After a nearly two hear hiatus from building, I got back into the shop a few months ago. I had been working and living about 40 mins away from the project, so it fell by the waysides. I quit my job so I could work full time on the plane!
Actually, I quit so I could first spent 5 months riding my motorcycle around the country and Canada! This picture from a campground from Sampson State park in New York seems fitting seems fitting:
And now that I'm back I've been able to build almost full time. I spent quite a while getting back into things--read: making mistakes, finding lost parts, etc. I'm back in the groove now and kicking butt.
What I've got done:
Blurry cellphone pictures of progress:
First I finished sealing the tanks.
But only after find a few leaks in the baffle area. Dang it! I opened one up, And the other was fixed easily with loctite.
I finished the leading edges and installed them.
I worked on the ailerons while waiting for my friends and dad to help rivet the top skins
Riveted the top skins. I found the offset back rivet tool worked fine. I'd say we messed up on about 1/100 or so rivets, which meant drilling out only a handful. We got better as we went along.
And lastly I finished the flaps:
All done:
Now I'd better find an EAA tech counselor to inspect my work. Anyone in the Bay Area?
Actually, I quit so I could first spent 5 months riding my motorcycle around the country and Canada! This picture from a campground from Sampson State park in New York seems fitting seems fitting:
![IMG_20130619_165922.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.com%2F-0XZb7u6qdXo%2FUcYCr5yN7WI%2FAAAAAAAAPzM%2FuVT-Pl_-Kzc%2Fs912%2FIMG_20130619_165922.jpg&hash=55f7b71aa7bd0254aea843761a86995b)
And now that I'm back I've been able to build almost full time. I spent quite a while getting back into things--read: making mistakes, finding lost parts, etc. I'm back in the groove now and kicking butt.
What I've got done:
- Sealed both tanks. Maybe because I left the project in the middle of the tanks, and picked things up there, I've had nothing but little issues with them. I bought new proseal and did the baffles, only to find leaks. After drilling one and loctiting the other, I still had leaks in the BNC. I replaced those with the sealed kind. I ended up using fuellube on the cork gaskets so I can get back in there at some point. I may proseal them way down the line.
- Wings. Installed the leading edges. Finished my landing light mounts. Dimpled and installed top skins. Almost done!
- Ailerons and Flaps. Completed both the flaps and ailerons! The flaps really were as easy as Vans says. The ailerons I may have messed up when I folded the trailing edge. One is perfect. One is twisted about 1/8 to 3/16s. Waiting to hear from Vans if that will be ok.
Blurry cellphone pictures of progress:
First I finished sealing the tanks.
![IMG_20131112_112442.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Flh6.googleusercontent.com%2F-F_mCkfFM-Uk%2FUoKCgVedQGI%2FAAAAAAAATyI%2FkRcEuLJq_zc%2Fs912%2FIMG_20131112_112442.jpg&hash=56580bda161af51d5af279752f1fa69b)
But only after find a few leaks in the baffle area. Dang it! I opened one up, And the other was fixed easily with loctite.
![IMG_20131202_145547.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Flh4.googleusercontent.com%2F-BU8kzwY21ls%2FUp0jpkOh3dI%2FAAAAAAAAUok%2FxXg6-WYweXs%2Fs912%2FIMG_20131202_145547.jpg&hash=5e2f89362df7d0422b400559f4b8022e)
I finished the leading edges and installed them.
![IMG_20131122_095543-MOTION.gif](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Flh4.googleusercontent.com%2F-2LJ6yM7Kcjk%2FUo_BQrvshnI%2FAAAAAAAAUH4%2FKnPeMgc0djw%2Fs0%2FIMG_20131122_095543-MOTION.gif&hash=4282c1df41c45e1b9550f293dd7aa2d2)
I worked on the ailerons while waiting for my friends and dad to help rivet the top skins
![IMG_20131230_135906.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Flh6.googleusercontent.com%2F-f9Se7FJbn84%2FUsHstNb_14I%2FAAAAAAAAVs4%2FKSCNUqNAZCk%2Fw669-h892-no%2FIMG_20131230_135906.jpg&hash=4410a10262587d939a8a05c16c318ad9)
Riveted the top skins. I found the offset back rivet tool worked fine. I'd say we messed up on about 1/100 or so rivets, which meant drilling out only a handful. We got better as we went along.
![IMG_20140103_112400.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2F-5IvllIfEGFY%2FUsc81dZBgTI%2FAAAAAAAAVv4%2FY3kuJ3BLCBk%2Fw669-h892-no%2FIMG_20140103_112400.jpg&hash=fc906a61de7fbbf2a8a750084964676b)
And lastly I finished the flaps:
![IMG_20140112_151918.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Flh4.googleusercontent.com%2F-B2qk-kC963k%2FUtMlfySu0ZI%2FAAAAAAAAV7I%2FQpXNW8vtSH4%2Fs912%2FIMG_20140112_151918.jpg&hash=51af41abdd17a7d78a96ad15e496a7c6)
All done:
![IMG_20140113_101329.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Flh6.googleusercontent.com%2F-NvhDaQAC_Qg%2FUtRIlEZmJUI%2FAAAAAAAAV8A%2F8ez9D_cZ6TE%2Fs912%2FIMG_20140113_101329.jpg&hash=c08ac9729867d417b74d9c0479d9e545)
![IMG_20140113_170907.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2F-qwU4cAkqzHo%2FUtSVIZCcaTI%2FAAAAAAAAV8g%2FfgaK_COUlRc%2Fs912%2FIMG_20140113_170907.jpg&hash=2631c231d91429fd9cefe766656be7c3)
Now I'd better find an EAA tech counselor to inspect my work. Anyone in the Bay Area?