This is going to seem simpler than it is, and there’s no way around it. There’s a lot of sanding, fitting, removing, sanding, etc. that I simply can’t do justice here. Also note that after pleading with the factory, apparently I’m going to have to turn the plane upside down to do the final sealing work on the fuel strake (major yuck), and then put in the last 2 bulkheads. This is something that it appears some other folks aren’t doing, but without Papel Dispensation, I going to do the way the man says. {end of lecture} Also note, the bulkheads seal fuel and get 2 plys of BID, baffles just reduce the sloshing and only get one (in case I forget to mention it later), and they have “mouse-holes” top and bottom for fuel and vapor flow. OK, on to the work.
First we took the 4’x8′ (yes, FEET) sheet of 3/8″ dyvinicel foam, buttered it with micro and glassed it with one layer BID on top of a sheet of plastic. Cure, rinse, repeat… or flip it over, butter and glass that side. Then you have to cut out these templates from a huge sheet of kraft paper the factory gives you and begin the back-breaking work of figuring out how to get 2 of each (I began to feel like Noah) out of this one sheet of foam. It can be done, and with a reasonable amount of throw away, but it takes a little thought a bunch on time on your knees with a Sharpie (they should have me doing their commercials….).
Once you have the baffles, you can begin to test-fit them onto the strake. Surprise! They’re HUGE, make note to find the sanding block tomorrow, go to bed.
Note the little 1″x1″ right triangles, these were very helpful in maintaining the proper alignment through maddeningly repetitive sand, remove, fit cycles.
Laying Out the baffles |
The Finished Product – Baffling! |
Pilot Baffle Test-Fitting |
Baffle Layout |
Posted By: Brett FerrellSaturday October 26th, 2002 at 7:56 PM