38 - Canopy & Window (complete); 39 - Seatbacks (nearly complete); 40A - Gear & Engine Mount (misc. tasks); 41 - Wing Attach (misc. tasks); 42 - Miscellanea (ready for paint); 43 - Engine Install (misc.)

Big news - the engine arrived this week! What a beaut - now, I just have to figure out how to prep it prior to mounting it to the fuselage.  Prior to that, I need to attach the gear ... but there's been a COVID-induced issue.  I've been waiting on a number of parts from Van's - essentially all the larger powdercoated parts in the finish kit (incl. gear legs), as well as the exhaust system for the engine.  After contacting them, COVID has hit their suppliers of these parts, so there is no projected ship date.   To keep forward momentum, I am going through each section and doing any task that I can logically do out of the standard order, and thus why this post has tasks from 6 different sections.  Here is a summary:

- installed defog fans; installed rear seal and torqued zone 3 of canopy; fiddled with canopy latch mechanism - pins still too tight (need to work it in)
- fabricated seat backs - still need to paint, so didn’t final-install the pins
- bolted engine mount to firewall assembly (with help from wife)
- separated and primed gear attachment angles; primed and installed upper gear braces (not final torqued yet, since waiting on 3/8” torque wrench); trimmed washer for nose gear leg; primed gear attachment bars
- final-drilled #17 holes in wing root fairings
- elevator pushrod assembly and priming; wing root fairings deburred and lower fairings bent around 1.25” PVC pipe
- engine delivery and uncrating
- determined best way to lift engine
- dimpled holes and installed nutplates to seat ramps; deburred  edges of almost all parts in the Miscellanea section; riveted motor cover assembly; riveted aft cover and doubler; attached shoulder harness cables; primed stick boot doubler and battery box attach angle
- temporarily installed battery; installed master relay and starter solenoid; installed sender mount to firewall (without oil and fuel pressure sensors, since I’ll need those from SteinAir)
- figured out how to install a Michelin Airstop tube and tire on the Matco nosewheel (final tire pressure = 35 psi)
- installed tubes and tires on main wheels (final tire pressure = 40 psi); packed grease into all 6 bearings (2 per wheel); installed bearings in main wheel and tire assemblies; torqued upper gear brace; installed elastomer pad; installed nose wheel and tire assembly, using Matco axle, spacers, and bearings

Assembled engine hoist:

38 - Canopy and Window (fabricating the Fiberglass Fairing, Part 2 - COMPLETED)

Part 2 of fabricating the fiberglass fairing is shown below, following this summary:

- cut 2 layers of BID fiberglass on the bias, ready for pre-preg; retaped the perimeter of the fairing, readying for sanding tomorrow (after filler fully cures)
- sanded the epoxy/microballoon paste, applied second layer of tinted BID fiberglass cut on bias, pre-preg
- sanded fiberglass (80 grit); wiped with IPA; replaced black tape; applied skim layer of Aeropoxy Light (s.g. of 0.49!)
- sanded Aeropoxy Light (80 grit), re-applied Aeropoxy light in several slightly low areas, to try to get the transition close to perfect side-to-side
- sanded Aeropoxy light, sprayed with filler primer (SEM), and did 4 rounds of filling with “Icing” (like Bondo), prior to a final coat of primer.  Looks beautiful - the canopy fairing was well worth the ~25 hours I spent on it

Re-taped the perimeter with black electrical tape:

38 - Canopy and Window (final installation of canopy plexiglass; fabricating the Fiberglass Fairing, Part 1)

After match-drilling the canopy and canopy frame holes, countersinking or dimpling as appropriate, the canopy went back on the canopy frame for riveting and final torquing of zones 1 and 2 (zone 3 will be torqued later). I also figured out an easy way to thread safety wire in the left rail of the canopy frame (for the canopy switch) - details below, and involve using sewing thread!

The next task is a dreaded step for many builders:  the canopy's fiberglass fairing, which provides a transition from the aluminum canopy frame to the plexiglass canopy.  Fortunately, I attended an EAA Sportair workshop titled "Fiberglass Techniques for RV Aircraft" led by Scott Vanderveen, who had us do a complete process for a mockup canopy fairing over the 2 day class (along with 2 other RV-relevant projects).  Scott's method differs from Van's quite a bit; I've provided many of the steps below, but unless you already know how to work with fiberglass, I highly recommend taking Scott's workshop. The major differences are:  1) the Van's-supplied templates to outline the fairing or cut the fiberglass pieces are not needed; 2) instead of cutting umpteen fiberglass pieces, some on the bias but most not, simply cut enough fiberglass all on the bias (important!) for 4 strips of BID fiberglass, 2.5" wide; 3) a strong structural adhesive is used to bond the fiberglass to aluminum (epoxy doesn't adhere well to bare aluminum), 4) all filler and fiberglass layers are tinted, so the result is a deeper black than the Van's method that has only the first layer or so of fiberglass tinted; and, 5) the finishing layer is Aeropoxy light - a wonderful epoxy paste that is strong yet can be easily sanded and shaped (unlike epoxy/flox/micro). So far, I've completed half the process - i.e., up to the point right before the second application of dual-layer BID fiberglass.  I've delineated each step with pictures, following these details from the past week:

- match-drilled #27 (w/reamer) all holes common to canopy and canopy frame; deburred holes; dimpled #27 holes in side skins; started prepping for interior paint
- painted interior of canopy frame assembly; deburred and machine-countersunk holes in canopy; separated seal retainers; cut notches in rear seal
- painted top of glare shield matte black; painted seal retainers gray; primed contact surface of canopy handles; installed safety wire (to eventually pull canopy latch switch wires, when avionics are installed)
- placed canopy back on canopy frame assembly; clecoed left side skin, loosely attached hardware on left side, and tried to “fish” 0.041” safety wire though the channel
- loosely attached screws/hardware on right side of canopy; riveted side skins to canopy; fished 0.041” safety wire through wire channel using thread and needlenose pliers; attached screws/hardware and seal retainers on aft part of canopy (tightened inboard 14 screws); fabricated and installed canopy wear strips
- separated and fit hinge covers; tightened screws in “zone 2” of canopy with my wife’s help; fabricated canopy clips
- riveted canopy clips to canopy frame assembly; sanded canopy (80 grit) and aluminum (220 grit); followed Scott Vanderveen’s canopy fiberglass transition, Day 1 (structural adhesive; flox/micro/tint epoxy fillet; 2 layer tinted BID fiberglass cut on bias, pre-preg)
- Day 2: sanded fiberglass (80 grit); brushed on thin layer of epoxy; used tinted dry micro/epoxy paste and a bondo spreader to form center fillet and fill some of the low spots

Final #27 drilling of the canopy and canopy frame:

38 - Canopy and Window (finished canopy assembly; drilled canopy to canopy assembly)

This section is taking forever; but, a shout-out to Van's for such excellent engineering - the canopy frame is light as can be, and very strong. Once the canopy was match- and final-drilled, and clecoed to the canopy frame, it became even sturdier.  Note to other builders:  take your time drilling and use proper plexi bits (I purchased from Abbeon) until you hit metal, and then switch over to jobbers for the aluminum.  Here are the main details for the past couple of weeks (thanks to my wife for helping me mount and remove the canopy and canopy frame multiple times this session):

- clecoed and final-drilled canopy assembly; removed all clecos; riveted canopy handle assembly together and to the aft canopy frame (after deburring edges of all parts)
- countersunk canopy rail assemblies, canopy handles, and forward canopy rails; dimpled canopy side skin and main canopy skin; dimpled support flange; deburred all holes that were drilled; clecoed main canopy skin and forward canopy rails to the canopy frame assembly
- riveted canopy assembly and canopy frame closeout making sure to check each side is level every FOUR rivets
- riveted canopy rail assemblies to canopy assembly
- riveted canopy frame assembly to canopy assembly; attached switched brackets and canopy pin blocks to canopy assembly; installed canopy assembly on fuselage
- removed plastic covering on edges of plexi canopy; first fitting of plexi canopy on canopy frame assembly; marked aft edge for trimming with painter’s tape
- trimmed aft edge using small pneumatic belt sander, sharp file, ceramic scraper, and 80-220grit sanding blocks; started chamfering of forward edge with ceramic scraper
- chamfered forward edge, re-fit and re-trimmed aft edge (was a little under 1/32” away from window shim), filed and scraped canopy contact areas
- filed forward canopy to contact canopy skin as much as possible; trimmed inside of canopy side edges to fit against side rails; weighed down canopy with two 10lb and one 5lb weights; final and match drilled #40 canopy to canopy assembly; marked forward of canopy onto skin to demarcate area to paint matte black

Clecoed and final-drilled canopy rails to canopy assembly:

38 - Canopy and Window (canopy frame and aft window)

Section 38 is quite a bear - the aft window alone took at least 14 hrs of slooooow drilling, reaming, tapping, deburring, countersinking, and trimming - with a decent amount of help from my wife, who sat patiently in the baggage compartment with a backing piece of wood while I drilled.  But the window is done for now - the next time I do anything will be to permanently install it toward the end of the project.  Specifically, the last ~13 days saw the following tasks completed:

- Fluted and clecoed canopy parts; detached and deburred canopy rail bases and frame splices

riveted canopy frame assemblies together; clecoed skin to assembly

- verified fluting of frames; temporarily installed and leveled canopy frame closeout; final-drilled frame closeout and fwd canopy frames; fabricated aft canopy rail angles; marked canopy rail angles

- fluted aft canopy rail angles; machine countersunk canopy rail flange; started assembling canopy rail assemblies

- fit, cut notches, and defined plastic trim line in aft window; match and final drilled #40 holes in aft canopy rails into aft canopy rail angles (both sides), and unclecoed

- countersunk canopy rails; riveted canopy rails to canopy rail angles; fabricated canopy handles; final-drilled canopy side skins

- removed ~1” of vinyl/plastic adhesive around edges of the aft window; #40 drilled and clecoed ~60% of the holes in the aft window (slow process, using plexibits for the lexan and metal bits for the aluminum roll bar) 

- finished drilling and clecoing the aft window; started reaming (#36) and tapping (#6-32) front part of window, shim and roll bar

- finished reaming and tapping window/shim/roll bar; reamed #27 and countersunk holes in window; - trimmed forward edge of window; beveled and sanded edges of window; deburred shim/roll bar; broke edges of top and side skins

- #27 final drilled and deburred holes common to top and side skins and aft window; primed and painted a lot of parts for the canopy latch mechanism and stiffener angles

- saran-wrapped edges of aft window, and stored in house; riveted stiffener angles and side skins; attached canopy latch assembly; installed latch bellcrank angles; detached and deburred canopy rail shim; vacuumed mess from window drilling

Riveting canopy frame assemblies:

Wings transported to airport; Finish kit arrived!; 38 - Canopy & Window (latch assembly; canopy hinges, skin)

Our county and state were fortunate enough to not have had a COVID-19 stay-at-home order, until a few days ago. Because I had anticipated this draconian move, I expedited the construction of wing transport cradles and moving the wings to our new hangar.  If I had to do it over, I wouldn't make the roller wing cradle (constructed about a year ago) - I'd just construct these two transport cradles, since they are a lot more useful.  A fellow RV-14A builder pointed out that, with the wings separated, one can also work on both the top and bottom of each wing (thanks Mark A.!).  The day before I moved the wings, my Finish Kit arrived - as usual, it was an approximately 8 hr inventory process (yes, I take my time). Only one bolt was missing in the entire kit - and I counted everything!  Kudos to Van's.  Specifically, these tasks were accomplished during the past ~2 weeks:

- Designed and constructed transport cradles (2) for wings - each has handles on both ends, so the wing can be placed in cradle and then loaded into a U-haul
- Put finalizing touches on everything to take with wings to hangar; finalized method to secure wing cradles in U-haul
- Rented U-haul (20’), transported cradles to hangar - Thanks to Gary W. (neighbor) and Steve R. (lineman) for lifting on either end of the trip!
- Inventoried finish kit
- Prepped canopy latch assembly
- Separated stiffener angles, latch links, bellcrank angles; riveted canopy hinge assemblies; separated forward canopy rails and support flanges
- Assembled canopy latch pushrod assembly; deburred and dimpled canopy skin

One transport cradle (without the carpeted sling) is shown below. These are very easy to construct, and take exactly five 8' 2x4s, with no leftover wood remaining. Here are the cuts for each 8' 2x4:

1&2) each longitudinal piece is a full 8' board (no cuts)
3) the four vertical pieces that hold the carpet are each 18" tall (shown on the right of this pic). The ~23.5" leftover piece will be cut in half to make the two small handles shown on the left side of this pic, which will help carry the inboard end of the wing.
4) the two vertical pieces on the left and the 3 horizontal pieces on the bottom are all 16" cuts (5 total).  The remaining ~15.5" piece will be used as the top horizontal piece/cap, shown on the left. The horizontal cap will support the inboard spar.
5) the two long handles shown on the right, which will support the outboard end of the wing, are 48" long (i.e. cut an 8' 2x4 in half).

Everything gets screwed together with 3" hardware/construction screws (#9; Torx head) - I highly recommend drilling an 1/8" pilot hole at least 2" deep, and then use an impact wrench to drive the screws. I did not glue the pieces together. The longitudinal spacing of the vertical pieces that hold the carpet was approximately 17.5" ... but that was based on the piece of "scrap" carpet that I got from Lowes.  It happened to be about 18.5" wide and I wanted a little overlap. I estimate the smallest carpet width should be 16", and the largest carpet width should be 20", so space the vertical members accordingly.  (more pics/instructions are after the break)

29 - Fwd Mid Fuse Side Str. (attached air vents; fuselage complete!); 12 - Empennage Fairings (trimmed bottom rudder fairing); planned wing transport to hangar

The last couple of weeks hasn't seen much work because I am finished with the first 3 kits, minus the fiberglass work and attachment of the tail fins and wings to the fuselage, and am waiting for the Finish kit.  I spent some of the time placing a few orders, to make sure that I have everything before COVID-19 takes over the manufacturing and transport industries (okay, probably not). I also received the propeller - that's quite a large item, still sitting in its box in the living room.  I secured a hangar, and will be moving my wings there in a few weeks.  In order to move the wings, I had to design a set of transport cradles, which I did during this down time.  I'll post the cradles and details of the wing transport in a few weeks.  I finished attaching the air vent assemblies to the fuselage using RTV silicone, and then cleaned and reorganized my area in preparation for some initial fiberglass work. After 1 hour of trimming the rudder bottom fairing, and getting fairly itchy, I doubt a mostly fiberglass airplane is ever in my future.  The best news is that I received the bill of lading from the transport company for the Finish Kit today!  Hopefully, I'll get that delivery in the next 7-10 days, because I'm eager to get back to building.  A few pics, below:

Air vents, assembled and ready for mounting: