And even more paint...

More paint pics.  Progressing slowly, yet progressing all the same.

Flaps, ailerons, etc painted.

Cowling and rudder installed temporarily to mask off for the 'swoops'.

Same again for the stab and elevator.  The yellow goes through the rudder base fairing, so needed to assemble so everything lines up correctly.

Another couple weeks, and then reassembly begins!

More Paint...

 Paint is progressing slowly, but progress none the less.

All of the tail feathers are in white.  The rudder WAS painted, but the yellow and blue 'swoops' were reversed... so that has been stripped and is ready for primer again.

Also, the seat pans and inserts were accidentally painted white.  So they need to get stripped as well.

The wings, ailerons and flaps will be started this week (June 2, 2025).

Time for PAINT!

On Thu, Apr 10 we move all the bits and pieces over to the paint shop.  I figured 'it's not that far, we can just push it'.  Well, it's probably a KM... didn't look that far.  Will tow it on the way back.

No progress on Thursday... they are finishing up a Cherokee 6.

Doesn't look like they are going to work on it on Friday.  Still finishing up the cowl on the Cherokee.  Hurry up and wait it seems like...

Monday, April 21:  Progress!  Taping began today.  Prep begins tomorrow.

Tuesday, April 22

Lots of block sanding today and filling.

Wednesday, April 23

More filling and sanding.  First coat of primer.

Thursday, April 24

Rudder, top of cowl and doors primed.

More bodywork...

First coat of while (Materhorn White)

The good news:  The fuselage is looking awesome.

The bad news:  The edges of the doors need work.  The cowl has a bunch of blemishes that need fixing.  

The really good news:  It will all be fixed :-)

Next is tape / striping.

This process was very iterative, but i am SO please with the results.  We nailed it.  Very close to the drawings.  BUT, the drawings did not have the hinges... and I did not want a stripe going through a hinge.

My original idea was to polish the hinges.  But after looking at them, they need to be painted.

But I am REALLY pleased with how the cowl looks.  It was worth all the effort.

Next is the yellow!

It looks wicked!  Blue goes on Monday, May 12.

All the little bits are ready for prime as well.

Next is the blue... it's a weird colour.  In some lights its super dark, and it some lights its far lighter.  

And for the big reveal.... 

The guys in the paint shop have done a fantastic job.  Words cannot describe how grateful I am.

Austin, Jarred, Taran and Shaun.... THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Next is.... everything else.  Wings, tail, wing tips, fairings, etc, etc, etc.

Update(s) - week of April 7

Final push... 2 more days (hopefully) until she moves to the paint shop. 

Monday, April 7 - 3 days to go

• Finished up the elevator fairing, and made doubler plates, primed and riveted.
• Lots of filling and sanding on everything I could find
• Glassed up the last bit for the wing tip.
• Flange for starboard strut fairing.
• Fixed ding in port wing at tip.
• And a whole bunch of other stuff... 11 hour day.
• Aluminum tape on the stap
• Hatch cover fiberglass and sanding
• Cowling sanding
• Aluminum tape on stab
• And lots more I can't remember.  It's all becoming a blur.

Tuesday, April 7th - 2 days to go

• Filling and sanding, filling and sanding.

Wednesday, April 8th - the day... well, it was supposed to be... delayed until Thursday.

• Everything packed
• Windshield and glareshield out
• Struts and ailerons dropped off at paint shop
• Hatch covers attached, Rudder, HS and elevator on.  Easier to move this way.
• Everything else goes over tomorrow - I hope.  Fingers crossed.

Progress - week of March 31: the final push to Paint!

Getting tired... this has been a long haul.  But the end is in sight.  Well, the end of this phase.

Mon, March 31 (my Dad's birthday) - 8 days to go.

• Adjusted rudder stop plate to get required +/- 25 degrees of travel.  Bracket cleaned and painted ready to rivet.
• Geoff trimmed the elevator counterweight level arms.
• Continued fitting the strut to fuselage fairings.
• Texted with the paint shop.  Monday April 7 is a maybe to start.  Could be Tuesday, April 8.

Tuesday, April 1 - 7 days to go.

• Forward portion of both strut to fuselage fairings prepped and bonded to the fuselage.  All final trimming / fitting.
• They are not quite perfect, but they are pretty good.  These things are a PAIN to fit.  They have been on and off dozens and dozens of times.

Wednesday, April 2 - 6 days to go

• Night off.  Canucks game!

Thursday, April 3 - 5 days to go

• Another night off... long work day and had to finish some things before going on vacation / paint work.

Friday, April 4 - 4 days to go

• I can't even remember what we got done, but it was a long list.  Geoff helped me until well after 8.  So many little things.  We worked and worked and worked, then had a beer.
• Ailerons and flaps off, and hardware bagged.  Wingtips off.  Vent hardware off.  Control cables freed up and ready to remove.  Hatch covers off.  Rudder off.  All panels removed and tagged for paint.

Saturday, April 5 - revised date - now going to the shop on Wednesday, so 5 days to go (again).

• Wing wire harnesses removed and pulled back from fuselage.  Wings off and on the wing stand / trolley.  Riveted the trailing edge of the wings / flap and aileron coves... I had not put the rip stop rivets in, now they are.  All plastic wrap removed from wings.  Clean up and organized the hangar to fit everything.  Drilled final holes on aft section of strut fairing.  Tagged more parts.  Went and saw the paint shop, got paint chips.  Reviewed paint scheme.
• And probably more... I am just tired.

Sunday, April 6 - 4 days to go

• Prop removed and packed - Thank you Jim!
• Exhaust removed - Thank you Jim!
• Fuselage lower heat shield removed - Thank you Jim!
• Remaining plastic wrap from flaps and ailerons removed - Thanks Shannon!
• Fasteners fixed on elevator
• Door seals removed - Thank you Jim!
• Wing tips fit and clearance for vent corrected - Thank you Jim!
• Fuel cap assemblies removed
• Elevator fairing fasteners finished / fixed and fit.  One left to do.
• All parts tagged for paint
• Paint colours chosen
• And probably more I can't remember.  Was a productive day.