32 - Baggage Area (completed AND painted interior); 33 - Rudder & Brake Systems (assembled brakes, rudders)

Finished the baggage area AND painted the interior of the fuselage - what a major step; extremely motivational.  Also started the rudder and brake section.  Specifically, the following were accomplished this week:

- deburred edges of baggage floors; drilled holes for lemo (Bose) plugs; updrilled two holes from 3/8” to 7/16” for mic jacks; dimpled both baggage floors
- riveted nutplates to baggage floors; installed and started riveting both baggage floors to fuselage substructure; clecoed most remaining nutplates to floor and substructure; finishing running rudder cables to forward center console
- finished riveting baggage floors; installed baggage floor splice; installed flap motor channel; installed flap motor brackets; broke edges of baggage side covers
- finished baggage area by riveting side panels; started scuffing interior (for paint); up-sized hole in forward overhang for brake lines pass-through between left/right sides
- finished scuffing with scotchbrite, 2 acetone wipe-downs, 1 SEM Prep wipe-down, 2 light coats of SEM gray primer, 3 top coats of Cardinal Paint light gunmetal gray GR10-4A05 semi-gloss  - interior has been painted!
- separated parts for brake pedal assembly, deburred, and clecoed brake pedal assemblies together; final-drilled #12 holes.  I decided not to paint the pedals - they look great as-is, and the paint will scuff off in the first few hours.
- Assembled brake pedals, bolted the pedals to the rudders, attached the brake cylinders, and clocked the AN fittings on the brake cylinders

Clecoed the baggage floors in place:

30 - Aft Fuse Attachment (finished The Big Join); 31 - Fuel System (completed); 55 - Common Fuse Harness (installed); 32 - Baggage Area (flap bushings; seat hinges)

I worked on 4 different sections since the last post, with lots accomplished including finishing the fuel system and installing the common fuselage wiring harness.  The latter was a challenge - snap bushings barely fit around some of the wiring bundles; but, they do indeed fit.  SteinAir did a great job with the harness - order through them and not Van's and you'll save a few hundred bucks.  In other news, I ordered the Finishing Kit from Van's, and will be ordering the Engine/Prop from Van's very soon.  I'll also be deciding on the avionics panel, and will work with SteinAir to have their very capable team assemble something that I wouldn't dream of touching on my first build (I haven't ruled out a second project ... but, after helping me rivet the two halves of the fuselage together, my wife might have).  The following were accomplished during the past 9 days:

- finished riveting all rivets in this section.  The Big Join is complete, thanks largely to my wife!
- fuel system installed, aside from tightening the forward-most AN fitting, since the fitting gets in the way of exhaust installation
- started installing the right side of the Common Fuselage Harness; what a tight fit! Van’s couldn’t have made the holes a LITTLE bigger??  Also, the quick-connectors for the control sticks DON’T fit through the holes - I had to enlarge the holes (almost impossible to get to one of them) and shave the edges off of the rectangular connector
- finished installing both common fuselage harnesses (found a better way to up-size the three control stick wire holes on the left); also, ran the transponder/ADS-B cable, ELT cable and static line forward
- ran rudder cables as far as could go forward; redid a couple harness snap bushings; trimmed and installed outboard and inboard flap bushings; fabricated and match-drilled seatback hinges

(The pictures below are out of order, but all were taken since the last post)

Fuel system installed, thanks largely to the fuel lines supplied by Aircraft Specialty - quality products at a reasonable price:

29 - Fwd Mid Fuse Side Str (Finished); 30 - Aft Fuse Attachment (almost finished "The Big Join"!)

My wife said "there's a lot of 'wifey effort' that hasn't been documented yet on your blog" ... so I figured I better post something today.  She's in the pics below, helping me do "The Big Join" (term coined by Ken B.) of the aft fuselage and the mid/fwd fuselage parts. With a lot of planning, and a nicely crafted fuselage cradle (see last 2 posts), AND most importantly having assisted Ken B. with his 14A's Big Join in January, the process was fairly straightforward.  Riveting the two parts, however, has been a bit of a pain in the ass.  All but the last 37 rivets have been set.  Here are some of the tasks completed during the past ~10 days:

- Drilled, deburred, and riveted gussets to longeron and seat back brace; riveted intercostals to skin, longeron, and seat back brace; bolted roll bar bases to fuselage
- Prepared left and right vent assemblies (will install after section 35)
- deburred and dimpled F-1406 bulkheads; riveted nutplates to bulkheads; test-fit bulkheads to aft fuselage; reorganized workspace to position aft and forward fuselage sections for “the big join”; with my wife, joined the two fuselage halves using clecos.
- clecoed the left, right and top F-01406 bulkheads to skins and ribs and stiffeners; installed ELT antenna bracket; separated, deburred, primed, and riveted shoulder lugs and lug clips; riveted lugs to bulkheads
- riveted left, right, center top bulkheads to each other and to the skins; riveted lugs to skins (my wife helped with back-riveting in several sections)
- riveted the two halves of the fuselage together (various areas) with my wife using the back-rivet bucking bar; riveted 12 of the remaining 23 rivets in the fwd bottom skin; tested two colors of gray for the interior paint - will go with the Light Gunmetal 50 Gloss from Cardinal (A-GR10-4A05)
- riveted remaning 11 rivets in the fwd bottom skin; riveted all but 37 rivets between the aft and fwd parts of the fuselage (almost completed the Big Join) - my wife helped on these PITA rivets

Clecoed seat back brace to fuselage assembly:

DON'T FORGET TO CLICK "READ MORE" TO SEE THE OTHER UMPTEEN PICS FOR EACH POST (this message is mostly for my 80 year old mother)

29 - Fwd Mid Fuse Side Structure (finished right side; seat back brace)

Slow yet steady progress during this past week and a half.  Most of this time was spent finishing the right side of the fuselage, and while I didn't take as many pictures this time (since the right side is almost an exact mirror of the left), I specifically accomplished the following:

- started right side skin - attached to upper & lower longerons, stiffener, and (temp.) bolted longerons to firewall
- clecoed and match-drilled skin/firewall and right side shim (and deburred and dimpled); final drilled all #30 holes common to skin and longerons; final-drilled holes common to skin/center section/ upper drag fitting (and deburred); broke edges of right side skin; radiused top edge of skin; feathered upper aft corner of skin; dimpled right side skin; deburred edges of vent and other cutouts
- countersunk and re-primed countersunk holes in right longerons; riveted right roll bar angle to intercostal; riveted fuselage side ribs to skin; riveted drag fitting and center section side plate to skin; riveted stiffener to skin; installed skin to fuselage; bolted upper and lower longerons (temp) to bulkhead
- prepped stiffeners and other bits for the right side skin structure; riveted canopy latch brackets to side skin; prosealed and clecoed right skin to firewall and right upper longeron
started riveting right side skin to the fuselage, ribs, stiffeners, etc. (used back-rivet bucking bar for as much as possible)
- almost finished riveting right side skin and associated parts to fuselage assembly
- Finished riveting right side skin except for 23 rivets common to the bottom skin; Riveted web stiffeners to bulkhead assemblies; riveted nutplates to center right bottom skin and root fairing attach angles; riveted root fairing attach angles to right side skin; reinstalled bulkhead bar assembly (right)
- fabricated seat back adjustment guides, and assembled seat back brace

Temporarily attached the right skin to match-drill a few holes in the engine mount brackets:

29 - Fwd Mid Fuse Side Structure (finished left side)

Section 29 is long and involved - after over 50hrs, I've only finished the left side (for now) and tomorrow I'll start the right.  But, it is looking more and more like a fuselage each day, which is motivating.  The following were accomplished since the last post:

- re-primed countersunk holes in left longerons (upper and lower); riveted left roll bar angle to intercostal; riveted fuselage side ribs to skin; riveted drag fitting and center section side plate to skin; riveted stiffener to skin; installed skin to fuselage; prepped stiffeners and other bits for the side skin structure; riveted canopy latch brackets to side skin; prosealed and clecoed skin to firewall and upper longeron
- riveted left side skin to a whole lot of shit (used back-rivet bucking bar for as much as possible)
finished riveting left side skin (for now), with the help of my wife who riveted the bottom forward flange of the left side skin to the bottom forward left skin (while I bucked from inside; yes it was a pain)
- riveted armrest, and front skin stiffeners to skin (my wife helped with some of the back-rivet bucking); riveted center section channel; riveted roll bar angle; riveted flap block bracket; prepared root fairing attach angles
- riveted web stiffeners to bulkhead assemblies; riveted nutplates to center bottom skin and root fairing attach angles; riveted root fairing attach angles to left side skin; reinstalled bulkhead bar assembly (left)

Riveted fuselage side ribs to left skin:

29 - Fwd Mid Fuse Side Structure (designed and built fuselage cradle; installed control column assembly; working on side skin and longerons)

The fuselage is very large, and only getting larger, and thus working on a table was started to get unwieldy.  Moreover, I was interested in a device that would help with the eventual "big join" to the aft fuselage, and afford the ability to install the canopy next year.  I therefore decided to design a cradle that would hold the fuselage 16" off the ground, which enables me to work on the fuselage without a step stool, and most importantly, enables the eventual joining of the aft fuselage.  The 16" height (floor to base of fuselage) was chosen in part because of the finishing kit, in which I'll have to attach and fully open the canopy in my 8' 2" garage as part of the canopy installation. Ideally, I would have liked a 20" height for the cradle ... but then I wouldn't be able to open the canopy completely.

Specifically, I did the following during the last week and half:

- designed and constructed a cradle for the fuselage; riveted last 7 rivets of bottom skins; placed fuselage on cradle; cleaned workspace for next part of section
- installed control column assembly - torqued bolts, but one side bound a tiny bit (add a washer, below); trimmed L and R longerons; started deburring edges of longerons
- finished deburring longerons; twisted longerons 10deg each (permanent twist); match-drilled upper engine mount bracket; primed upper longeron assembly; trimmed lower longeron
- riveted upper engine mount brackets to upper longerons; drilled, deburred, primed, and riveted lower longeron assemblies; clecoed upper and lower longeron assemblies to left skin; match-drilled #30 holes in upper engine mount bracket and upper drag fitting and center side section
- removed left skin and center side section and longerons; countersunk side section and longerons; deburred edges of skin; added a thin washer to the control column assembly - NOW it moves perfectly with no binding, with all bolts/nuts torqued to spec
- dimpled left side skin; radiused outboard edge; put break on 4 edges; prepped stiffeners
- prepped a bunch of other ribs/brackets/stiffeners/arm rest and roll bar angles; primed roll bar angles


Here is a picture of the completed cradle, minus carpet padding.  Note that the aft horizontal 2x4 piece is angled slightly (using shims) to match the upward sloping angle of the back part of the mid fuselage.  The front of the fuselage (i.e. firewall) would rest on rightmost 2x4:

28 - Fwd Fuse Lower Structure (completed); 29 - Fwd Mid Fuse Side Structure (mated forward and center sections)

The past week and a half were fairly productive.  I also received a couple major shipments of parts, including the WH-000125-3 fuselage wiring harness from SteinAir, and fuel and brake lines from Aircraft Specialty.  Both companies produce top-notch products that I would be unable to duplicate in my humble home workshop.  Items that were accomplished include:

- countersunk, primed and riveted tunnel angle (F14132); joined muffler and firewall assemblies; riveted tunnel sides and cover bases to forward bottom skins; riveted and bolted center section bulkhead to firewall/muffler assembly
- back-riveted cover ribs to forward bottom skins (with my wife); riveted cover base webs to cover ribs; prepared firewall penetration fittings (waiting for another section of proseal, so won’t waste tube); cut and polished stainless steel vent hinges
- drilled and dimpled hinges for vents; deburred and primed vents, sides and arms; riveted vent door assemblies and inlet assemblies and cable brackets to firewall; countersunk and riveted battery box to firewall
- installed cover panels and nutplates on cover panels; broke down the fuselage crate for trash (still need to proseal and attach the firewall penetration fittings)
- prepped and primed the skin overlaps between center bottom and forward bottom skins
- joined front and middle fuselage halves; removed bulkhead bar assemblies; primed lower gear braces; attached brass elbows to gear braces (for brake fluid); attached gear braces, lower and upper drag fittings with bolts; clecoed center section side plates; final-torqued bolts in upper and lower drag fittings
- match-drilled #40 holes in upper drag fitting; removed and deburred center section side plates; re-clecoed side plates
- fabricated wooden stand to put fuselage on its side; prepared workshop for fuselage move to floor
- moved fuselage to floor (standing on side); clecoed every hole; riveted all holes (except for muffler shroud) with my wife helping with all parts that were back-riveted; prosealed muffler shroud and firewall penetration fittings; attached two nutplates

Here are the main wiring harnesses from SteinAir (doesn't look like much for $1300 ... but this would have taken me forever to make, and I'd probably screw up multiple times);