Project Log - September, 2001 
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September, 2001
September 1, 2001 - 4 hours
Fluted all of the fuel tank ribs, and riveted the platenuts to the left tank attach brackets. Started bolting the attach brackets to the left main spar.

Here are the fuel tank attach brackets bolted to the wing spar.

September 2, 2001 - 6 hours
Lined up and drilled the T-702 baffle to the tank attach brackets and ribs. Mounted the skin on the tank assembly and drilled all of the holes in the tank skin. Drilled and clecoed the stiffeners to the fuel tank skin. Countersunk the holes where the skin attaches to the baffle.

Fuel tank stiffeners drilled and clecoed to the skin.

Trial fit of the skin to the baffle and spar. I put a couple of the ribs in to make this easier.

Here are the fuel tank ribs clecoed to the tank baffle. I had to remove the wing leading edge to get those clecos in on the last outboard rib.

The tank is starting to come together. BTW that craddle doesn't work very well. The 2x4 is in the way.

September 3, 2001 - 5 hours
Fabricated the T-405 tank attach angle and cut out the T-410 reinforcement plates. Predrilled the cpacative fuel sender plates to the ribs and trimed the plates for the proper clearance. Drilled the access plate reinforcement plate to the inboard rib and drilled and clecoed the filler cap and drain flange to the tank skin. Started modifying the number two fuel tank rib for the inverted fuel pickup.

Fuel filler cap drilled and clecoed to the tank skin.

The newly fabricated T-405 tank attach angle with pilot holes drilled.

A very bad picture of the fuel drain flange drilled and clecoed to the tank skin.

September 6, 2001 - 3 hours
Finished the inverted tank mods to the second inboard rib. Countersunk the fuel filler body and deburred the skin and most of the ribs.

Here are the modifications that I made to the second rib of the fuel tank. The little door is there to keep the fuel from flowing backward through the rib, and the big hole is riveted closed for the same reason. This is part of the inverted fuel tank modification.

September 7, 2001 - 2 hours
Finished deburring and dimpling the fuel tank ribs. Deburred the skin.

September 8, 2001 - 4 hours
Finished deburring and dimpling all the tank parts. Modified my leading edge craddle, and built a little 10:1 balance for measuring pro-seal.

Little homemade 10:1 balance that I made from extra stiffener material. The bolt on the right is the balance adjustment. If I were to build it again I would make it a little larger.

September 9, 2001 - 4.5 hours
Pro-Seal session #1. Riveted/sealed the tank stiffeners, the fuel filler cap and the tank drain flange. I also sealed the reinforcement ring that goes inside the inboard rib with the platenuts. (What a mess!)

First session of the fuel tank Pro-sealing nightmare.

September 14, 2001 - 1.5 hours
Rebuilt the leading edge craddle and did some last minute preparation for the Pro-seal nightmare that is to begin tomorrow.

I rebuilt the leading edge craddle because the last one didn't work well. There was not enough room to get clecoes in and out of the forward-most holes. This one works much better.

September 14, 2001 - 7 hours
Pro-sealed all of the ribs into place in the fuel tank. Surely 1 hour per rib is a little much but that stuff was curing pretty fast and I had to mix up a batch for each rib. It's still hot in Houston.

September 17, 2001 - 0.75 hours
Installed and wired up the capacative fuel senders in the left tank.

September 19, 2001 - 1 hours
Installed the fuel vent and fuel pickup tubes and fittings as well as the little BNC connector for the fuel sender. Drilled, countersunk or dimpled the holes for the platenuts on the T-423 attach plate.

Inboard bay of the left fuel tank. This tank has the inverted fuel tank modifications.

Capacative fuel sender plate. Notice the purple masking tape, this keeps the Pro-seal away from where the baffle will have to seal.

Outboard bay of the left fuel tank.

September 23, 2001 - 5 hours
Finished closing the left fuel tank. Maybe I'll have time to forget how much I hate Pro-seal before I get to the right tank. Cleaned up the shop getting ready to go back to work on the wing.

Modification that I made to the cheapest rivet puller that I could find. This is to allow me to get into those Z-brackets that attach the tank to the spar.

Finished fuel tank. I haven't pressure tested it yet.

September 24, 2001 - 1.75 hours
Drilled (I thought I already did that) deburred, and dimpled the leading edge skin.

September 25, 2001 - 1.75 hours
Deburring and dimpling wing skins and ribs.

September 30, 2001 - 3 hours
Deburring and dimpling wing skins and ribs.

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Disclaimer:
This web site and the infomation contained within it are for entertainment purposes only. The opinions expressed on construction techniques are my opinions only and should not be confused with proper construction techniques. There is undoubtedly more than one way to build an airplane and some methods that I use may or may not work in any given circumstance. If there is any question please call the kit manufacturer. I love to help but I am not responsible for the misuse of any information contained on this web site.

 February 3, 2021
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