Time: 6 Hours
Back at the big task of countersinking all these parts. I started with center section box plate that was left clecko’d to the bulkheads.
The spacers between the cockpit rail and seat back roll bars get countersunk for the 1/8″ rivets as well as the #8 screws.
The lower longerons also get the #8 countersinks.
The pile is adding up of parts that got countersunk.
Next up were the lower and middle aft longerons.
On the aft middle longerons they start from the bulkhead just aft of the passenger seat and run to the tail. The forward end protrudes thru the bulkhead just a little right at the aft end of the passengers arm rests. On the left side it ends up covered up with a flap control arm cover (which is a mod I will be doing) but the right is exposed. Some after seat makers also make an arm rest pad to match your seats and this can sometimes interfere with it according to my buddy Glen. So I trimmed this portion off to avoid any problems.
The last big “countersinking” items are the two upper longerons. These are long and have a lot of holes. To start you go to the ones on the top flange that mate with the cockpit rails. There are 2 holes that will get match drilled with the rails that the canopy slides in and don’t get countersunk.
Man these things are long and hard to manipulate in the Hangar.
I finished up all those holes for the rails and called it a day. I cleaned up and organized al the parts that I had out today. I forgot to mention that as I finished up drilling a part I would debur all the remaining holes and edges if needed. This allowed me to put the parts in a pile ready for scuffing, primer and paint. Overall today I countersunk 384 holes! But have all the side holes in the upper longerons left to do! I’m guessing these would go a little faster if my OCD wasn’t so bad that I have to clean up all the drill shavings up after each piece with the vacuum! I hate working in a dirty workspace! My goal is to finish up the longerons tomorrow so I can get to work on the skins and their dimpling.
