March, 2002 March 1, 2002 - 2.5 hours
Finished installing the platenuts on the right wingtip. Now all that tip needs is the lights and the lense cover.
March 2, 2002 - 6 hours
Started fitting the left wing tip. Vern came over and helped me make a couple of layups on the fiberglass tail pieces. It really helps to see it done once, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be
The rudder tip was too long to fit the rudder so Vern helped me trim the back off of it and rebuild the back. This is a shot of the first layup.
Another layup and the rudder tip is starting to look like the original. A little filling and sanding and it'll be as good as new.
March 3, 2002 - 5 hours
Did a couple more layups on the tips of the HS and elevators. While waiting for the shop to warm up and layups to cure I finished the rib and platenuts on the left wingtip.
This is the mess of bondo that I used to hold the plat to the HS tip. This is to keep it the right shape after it is removed so the fiberglass can be layed up on the inside.
Here is the HS tip with a few layups of glass in it.
A little filler and some primer and that'll look pretty good.
March 4, 2002 - 1 hours
Sanded and formed a couple of the empennage tips that I had layed up before. It was too cold to attempt any mixing of resin.
March 6, 2002 - 2.1 hours
Unpacked all the fuselage parts, and started the inventory. There is a bunch of stuff in that box.
Parts of the fuselage. I just thought there was a bunch of stuff in the wing kit.
March 7, 2002 - 2 hours
Finished the inventory of all the fuselage parts and started storing them away.
March 14, 2002 - 2.1 hours
Finished fabricating all of the pieces needed for the firewall. Deburred all the firewall pieces and started drilling it all.
March 15, 2002 - 2.2 hours
Finished drilling out all the holes in the firewall.
All the firewall parts clecoed to gether (except for the recess).
March 16, 2002 - 3.75 hours
Dimpled and countersunk all the holes for the firewall. Etched and primed the aluminum parts of the firewall.
March 17, 2002 - 2.6 hours
Riveted together most all of the firewall except for the aux fuel pump doubler plate. I messed it up and will have to rebuild it.
Finished firewall excpet for the recess which is left out for access to the rudder pedels and the little fuel pump dubbler plate that I will come back to later. (I don't want to have to mix a batch of primer just for that little plate)
March 18, 2002 - 1 hours
Started putting the center section together. I started out by drilling the holes for all the snap bushings.
March 24, 2002 - 1.5 hours
Drilled, deburred and started riveting parts to the center section.
March 25, 2002 - 2.1 hours
Finished riveting the side pieces to the center section. Drilled and trimed the control column mounts and made the little spacer tubes for the center section.
Here's a picture of the spacer bars installed. Notice the flush side of the rivet is forward. If it was the other way it would interfere with the wing spar.
These are the control column mounts. The area that is removed is for weight savings and the tape was there to keep aluminum trimmings out of the bearing.
March 27, 2002 - 1.6 hours
Installed all the platenuts on the center section bulkhead and started preparing the cover support ribs to go on the center section.
March 29, 2002 - 2 hours
Finished up the center section bulkhead and started getting parts ready for the F-705 bulkhead.
Forward Side of the F-704 Center Bulkhead Assembly
Aft side of the Center Section Bulkhead
The center section is temporarily assembled with some fake wood spars for spacing.
March 31, 2002 - 7.5 hours
Fabricated all the little seat brace parts of the F-705 as well as the rear spar attach bars. Drilled and deburred all the bulkhead parts and primed all the parts.
I used a piece of angle iron and one of the particle board cut outs from the emp jig as a bending jig for the seat brace.
