A lot of work today, but once again not a ton that looks different. I have spent a ton of time just creating parts, shaping them, lining them up, clamping in place, and match drilling holes. I will however note that one piece has turned out beyond expectations. Based upon what I have read from other builders, the longerons can take quite some time to get exactly perfect. The angle required is precise and if it is off by even just a touch, it can make match drilling impossible not to mention final assembly. When I went to put my longerons in place, they were absolutely perfect and I could not possibly be more proud. If you’ve read almost any of my other posts, you understand I have a strong sense of self-deprecation and humor, but this time, I gotta be honest, I nailed it. Felt good too. Without further ado, here is what it looked like when I got it all put together.
You can see that wonderful angle bending at exactly the right spot… I’m serious. This is really fun for me to look at, and yes, I do know it is just a basic piece of bent angle aluminum but given my history of “involuntary second chances” on some fabrication, this is a particularly big win. So let’s keep celebrating then.
Not so much the angle here, but you can see how it lines up with the skins perfectly here. This will make for some great alignment when it comes time for all of the match drilling. Better order some more drill bits…
Lastly, I put in some more doublers, reinforcement pieces, brackets, and various other supports required in the tailcone. Again, while it does not look like a ton of progress, much time was spent just measuring, shaping, and getting the placements exact. I’ll come back tomorrow for a run at the match drilling.
Total time today = 4 hours
Total time empennage = 146 hours
Total time aircraft = 146 hours