Forward Fuselage, part 2 (4)

4 hours

Continuing on the forward half of the fuselage.  I got the rest of the floor drilled in place and then installed the lower firewall.

Next I got started on the forward spar tunnel area.  I had to go back and finish the aft tunnel web assembly first, which I started quite a while ago!  It needed all the holes in the web dimpled, and then countersinks put in all the holes in the parts behind that.  Eventually this will be all flush riveted to create a smooth tunnel for the wing spars to pass through.

Forward Fuselage (2)

2 hours

Getting started assembling the forward fuselage.  It's getting big in a hurry!

Floor Skin & Firewall (1)

1 hour

Before I got started on the forward fuselage, I had to put a couple bends on these two big panels.  I set up the high precision bending equipment again and had a fairly easy time.  The stainless steel firewall is definitely easier to bend than the aluminum!

Deburring Turtle Deck Parts (2.5)

2.5 hours

I have the whole turtle deck and all the associated parts removed, disassembled, and deburred!  I also deburred all the holes I put in the fuselage side skins and longerons.

Normally the next thing to do would be reinstall everything and rivet, but if I did that the fuselage would no longer fit through my basement door.  So for now all these parts will just sit until I move everything outside later.

Turtle Deck, part 5 (2)

2 hours

I got the last of the parts updrilled.  Now I have quite a pile of things that need to be deburred!

Turtle Deck, part 4 (4)

4 hours

Lots more progress on this thing.  I got the rest of the parts fit in the #1 former area, adjusted some of the flanges on formers 2-4 for a better fit, and got everything updrilled at the longerons and formers 2-5.

The only part that didn't really fit was this splice plate that joined the two upper formers.  Everything was pilot drilled, and if I clecoed the parts together it pulled the formers down away from the skin.  I had a chunk of plate laying around that was the same thickness, so I just made a new one by tracing the old one.  I transferred the holes from one side of the plate to the new part, then installed it and transferred the other side's holes from the former.

 

Turtle Deck, part 3 (1.5)

1.5 hours

Starting on the #1 former, which is actually comprised of several parts.  The lower formers are the first ones to install, however I noticed that they are supposed to have a bend at the top edge to meet the upper formers, and mine were flat.  The plans didn't call out the bend, but I took my best estimate and put the bend line 3/4" down from the top, and bent the top back 30°.  I think it turned out correct!