Finish Kit Arrival

I took Friday the 17th off from work to stay home and wait for my Finish Kit to arrive. The shipping company said it would be delivered between 10 and 2. While waiting on the kit to arrive I completed several odd jobs I've been meaning to complete. Finally they called and said they had some lift gate problems and it should be there in the next couple hours.  .....long story short, the day was very frustrating with broken promises and the kit didn't arrive until 7:30 that night. Luckily, Kris, who stopped by earlier in the day with the intention to help unpack everything stuck around until they finally arrived. The temps were now dropping into the mid 20's outside and this didn't sound like fun anymore. We decided to try and roll the pallet jack on the semi frozen ground to the shop. The shop sits about 200 feet off the street and the crate weighs about 350lbs. With a running start we actually made it to the shop, exhausted, but we made it. The truck driver, upon entering the shop, was just amazed over the plane and had several questions. The excitement and wonder he had over the plane relieved the frustrations of the day and made me remember just how cool this project really is.

Kris left after hanging around much longer than he intended and then Jess and I started unpacking the crate...

Taking the top off.

The engine cowlings are huge!

With Ayla fast asleep inside Jess was able to help me unpack and complete inventory. There really isn't that much to this kit. A lot of big parts.

Dorky space helmet pic.

Finished Fuel Lines

I finally got around to finishing my fuel lines. (Hours reported on previous post)

First let me tell you about the heat shielding product I bought. It's an automotive heat shield product that is very lightweight and has an adhesive backing to it. I called the manufacturer of the product (Heatshield Products) and explained what I was doing...building a plane and plan to install a heat shield on the engine side of the firewall. I also explained how this is a high airflow area and the general distance from the heat source. They suggested that the Thermaflect Cloth would be the best choice. I will be installing this on my firewall but that is for some other day. For now I lined the bottom of the soundproofing that is going in the tunnel to help reflect the heat away from the tunnel. Hopefully keeping my tunnel temps a little lower.

First I applied the Themaflect cloth to the bottom of the soundproofing foam.

View looking down with everything installed. Notice the fuel pump sits at a small angle. For my install this just seemed to work better. I had to cut the plastic bushings that hold the line in place under the seat pans in order to get them on the fuel line.

View looking aft inside the tunnel. The Stainless Steel flex lines from Bonaco made this part pretty easy.
This earlier post discusses my order from Bonaco.

Line sticking out the side of the fuselage waiting to attach to the wing. Notice the 45 degree fitting. Hopefully all this attaches easily.

Overhead Primer

After more sanding I decided it's finally time to prime the overhead console. I used SEM High Build Primer sprayed from a rattle can. A single can was just enough cover everything. Of course after spraying the primer more pinholes showed up. After the primer dried I filled the pinholes with resin and filler and then sanded everything one more time....hopefully the last time. I then (with help from a friend of mine) drilled and attached all of the nutplates to hold the close out panels in place. I also made a small close out panel that will go on the front edge of the overhead and straddles the center post. The panel will help finish out the hole on the forward edge.

I jumped around on parts to work on. Sometimes, multiple parts on the same day. Therefore my times will be a little scattered on this post.
Dates and Times
Sat 11th -4.5 hrs- Sanded overhead, final fit for close out panels, sprayed high build primer on overhead, a few other odds and ends
Sun 12th -5.5 hrs- Finished fuel lines (details in another post)
Mon 13th -1.25 hrs- Countersunk holes in canopy, installed bushing in canopy top (all per plans)
Tues 14th  -1.0 hr- Filled pinholes in overhead console
Wed 15th  -1.0 hr- Final fit for close out panels in overhead. Started sanding filled spots and primer
Fri 17th -4.0 hrs- Insulated top of upper fwd fuselage, trimmed sound panels for easier maintenance when upper fwd fuselage is installed, random small jobs of little importance, with help sanded the overhead (about a 1 hr of effort on the overhead). Then later that evening Jess and I unpacked the finishing kit. (more on this in another post)

Still Working on Overhead

You know, not really feeling very "bloggy" today so it's gonna stay short...
sanded, sanded, and sanded. Back filled with filler to smooth it all out. It's hard to tell but the panels are flush mounted. I plan to finish this thing up and prime this weekend.

Dates and Times
Wed 1st -3.0 hrs- worked on overhead, sanded overhead, cut access panels out, molded panels into place Thur 2nd -1.25 hrs- more sanding, removed panels
Sat 4th -5.0 hrs- sanded everything down, worked on front contour
Sun 5th -3.5 hrs- sanded more, drilled pilot holes into panels, finished forming edge around panels, clean up shop...dust everywhere 

More Overhead Console Work

OK, one more post before the end of the year.

I had a few consecutive days of work and then production came to a grinding halt for Xmas vacation. This time driving up to St. Louis for a week long visit. Drive? you ask. Why would we do a thing like that? Well, renting a plane for a week is not very practical. Its both difficult to book for an entire week and very...very expensive. Just another motivator to finish the plane.

I've still been working on the overhead console. Lots of fiberglass stuff. I don't mind fiberglass but I am ready to move on to some other part of the plane, whether it's fiberglass work or not.

Dates and Times
Tues 10 -1.5 hrs- sanded and added filler to overhead console edge

Wed 11 -1.5 hrs- sanded and cut one edge flange piece on overhead console

Thurs 12 -1.5 hrs- sanded and shaped more parts on cabin and overhead. Located holes for door bracket

Sat 28 -3.0 hrs- sanded and bonded edge flange

Sun 29 -4.5 hrs- more sanding. Cut and bonded edge flange on other side

Mon 30 -1.5 hrs- cut closeout panel openings and removed initial mold foam support

The initial layup forming the edge flange pieces.

I trimmed out a hole for the door strut bracket. Later I went back and did a lot of filler work including filling in around the cutout.

This is one of the internal pieces creating the shape of the forward part of the overhead. This gets bonded in and smoothed out later.

All the pieces on one side are trimmed and ready for final bonding to the substructure.

Both sides bonded into place along with a lot of filler work completed.

A view of the edge flange running along the side of the overhead. This will house an LED rope light to provide cabin lighting.

So far I'm pleased with how it's turning out. Next I need to make the closeout panels and then finish forming them into place. I also need to finish the forward edge where the support post attaches.

Cheers! 

&

Happy New Year!

Completed Structure Overview (924.75hrs)

Time for another update!

The Finish Kit is on order. I'm working on the cabin top. I need to finish up the fuel lines and brake lines. The doors will probably be next when the finish kit arrives.


924.75 hrs Total Building Time 
632.75  hrs is a mixture of tail and fuselage (still in work)
    292.0 hrs of the total belong to the Wings (includes times listed below)
       75.25 hrs to the Fuel Tanks
       25.5 hrs to the Ailerons
       26.25 hrs to the Flaps

Blue is complete. Red is in work.

Overhead Console, Brake Lines, and Fuel Lines

My last post was November 20th and since then work in the shop has been sporadic, not the steady pace I usually have. Visiting friends,Thanksgiving, travel, and all the holiday events create chaos in the shop schedule. We flew to visit Brian and Brandi over in Atlanta. It's a little over an hour flight for us, so not too bad. They usually fly over to visit us but their RV-10 is getting painted and we owed them a visit anyway. Departure was delayed due to nasty cross winds cutting our visit a little shorter than I hoped, but we had fun seeing them regardless. On the flight back home I lost the right vacuum pump, not a big deal since we were VFR. But I can't wait to finish the RV-10, it won't even have vacuum pumps!

We then flew up to St. Louis later that week for turkey and pumpkin pie in the rented Cessna. The trip up was with a 35kt headwind.....ouch. Of course, the winds died down for the return flight so we only had a 10kt tailwind. Baby Ayla slept both trips there and back the entire flight! I had to pick up an IFR clearance on the return trip and, when reaching our destination, leave the beautiful sunshine behind to descend through about 3000 ft of overcast. I was excited about possibly having to shoot an approach, but we dropped out of the clouds around 5000ft. So no luck.

My brake line and fuel line order from Bonaco arrived. The hoses look really nice. The brake line is the standard kit Bonaco supplies for the RV-10 and the fuel lines are custom sized per my order. All of my fuel lines are going to be flexible stainless steel to replace the aluminum tubing that are per plans. This makes the installation easier and should keep the fuel cooler as it travels to the engine. I didn't take any pictures of the brake lines yet...I'll try and remember to do that.

My fuel line measurements are:

QTY 1 - Straight to 45deg - 14.0in Total Length (Fuel pump to firewall)            

QTY 1 - Straight to Straight - 7.0in Total Length (Fuel selector to fuel pump)               

QTY 2 - Straight to Straight - 9.5in Total Length (Each side of fuel selector to Fwd Fuse Rib fittings)
QTY 2 - Straight to 45deg - 28.5in Total Length (Fwd Fuse Rib fittings to wings)

I think these measurements are going to work out really well, but I haven't attached the wings yet for a final fit so don't blame me if you order the same thing and it doesn't work out....: )

Dates and Times

November
Sat 23 -4.7hrs- Overhead fiberglass work. Curved fwd edge molded. Started Bonaco brake line install.

Mon 25 -1.25hrs- Worked on overhead console edge flange

Tues 26 -1.0hrs- same as yesterday, but the opposite side 

December
Tues 3 -1.5hrs- worked on brake line install

Wed 4 -1.5hrs- worked on brake lines and fuel lines

Sun 8 -4.5hrs- Riveted fuel pump mount, worked on fuel lines, cut insulation, laid fiberglass for lip on overhead. A buddy stopped by to help me rivet the fuel pump mount to the lower skin inside the tunnel. We also got some of the fuel lines torqued. Thanks Aaron!
Mon 9 -1.0hrs- sanded and applied layer of build up on one side of overhead

I wouldn't expect much more from me this year. Ayla is going to be ONE YEAR OLD in about a week! Wow already, I know. So were having a party of course and then Xmas, more traveling, food, holiday events, visiting, cold weather.....

Creating molding for where the overhead will flare out at the front.

I'm creating a lip running down the side where an LED light can be tucked inside and the headlines can tuck under.

I cut a piece of foam at an angle using the table saw and taped it into place. A small piece of the angled foam can be seen above. This forms the mold for the fiberglass lay up.

Beginning to lay the fiberglass.

Fiberglass and filler applied. More sanding and filling coming soon.

Torquing what I can on the work bench. I think the stainless steel flex lines are going to work out really well.

Working hard in the shop.