Tonight I clecoed on and started riveting the flap and aileron gap fairings, on the left wing. I only had an hour in the garage so I didn’t come close to finishing the riveting, but I made a start.
Flap gap riveting
Wing dimpling
Tonight I dimpled the aft-most rows of holes in the wing top skins where the gap fairings will attach. I also riveted the stiffeners to the gap fairings, and installed the access port doubler on the left wing.
Primed parts
Tonight I primed the flap gap fairings, landing light brackets, and the access panel doubler for the left wing.
It took me a while to get set up again, since it’s the first time I’ve spray painted since moving last year. I had to go buy some purified water, and just finding all the stuff I needed took a while. Everything came out looking ok.
Dimpling flap and aileron gap fairings
After a week being out of action with a flu and cold, I was able to spend an hour or so in the garage tonight. I deburred and dimpled the gap fairings for both wings, then dimpled the holes. I’m hoping to get a chance to prime a bunch of parts tomorrow, so I can start riveting things onto the wings.
Dimpling
Tonight I fabricated the flap gap fairing stiffeners, and dimpled the screw holes for the landing light lens. Small tasks, but progress.
Wing skin dimpling
Today I dimpled the putter leading edge wing skins, for the landing light attach bracket, and the landing light lens cover. Not much to see, so no pictures today.
The landing light attach bracket holes require a special dimple tool, and I hunted around for a while before I found it. It uses a steel nail and a pop rivet gun to squeeze the dies together. It’s a clever invention, and is the only way you can safely dimple holes where access to both sides is limited.
Wing metal work
Tonight I completed a couple of steps on the wings. I countersunk the holes in the rear spar where the flap gap fairing attaches, dimpled the access hatch doubler, and enlarged the holes in the landing light mounts.
Finish Kit Inventory Finished
I wrapped up the finish kit inventory today. There were quite a few missing components, so I sent the missing-parts-list to Vans for processing. No pictures, but I am using the crate to store the canopy, engine mount, gear legs, cowling, and other fiberglass fairings.
Finish Kit Inventory
Yesterday the finish kit crate was delivered by the shipping company. Tonight I started working on inventory, and slowly checked off the assorted items.
The crate arrived without any damage, and I put it onto the dolly I had made for the QB fuselage. It’s 4×8 feet, and the crate is about 4×6 feet, and maybe 3 feet tall.
I opened up the crate and began removing cardboard and paper. The parts were well packed and undamaged. I pulled out a huge amount of packing paper, being careful to check for parts as I went. The canopy is the first obvious part in the box, and carefully positioned under the canopy is the engine cowling, and under that some cardboard boxes with heavier steel parts. In the other end of the crate, carefully secured, is the engine mount and gear legs. On top of the engine mount, and stacked around it all are various aluminum and fiberglass parts.
Tonight I started inventorying all the parts, which is a painstaking, but interesting, task. I hardly made a dent on the parts lists, but hope to finish it up tomorrow If I can.
Wing systems hole enlarging
Tonight I used my step drill to up-size two sets of wing system holes in the left wing. one will carry the AOA and Pitot pneumatic lines, and the other will carry the addition wiring for the pitot heating unit.
