| Date: 02-01-2012 | |
| Number of Hours: 10 | |
| Manual Reference: 5-1 |
More work cutting out the sight gauge depressions. I’m doing this VariEze style with a slightly tapered front edge. It tapers to the rear where a half inch tube will be glassed in place much later.
Very careful work
Weights hold this steady
| Date: 01-31-2012 | |
| Number of Hours: 10 | |
| Manual Reference: 5-1 |
Finshed the basic shape and depth of the front seat depressions and window area. About half of this will be cut out for windows and the rest will add about an inch to the pilot elbow room. There are quite a few markings on the sides now.
As there will be no baggage cutouts this extra room will be worth having.
Having marked out the fuel sight gauge area I routed out to half an inch a slot to get started and set a depth. I’ll use shed 40 clear PVC and make my own gauges.
Nice and clean looking
Matched
More art work
| Date: 01-26-2012 | |
| Number of Hours: 10 | |
| Manual Reference: 5-1 |
Finally began routing the window and side depression on one of the two fuselage sides. Not happy with using the dremel as a router as depth control is poor. OK to finsh off with sandpaper and more time is required to get the transitions nice. There are a couple of spots that will need a small amount of micro to level out. See how the other side goes!
Route side window edges
Side window cutout
Finishing by hand
| Date: 01-23-2012 | |
| Number of Hours: 10 | |
| Manual Reference: 5-1 |
This is taking quite a while. I’m laying out where the windows will go in the fuselage below the longerons. Laying out the position of the bulkheads and rear section.
A decision is required with the longeron doubler and I will now omit it but still add extra UNI strips. Much advice has been taken and some understandings required. The usual baggage area will not be cut out giving extra strength in this area.
How the windows will be done also had to be clear. The inside and outside glass layups must join at the window area to form a ledge that has the stepped perspex clear window. The sides around the pilot elbows inboard of the windows is also to be dished out .4″ both sides. Angles and distances took a while to understand.
The rear fuel sight gauge area is still to be marked out.
Drawing very carefully
Windows here one day
Learning which way is up
| Date: 01-19-2012 | |
| Number of Hours: 6 | |
| Manual Reference: 5-1 |
Finished shaping the bottom of the two sides and ensured things are straight, square and the two sides match. Placing them together on the table helps see the lengths match.
A mirror match
| Date: 01-18-2012 | |
| Number of Hours: 10 | |
| Manual Reference: 5-1 |
Finish one side bottom contours exactly. Then use this side as a template for the other.
Finish off both sides together so they match and are the same.
Foam side lower section shaped
One side becomes a template
Two sides the same dimentions
| Date: 01-17-2012 | |
| Number of Hours: 10 | |
| Manual Reference: 5-1 |
Mark out the large .8″ sheet of Divinycell foam for cutting into 2 sides. It is over 104″ long so perfect for sides without the need to join.
The mark out contours per plans. This took a while as lengths are given every 10″ only.
I worked out coordinated in between and then found the long sanding block helped join them into a curve.
Full size sheet
Lots of care
Slowly learning
| Date: 01-12-2012 | |
| Number of Hours: 1 | |
| Manual Reference: 5-2 |
Sourced the longerons at a specialty timber yard that supplies musical instrument timbers. While considering hoop pine I went for the expense and very high quality sitka spruce. I choose a piece with a 45 degree grain rather than quarter sawn to give stability in both directions. This is also how its pictured on the plans. Grain direction is not mentioned.
The pic shows the sized pieces taped to the excess timber. One piece still needs trimming to a triangular shape. The others were cut to the plans specs.
Longeron timber – Sitka Spruce
