Chapters 4-5-6
Chapters 4-5-6
Chapter 4
doubleclick pics for larger images
Here are some pictures of a shop setup. I got an epoxy ratio pump and make a heat box. The cutting table is invaluable. You put a two 2 feet by e feet "self healing" fabric cutting boards on the top and then get a fabric cutting circular blade to cut the glass. This box is wall mounted, so that I was able to move it for the trial fit of the wings to the fuselage later. The table is attached to the wall box with two door hinges and flips up to keep dust off the fabric during sanding. You really need to get some plastic boxes and have one per chapter. As soon as the parts come in, check them off and put in the chapter box. You will want those bolts to reinstall the canard and you go right to the box.
This is where you are "heading".
The IP.
LG bulkheads
Front seat with the Pampered Chef pizza roller. This helps to press out the air below the fabric and smooth the fabric down.
Curing. Save the scraps from the hard point construction, because you will find lots of applications for them, later on.
This shows elevator bolts (Lowe's use to carry them). I switched to clickbonds later on, but there are some places where the variable length of an elevator bolt is better.
Final results.
Chapter 5
Looking ahead.
Bending wood. You will make use of these jigs again later to position the longerons to the sides of the fuselage.
Here are jigs for contouring the sides of the fuselage. When you screw down the masonite to the jigs, watch that you don't bend the masonite into an uneven curve (top to bottom). You may have to "back out" the screws for evenness. Remember that this contour and the longerons that you already made will mate together and make symmetry from left to right sides.
The foam is secured to the masonite withdabs of 5 minute epoxy. Weigh the foam down with soft weights for the cure.
The left and right longeronsare in position with the left and right sides positioned adjacent to each other for symmetry. It is hard to see the right side, but it is on the other side of the table.
Electrical conduit.
Chapter 6
Make you work easier on this chapter, by drawing a line down the center of the workbench. Keep the centerlineof the fuselage lined up with that for simplicity. I had to use 2X4's for spacers to allow for the height of the IP. I highly recommend this approach to getting trueness of the fuselage. My engine mount fit smoothly to the FW.
I measured and marked for position and then drilled 1/8th inch holes through the sides of the fuselage for placement of sheetrock screws to hold everything in place, until floxing. If your pieces are made to specs and the left and right sides are symmetrical, then it fits well. I would go for making the IP and LG bulkheads to fit and then trim the seat as needed. If you have a 1/4th inch gap at some points, but flush at other points, then the floxwill fill that in. The two most important things are being on line with the centerline and symmetrical.
The wood blocks stayed during the floxingand placement of BID strips. Tip for BID strips: mark some plastic witha sharpie with the shape of the BID strips, wet out the BID on the plastic, then cut the plastic and carry the plastic and the BID strip to fuselage. Flox or micro all corners for adhesion and then peel ply. A poor man's peel ply is to use a good quality masking tape or blue painters tape.
Take care for alignment of the FW to make the engine mount placement go well.
Use the temp. FW to help set the positions of the LG bulkheads. Get the positions squared up and an even distance apart. Later, shen you want to "slip in" the landing gear, it will be easier.
These pictures show the "stops and screw downs".
This is the very important alignment of the FW. If you have your engine mount already, then you could flip it over and check for fit. Notice the square on the tabletop. The fuselage is parallel to the tabletop and centered to the centerline, so this works. In this picture the forward LG bulkhead is turned around. Obviously, I changed that before floxing.
This is after floxing.
Seat back support.
Heat duct/water line conduit/centerlinespline for strength
This a water cooled project with a Renesis rotary engine. There is a heater forward of the IP.
Before cure, I flipped the bottom onto the flox capped sides and weighed it down. Remember block up the underside (plastic seperator) prevent sagging.
This a picture from the next chapter, showing the supports.