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2001-May-27
GMAW welds on the fuselage.
2003-Oct-25
Bending the canopy bow for the turtle deck. To get the 7-inch inside radius that the plans call for (for the 2-inch higher canopy) the plywood form required a 5.5-inch radius, which I learned by trial and error, ruining only two pieces of tube in the process. The circular form is held fast with a bolt through the bench top. The backing board is held in place with clamps, and I used a hunk of steel at the tangent point to ensure that the leg of the bow stayed nice and straight. Then I just pulled the tube around the form until it matched the template, which it did within an eighth of an inch. I'm pleased with the result.
2003-Nov-9
Aligning the turtle deck attachment tabs to the framework.
2003-Nov-30
The tail spring socket. The plans don't give any advice about anchoring the forward end of it in the lateral direction, so I added a small bar (not seen in the photo) to stake it to the longerons.
2006-Jul-16
Fuselage is set up for the first attempt at sandblasting, which didn't work because my 5-hp air compressor just wasn't big enough. A few weeks later I rented a tow-behind air compressor and things went much better. The pilot's seat is white not because it's just been blasted but because two years ago I bought a spray gun and got a little antsy with it.
2006-Aug-27
Smearing paint into all the narrow corners before spraying. I used Randolph EP-420W, which sprayed very nicely. Most of it I sprayed with a very small modeler's sprayer, which took longer but produced less overspray. The fuselage, tail feathers, spar carry-thru, canopy frame, rudder pedals, and all the other small parts consumed one and a half quart kits.
The sandblasting was finally accomplished with a rented compressor, an $80 blaster from Harbor Freight, and about 700 pounds of blasting sand.
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2007-Aug-6
The tank straps are made from strips of .025 aluminum left over from wing building, lined on the underside with leftover anti-chafing tape. I was determined to use what I had and not make another trip to Dillsburg for strips of .032 chrome-moly, of which I had none left. The tank rests on silicone rubber baffle material.