PlaneBuilderBill
Well Known Member
Well, I couldn't resist....I ordered the fastback parts from Harmon. They came in last week. Not bad looking (not as good as Van's), but good enough.
I realized right off that the HRII parts weren't an exact replacement for the kit bulkheads. Anyway I cut off the bulkhead tops and got busy. The rear seatback bulkhead (the one that is bent and gives the great "chopped off" look was the closest fitting piece. All I had to do was cut off the vertical flanges on each outer side and replace them with a new one that matched the wider fuselage...easy! Then I attacked the F408 & F409 tops. This was nothing but a surgery job. The pieces were too short, so I raised them (this required adding an inch or more of extra skin mating flanges on each side). Then as you raise the piece the arched top must be cut in half, a section removed and finally a splicing plate added. All the time I was keeping the bulkheads level and even with several pieces of 3/4" x 3/4" x .125 angle from the seatback bulkhead to the F410 (the last, short bulkhead top at the empennage). Eventually I was satisfied with the bulkhead fit and I cut, drilled and finished the new outer skin...
I still had to re-install the static line that I'd allready put in and the back of the baggage compartment had to be spliced about 5" taller. (no picture of this yet).
I am very satisfied with the sheetmetal outcome. Next is the canopy frame modification and re-fitting of the canopy (may require a new custom canopy, but I've talked it over with Todd (Todd's Canopies) and he's standing ready to pitch-in and help.
I'll follow up with more pics as the next steps are completed.
Bill Freckman N369BF
Grapevine, TX
Hangar 343, T67 Hicks (D/FW Sec)
I realized right off that the HRII parts weren't an exact replacement for the kit bulkheads. Anyway I cut off the bulkhead tops and got busy. The rear seatback bulkhead (the one that is bent and gives the great "chopped off" look was the closest fitting piece. All I had to do was cut off the vertical flanges on each outer side and replace them with a new one that matched the wider fuselage...easy! Then I attacked the F408 & F409 tops. This was nothing but a surgery job. The pieces were too short, so I raised them (this required adding an inch or more of extra skin mating flanges on each side). Then as you raise the piece the arched top must be cut in half, a section removed and finally a splicing plate added. All the time I was keeping the bulkheads level and even with several pieces of 3/4" x 3/4" x .125 angle from the seatback bulkhead to the F410 (the last, short bulkhead top at the empennage). Eventually I was satisfied with the bulkhead fit and I cut, drilled and finished the new outer skin...
I still had to re-install the static line that I'd allready put in and the back of the baggage compartment had to be spliced about 5" taller. (no picture of this yet).
I am very satisfied with the sheetmetal outcome. Next is the canopy frame modification and re-fitting of the canopy (may require a new custom canopy, but I've talked it over with Todd (Todd's Canopies) and he's standing ready to pitch-in and help.
I'll follow up with more pics as the next steps are completed.
Bill Freckman N369BF
Grapevine, TX
Hangar 343, T67 Hicks (D/FW Sec)
