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THE AFT FUSELAGE
Fuselage arrives
10/4/17: Loaded the pallet on the pickup and noticed a lot fo damage so I took pictures at the yard before we left.Ouch
10/4/17: Ouch - something definitely is broken in there.Crushed Canopy
10/4/17: Yep - as suspected, something was definitely broken, the canopy and the metal glare-shield as well.Plans SNB-0018!
10/5/17: Well my plans number is Sonex Model-B 18! I also decided I needed a dedicated table for my plans so I built one with some spare plywood. It works pretty well!First screw-up
10/6/17: Read your plans!!! I mistakenly drilled the inspection plate on the bottom and rudder cable pass through on the top. I'll fix it, no use getting a whole new skin.Longerons trimmed
10/6/17: The longerons were trimmed and vertical crossbars cleco'd in place.Fuselage Selfie!
10/6/17: Feeling pretty good with how things are going with the exception of the drilling mistakes.One down one to go
10/10/17: Got the right side of the aft cone box done - working on the left side now.Drilling Phenolic Board
10/10/17: Damn does this stuff stink when you drill it. Used a band saw to cut the square and the drill press sure comes in handy.Show More
Airplane Noises?
10/10/17: Can I make airplane noises yet? Just set the vertical stabilizer on there for fun, it will be secured a long while from now.Precision!
10/12/17: It is pretty cool how everything lines up, like these holes for the rudder cable.More Crossbars
10/12/17: Setting more and more crossbars. Getting ready to flip, square it all up and drill the bottom skin to be riveted later.Lots of helpers!
10/14/17: My Emma helping me cleco more parts into place. I have it upside down and am drilling the bottom skin (to be installed later). I love having the kids help out!Bottom Skin
10/18/17: The bottom skin is in place to be pilot drilled and will not be installed until one of the last items after the wings are in place.Turtledeck Skin
10/15/17: The turtledeck halves are riveted together waiting to be placed on top of the aft fuselage.Turtledeck in Place
10/15/17: The turtledeck skin is bent into place and the pilot holes drilled and cleco'd in place.Cramped Quarters
10/17/17: It is kind of tight in the back of the fuselage to work and place the formers for the turtledeck in place. I made the saw horses 48" high and even still, I am cramped at 6 feet tall!Initial Clecos
10/20/17: I am working on pilot hole drilling with the #40 bit and using the silver clecos. Soon will have to be updrilled to #30, deburred and temporarily fastened with 1/8" copper clecos. I felt like I had to put the vertical stabilizer on to see how she looks!Show More
The Porcupine!
10/21/17: No those aren't the prickly needles on a porcupine but all the hundreds of clecos necessary to temporarily fasten the turtledeck skin to the structure. It will all have to be updrilled, removed, deburred, put back together and riveted!A Look Into the Aft
10/22/17: A look with all the formers in place in the turtledeck.Big Helper!
10/27/17: My main man Billy is helping place the finalRiveting!
10/27/17: A family that rivets together - stays together!Kieran Helps Too!
Even the baby wants to help put parts together!Turtledeck Done!
10/27/17: It looks fantastic and yes I put the horizontal stabilizer on to make more airplane noises!Great Team!
10/27/17: We are all admiring our work! Starting to really look like a plane now!Blue Vinyl?
10/29/17: Got some wicked cool samples from Vvivid including this matte metallic blue that I believe will be the main covering of the plane.I think I like!
10/29/17: I put some pieces of the sample vinyl on the plane and it really goes on easy. I like the blue but not a fan of the dark silver. We will see, I have some time to decide. Click on the picture to goto Vvivids Webstore.Show More
Cross Tie Cleco'd
11/2/2017: Bolted on the top and bottom forward fuselage mounts and ready to rivet the forward crosstie bottom.Model-B is Different
11/4/17: Completed riveting the turtledeck to the forward most formers and I like how there is a new design style for your head when sitting. It was interesting putting it together. Now to finish riveting the crosstie bottom and mount the actuator brackets.Actuator Brackets
11/10/17: This is where the electric flap actuator mounts to the plane. I am surprised at why it is so high up, but I am sure it will make sense in the end. This plane will have electric flaps and electric elevator trim.Elevator Control Support
11/10/17: Tying up some loose ends and things I skipped around to do. Today I measured and drilled the supports for the elevator control rod.Show More