Chapter 8 Building Log

10/14/09 - I placed my chapter 8 order last week with ACS. I got a nice discount and free shipping after I took the electric SportAir workshop last weekend and it was also allot of fun.

I decided not to use the plans headrests. The argument here is that I will no longer have any roll over protection for my head. I am planning on reinforcing the turtleback and installing car type head rests.

ACS was out of stock on the 3/8" PVC foam, but I was able to glue up enough for the shoulder support from my scraps, so its a none issue.

10/18/09 - Started laying out the rear heat duct.

10/19/09 - Finished laying out the rear heat duct on the 1/4" foam and layed up 2 Uni plies from scraps. I also started building an epoxy heat box since I want better control of the temp thru this winter than I had last. I also plan on getting more done this winter and the epoxy is much easier to work if it is warmed up.

11/1/09 - During the last week I have been fitting this in while I finished up chapter 7. Assembled the rear heat duct and formed the 1 1/2" square transition tube and finished my epoxy hot box.

11/25/09 - I assembled the shoulder support foam pieces.

11/24/10 - Its been about a year since I made any real progress and I am looking forward to 'getting back in the saddle' so to speak. Today I put the inside laminate on the shoulder support as well as cataloging the hardware I received for this chapter long ago. Below you can see the headrest style I chose (they will be recovered), a drawing of my auto headrest design and the AutoCad file can be downloaded as well.

12/3/10 - I have been working on the hardware for this chapter and finished up the bottom outside seatbelt attach brackets and the seatbelt shoulder bolting nutplates that get installed inside the shoulder support structure.

12/4/10 - Working on the shoulder support to fit the headrests in. The steel tubes are just a convienent piece of conduit tubing that was the right size for fitting. I will flox them in place using the headrests as a pattern to ensure they get placed correctly. After which I will remove the plastic fittings and glass everything into place prior to installing the headrest.

12/5/10 - Floxed headrest support tubes into place. Glassed outside of the rear heat duct and finished the form for the head duct connection tube that mates with the rear heat duct. I have been using West System 105/205 for quick jobs and 105/209 for laminating and jobs that need alittle more time.

12/19/10 - The past two weeks I have been working on the shoulder support, rear heat duct and lower seatbelt attach points. The shoulder support was reinforced for the auto style headrests with 2 bid over the inside tube and diagonal brackets at 45 degrees to try to carry forward and side loads when people are using them to help get in the plane. The headrest posts also hit the seatback when in the lower positions so I drilled vertically thru it and reinforced with micro after clearing out the foam around the hole. This also gives me access to the headrest fittings from the bottom so that I can take them out. The entire shoulder support was floxed and taped into place today. The rear heat duct was glassed outside, the heat tube was formed, fitted and floxed in place. The rear heat duct was floxed into place today. The lower outside seatbelt support points are inplace, but I am waiting for the longer AN525 (416R20) bolts to come in before putting the angles in place since the R16's are too short and would require me to cut very deep into the lower longeron to get enough of the bolt thru to bolt too.

12/30/10 - Finally finished this chapter up. Its funny how lifes distractions can get in the way of progress. A few pictures follow showing the final taping, shouder support, head rest and seat belt attach points.