Installing Main Spar

This section was done during our visit to the factory’s Head Start program. First you cut a 3″ wide by 6″ long hole for the main spar in the fuselage along the engine/firewall bulkhead to where it lays on top of the of the gear bulkhead. It’s critical that the spar be set square and level, with […]

Upper Canard Cut-Out

The upper canard cut-out was made during our Head Start week. I find it terrifying to make big cuts like this on my expensive bird, but it’s fairly straight forward. Just stretch the pre-marked lines down to meet the lower cut-out line. This forms the “doghouse”. You can’t tell from this picture (see below), but […]

Canard Attach Reinforcement

For the bulkhead reinforcement we cut 8 8″-18″ pieces of Triaxial lengthwise, and trimmed it into an “L” to fit the canard cut-out. The sections overlap the opening by 4″ above and below, and extend onto the bulkhead by 5″, 2 plys each. Canard Bulkhead Reinforcement – Bulkhead Side Canard Bulkhead Reinforcement – Fuselage Side […]

Install Speed Brake

This section has you dry fit the speed brake and sand any interferences, which we’ve already done. Just my 2 cents, by the way, but these “creepers” are the cat’s meow for this kind of work (we have done all of the work thus far with the bird on its on legs…). Anyway, then you’re […]

Glassing Bulkheads

In this section the non-flanged side of the bulkheads are fastened with 3″ of bid cloth. The engine bulkhead was done as part of the fast build kit. We glassed the back side of canard bulkhead while we were in the Head Start Program. Canard Bulkhead Reinforcement Back at the ranch, we glassed the front of […]

Engine and Gear Bulkheads

The main layup in this section is a 7″x39″ piece of triax between the gear bulkhead and the firewall, on the floor to support it since there’s no foam here. It’s a pretty simple process, it just absorbs a bunch of epoxy, is really awkward to work with, and has to go over the conduits […]