Fuselage IX
4/28/2006 3.5 Hours
I came by the hangar tonight, but spent a lot of time chatting with visitors, so I can't really put down the full 5.5 hours that I was there. I'll be back at the hangar again tomorrow, as Lucy has booked me to go to a friends BBQ on Sunday.
Mike flew in today to help me out with filling up the brakes. He has a pump up reservoir with a special fitting on the end that connects to the bleed nipple on the calipers. Bob from the hangar next door was here too to help out some by giving us the yellow container to catch the overflow fluid. Thanks guys!
Here's the kit... Basically, it's a garden variety fluid sprayer with attachment. We also have the container to catch overflow, and a syringe for removing excess fluid from the reservoir once the brakes are bled. Filling the brakes is easily done by pumping the fluid in under pressure from the caliper end. We did the brakes in around 20 minutes! Mike has done plenty of planes before, so having him around helped since he knew all the tricks. That's the main reason it went so fast.
Here's the overflow pipe, which goes down to the yellow container. It basically collects the excess fluid, then it can be recycled again. I wonder if aviation brake fluid is hygroscopic (absorbs water) like car brake fluid?
I had to get inside the plane and remove the cylinders from the brake pedals. I did this because it's easier to get all the air out if you can turn the cylinders upside down and back upright while you pump them some. We had the air out in no time. So far, no leaks. We'll see what tomorrow has to behold!
5/15/2006 2 Hours
No hangar tonight, but I did do some work on the plane. I tried to do the lettering on my centre console with the Decal Pro stuff I used for my panel. I'm a bit out of practice, so I need to do a couple more tries to get it right. I'd get a good decal, then I'd go and mess it up when I put it on the part. Duh! I also need to make a decal for my alternate static source switch. Somethng to do at work on the laser printer.
5/21/2006 9 Hours
Everything is done now inside the fuselage, except for putting the floors in and then the centre console, so we worked on getting the floors sorted. The floors in an RV are well known for the tingly feet they give the occupants, so I wanted to find a way to dull down this phenomenon. I remember flying in Cameron's plane, and it really tickled my feet! Then if you lifted up your feet, the noise level went up dramatically. Hopefully my fix will fix it.
The idea comes from the C5 Corvette. They have a balsa wood laminate floor to dampen NVH (Noise, Vibration & Harshness in automotive speak), and it's works very well. So, I took this same principle and applied it to the floor. Now you can't just run down to your local hobby store and buy 3/4" thick planks of balsa, so I tracked down a place where you could. National Balsa was where I got it. They sell the stuff in all sorts of sizes. I got some 8"x48"x3/4" planks. It's very light, and weight for weight is probably one of the strongest woods you can buy (along the grain). Perfect.
We measured up the floor gaps, and cut the planks to the shape we needed. We put a notch in the front on the outer pieces for the vent line fitting, and three notches on the inside edges for the screws (we're using allen head type to make it easier to remove when the floor is in place) for where the centre tunnel cover fits. We also put a rebate in the bottom of the planks to allow for the angle on the floor surface.
Here's Clayton doing some wood shop. Mind your fingers dude!
Here's a test fitting in the plane. Hmmm.. Looking alright. Where's that Marine varnish!
In order to get a good bond between the skin and the floor boards, Muggins here had to get in there and scuff it up with some P60 sand paper. That got it nice and rough. Plenty to key into for the resin. There was a lot of grunting and groaning coming from inside there aparently!
Here's a good shot of the diffence between the abraded part and the still shiny part. I'm wondering why the hell we even painted these at this point!
Where the boards come close to the floor angles, we mixed flox into the epoxy for a bit of extra strength. Here's Clayton mixin' it up. Don't breathe in!
Here are three of the four boards epoxied in. We accidentally painted the wrong side of one of the boards before we put it in. Well, Clayton did! Can you guess which one?!
All four boards in position.
The next task was the top layer of aluminium. Balsa is pretty soft wood, so it really needs a skin to protect it from heavy heals and wear. This is what this skin will do. It doesn't need to be very thick. I'd like to have used some 0.020", but I only had some 0.032" lying around, so we just used that. Here, we've cut it to shape and de-burred it.
Here we go again inside the plane. I spent a lot of time in here today, contorting to reach all the nooks and crannies.
Ah, I mean aaaarrrghhh! I look like I'm enjoying it eh? Ha! I don't think so!
Now I'm under there again, this time laying down the aluminium. Seems to be working out pretty good.
Squeeze all the air out. Shame it's not see through.
Both sides completed. Once we have carpet over all this, it'll be perfect. Clayton went under the plane and knocked on the skin. All we got out of it was a dull thud. Seems to be working!
Now that's out of the way, I can work on getting the centre console in through the week, and route the all important throttle and prop cables. It's all on schedule for next weekend! I'm getting excited now for sure!
5/22/2006 2 Hours
Tonight, I stopped by the hangar to make the seat floors removable with the centre console in place. One seat floor spans the centre tunnel area, so I had to trim that piece off, and make some new attachment holes outside of the console. I didn't have my CF card for the camera with me, so no photos. I'll take some tomorrow and post them.
Tomorrow the baffles should be ready, so I'll be able to get all that stuff together too. The centre console will be going in in the next few days too. The excitement is brewing!
Some more time at the hangar today! I flew the cub again first thing this morning (06:30!), and got into wheel landings. My first one was a bit bouncy, and we had to do a go around. All the others were a lot better though. It's lot's of fun!
After that, I stopped by the hangar and removed the stuck injector from the engine to send back to Aerosance. I spoke with them on the way to the hangar, and they said they would overnight an injector. Sweet. Then I went to the post office and sent the stuck one on it's way.
By the time I got back to the hangar it was noon, but it still turned out to be a good day. I was wondering why my Van's gauges weren't working on engine start day, so today I set about trying to figure out why. It took a while, but the stupid 12v supply wire wasn't connected. Duh!
Anyway, on to something more fruitful! I installed the centre console front trim plate with the trim indicators and cabin heat and park brake cables. I also ran a static line to the alternate static source switch. Now the centre console is looking finished apart form the armrest upholstery.
This was a right pain in the @$$! It's not easy crawling under here, even though I'm skinny. I got pretty badly marked up by the time I'd finished. It also ate up a ton of time. Getting the lengths right and making sure it actuates fully. Here it is in the closed position.
And the open position. Sweet. I can get the cover on all this now too.
Next the parking brake valve. I made this little bracket to hold the adel clamp in the right orientation. It worked out alright. Lot's of nutplates! I never want to have to get on to two sides of a nut & bolt combination if I ever have to crawl under here.
Here's the business end.
