional holes for wiring in the spar carry through structure

Fine tuning gusset and spar carry through fit:

Opening up floor rib connectors to allow full control travel:

Right fuselage gusset: 1.7 hours

• fitted right gusset using drift pins
• drilled through fuselage skin and gusset for an3 bolts
• started on left gusset

Fitting left gusset:

Misc. forward fuselage: 2.2 hours

• with Britt's help I used rivets to fill four holes relating to tricycle gear brake lines and Van's standard fuel vent (I'm using the coiled vent design that keeps the vents out of the cabin)
• worked on prepping and fitting the f-7114 fuselage gusset which in the taildragger takes the place of the main gear mount on the tricycle gear planes

No photos today

Right seat and fuel tank brackets: 1.5 hours

• riveted hinge to right seat back
• temporarily installed right seat and checked for interference with BRS parachute handle - everything fits well
• prepped and riveted left and right fuel tank attach bracket supports to the fuselage

Riveting hinge to seat back:

Checking right seat fit - looks good!

These fuel tank support brackets were a lot of work:

Fuselage stand and wing mount drift pins: 3 hours

• finished fuselage stand - mounted adjustable leveling feet and carpet to protect fuselage skin
• switched fuselage to new stand and removed the legs that were mounted in the spar carry through
• made 6 drift pins for temporary wing mounting -  these are large hardware store bolts the I cut the threads off of then tapered the ends with a grinder (also sanding and polishing, etc.)
• painted test pieces to determine the best paint for repainting the area around the rudder pedals that I had previously painted Ford Tractor Gray

New fuselage stand:

Drift pins and bolts ready to be made into drift pins:

Right seat and misc. work: 4.8 hours

• fitted right seat back to cockpit
• drilled hinge to right seat, deburred, prepped and primed
• primed fuel tank bracket parts
• started on adjustable fuselage stand to be used for mounting wings

Drilling hinge to seat back:

Fuel tank bracket work: 5 hours

• riveted left and right gear attach web to fuselage bulkhead (this is a part that is related to tricycle gear airplanes but still provides additional strength for tail draggers)
• countersunk for left fuel tank bracket screws and rivets
• fitted right fuel tank attach bracket and shims - this went much smoother and faster then the left side
• countersunk right side and deburred all holes

No photos today

Fuel tank attach bracket: 5 hours

• used the rivet gun to flatten a section of fluting where the support bracket mounts
• drilled and fitted left support angle
• I did not like the edge distance on some of the rivet holes so I remade the left support angle
• made right support angle
• made several sets of shims for the left side bracket before I was happy with them
• the right side bracket work should go faster!

No photos today