Making Progress

With my school almost done, I am making progress at a faster rate.

I have joined the center section with the tailcone.

Here I am rolling the conical bend in the side skin.

And the side skins are on!

Looking from front to back.

 

Just a few more pictures of the fuselage.

 

Here is a picture showing the conical bend.

DJ

Back to Work

Well, we finally got the longerons cut, curved, bent, notched, and twisted. I also did a few things on the center section and the tailcone to prepare them to be attached to one another.

Bending the longerons was basically whacking the longeron with a four-pound mallet. Then you would compare it to the template then whack it some more. Kind of a tedious process. 

This is how I cut the longerons. I clamped a piece of scrap on the longeron to use as a guide for the hacksaw. I didn't want to use any power tools on this.

Here I was drilling the canopy deck to the longeron.

 

 

This how we applied the sharp downward bend and twist.

The complete longerons.

 

The next order of business will be (temporarily) attaching the tailcone to the fuselage and working on the forward fuselage. 

DJ

Update

I've finished work on the F-704 bulkhead (for now) and have deburred the parts for the F-705 bulkhead. I'm probably not going to progress very fast now that we are getting busy with ranch work.

DJ

Firewall Finished

Yesterday I finished the firewall. I was able to back-rivet all but eight rivets. It turned out really nice. The rivets called for in the plans are too short though.

Here is a picture of the forward side of the firewall.


And the aft side.


Here is what I used for a back-riveting bar. I just had to make sure to keep it under the rivets.


Back-riveting gives really nice results.


A close up of a rivet.


I get to start on the center section next.


DJ

Working on the Firewall

Well, I got my hardware organized.


After that job was done, I started on the firewall. You have to fabricate several parts such as these angles.


The firewall assembled with clecos.



After I drilled everything out I took it apart so I could debur it. That is tomorrows job. Once I finish the firewall I'll post some more pictures.

DJ

Wings Finished!

The other day, Dad and I finished sealing the right tank. We then moved the wings upstairs. I straightened up my workroom and then we washed the floor. After that was done, I moved the fuselage box in.

Picture of my workshop.


I have quite a job to do. I need to organize all this.


The fuselage box.



DJ