Cozy
Chapter 7 - Fuselage Exterior
The Plan
In this chapter we will finish the outside of the fuselage. We start out by building the flush NACA scoop, then installing hard points for attachment of the main landing gear door, tapering the sides back to the firewall, rounding the bottom corners, reinforcing the area where the step attaches, carving out the fuel sight gages, cutting out the area where the canard attaches, rounding the top corners, and lastly, glassing the outside skin. The fuselage bottom is the preferred location for the built-in nav antenna, which can be installed under the skin. Up until now the fuselage is a fragile, flexible weak box. After contouring and glassing, it will be extremely stiff, strong, esthetically pleasing composite sandwich structure. If you have followed the plans, your fuselage will look like it came out of a mold, but be considerably less expensive.
Naca Scoop
The foam for the NACA scoop is installed. The shape of this scoop causes very little drag while allowing a lot of air to be brought in for the engine. This air is to be used for cooling and combustion. If in testing this does not provide enough cooling I can install 1 or 2 more small armpit scoops. These will be located under the wing at the edge of the fuselage.
Landing Gear Support
Bracing is added to the rear landing gear area. Plywood braces are shaped and installed so that more of this area is tied together, making for a stronger structure. Foam is place on top of the braces and shaped to the exterior shape.
Shaping Up
The rear section of the NACA scoop is formed much the same way as other parts of the plane, only here it is done in place. Almost 6 months has passed between this and the prior photo. My wife has cancer, and other priorities overrode building my plane. Plywood braces are installed, glassed in place, & the foam in microed on and shaped. Care should be given now to insure a smooth exterior before the glass is put on, so as to prevent more work once the glass is done.
Ready for Glass
Here the foam is all in place, sanded, ready to be glassed. Notice the small slots in the bulkheads, these are for aluminum plugs to be floxed into, for attachment screws for the wheel well cover to mount. The juggle in the foam, seen just before the bulkheads, is for this cover to recess into so it doesn't block airflow.
Glassing the Exterior
Here the last side is being glassed. The bottom and pilot side are complete. The airframe is already very stiff and considerably heavier. Up until this point I could move it around by myself, but it was acquard. Now it will take two all the time.
Zoom-Zoom
Well I finally got to sit in a Cozy! Hey, it's even mine, yahooo!! Walker really knows it an airplane now, he was the one making all the flying noises.
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