Chapter 8 Chapter 8 seems like it should be an easy chapter but every other cozy site on the web says that it isn't so! In chapter 8, we start to add some finishing touches on the fuselage including:
Since I am going to install an forward opening canopy, I do not need to install the hinge on the side of the longeron (the out of sequence part from chapter 18). I am also going to hold off on making the headrests because I am just not sure that I will go with the standard cozy design.



Shoulder Brace

One thing that I have learned is the importance of using jigs whenever possible. I didn't have a lot of extra foam laying about so I made my jigs out of particle board. I cut them out with the bandsaw with a new blade. The new blade made all the difference and completely removed the 'wandering' problem that I had experienced before. The foam was cut with a table saw. Always seems funny to use such a powerful tool for foam but it sure is fast and accurate. Always a pleasure to use the right tools.
Just a little detail of the plywood inserts. They turned out fairly nice. Once again, the new blade in the band saw made all the difference.
Using the correct tools gives good results. Go figure.
I forgot to take pictures during the assembly of the heating duct, the transition tube and the installation. The transition tube was much easier than I imagined that it would be. I used electrical tape as shown on other web sites and it was perfect. It conformed to compound curves well and did not stick to the fiberglass. For the seat belt anchor (al tube), I learned from past experience and ground the tube ends at a matching angle to the rounding of the corners on the heat duct. This allowed the fiberglass to conform much easier to the foam without the formation of air bubbles. Still have not yet added the tapes to the side of the heat duct to secure it properly to the floor. In this picture, it is only being held in place with flox.
At last, enough of the plane is finished to make the zoom, zoom noises.