Up in the Air

24 SEP 15: Page 31-8 steps 7 (top skin), 12-3 1-4: 5 hours

Dimpled forward fuse top skin. Jumped back to the empennage and fit the rudder fairings. I wanted to make the lower fairing removable because of the aft position light, so I installed nutplates. I used an aluminum backing strip in hopes that the nutplates do nut loosen in the future:

Took longer than expected, but I’m glad I did it. Turned out nicely:

25 SEP 15: Page 12-3 1-4, 12-2 6-9: 5.5 hours

Finished the rudder fairings. Added the backing strip to the top fairing even though it isn’t removable. Don’t think it was really necessary. Both fairings installed:

26 SEP 15: Page 30-4 1-2, 9-15 8-9, 12-2 1-5, 29-18 2, 29-20 1: 11.25 hours

Bolted the steps into the fuselage. Inside:

Outside:

Continued finishing the empanage control surfaces. Installed the elevator counterweights:

Installed the elevator fairings:

Finished riveting the fuse side skins:

Installed the left cabin floor panel. This took way longer and was more difficult than I had expected. A huge hand workout pulling all those pop rivets!

27 SEP 15: Page 29-20 step 1, 29-21 step 2: 5.5 hours

Installed the right cabin floor panel. Began to install the WD-1021-L/R-PC landing gear mounts – no pics.

28 SEP 15: Page 29-21 step 2: 3 hours

Finished installing the landing gear mounts. Boy was this fun installing all the bolts in between the spars! Nothing like leaving you mark – that’s some blood:

29 SEP 15: Page 29-22 step 1, 31-8 step 15: 3.5 hours

Riveted the F-1088-L/R forward fuselage ribs to the side skins. I am SO glad to say that section 29 is now complete!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Riveted the F-1044B, D, E, and F angles and F-1044C spacer to the F-1044A forward fuse rib:

1 OCT 15: Page 38-2 step 1-5: 3.5 hours

Deburred the F-1052 brake pedals, cut four F-1097 spacers, match-drilled and deburred the pedals – no pics.

2 OCT 15: Page 38-4 steps 1-4, drill out tail cone rivets/prime: 4 hours

Cut and fit the F-6115 pedal bearing blocks to the F-1039B bearing block mount plates. Bolted the blocks to the fuselage to test fit the pedals:

Everything lined up nicely:

So keeping the theme of going back to previous steps…I brought the tailcone back home from the hangar in prep for attaching to the fuse. First I had to correct a little issue… Back when I was riveting the tail cone, I was only priming the interior of the skins. After it was riveted together I primed the outside. While priming, I noticed some plastic in the overlap of the top/side skin that I did not remove completely. Not wanting to have the plastic in there, I had to drill out all of the rivets attaching the top skins to the longerons. Didn’t take long:

You can see the unprimed seam. In actuality, there was very little plastic stuck in the seam. But any was too much, so I’m glad I fixed this issue:

Seam primed and ready to put back together:

3 OCT 15: Page 32-2 steps 1-4, rivet tailcone, VOR ant doubler, static ports: 6.75 hours

Final drilled the F-1006A/B/C bulkheads. Made a doubler for the VOR antenna under the tail. Positioned the antenna over my dropped bucking bar ding (you can see a smaller one just forward of the antenna):

Placing the rivet holes in the doubler:

Test fit – looks good:

Outside placement looks good:

Scuffed the inside of the tailcone for the static ports:

Prosealed up:

Inserted and taped until cured:

Outside:

4 OCT 15: Page 32-2 steps 5-8, 32-3 steps 1-4, 32-4 1-8: 9 hours

Dimpled the F-1006 A/B/C bulkheads. Clecoed and match-drilled the tailcone to the fuse. Fuse is now just about the length of the garage. Probably will have to go diagonally when it comes time to hang the engine:

Match-drilling the bottom of the tailcone to the fuse:

5 OCT 15: Page 32-5 steps 1-9: 3.75 hours

Dimpled the holes in the tailcone, bulkhead, fuse skin joints. Riveted nutplates to the flange on the F-1006B bulkhead. Riveted the F-1006 A/B/C bulkheads together – no pics.

6 OCT 15: Wire run tabs: 1.25 hours

Made some tabs to eventually install inside the fuse/for wire runs. Will probably proseal them in place:

7 OCT 15: Page 32-5 steps 10-11, re-rivet tailcone: 3 hours

Riveted the F-1006B bulkhead to the F-1029 bell crank ribs, re-riveted the tailcone top skin, and clecoed the tailcone to the fuselage – no pics.

12 OCT 15: Page 32-5 steps 12-16, 34-3 steps 1-4, 34-4 1-2: 4 hours

Started riveting the tailcone to the fuse:

Marked and cut the hinge for the baggage door, deburred the door parts, and countersunk the holes in the door hinge. Marking the rivet holes in the door hinge: