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.

Progress - week of March 24

The countdown is on... and continues.

Monday, March 24 - 14 days to go

• Removed cowl
• Drained fuel
• Unbolted park brake valve... need to find the leak

Tuesday, March 25 - 13 days to go

• Fitted starboard lower strut fairing.  Still needs some tweaking, but its on.

Wednesday, March 26 - 12 days to go

• Removed park brake value (that I suspect is leaking), which involved lifting the header tank and taking off the side skirts from the center tunnel.  Drained rest of fuel from header tank.
• Cleaned up the mess.
• Tweaked and sanded wing tips
• Drained rest of the fuel.

Thursday, March 27 - 11 days to go

• Night off... LAAA meeting

Friday, March 28 - 10 days to go

• Final fitting of fuselage struts
• Make new starboard lower outer seatbelt bracket

Saturday, March 29 - 9 days to go

• Modifying the strut fairings to the bolt on the strut attach fairing can come off.  Came up with a new plan, and partially executed today.  I bonded together the two halves where I need to extend the aft portion.  Then cut it with a coping saw.  2nd one in progress.
• Elevator and stab removed.  Prepped, primed, deburred, fasteners and final riveting on an inspection ring on the bottom of the stab i forgot to install years ago.  
• Made all new pin keepers... the previous owner had made them, and I couldnt find them.  Searched for an hour.  Had everything to make new ones, so I did.  Plus spares :-)
• Figured out exactly how to get the pins and keepers in the elevator.  I had been trying to insert on the plane, which does not work.  You have to bring the elevator up to almost 90 degrees to get the pins and keepers in.  So that is solved.
• Helped Peter weigh his amphibious ultralight.
• Very productive day... I'm tired.

Sunday, March 30 - 8 days to go.

• Elevator trim hinge pin finally fit in place.  As with the elevator itself, needs to go in from the bottom.  Added a few rivets that I cannot remember why I missed them.
• Potted the holes for the park brake valve.  Need to come up with a better solution for this.  It's a royal pain it its current location.
• Disassembled elevator trim servo and bagged everything for paint.
• Assembled all inspection panels for paint
• Worked on starboard strut to fuselage fairing.  Not fitting well at all.  I have done something wrong here.
• Added flange for port strut fuselage fairing so nutplates can be added later.  Needs 1 more layer of glass.
• Packed it in early.  Was starting to get frustrated and make mistakes.

Progress - week of March 17

The push to get ready for paint is in full swing.

March 17 - 21 days to go

• Starboard aileron counterweight slot and vent cut
• End of wingtip sanded and made flush with the trailing edge of the aileron.
• Sanded the seam... to get ready for a layer of glass.

Tuesday, March 18 - 20 days to go

• Forced night off.  Crazy work day...

Wednesday, March 19 - 19 days to go

• Zip... flying club meeting.

Thursday, March 20 - 18 days to go

• Wingtip / aileron closeout started on both wingtips.  Foam cut, fit and bonded in.
• Starboard fuselage to strut fairing roughed in and meeting up.

These suckers are a lot of work.  Put in on, mark it, take it off, trim, rinse and repeat.

Friday, March 21 - 17 days to go

• More strut fairing.  Bolts are back in, holes cut.
• Had lots of visitors... did not get much done.

Saturday, March 22 - 16 days to go

• Thanks to Jim and Bruce, all the fuselage bolts are in and tight!  VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE HELP.
• They also got all the fasteners in the hatch covers, and Jim started the starboard wing tip fasteners.
• Weighed the plane.  She has gotten fat.  Need to check the numbers.
• One layer of glass on the port wingtip closeout.  All temp holes have a fiberglass backing.  Added glass inside the port wingtip nose to fix the curvature problem.

Sunday, March 23 - 15 days to go

• Thanks again to Jim for helping!
• All nutplates installed for wingtips
• Next round of filler on wingtips
• Aircraft weighted again, but not in level attitude.  Weighed about 40 lbs less.
• Covers for flap track pockets cut, fit and drilled.
• Hatch covers installed.  Lower hatch cover holes drilled on port side.
• Finished trimming port side strut fairing around tab for wing fold brace.  Reinstalled.