Been super busy the last few weeks. Today I built a fairing for the Cessna 182, as well as rear cabin bulk head panel. Trimmed up an old dash from a Champ, that I'm using to mock up the panel. This should get me close with the instruments I'm planning to use. At this point, the main instrument will be a Dynon Flight DEK-D180. I also trimmed the aft elevator push-pull tube to length.
7/20/07 - 2.0 hours - Total Time 675.5 hours.
Cut-out and re-spiced the tube for the trim. It was a little off, as I tried to take a shortcut. I needed to turn down a piece of tubing for a better internal fit. Shot most of the rivets on the front seat. I think I'm going to have to add a doubler on the bottom pan for strength. A result of my sliding seat mod. I also cut some foam and fabric to get the ergonomics right. I'm a little concerned about the distance to the pedals? Without the padding, it would be impossible to tell. I'll keep adjusting all the controls until I get every thing just right, then final weld.
7/21/07 and 7/22/07 - 4.0 hours - Total Time 679.5 hours.
Worked on allot of little things this weekend. Profiled the turtle deck (or what ever you call it?) It's a little taller than I would like, but you have to have head room for the aft seat. I still think if will look pretty good. Worked on the trim wheel mounting system. Cut down a socket and welded it to the bottom plate. I will rivet it together and use a bolt to attach it to the top of the gearbox. Did some more work on the aft seat. Need to make some changes to the first two push pull tubes to get the sticks in the right neutral position.
7/27/07 and 7/28/07 - 10.0 hours - Total Time 689.5 hours.
Built a new PP tube for the stick to the bellcrank. It needed to be longer. Bent a piece of 1/2" to fill the gap I had cut our aft of the aft stick. Not in the plans, but necessary to obtain full stick travel. Built a doubler for the front seat to give it more support aft of the sliding mechanism. Still need to spread out the stress that's concentrated on the one cross tube. Cut out the two 3/8" tubes I had installed for the rear seat. I bent two 1/2" tubes and installed them to ensure clearance with the trim tube. (plans are very vague on the seat installation) Worked on the trim tube fairleads a little more. They are close to tacking. Laurie helped me buck the rivets on the rear seat.
7/29/07 - 1.5 hours - Total Time 691.0 hours.
Tacked in trim tube supports. Cut down PP tube for the stick to the bellcrank. Did some final welding on the R/H elevator. Checked the head room with Blain as my test subject (5'11"). I'm squaring off the back and making it shorter than the plans.
8/5/07 - 2.0 hours - Total Time 693.0 hours.
Final welded the R/H elevator. Built a small piece to close off the leading edge and skip-welded it into place.
8/6/07 - 2.0 hours - Total Time 695.0 hours.
Final welded the rudder. I'm really considering abandoning the sliding seat and going with the plans. As I start to look at the stick travel with the seat forward, it just doesn't make sense? I could make it work with some more mods? (cutting out a U shape at the front of the seat) But at my height (5'10"), I would need the seat all the way back anyway? Take note fellow builders; Deviating from the plans seldom works!
8/11/07 thru 8/13/07 - 3.0 hours - Total Time 698.0 hours.
Final welded the both horizontal stabilizers. Trimmed the bottom rudder tube to length and tacked in the rudder horn.
8/19/07 - 0.0 hours - Total Time 698.0 hours.
Nothing but work lately. Blain had his first varsity football scrimmage last night. To satisfy my other habit, I put together another new toy over the last couple days!
9/1/07 - 0.0 hours - Total Time 698.0 hours.
Still busy with work and out of town all week! Finally picked-up the 182 today after 3 1/2 months in the shop! New paint, two new cylinders, new wing spars, new flap tracks. A couple more minor things to do, and we should be skydiving again. I flew it about 60NM from SPF to HSR, and everything seems to be working fine.
9/10/07 - 3.0 hours - Total Time 701.0 hours.
Over the past couple weeks, I cut-out the seat rails and started to install the front seat tubing as per the plans. The only difference is that I'm sloping the bottom support aft, to allow the removal and installation of the aft pedal bolts.
9/16/07 - 1.5 hours - Total Time 702.5 hours.
Continued to install the front seat tubing as per the plans.
