Project 5 build thread

[efwd]

I put drain holes in the lowest location I could at the bottom. I also carry duct tape in the plane. If I wash the plane or anticipate rain, I place duct tape over the spots where water can get in. I have closed off the pass through in the horizontal access panel with Food industry easy-cut strip brushes that you can get from McMaster-Carr. I have not washed the plane since I put those on so I don't really know if it really helps with keeping the water out but I suspect it does unless I put the stream from the hose directly at it.

[airlina]

I put drain holes in the lowest location I could at the bottom. I also carry duct tape in the plane. If I wash the plane or anticipate rain, I place duct tape over the spots where water can get in. I have closed off the pass through in the horizontal access panel with Food industry easy-cut strip brushes that you can get from McMaster-Carr. I have not washed the plane since I put those on so I don't really know if it really helps with keeping the water out but I suspect it does unless I put the stream fdid you rom the hose directly at it.

Eddie , how did you attach the strip brushes to your empennage panel to close that slot ?

[jiott]

Here's how I did it with Hysol; no rivets or screws.
231.jpg232.jpg233.jpg

[airlina]

Thanks Jim, and its held up well and stayed attached I assume ? Bruce

[alexM]

You mean drain grommets? The water will get in but the drain grommets will let it out

Well drain grommets, sure. Curious where people are locating them. But also curious about the path of water to get to the lowest point. This all occurred to me last night when I was filling up penetrations in the fiberglass fairing on the vertical fin (hinge locations for one). I realized that with the nose up attitude when parked that any water getting in would migrate to the aft end of each rib and wondered if sealing them up tight would even be a good idea.

Funny that I hadn't even considered the most obvious place water would come in until those access panels were brought up. Water will get in there for sure.

For those who are not regular shoppers at McMaster Carr, here is the link to the product that Ed used
https://www.mcmaster.com/strip-brush...strip-brushes/

I was also looking around the area where the tail wheel spring bolts on. I'm hoping at some point that my plane will end up on floats, which is one of the motivating reasons I do all this Alodine work. I appreciate the responses.

[109JB]

If it is on floats, the tail will no longer be the lowest point as the fuselage sits level-ish on floats. In that case you will want the drain grommets on either side of the centerline stringer probably about where the seat back is. The drain grommets should be the seaplane type drain grommets as well. As for the ones at the tail, put them as far back as possible. My previous model 4 had drains just in front to the forward tailspring mount. Looking, you could probably put some on either side of the tailspring a bit further back.


As for the vertical tail ribs, there is usually enough room for any water to escape the bays and travel down the rudder post into the aft fuselage bay. I see from your pictures that you glued the ribs up completely to the fiberglass fin post structure. On my model 4 speedster the ribs are only glued to the fin tube and not the fiberglass closeout. This may trap water. If the bays are sealed that tight you should probably drill a hole at the aft end of the rib for drainage.

[jiott]

Thanks Jim, and its held up well and stayed attached I assume ? Bruce

Yes, they have been on now for about 5 years and no sign of coming loose.

[alexM]

Well I think I'm finally to the point I wanted to be at 3 weeks ago. My fuselage is close enough to ready for covering that I can U-haul it to my hangar and convert my one car garage to a wing factory.

I tend to get the most done on my three day weekends and this time my weekend included:
Final installation of all the tail access cover angles.
Final coat of epoxy varnish on all the wood in the tail.
My 3rd/4th pass with Hysol on the tips of all the tail surfaces, and varnishing them.
Completing the aft end of the side stringers.
Verified torque of entire control column assembly, and all points of the pitch axis flight control mechanisms. Cotter pins in place where applicable, lock nuts set and all self locking nuts showing 1-3 threads.
Yellow torque seal on all the hardware I'm done with (knock on wood)
Fabricating the rear turtle deck cross member, stripping the powder coating off of the COM antenna base plate and drilling that all up.
PXL_20201220_223242356.jpg
That base plate looked like it had been used as an experiment in how not to remove powder coating, so I decided to refinish it from bare metal.

I was at the auto body shop anyway and brought home some "aircraft paint stripper". The counter guys told me to at least break the shine on the existing powder coating before spraying it on. I'm never going to know how many times you have to reapply that stuff to get good results. I'm pretty sure acetone on a rag would work faster. Being it was a single small part I broke out the 2" scotchbrite disc on my angle grinder and held a shiny steel piece a few minutes later.

I formed the 15 degree angle called out for in the manual with my redneck press brake (a vise and a rubber hammer). Man, drilling holes, deburring and installing Clecos sure makes you feel like an airplane builder. No wonder those RV guys are so proud of themselves. The manual shows rivets but not Hysol in this application, which might be the first place I've seen that in this build. I wonder about using some Hysol with micro balloons between the steel and aluminum.

Jobs needed before it's really ready for covering are down to:
Belly stringer. It is cut, alodined and ready to install
Cotter pins on rudder cable pulleys
ELT decision/purchase/installation
Run the power wires for the stab trim jackscrew
Install the stab trim sensor and run wires forward
Header tank installation
Rigging of flaperon controls will have to wait until the wings are built.

I'm still torn on the COM antenna. I would really like to bury as many antennas inside the plane as possible. Obviously I'm still hedging my bets by installing the antenna base.

Baggage compartment floor. I was momentarily stoked when I found sheets of end core balsa core in my hangar. All I had before that was the cardboard template made by the previous owner. I've got lots of hands on composite experience along with a chunk of my career in composite design and tooling. I could laminate this panel and I might still for practice, but I'll be calling Kitfox tomorrow to see about getting one on the way.

In spite of the list above, there is no reason I can't switch to wing building mode. Getting those built to the same stage as my junk wings (no tanks or inner ribs) will allow me to get past that critical milestone of having the wings mounted.

And then it will start to look like an airplane.

[jiott]

There is an automotive gasket remover, Loctite I think, that easily removes powder coat. Maybe someone will post the actual brand/part #. Several of us have used it years ago and it worked real well.

[bumsteer]

Permatex gasket remover is what I have used.

Rick