Fuselage

March 20-22, 2007

Wired up the pilot's side stick grip. I'm using the Ray Allen G205 stick grip. This has four buttons on top and one trigger button for the PTT. I'll use the forward and aft buttons for electric trim, left button for AP disconnect and not sure what I'll use the right button for. I bench checked the operation with the trim motor, relay deck (required if you want pilot/copilot operation of the trim, and speed control for the trim motor. All checked out.

March 24, 2007

Completed riveting the top aft fuselage skins. RV-6 pilot Dave Gamble provided the rivet gun action while I was cozy in the aft fuselage bucking.

March 27, 2007

Riveted the aft decks to the side skins and longerons. Climbed back in and bolted the seat belt brackets to the longerons and finished some misc. riveting at the F-707 bulkhead. The rest of the forward skin to longeron riveting will not be completed until the forward top skins are ready for final installation.

March 28-29, 2007

Pulled out the upper forward fuselage parts from inventory. Fabricated the F-7109 plate and match drilled to the F-7108A rib. Fabricated several other attach angles and brackets for the upper forward assembly.

March 31, 2007

Deburred upper forward fuselage ribs, sub-panels and instrument panel, and forward canopy decks.

Clecoed the assembly in place.

April 1, 2007

Deburred edges on top forward fuselage skin. Clecoed the skin to the forward fuselage.  Begin the match drilling process. Started with the skin to upper firewall holes, more difficult since the upper firewall is stainless steel.

April 6, 2007

After completing the match drilling of the upper forward skin, I made a temporary skin template to hold the ribs and subpanel in place in order to match drill the F-7108B support angle to the rib and one of the firewall frame angles.