 | Project Log - January, 2003 |
|
|
| ||||||
|
Home Project News January 20, 2021 Project Log Empennage Horizontal Stabilizer Vertical Stabilizer Rudder Elevators Rudder II Wing Kit Wings Fuel Tanks Ailerons Flaps Fuselage Kit Bulkheads Aft Section Foreward Section Top Fuselage Cabin Finish Canopy Cowling Electrical Firewall Forward Fuel System Engine Baffles Misc Miscellaneous Fiberglass Assembly Panel Finishing Up! FAQ Project Notes Project Summary Guestbook Other Stuff | I worked on the fuel system today. I am trying to get that done so I'll know where I can run wires through the floor cover. There are a lot fittings that get added to the system when one decides to go with an AFP fuel injection system. I actually enjoyed running the tubing. Now if I can just figure out how and where to mount the flow transducer. I built a little bracket for mounting the FlowScan fuel flow transducer to the floor in front of the fuel pump and filter assembly. I also worked a little bit more on fuel tubing. I also put the exhaust back on temporarily so that I will be able to check some clearances tomorrow. Worked on the wiring a little more. I got most of the SD-8 alternator wiring done. Put in the small wire that goes to the alternator and spent some time securing wire with Adel clamps. Riveted the mounting bracket for the FlowScan fuel flow transducer to the floor and installed the transducer. Finished the fuel return line connection to the firewall.
Finished the starter cable, and played around a little with how I am going to run the wires through the little tunnel in the center of the floor.
Took the Prop out of the box. It's a thing of beauty. I put it up on the work bench where I could get to it and started building the rear spinner bulkhead which is two parts riveted together but the hard part is cutting the strange shaped hole to fit around the prop.
Primed the spinner bulkhead parts, and riveted the rear spinner bulkhead together. Then I mounted the bulkheads on the prop and made a template to trim the cutouts on the spinner. I used the template to cut the spinner. It took some time but it came out okay. I still need to trim the cutouts a little bit more but for now I just wanted to make sure that I wouldn't have to space the bulkheads any to get it all to work. When all that was done I mounted the prop to the engine. It is possible to do this alone but I won't do it again.
I drilled the hinges that go along the top of the firewall that will eventually hold the top cowling half on.
Started fitting the front of the two cowling halves together. Looks like there's going to be lots of sanding. I trimmed and sanded the top cowling half trying to get it to fit just right. The front flange seems to have a problem. It is tilted forward at the top and it looks like about a 1/4" is going to have to be removed or added to get it to fit.
I drilled a hole at the bottom of the pilot's control stick for a grommet to pass the wires through from the stick grip.
I fit the bottom cowling on temporarily just to get a better feel for what it is going to take to get this whole thing to fit right. After much head scratching and sanding I have decided that the top cowling won't fit as is and I am going to have to cut it. Now how am I going to do that? Okay I think I figured out how to get this thing to fit. I'm going to cut it toward the bottom of the flange and move the bottom forward and then fiberglass it from the back. Today I spent a bunch of time getting it all back together. Then I made the cut and got it all positioned and ready to glass.
All I did tonight was fiberglass over the cut in the top cowling.
I sanded off the bondo that was holding the top cowling together and then I mixed up a batch of SuperFil and filled the crack.
I still hadn't ever gotten around to finishing the brake installation on the main gear. So I spent some time tonight getting all the parts made and putting the rest of the main gear parts together. Sanded the filler that I put in the cut on the top cowling. Drilled the top cowling to the hinge at the firewall and started fitting the bottom cowling.
Drilled the hinges that attach the bottom half of the cowling to the bottom of the fuselage and started fitting and sanding the bottom cowling half. I put a little bit more filler up front where I had to cut the top cowling.
I trimmed the back of the lower cowling half and drilled the bottom of the cowling to the hinges. I spent a lot of time fitting and sanding.
More sanding on the bottom half of the cowling and I managed to get the hinges on the side drilled.
I think I managed to install and remove the top cowling a hundred times today, but I think they fit pretty well. I drilled one of the hinges along the horizontal seam to the bottom cowling half.
Finished drilling the hinges along the seam between the top and bottom halves.
Started on the engine cooling baffles. I managed to get the four pieces that make up the side walls trimmed and fitted.
Worked on the rear baffles a little bit. The one on the left doesn't fit well at all and I am having a hard time figuring out exactly how it is supposed to go in there.
Finished trimming the left rear bulkhead and started on the right inlet floor. Smeared some Super-fill on the top cowling to help fix the misalignment.
Drilled holes in the axles for the cotter pins, and installed the brake calipers.
I worked on the right front inlet some more and once I had it all drilled I started working on the right one. More trimming and tweaking on the baffles. Still more trimming and tweaking on the baffles. I have most of the forward right part trimmed and I am starting on the left side. I'll have a lot of riveting to do once I get them all to fit right. I'm pretty much finished fitting the front parts of the baffles. Now all I need to do is get the back parts tweaked and then I can start trimming them to fit the top cowling.
Finished trimming the rear baffle parts so that they would fit just right over the top of the engine. I drilled the hole in the rear baffle sections to the crankcase bracket. I also added a piece of angle to the right rear section instead of the bent flange that comes with the part.
Started trimming the baffles to fit the top cowling.
I just about have the baffles trimmed to fit the cowling now. They still need a little tweaking in the area around the inlets though and I am right at 3/8" all the way around so I may have to carve on them a little bit more. I discovered that I need to have the inlet ducts epoxied to the cowling before I can finish fitting the baffles so I went ahead and did that so they cure overnight. Trimmed on the inlet ducts of the top cowling to get them to fit the baffles. I couldn't decide whether to trim the cowling or the baffles so I trimmed the cowling to see how that works out. If not it's easier to add fiberglass than to add aluminum. I also did some more work on those areas of the top cowl that have to be enlarged to fit the bottom. I layed a couple of layers of glass cloth over the filler that I had put on previously.
Spent most of the evening scratching my head. I am having trouble figuring out how to seal the baffles to the inlet ducts. I think I'm gonna do some more fiberglass on the ducts but for now I'm going inside to look at other's websites. I layed up a couple of fiberglass parts for the top cowling. I am closing off the inlet ducts. I made the other two parts of the inlet ducts tonight. I also realized that I left my digital camera in Littlefield so I am taking pictures the old fashioned way. I really wanted to show how I am closing off these inlet ducts so I will probably scan them when I get the film developed. |
