Fuselage Bulkheads

Since I screwed up on the tailcone longeron I started the fuselage section. The first thing to do is build the main bulkheads and frames, some of which are substantial in size and weight. This weekend I got them clecoed, drilled, deburred, and alodined. The largest bulkhead parts came alodined so I decided to do things a little differently, instead of priming and then assembly I would alodine the parts assemble the entire section and then prime. A lot of the parts are really thick clad or bare aluminum and need to be alodined, so I'm hoping this will allow quicker progress. One neat trick the plans call for when drilling the steel landing gear braces is to use a drill bushing. This allows the holes to be started perfectly concentric with the larger hole and not damage the thick aluminum in the process. Then separate the pieces and open up the holes to the final size. Pretty smart.

The longeron I ordered earlier in the week has already arrived. $13 part and $14 shipping, not bad. But, I'm going to finish the fuselage bulkheads and frames and then get back to the tailcone.

Sat (5.5) Sun (4.0)