The strake outboard of the fuel tank is reinforced on both sides with 8 strips of Triaxial cloth 4″ wide by 29″ long. The surface is roughed up first, and any unevenness is leveled with micro, and then two strips are laid up on the leading edge all the way up onto the spar shear-web, […]
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We finally got all of the needed “upside down” work completed, and although there might have been a few more things we could have done while she was belly up, I was tired of looking at her in that state. For one, she looked like a dead bug. For another, the poor sawhorses were groaning. […]
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You can’t quite tell in the preceding pictures, but there was an error in our pilot side lower strake alignment. This was due to a couple of things that those following us should take care to avoid. Here are some tips, watch-outs, and screw-ups made: There is no specific mention of the fact that the […]
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Also, we decided to do a couple of optional operations to our stakes at this point. The first was install an extra set of bulkheads inside of the door to give us a pocket for fuel testing, etc. This pocket was also completed with a drain in case rain or dew were to condense in […]
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Once the airplane is rolled over, the top strake to spar join is made by filling the recess between with micro and covering with two BID. Then the Outboard and rear bulkheads can have their top to strake skin bonds laid up. Also, while the plane was upside down we made a repair to the pilot […]
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Before installing the upper strake half, all of the interior surfaces are covered with Jeffco Fuel sealant. And the fuel intake screen is installed. Next the bulkheads and baffles have a significant (about 1/4″) mound of Jeffco and flox spread on them top stake skin is carefully set in place, with the ground wire exiting […]
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