8/06/2008 - 3 Hours

Located all parts for the firewall - this took about an hour! Formed F-601 parts to specs. Cleco'd the stiffeners to the firewall. Will form other parts next then match drill everything.




8/07-15/2008 - 12 Hours

Finished up the firewall. Here's the break down of what I did:
Fabricated the 601P spacers and 601E stiffener:

601J Fitted and then drilled:

601TD  brake line bracket and 601Z Fuel Pump doubler fitted and drilled:

Everything deburred, dimpled, countersunk and primed:

Riveting action... note the wood block which is comprised of two layers of 2x8x16" blocks screwed together with a thick metal plate on top so that I could back rivet. Spare blocks of 2x8 (2 high) to prop up the other sides worked quite well.

Finished product:


8/16-18/2008 - 3 Hours

Started working on the center section bulkhead. 1st up is locating all of the parts of course, next is either drilling holes to final size or locating the spot for holes to be drilled which will get bushings. These holes are to run wiring and such. Nothing difficult here. Cleco it together and do the normal drilling, deburring etc etc. Started on the 633R/L brackets as can be seen in the last picture.

Most of the parts:

Drilling all of the bushing holes:
 
Drilling and then deburring (also countsunk the spacers):
 
Started on the 633R/L brackets. Locate the first hole by referencing the plans, drill then cleco to the aft spar. Align and drill the final hole. You can see the ruler in place measuring length from the top and then the bottom of the bracket out to the end of spar. Once the same then clamp and drill the last hole.


8/19-25/2008 - 8 Hours

Various items on the center section bulkhead:

Fabricated the control column mounts

Countersunk the holes for platenuts and rivited:
 
Fitted, drilled, deburred, primed and installed the F-782 and F-783 support ribs and F-704M stiffeners. I did a lot of this work with the rivet gun using blocks under the bulkhead with a metal plate on one of the blocks. Super easy to shoot the rivtes and no smileys or anything like that!

Started riveting on the fwd F-704C. Used the same method as above. In these pics you can see the block of wood and the bucking plate underneath. Then shoot up top while lifting up the bulkhead. Piece of cake!!

Forward finished:

Back to the control column. Had to stop earlier because the AN4-27 bolts that are used to attach the left and right control sticks were on back order. Anyway, I got the missing bag from Van's and have everything now. Attached the column to the CC mounts and torqued. Did all the other fitting as spec'd in the plans. Easy work but time consuming. Pictured below is the castle nut on the bottom of the control stick attach point to the CC. Need to verify with someone that it looks correct. The 'Standard AC Handbook' says this is the preferred way instead of wrapping them around the nut. I want to make sure....


8/26-31/2008 - 3 Hours

The caslte nut is correct. Finished up the control column and test fitted the center bulkhead. Everything looks good. Check out the cute helper that I had with me!

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Also started on F-705 bulkhead by cutting 705B to proper length and marking the centerline on the rear. Next, formed the 705H spacers to spec (with the grain).