Too damn cold to work

It was in the 30's here and could only get the shop up to 41 with a couple of space heaters, so Sandi and I spent the day reading and relaxing. The radiant heater is on it's way.

I need to work on updating the log.....

Disassembly and riveting

I drilled the right side rail to the canopy tip-up frame and then took the whole panel structure apart. Did some priming of some parts and started riveting stuff together.

- Riveted seal strips to sub-panel.
- Riveted the canopy release bracket to center sub-panel along with the F-646 rib.
- Riveted F-745 panel ribs to the firewall.
- Riveted the side sub-panels in place.

Half of my SafeAir1 order arrived.... along with my Van's order of a COM antenna and keyed starter switch.

SafeAir1/Vans Order

(Time: 6 hrs)

WD-725 Canopy side rails

I worked on getting the F-631A canopy support channels in shape. Bent flanges to 90+ degree's and then tried fluting them to get them to lay flat. Struggled with this... got them generally flat but not perfect. Made the C-704 splice plate and drilled it to one of the channels.

I put the rollbar and supporting parts back on the plane and then clamped the 631A channels in place. This is where it matters how flat/straight you get the channels. (FYI, there is supposed to be a 1/4" gap between the rollbar and the 631 channels.)

F-631A channels clamped in place on fuse.

Once I had the channels in place, I started working on the WD-725 canopy side rails. The fit between the fwd end of the side rails and the aft end of the WD-617 tip-up frame is awful. Mostly because the canopy frame skin fit is horrible as well. Here's the problem as best I can explain it. (No pictures yet.)

There is a flange that runs along the bottom edge of the WD-725 canopy rails. There is a matching flange on the aft end on the sides of the WD-716 canopy frame. They SHOULD match and butt up against each other and then you splice them together with the C-613 plate. There is supposed to be a 1/8" gap between the canopy decks on the fuselage with the side rails. (Room for weather strip) So you clamp the side rails in place with the 1/8" spacers. Then you line up the aft end of the canopy frame with the forward end of the rails... guess what... the C-702 skin now sits 3/8" above the side skin at the aft end. So the gap starts out small at the foward end and then gets increasingly larger as it goes back. I can't have some goofy looking gap on the canopy frame, so I positioned the frame so the c-702 skin edge lined up with the fuselage side skin and positioned the side rail with the 1/8" gap above the canopy deck and drilled the C-613 splice plate. Another problem... the side rails have to slide back (aft) to the point they mate with the C-631A channels. Doing that leaves a gap at the front end between the side rail and the frame. Uggh!

So.. that leaves me with a side rail that is 1/4" back and about a 1/4" higher than the tip-up frame. I need to fire off a picture to Van's to see what the think.

(Time: 5.5hrs)

Canopy release and yet more tip-up

Winter arrived last night with ~2-3" of snow and a workshop temperature of 32 degrees. Needless to say, I wasn't extremely motivated to go work on the plane. Heaters got the temp up to 42-44 which I can stand to work in... once below 38-40, I'm done. :-) While waiting for the shop to warm up, Emiel, Adriana and I made a snowman.

I finished up the canopy pin release mechanism today. I used the t-handle but it only extends through the sub-panel. Later on I actually got to use it a couple of times and I already think it was worth the effort. The canopy hinges on two pins and the only way to access them is through the firewall recess or to crawl up under the panel. At this point, no engine is hanging, so I have somewhat easy access through the recess hole... but that will change. It was so much nicer just to pull the handle and off it came. Putting it back on was just as easy. If you are planning a full radio stack, this may not work but in my case, I plan on a 296 on top which isn't very deep.

Release handle sticking through sub-panel.

Release mechanism with hinge pins engaged.

Release mechanism when the handle is pulled to disengage the pins.

I did some filing of both the fwd top skin and the fwd canopy skin edges and rolled the aft edge of the fwd top skin, all in an attempt to keep the skins from binding. I also added a second piece of UMHW tape on the center portion of the canopy skin. I did get it to the point where it won't bind.. but just barely.. and I mean just. I think I'll have to take off some more because paint will add some thickness. Guess what.. the gap between the two skins measured .032. So my advice... deburr the edges of both skins before you start, then use a piece of .032 scrap to set the gap. Save yourself the trouble.

So the canopy frame now tips up and down nicely. TIP: Don't put cleco's along the aft edge of the fwd top skin.. the canopy frame will hit them and bend the cleco's over. Wouldn't be good. (This tip brought to you be Ray D.)

Here is the frame tipped up!

Next the instructions say to trim the gap seal strips because they interfere with the tip-up frame... well DUH! I'm sure builders will notice this in the process of fitting the frame and make adjustments. In my case, I had not yet riveted on the strips so they didn't not interfere at all. I would recommend that you too leave them off as they are much easier to trim off the sub-panel.. and besides, you'd have to disassemble the whole panel structure just to sand them down. (Guess you could sand them in place...) I'll rivet them to the sub-panel the next time I have the panel apart.

Gap seal rubbing on frame.

Mr. Brown delivered an order from B&C and I have an ELT and pitot/AOA tubing on order from SafeAir1. I have a keyed switch on order from Van's so I can install the lock on the fuselage. I also picked up a pair of aluminum eyeball vents from B&B Aircraft here in town ... $115/pair! Great deal since current manufacturers of these are charging $150+ EACH. These are new old-stock Wemac vents.

(Time: 3 hrs)

Tip-up frame work

(Doing this from a week old memory.)

I cleco'd the skin back to the WD-716 tip-up frame and put it back on the fuselage. Checked the alignment again and then drilled the C-613 splice plate holes to #30.

With the frame back on the fuse, it was time to drill the holes for the hinge point. These holes need to be exact since they determine the position of the canopy frame which you just spent hours tweaking and getting into position. Instructions say to use a 1/4" drill bit in an angle drill.. well, I don't have a threaded 1/4" drill bit. So here is what I did and I think this is THE way to do it.

I bought a piece of 4130 steel tube that was 1/4" OD with a .049 wall thickness (Paul, Mike... I have some leftover if you want...) I enlarged the hole in the tube to a #19 since I had a threaded #19 drill bit. I cut off about a 1" piece and then tapped it into the hole in the hinge blocks. Then using my #19 bit and angle drill I drilled the hinge point. I did this on both sides. (Instructions say to just start the hole and then finish drilling after it comes off. If you have a 3" bit, I would drill all the way through and then just enlarge afterwards. I only had a 1" bit so the shavings were getting jammed up inside, so I drilled just enough to get the hole started.)

#19 bit with drill guide.

It feels like what it looks like but really I'm just putting in the bolts on the hinge block.

Can't see it, but this is the drill guide in place ready for drilling.

Here's the #19 hole just after drilling just a bit in place.


Enlarged the hole for the bushing.

Bushing squeezed in place.

Must have done some work on the canopy release mechanism. Here is what it looks like.

Hours: No idea...

Tip-up frame started

Returned from my trip to NYC on Friday night... on departure out of LGA we flew right over Manhattan.... very cool to see NYC at night. Times Square was pretty easy to pick out from the air. Spent Saturday recovering and hanging out with the family.

So time to get back at it by starting on the tip-up canopy frame. I've done a lot of reading of Dan's and Brian's websites on this area since it appears that the canopy frame is probably one of the worst fitting parts of the plane and takes a lot of patience.

I cleco'd the F-702 skin to the WD-716 canopy frame just to see how it was going to fit and where I might need to make adjustments. The fit of the skin where it wraps along the sides is pretty bad as expected. The natural curve of the skin doesn't follow the curve of the aft tube of the frame. The bottom row of holes along the sides don't line up well. A few do.. the rest are half a hole off. Also, the skin doesn't lay on the triangular portin of the weldment where there is a row of rivets. Since _everyone_ has this problem I wasn't surprised or worried.

1/4" gap where skin wraps down along sides.

Gap along the sides between skin and triangular piece of frame.

You can see how poorly the holes line up.. sort of.

I pulled the skin back off and drew the centerline on the tube as best I could and then cleco'd the skin back on. The key here is to clamp the two ribs with the hinge points on the ends to the frame. Once they are clamped, it doesn't matter where the centerline is... that is the position is should be in. In my case, the centerline was right on.

Ribs clamped to hold tube in position.

With the tube drilled, I set the frame in place on the fuselage to check the fit. Both sides needed to be widened some to match the width of the fuselage and the slot where the hinge is needed to be widened and deepened a bit to prevent rubbing.

Just setting in place.. cool!

Before adjusting width of frame.

Slot in sub-panel that needs to be enlarged a bit.

Here is one other thing I noticed. The web of the channels on the side are bowed IN some and the natural curve of the skin would fit better if it was bowed OUT. So when I had the skin off, I used my mushroom set to push the web out a little for a better fit.

Frame channel bowing in.

From this point on, it was just a matter of making the necessary tweaks and adjustments to get it to fit well. I pulled out the sides to match the width of the fuselage. I had to file the C-619 spacers in the hinge block area to allow the canopy hinges to move farther forward. The goal here is to get the gap between the 702 skin and the F-771 skin to have an .020-.032 gap. (Don't forget to put on the UMHW tape on the 702 skin and to also file the edges of the skins. Also, file the bumps of the 768 sub-panel curves.) You DO NOT want these two skins butting up against each other. The mechanics of the hinge point cause the canopy frame to move FORWARD and UP at the same time. An .032 gap looks big but paint will take up a tiny amount of that gap and once it IS painted the gap won't be as noticable. It is better than having the two skins bind/rub.

Taped down and all drilled.

I drilled the C-614 splice plate once I had it all positioned well and then took it all apart and deburred the parts. It has to go back together and back on the fuse again for final fit check and then drill the C-614 holes to #30. NOTE: The instructions tell you to drill the holes #40 first, then enlarge to #30 later to allow for any small adjustments.

(Time: 6 hrs)

Traveling ... live from LGA

Been on the road since Weds. morning. Currently sitting at the LaGuardia airport drinking coffee and reading Dan's site on cutting the canopy and hoping to catch an earlier flight home.

Bracket riveting

I had Emiel come out and help me rivet on the gascolator doubler and the solenoid doubler to the firewall. (I'm getting spoiled by having a rivet partner any time I need one...) Once that was done I bolted on the solenoids and battery box for the fun of it.

View of the firewall.

Solenoid bracket on inside.

I wanted to finish up the canopy latch stuff but I need a 1/4-28 tap for the push tube. I did fit the two C-606 links. Since there were two, I couldn't tell where they each went and finally decided the both attach the C-605 idler to the WD-617 latch. Just a small twist and bend and they fit fine.

C-606 links in place

Next I riveted on the F-721 forward canopy decks. The most aft rivet of this deck is difficult at best. I need to fabricate a bucking bar to get up and under there.

Forward canopy decks in place.

Mike S. was asking me about the coating I was going to use on my brake pedals, so I pulled that out and sprayed it on a scrap piece of aluminum to see how it was going to work. The product is Dupli Color Bedliner coating. I'm not impressed at all. I don't think I'll be using this particular product. It isn't as abrasive as I thought it would be and a quick rub test a couple of hours after indicated it might wear off easy. I'll try the rub test later after 24 hours of curing but don't think it will matter. Mike was thinking of taking his pedals to Line-X or Rhinon Liner and have them shoot a coat on it. May not be a bad idea.

Dupli Color Bedliner on a test piece.

(Time: 2 hrs)

Canopy latch mechanisms

I feel like I made some major progress today but when I start blogging it..doesn't seem like much.

Basically, I fabricated the canopy latch parts the pilot uses to open/close the canopy. I cut out the part of the plans that mark the rivet holes in the side skin, taped it in place and drilled the holes. I used a dremel to cut the slot and a combination of sandpaper and a file to enlarge the slot.

Template taped and holes drilled

Slots filed to final shape.

I made the two pieces of angle (C-712) that hold the latch mechanism in place. TIP: Don't drill the hole that holds the C-607 latch per the plans. Clamp the C-607 with the lower C-712 angle, setting the recessed edge of the C-607 flush with the outside faces of the angle. This will leave a little edge protuding, which will make it flush with the skin once installed. When it is clamped, match drill the C-712 lower angle using the hole in the C-607 as a guide. Then you can clamp the upper angle and match drill it. Also, don't forget the UMHW tape before drilling the angles to the skin, the tape has some thickness to it.

C-607 clamped to lower C-712 for drilling.

Assembled unit on the bench.

Cleco'd in place.

View from the inside.

I dimpled the holes in the skin and countersunk the holes in the angle. Drilled the hole in the vertical post for the pin/spring to fit into. I had to do some tweaking of the slots to smooth operation after I riveted the top angle on. For some reason is shifted a bit, so the slot needed enlarged a small amount.

Next step was to attach the WD-617 tube with the latch fingers to the 705 bulkhead. You clamp it in place with the C-611 blocks, pilot drill the upper hole in the block, pull it off, enlarge block to #10 hole and bulkhead to #12, clamp back in place, pilot drill lower hole, pull it back off, enlarge holes and put back in place. I needed to file off a small bit on the top of the latch fingers so they wouldn't rub.

Pilot side latch area.

Passenger side of WD-617.

Next I need to make the tube that connects the latch to the fingers and I'll be done. After that comes the tip-up canopy frame!

(Time: 7 hrs)

Battery box and solenoid mounting points

I finished making up the battery box except for a small coat of paint. TIP: Don't install the two nutplates on the top edge of the support angles as you need to match drill the battery hold down bar using these holes. The support angles get riveted with flush rivets... and the flush head being on the inside of the box. This was a bit of a challenge for a couple of rivets. A longeron yoke would make this easy.. I used some washers on the flush set to make it longer.

Dimplpe die set with washers.

2" holes drilled in box sides - Use tape to mask off the box.

Completed box

I drilled and attached the nutplates to the firewall where necessary to attach the battery box.

Next I started on the master/starter solenoid mounting. A small doubler plate is made and will be attached to the firewall along with four nutplates for attaching the solenoids. I need some nails for my pop-rivet dimpler and then I get it all riveted on. A nutplate jig would come in real handy for two of these nutplates. You use an existing hole in the firewall for one of the lugs on the nutplate. It easy to drill the other hole but then drilling the center hole for the bolt is a challenge since it needs to be pretty much perfectly centered. (A nutplate jig would come in handy lots of other places... so if you are just starting.. you might pick up a couple.)

(Time: 3.5 hrs)

brake plumbing / VA-116 / Battery box

I finished plumbing up the brake system inside the cabin. I only had to replace one line that I cut too short. It was getting stretched with full deflection of rudder pedals.

I also stuck the fuel vent tubes back in the cabin and noticed that the screws towards the floor will rub on the side skin. A turn or two back and it quits rubbing.

Screw rubbing on skin.

I mounted the VA-116 transducer block on the firewall. This hunk holds the oil pressure, fuel pressure and manifold pressure transducers. When I was in Tampa visiting Neill, I noticed he used stand-offs on his to prevent interference of a transducer with the firewall. I went ahead and made up some 1/2" stand-offs just in case I need them. (He had two oil pressure transducers... the extra one runs activates the Hobbs meter when oil pressure comes up.)

VA-116 on FW.

Next I pulled out the battery box kit and started on it. I drilled the support angles to the sides of the box and then countersunk the holes for nutplates. I then drilled the holes in the firewall where the bolts pass through. Note: There are only 3 nutplates that get mounted for attachment to the firewall, so you don't need to countersink the middle hole on the left side or the top and bottom holes on the right side. Also note that the left side bracket needs to be offset .020 forward to accomodate the recess flange on the firewall.

Battery box started.

(Gone for a couple days, back Saturday afternoon.)

(Time: 2.5 hrs)

Brake lines complete / Rudder bar & pedals

I ran the right side brake line without any problems. I had ordered some foam blocks from Van's (same stuff used in trim tab) to secure the tubes in the channel. Later on I'll proseal them to the floor. I drilled holes through the blocks and then cut them in half.

Fuel and brake lines run to FW.

I pulled out the rudder bar unit and took off the pedals for painting. I'm going to spray them with some rubberized stuff used on truck beds. I went ahead and mounted the rudder bars in the fuse and started the plumbing process. (Put the bars in with the panel area removed.. I couldn't get them in with the panel cleco'd on.)

Rudder bars in place.

(Time: 2 hrs)

Canopy release / brake lines

My plan was to finish the canopy release mechanism this evening but I soon discovered that I cut the release tubes too short just like Brian Mayettte did. I remember Brian had a problem with the release pins being to short.. but it wasn't the pins, it was the tubes and I made the same mistake he did. The dimensions on the plans are not for the tube length but for the distance between the holes in each end.

C-621 & C-622 tubes too short.

So I moved on to mounting the parking brake valve and running the left side brake line. Running the brake line was SIMPLE compared to the fuel lines. I fed the line starting at the fuel selector out to the side, then flared it and bent it down to the fitting. Then just run it up the center channel to the parking brake valve.

Parking brake valve mounted - I used a 45 degree fitting on the bottom left side.

Brake fitting exiting fuse - Looks like I need to bend a little more to take off the stress.

(Time: 1.5 hrs)

Canopy hinge blocks and release mechanism

I finished drilling the canopy hinge blocks (C-617/C-618/C-619) on the passenger side. Some tight areas for drilling. I think if you follow the instructions in this area, you'll be OK. I kinda winged it a bit and struggled through it.

I also match drilled the F-644 stubby ribs with the top skin. I waited to do this so I could use the blocks as spacers to get the correct width between the 644 and 745.

Earlier on I had drilled the F-643-1 center rib to the top skin but didn't get it lined up well and the holes were too close to the flange, so I ordered a replacement and drilled in it place.


Shot of the panel area with the F-643-1 in place.

F-743B angle attaching the 643-1 rib to the firewall.

I also made the decision to incorporate the canopy hinge release mechanism... wait, wait.. don't jump on me yet. Most builders elect to eliminate the whole mechanism since they (like me) have NO intention of popping the canopy in flight. So instead of the release mechanism, they just use a couple of bolts in place of the pins. Well, once that forward top skin goes on, the only way you'll be able to reach those bolts to remove the tip-up canopy is to crawl up under the panel and reach up inside. Doesn't sound like fun. I know.. how many times are you going to remove the canopy?? Who knows.. probably a hundred just during the build process. The other reason builders eliminate the mechanism is that it sits right in the center of the sub-panel which could interfere with your radio stack depending upon what you have. The frame of the tip-up canopy takes about 2" around the top edge of the panel, so you can't have any radio's high up on the panel. The 643-1 rib also takes up some space at the top of the sub-panel.

So I trimmed the F-697 channel that holds the release hardware much shorter than the plans which leaves the bottom of the sub-panel available for penetration by any avionics equipment. I won't extend the release mechanism to the panel but just have a short handle that sticks out of the sub-panel that I can use when the canopy is tipped up.

Sub-panel with shortened F-697 channel and the F-643-1 rib all cleco'd in place.

I made up the C-620 bearing block and started making the C-621/C-622 release links. I used a little cut-off wheel in my Dremel to make the slots in the 621/622's. I have one more end to cut a slot in and they'll be ready to mount onto the eF-697 channel.

Release mechanism half way complete.

(Time: 4 hrs)

C-617/618/619 Parts

I have started on finish kit construction! Tonight I started fabricating the spacers and blocks for the tip-up canopy hinge. The pieces come cut to size and just need some holes drilled in them. The instructions tell you to make them, which I blindly went and did, and then I started reading on and it detailed HOW to make them. I think everything will come out ok but I'll have to trim the upper edge of the blocks as they sit a little bit over the 745 rib. I finished the pilot side blocks... will do the passenger side next.

C617/618/619 Parts made.

C-617 bolted to F-745 - This is bolted in place for match drilling. The 617 will go on the 644 rib side, while the 618 will bolt to the 745 rib.

(Time: 2 hours)