This step is adding the seat back and then glassing it. I first floxed in the two pieces prepared earlier and let it cure.

Then the structure was microed and again left to cure. This is hardshelling and I tried it in an attempt to improve my glassing technique when using BID.

Once the micro was sanded smooth I wet it out with pure epoxy and then did two plies on foil which I transferred across and further trimmed while wet. I spent some time wetting it out, checking for air and then adding peel ply.

Despite my best effort there was some small flecks of air again in the layup. Well within Rutan’s limits as laid out in the plans however, I need to get this technique right. It is extremely difficult to see air in the wet glass on this colour divinycell foam.

It still looks like a good job and after a clean up my seatback area will be done. I probably won’t use the hard points I so carefully made as I now intend to put the upper seat belts on the metal rollover that is still to be designed.

Flox in the glass foam pieces

Foil layup

Completed seat back