Flaperons Finish and More Panel Prep

I spent the day after Thanksgiving labeling and tidying up wires, putting in clamps, tiying bundles together and so on as part of the ongoing effort to be ready for the panel to return.

Allen joined me on the Saturday and we returned to the final flaperon control stop. We re-measured the angles on the flaperons to get our 13 degrees position and marked on the stop where the drill holes should be. I should say that we had thought we were going to have to cut the plastic fairing that was riveted above the stop location but we were happy to see that we did not need to. Holes were drilled, bolts were bolted.

Pilot side flaperon control stop

With the flaperons finished, we re-connected the elevator cable to the control mixer, and the control stick to the control mixer. We then finished all the castle nuts we could find with cotter pins. Question for the reader: why choose a castle nut over a self locking nut? I suppose I could google it.

So with that, the control system is finished: wings are rigged, rudder is on and straight, stabilizer is on, elevator is on and has full range of motion, flaperons are set. Only thing left is to let mother nature blow on it all to see what happens.

We finished up the day with a bunch of pre-panel tasks. The battery and starter relay are on the firewall and we hooked up the ground to the firewall.

Battery in place

Also in this picture is Allen’s idea for how we will pass wires through the firewall. The wires will pass through the firewall hose and the gap round the hose sealed with high temperature silicone, clamps will secure it around the wires. Might give me a few extra minutes to poop myself as I auger aflame?

We also connected all the fuel lines back up, checked everything for tightness and gave the seat bay a good vacuuming with the shop vac.

Fuel lines connected and all cleaned up

I’d really like to put the seat pans in so I can sit in it but until I’m sure I don’t need to get back into the wires, that would just be a waste of time. And I’m not sure the seat would take my weight just clecoed in anyway.

Next up, the panel will return.