14 SEP 15: Page 29-18 step 2:  2.25 hours

Began riveting the F-1069 side skins – can’t reach all the rivets solo – no pics.

15 SEP 15: Page 29-18 step 2, page 29-17 steps 2-3:  3.2 hours

Continued riveting the F-1069 side skins.  Riveted the mid-cabin decks to the bulkhead side channels:

19 SEP 15: Cut SoundEx, built fuse stand, page 30-2 steps 3-7, 30-3 1-6:  .75 hours

Started off this morning by building a fuse stand.  When…if….I ever get section 29 completed, I will put it on this stand to get the whole fuse lower to the ground.  It will be much easier to work on at a lower height:

I then got to cutting the SoundEx insulation.  I ordered the SoundEx a while ago and decided to forego the premade patterns that they also sell – quite expensive for basically sticky paper.  Well, I got into cutting one piece before I decided to wait and purchase the patterns.  Very difficult and time consuming to get the precise measurements of each individual floor panel.  And no matter how precise I thought I was being, the piece of insulation just didn’t fit perfectly – not good for my OCD.  So after a few days delay, I had this to work with:

Even using the patterns was a bit more time consuming than I had first assumed – most tasks are!  However, I cannot imagine the time it would have taken to get this pile without the patterns:

Then it was back to the steps.  Tight fit to squeeze into the floor to drill the mounting brackets:

Not sure how I would have accomplished this task without an angle drill:

I used the bushing from TCW to hopefully prevent the loose step syndrome in the future.  The way the instructions call for inserting the bushings is pretty JV league, so I copied a friend and fellow -10 builder – Mike Jimenez – and tapped the bushing and used a long bolt to insert the bushing into the step tube.  Tapping the bushing:

Steps complete except for final attachment.  Van’s calls for a -3 bolt, but I drilled for a -4.  Don’t have -4s long enough, so waiting for an Aircraft Spruce order (one of the zillion) to arrive.  Inside:

Outside:

20 SEP 15: Page 29-18 step 2:  3 hours

The day I’ve been waiting for forever!!  Friend and fellow builder (-14) Mike came over to FINALLY finish riveting the fuse skins – getting this done and the fuse on the lower stand is seriously hampering fuse progress.   Unfortunately, a few rivet call outs were too short and I didn’t have any -3s on hand that were long enough – ugggghhhh!  Another Aircraft Spruce order!  No pics.

21 SEP 15: Reprimed step tubes, page 29-19 8, 31-6 1-2, 31-7 2-4:  7.25 hours

As I said before finishing the skins is seriously slowing me down.  I’m trying to find odds and ends to fill the gaps until I can finish up the skins.  Reprimed the step tubes – probably should have shot them while inserted.  Have a feeling I’ll be doing this again after final install:

Final installed the vent door assemblies:

Moved onto the upper forward fuse.  Even though this will not stay on, it’s cool to see the plane this way!

I recently made one of my first big ‘component’ orders of the build – up until this point I have mostly just been plugging away at the airframe.  I really need to get serious about all the systems planning – electric, fuel, etc.  To that end, I decided on the style and location (except for one) of all the antennae.  I’ll have VHF 1 on the bottom, VHF 2 on top, stubby for transponder on wing inspection panel, VOR/GS under rudder on tailcone, and blade for ADSB under baggage floor.  Doesn’t look like $1150 laying there:

22 SEP 15: Page 31-7 steps 4-5, page 31-8 steps 1-5:  2.75 hours

Match-drilled the hand-hold doublers and all #40 holes common to the F-1071 forward fuse top skin and sub-structure.  Drilled the instrument panel attach flanges to the panel and top skin.  Drilled and dimpled nutplate holes into the instrument panel attach flanges – no pics.

23 SEP 15: Page 31-8 steps 6-11, 34-2 1-8, fan doublers, step access panels:  9 hours

Machine countersunk the rivet holes in the hand-hold doublers.  Deburred and dimpled all upper fuse sub-structure components.  Bent and match-drilled the baggage door frame to the door skins:

Finished by making some doublers for fans I’ll be installing in the upper fuse skin and access panels to install into the floors to be able to gain access to the step bolts (hopefully never needed).  I used the panel for the stall-warning device (never installed) and used it as a template to fab a second panel:

8-9 SEP 15: Deburring:  8.75 hours

Nothing left to put together until I get some help riveting the side skins, so I worked ahead in the plans and deburred most of the remaining parts for the fuse – no pics.

10 SEP 15: Deburring, Page 42-2 steps 1-3:  7 hours

Fabricated the two F-637B-L/R angles, and four F-637C angles for the rear seat backs.  Drilled holes in both F-637A seat makes.  To make it a bit easier, I made a template to place the holes:

Continued deburring the rest of the pieces for the fuselage – really not much left at all!  I have a lot of priming to do!

11 SEP 15: Deburring, page 44-2 step 1, 33-2 5-6, 42-3 1-5, 42-4 1:  8.75 hours

Cut apart the F-1099EFG-L/R wing root fairing supports.  Match drilling the hinge onto the baggage floors to accept the rear seat backs:

Finished building the rear seat backs:

I was reviewing the plans and the structure to make sure there wasn’t anything that I by-passed that I could complete and noticed an oversite I made.  Mmmmm….something’s missing….

Luckily at this stage, I’m a pro a drilling out rivets!  A few minutes later:

Riveting back together:

Good as new; better, actually, since I now have the proper pieces installed!

12 SEP 15: Page 11-4 step 2, 11-8 steps 1-7, 11-9 step 1, deburring:  7 hours

A blast from the past.  Since I’m pretty much stalled on the fuselage until I rivet the side skins, I went back and hit a few steps on the empennage that I by-passed.  Prepped all the parts for the pitch trim system.  These brackets took longer than expected to fabricate:

13 SEP 15: Page 29-16 step 10, page 29-17 step 1, page 29-18 steps 1-2:  8 hours

Finally got back to riveting the side skins – I feel like I’ve been on section 29 forever!  Actually, I probably have been working on it for 2 months.  My friend came over and helped me shoot rivets.  We got some of the tougher ones and then I continued on solo.  Great to see it coming together and most of the clecoes gone!

Pictures don’t show it very well, but it is turning out very nicely!  The skin is perfectly smooth – gonna look beautiful someday with a nice paint job!

It’s been a while since an update.  The week before last, Tonya and I flew up to Bar Harbor, Maine and spent the week.  It was a great vacation.  I’ll post a trip report one of these days.  I was glad to get back and start making some progress on part 29.  I feel like of been on this part the entire build!

17 AUG 15: Page 31-3 steps 1-3, page 31-5  step 2, page 31-6 step 4:  1.25 hours

Riveted nutplates to instrument panel attach flange, forward fuselage ribs, control cable bracket, and instrument panel lower flange.

20 AUG 15: Page 31-7 step 1:  1 hour

Attached the F-1003B instrument panel lower flange and F-1003C-L/R instrument panel attach flanges to the F-1003A instrument panel – no pics.

21/30/31 AUG 15: Deburring, painting:  2.25 hours

Deburred parts and painted interior pieces.  This was my first time shooting urethane with my HVLP.  It turned out pretty well, but requires better prep then when just shooting primer – no pics.

1 SEP 15: Page 29-16 steps 2-3, dimpling:  3.5 hours

Riveted the F-1034B seat back brace to the fuselage bulkhead ribs, gussets, mid-fuse longerons and baggage door seal angles.  Riveted the F-1046-L/R longerons to the F-1005E-L/R gussets.

2 SEP 15: Page 29-16 steps 3-6:  4.75 hours

Riveted the upper and lower flanges of the F-1040 and F-1041 fuse channels to the upper and lower firewall brackets.  Had to remove the forward longeron gusset to gain access to squeeze the lower flanges:

Not a big deal to remove and easy enough to rivet back in place.  Was able to squeeze all the rivets; turned out pretty nice:

Riveted the F-1013 forward fuse longerons to the F-1001J longeron gussets.

3 SEP 15: Page 29-16 steps 7-9, page 29-19 step 6:  2.5 hours

Riveted the F-1042E gussets to the F-1042 bulkhead side channels and F-1040 upper fuse channels.  Riveted the lower tab on the F-1002 forward fuse bulkheads to the upper flange of the F-1041 lower fuse channels.  Riveted the baggage floor angles to the mid side skins.  Riveted the F-1096 vent doublers and vent brackets to the F-1070 mid side skins.  Skin clecoed and ready to rivet.

4 SEP 15: Page 29-16 step 10, page 29-17 step 1:  10.5 hours

Riveted the F-1070-L/R mid side skins to the fuselage assembly.  I wish there was a way to snap my finger and have all these holes filled with rivets:

Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen, so this has to:

 Right skin finished:

A long day, but got the left skin finished as well.  Pretty cool to see the fuselage coming together!