November, 2006 fuselage work

I am still working toward getting the engine ready to start, and getting the engine wired for that.

Nov 6 - Still haven't gotten the console I ordered from Aircraft Extras, so I emailed Rich to find out why.  Been feeling too sick to work on plane (got a cold).

Nov 8 - Talked to Bryan at Xtreme Products about the console and sorted out details.  He'll get me out my console and quadrant ASAP.

Nov12 - While working on other things, started fretting again about those wing bolts.  Reviewed emails between me and Van's about it.  Redid all the measuring and checking of fit of NAS and hardware store bolts.  Decided to start ordering some reamers that I will probably need for this.  My thinking is that, as long as the NAS bolts end up being a tight, hammer-in fit, I will be OK.  I think running a reamer through at least some of those bolt holes is inevitable.  After going to bed, had an epiphany just before falling asleep.  I suddenly realized the best throttle quadrant configuration for how I will be using it for throttle and wastegate control will be to have it configured as if for a twin engine plane.    1.0 hr

Nov 13 - Called Bryan and told him to change order configuration.  He will send me a quadrant with 2 throttle levers.  He also said quadrant maker wants 5x normal price to give me custom labeling on the quadrant, so forget that! 

Nov 14 - Ordered from MSC - 4 reamers for each bolt diameter, 0.0005" or 0.001" apart, in sizes a couple thousandths smaller than each NAS bolt diameter.  I am measuring 0.4350" on the 7/16" NAS bolts and 0.2475" on the 1/4" NAS bolts.

Nov 15 - received MSC reamers

Nov 16 - clean up upper gear mount frame holes from front with Dremel tool.  Clean up lower gear mount frame holes by carefully inserting reamers through spar holes from rear.  For the 1/4" bolt holes, I had 0.2445, 0.2450, 0.2455, and 0.2465" reamers.  For the 7/16" holes, I had 0.4310, 0.4320, 0.4330" reamers.  Even the largest is still an easy slip fit through the spar holes, so no cutting there.  I started with the smallest and worked my way up to the largest, protecting the spar holes as I went along.  I need to go about 0.001" more on each size.  I only needed to do this on the bottom 4 holes on each side, as I was able to enlarge the gear mount frame holes from the front on the upper holes.  It's been unseasonably warm all month, especially the last week; in the 50s or better.  It was 67 degrees today at LEB!!  Much better than the usual below-freezing that November usually is.   3.25 hr

  Reaming one of the gear mount frame holes on the lower RT side.  The black is heatshrink I slid into the aft spar hole to help stabilize the reamer and to protect the spar hole.  It was a perfect snug slip fit between the spar hole and the reamer shaft.  I ground a square end onto each reamer and turned it slowly & carefully by hand with a small adjustable wrench, while pushing the reamer fwd into the gear mount frame.  It's too close to the floor to get any sort of drill in there, plus doing it by hand, while much slower and more tedious, offers more care and control.  I see no sign (like removed gold anodizing) that any cutting is taking place inside the spar holes. 

Nov 17 - Ordered the next two larger reamer size increments for each bolt size, from MSC.  This is becoming a quite expensive fix, but it does appear to be working well.  Update web site  0.5 hr doc

Nov 20 - received 2 more reamers in each size, and brought gear leg frame holes up to nearly each spar hole diameter.  I think getting the wings bolts in, when it's time to do that, is not going to be a significant problem.  1.5 hr

Nov 28 - Still waiting for that console kit.  Emailed Bryan to ask "where is my console kit?".  Received kit from UPS later in the day.  Unpack console kit & review contents.  One end of main side panels was crunched, but I pounded it out OK.  Kit is complete with all hardware, rivets, etc.  It sure has a lot more parts (and weight) than I'd imagined.  Many parts seem to be very heavy - several 0.125" pieces & most everything else, except skins, is 0.063".  It also included the quadrant; one with the dual throttle levers I wanted.  Study drawing and start laying out parts.  Decided to wait on it & ask Bryan a couple questions about it before proceeding further.  1.0 hr

  This is what the outline of the console will basically look like, with one side panel laid in place.  Upper front tip of each panel got crunched in shipping, but I hammered them out flat.  In upper center of pic, you can see the wiring work I've been doing.  Completed EIS harness is in pic center RT.  The console kit came with lots of parts and all holes pre-punched.  Getting this console in will let me get my throttle quadrant and prop controller into place, so I can then run the wiring for the prop controller.

 

  A couple of the pre-punched holes on the upper 79-L1 angles seem impossibly close to the angle web.  Emailed Bryan about it.

 

  The first thing I tried to do, to bend the 79-L1 top angles to match the profile of the top edge of the console outline and cleco the L1s into place, got halted because hole #2 on each side isn't even close to aligning, although the rest seem to line up.  Emailed Bryan about it.  Turns out these 2 parts don't go together quite like this.  The side panel remains straight, and the top angle goes out away from side skin, then bends back again and parallels it.

Nov 29 - trying to decipher console plans and identify console kit parts.  Start assembling console.  Temps in 50s; incredible  3.0 hr

Nov 30 - email Bryan about identifying some of the parts & asked about why such thick metal used.  Good prompt responses from Bryan.  Labeled console parts, using info I got back from Bryan.  Cleco console parts together.  Have a couple more questions for Bryan.  Nearly 60 degrees today; I love it.    2.25 hr

  Here are most of the console parts clecoed together.  The quadrant and MT prop controller are laid in place.  I don't understand why the brackets fwd of the quadrant are not parallel to quadrant vertical center line.  I may not need them at all for my setup.  Emailed Bryan about that & a couple other questions.  Quite unfortunately, the console is too narrow to put the prop controller in horizontally, so I may need to move the R2 brackets aft and put it in turned lengthwise, as shown.  Or I may put it in fwd of the quadrant, as long as it won't interfere with the Andair fuel valve parts.  DEC UPDATE - I decided to not use those fwd brackets and related parts, as they are unnecessary for my application, and they interfere with the brackets on the quadrant.

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