Project 5 build thread

[Jez]

I don't recall it causing any powder coating to bubble up or otherwise be damaged. I tend to keep a rag with denatured alcohol handy and wipe up any drips as I go. I have missed a few and found them too late to do anything about them. It's annoying to make any mistakes but they won't be visible on the finished airplane so I have already gotten over them. If you've got someone who can follow behind you with the rag/alcohol it will turn out better. I have also done some temporary selective masking, peeling the tape off as soon as possible.

Ok thanks, also how long between coats do I have to wait before sanding with 220 grit and applying the other coats? And one last question, you have sold me on those click bond fasteners. I have managed to find a retailer in the UK, but they have asked me which ones I require. Can you tell me which ones you used on what jobs? Much appreciated

[alexM]

Ok thanks, also how long between coats do I have to wait before sanding with 220 grit and applying the other coats? And one last question, you have sold me on those click bond fasteners. I have managed to find a retailer in the UK, but they have asked me which ones I require. Can you tell me which ones you used on what jobs? Much appreciated

It takes about 48 hours between coats. If you try to sand it too early it makes a gummy mess of the sandpaper.

For the Clickbond nutplanes these are the ones I used under my rudder pedal brackets:
https://www.electricalhub.com/click-...over-nutplates

And these are the ones I used on my center console where the side panels attach
https://www.electricalhub.com/click-...ed-nutplates-1

[alexM]

Well Geek is still kicking my butt and will probably pull away during my next work shift. Haven't heard from Eric in a while so my only hope of saving face is if he's been too busy working to get anything done.

Besides slacking off and spending too much time visiting with airport neighbors, I got to put some time on a Cessna 180. It handles so nicely on the ground an in the air that I see why people pay large sums of money to have one. Very nice aircraft.
wings off_1.41.1.jpg
I was finally able to pull the wings off with the help of my son and get them "bunked" up high and out of danger. But before I could strip the fuselage and flip it over I got distracted with a couple of tasks will be much easier to think my way through with no covering in place. One was mounting the ELT and the other was the ELT antenna. Using some of my recently acquired stainless Adel clamps I was able to solidly mount the ELT tray behind the baggage compartment, close to the center line of the fuselage. It won't be too difficult to get to during condition inspections, but if it is harder than I think it will be I know exactly where to put in an access cover. One of the nice things about Oratex is that you can put them in after the plane is covered with no problems.
PXL_20220913_211438785.jpg
The antenna was more difficult. I knew the series 7 has a mount for the antenna welded into the fuselage, but I couldn't remember exactly where. I was going all kinds of crazy directions with a cardboard mock up when airport neighbor and former Kitfox builder Nate stopped by. He showed me where the mount is for the series 7 and it was a real forehead slapper. After he left I used a piece of aluminum angle to fabricate a bracket and install it with two Adel clamps. I like the location a lot but it had two issues. One is that it is only pretty solid with just the two mounting points, and the other is that I had an interference problem with the baggage compartment floor. The mount as I made it would interfere with removal of the baggage compartment floor if I was compelled to remove it for any reason (like condition inspection).
PXL_20220913_003428896.jpg
I'm going to start over with a piece of 1.5" extrusion which will allow a third attachment point, and I'll work out the interference problem with the baggage compartment floor. While I was scratching my head over that I flipped the hardware over as someone on this forum had suggested. This turns the AN526 fasteners into studs which will make removal of the floor even easier. Since this involved an extra washer/nut it raised the floor just a bit, which was in turn going to affect my solution for the antenna.

Bottom line the distraction prevented me from getting the fuselage flipped over today. But I have less than an hour of work to do before it will be ready (assuming no more distractions), so it will be in the correct position prior to me going back to work for two weeks.

[Eric Page]

Haven't heard from Eric in a while so my only hope of saving face is if he's been too busy working to get anything done.

Way to shame a brother! You've got nothing to fear from the south. Apart from several more electronic modules (I can't help myself!), I've barely touched the plane in nearly a year. It seems like my work schedule is beginning to calm down, so hopefully this winter I'll start making progress again.

The antenna was more difficult...

I don't know if it will be of any help, but here's what I did with mine:

https://teamkitfox.com/Forums/thread...ll=1#post99558

It doesn't interfere with the baggage floor at all.

[alexM]

All in jest brother Page! It is certainly true that time and motivation don't always line up. That antenna mount does look simple. I'll have to revisit what I've done and compare your version to mine. Also, from your picture I see that Nate was correct, in that the antenna mount has to have a ground path.

Edit: I've looked again, and while I'm likely to leave my ELT where it is, I like your solution for the antenna a lot more than mine. By the way, I count nine tubes coming together there.

[alexM]

Well I guess we set goals so we can fall short and try again, right? I had hopes of getting the bottom of the fuselage covered but in the past couple of days I decided that if I could at least get the fuselage stripped and flipped over, I would call it a success.

I fly out for my next work shift at 6am, but when I come back on October 1 I'll be installing my (already prepped) center stringer on the lower fuselage and getting busy with a piece of Oratex. So fair warning Geek, I'm coming for you (and Hell's coming with me, or something like that).
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[Geek]

So fair warning Geek, I'm coming for you (and Hell's coming with me, or something like that).

Great!! I need the encouragement!! To quote you, "It is certainly true that time and motivation don't always line up" just seems to be the way it is some days.

Fly safe up there in the North mate.

Geek

[Jez]

Thanks John. It does appear suspiciously like the cans are the same size and have equal amounts of goo inside. I've been eye balling two part adhesives since I was a kid flying model airplanes. For stuff like gap filling I imagine Hysol is tolerant but to be thorough and safe I'd like to get an electronic scale. I also want one to weigh every component that goes on the plane (the old saying, "sweat the ounces and the pounds take care of themselves" applies), but it will obviously be a different scale.

The paint was fully cured last night so I went through the whole clean, test fit, lubricate, assemble, cleco, rivet process. When it came time to fit the rudder pedals back on I got to learn where the thin washers that fell out when I disassembled everything came from. My calipers came in handy for sure.

I do not understand why the manual says to torque the pedal pivot bolts to 20-25 inch pounds, because they bind up tight when you do that. This isn't like the ball joints or purposely designed bushings that pivot, it is straight up clamping force. I got my 1-3 threads through the self locking nut with free pivoting action and called it good.

Attachment 25298
I'm starting a new tail wheel student in my Citabria tonight so I'm planning on heading over a bit early and seeing how the rudder pedals into the fuselage.

Hi Alex, I am very tempted to cut a piece out of my floorboard, the exact same size as the aluminium block the rudder tubing goes into, and hysoling if that’s a word 😆 to the fuselage. Then you can torque it as much as you like once it has set. What are your thoughts ? I was also thinking to take away the front floorboard all together, because if you were to hysol the aluminium blocks to the fusalage first, then they are solid and yes you can torque to your hearts content. And obviously have some washers as shims to help with setting them up before the hysol goes in.

[Jez]

I forgot to mention, all this is because I cannot get those clickbond fasteners that you recommended in the UK.

[Eric Page]

I used standard floating nut plates installed with flush rivets; it worked fine as well. If you go this route, remember to drill the bolt holes in the frame slightly oversize so the floating part of the nut plates can still move around. Due to clearance issues from the forward frame tube, the forward nut plate under each bracket will need to be the type with both rivet holes on one end.