More Pie In The Sky: November 2012

Sorry for the lack of updates over the last few months. We have actually done a lot of work but it's hard to document all the progress in pictures because there are so many small pieces that need to be made. This is essentially the part of the plane that holds the engine onto the wings so you can imagine that it requires extra strength and extra parts.

Since the last update we have finished manufacturing (meaning taking a piece of aluminium angle or sheet and making a part according to the plans) various parts including:
- all the stiffeners for the forward fuselage
- various gussets and other reinforcement brackets
- the main landing gear spacers and brackets
- different bulkheads, armrests, etc
that includes all the match drilling of the parts

And today Darren worked on the rudder/brake pedals while I installed and match drilled the last pieces of bulkheads, reinforcing pieces, side panels and floor pieces for the baggage compartment. The baggage compartment was a few different parts but it was not particularly comfortable as I was working underneath the fuselage for most of the day. Darren had to make a lot of parts for the rudder/brake pedals which involved the normal, sometime tedious, measuring, cutting, deburring and match drilling. And he got to do it 4 times (a left and right pedal for both sides).

For next time we need to finish up the rudder pedals, install the floor stiffeners and then it will be time to take everything apart (after we label each piece extremely well) for deburring, dimpling/countersinking, prepping and priming. After that we can begin final assembly on the fuselage. We're starting to run out of fuselage parts which, for awhile, didn't seem like it was going to happen so it's a good feeling.

September 15, 2012