Progress - week of March 3, 2025

As of Monday, March 4.... 36 days to go.  Detailed progress:

Monday, March 3 - 36 days to go

• Fuselage holes potted for exhaust shield in bottom of fuselage
• Flap track fuselage pockets bonded

Tuesday, March 4 - 35 days to go

• Took the night off.  Worked on checklists a bit.

Wednesday, March 5 - 34 days to go

• Left wing tip.  Drilled counterweight arm, cut slot for counterweight.  Cut and fit vent fitting.  Trimmed trailing edge of wing trip.  Clearanced aileron / wing tip gap.  Sanded for fiberglass.
• Checked fuselage flap track pockets.  All good.

Thursday, March 6 - 33 days to go

• Next step on hatch covers... sanding and fiberglassing.
• Next step on port wing tip.  Trimming and filling.

Friday, March 7 - 32 days to go

• Night off.  Work function.

Saturday, March 8 - 31 days to go

• Drilled holes for fuselage exhaust shield
• Strut fairing - got the port side started
• Flap tracks - all drilled.  Need a different die for my rivnut tool... 8-32.  Ordered.

Sunday, March 9 - 30 days to go.

• Fiberglass on port wing tip.
• Strut fairing continuation
• Cleaned the hangar so I could get to the starboard wing tip (shelf was in the way).
• Pilots drilled on the starboard wing tip.  Aft cut for aileron.

Mar 1/2 2025 Weekend Progress

The 5 week countdown is on.  Weekend accomplishments

• Fuel system testing
• Starboard side horizontal stab fairing bonded
• Hatch covers fiberglass proceeding.  Couple more steps to go
• Port wingtip aft seam bonded.  Pilots for all fasteners drilled.
• Cleaned up hangar mess to get space for fiberglass work, then made a new mess.
• Pilots door handle snap ring replaced and arm rest reassembled.
• Tie wraps replaced on engine that were cut off to fix EGT / CHT issues.  Plenums reassembled.

36 days left…

5 weeks to paint...

It's getting real.  Like really real.  5 weeks... 5 weekends.  The time is NOW...

Time to get more organized.  Found a stick on magnetic white board on amazon... its now affixed to the hangar door.

It's not pretty, and I don't care.  It will keep me organized.  If I think of something, it goes on the board.

Lots to do...

There are 3 posts that are 'in progress'.  Not that many people actually read this ;-)

Hatch Covers

HUGE shout out to Zach Chase.  Thank you for the guidance!

I was struggling with these darn covers.  Could NOT get them to line up.  After hours of head scratching, I finally figured I needed to cut the lower cover outboard edge.  That was the ONLY way to get them to fit correctly... but before doing so, I needed to talk to Zach.

As always, Zach is the master and so generous with his time and advice.

He said these covers to NOT fit well, and the only way is to cut them.  He is even more aggressive that I was planning.  Cut the vertical piece on the lower hatch cover at the outboard edge.  Hold it in place with tape or popsicle sticks (with hot glue).  Use a mixture of resin, cabo until its mayonnaise consistency, and add micro balloons until its like peanut butter.  Relatively strong, yet sandable.

So I did.  Port cover aft edge is bonded in place.  While it was drying, started fitting the starboard cover.  The 2nd one is always easier than the first.

Once the trailing edge has cured I can shape it to match the flaps.  It's slightly too long.

41 days until paint shop booking.

Things to get done:

1. Finish hatch covers
2. Finish wing tips
3. Finish rudder base fairing
4. Finish horizontal stab fairings
5. Finish fuselage pockets for flap tracks (when wings folded)
6. Elevator and trim tab hinge keepers
7. Strut fairings
8. Flap track fairings

Lots to do... grateful for the challenge.

90% done, 90% to go - be done on Tuesday

 It's a long list of what is left, but its getting shorter (last updated Sun, June 11).  This is to keep me focused and motivated.

Things to do at home

1. Complete intercooler air inlets, and finish brackets
2. Complete air cooler brackets, open hole in cowl, make mold, finish cowl
3. Modify cowl for larger spinner
4. Finish cylinder air inlets
5. Exhaust - from UL stubs 
6. Finish air outlet on cowl (exit air ramp)
7. Plenum tops
8. Plug wires, CHT and EGT
9. All windows
10. Brakes - from park brake valve to calipers
11. Finish pitot lines
12. Air intake / filter / alternate air source
13. Cabin heat plumbing - firewall side
14. Put doors on
15. Finish mounting hardware for rudder and cables
16. Fuel plumbing from gascolator to engine. Return line from engine to firewall
17. Gear leg fairings
18. Wing to fuselage wiring connector (fuselage side done)
19. Install interior
20. Glareshield upholstery
21. Tighten up tailwheel bolts

Things to do at airport (final assembly)

1. Strut to wing and strut to fuselage fairings
2. Hang wings
3. Finish hatches and flap fairings
4. Wing tips
5. Lights
6. Wing to fuselage wiring connector (fuselage side done)
7. Brake fluid / bleed brakes
8. Wing mounted antennas / coax cabling
9. Paint

I will probably keep this list updated as I think of more things and scratch some off.