Chapter 5

Chapter 5

10/30/01 – Plotted and cut out 4 FJA jigs for upper longerons. 1Hr.

11/3/01 – Cut FJB & FJC jigs. Layed out jigs and epoxied longerons. Cut out F28 doublers, middle doublers, and aft doublers. Floxed all doublers in place on longerons. 4.8 Hrs.

The upper longerons are made up of three pieces of spruce epoxied together per side. They are clamped against the jigs to form the curvature needed to conform to the shape of the fuselage.

The transfer from jig B to C does not have an exact curve on the template so no clamp is applied here and a smooth transition is achieved.

 

 

11/4/01 - Cut fuselage side jigs D & E (2 ea.) .5 Hrs

11/5/01 – Released upper longerons from jigs and sanded excess epoxy. Measured and cut masonite for fuselage sides. 2.5 Hrs. Cleaned shop .5 Hrs.

11/7/01 – 5 min. epoxied 3+ sheets of pvc foam together, traced and cut out fuselage sides. Assembled fuselage jigs. 2.3 Hrs.

11/8/01 – Moved and releved table to allow 360 degree access. 1.0 Hr. Mounted jigs to table. Sanded jig joints for smooth transition between joints.

Here are pictures of the fuselage side jigs. The photo on the left shows the jigs with the masonite attached. The photo on the right shows the pvc foam attached to the masonite.

11/9/01 – Mounted foam to masonite using 5-min epoxy. 1.0 Hr.

11/10/01 - Set bandsaw up to cut spacers for inside fuselage sides. Cut spacers for right and left A-A, B-B, C-C, and landing gear profiles. 3.0 Hrs. Cleaned shop – 1Hr.

11/11/01 – Completed cutting spacers for fuselage. Microed spacers to fuselage sides. 2.8 Hrs.

11/12/01 – Contoured stick depressions, fuel sight glass, and rear electric channels inside of fuselage sides. 4.0 Hrs.

11/16/01 – Finished contouring fuel sight gauge depressions. Sanded fuselage sides. Rounded all foam edges and vacuumed all foam. Cut cloth for inside layups of fuselage sides. 3.3 Hrs.

The glass is cut and ready to be layed up. Both fuselage sides are layed up at the same time.

11/17/01 – Layed up fuselage sides and floxed upper longerons in place. 7.3 Hrs.

 

The upper fuselage longerons are floxed onto the fuselage sides while the layups are still wet. A fair amount of weight was needed near the middle since this is where the largest amount of curve in the fuselage takes place.

The round depression in the side is to allow additional clearance for the pilot’s hand on the side stick. The black lines were drawn on the foam to aid in proper placement of the fiberglass weave.

11/18/01 – Sanded longerons, cut glass and layed up longeron reinforcements. 5.8 hours

11/19/01 - Trimmed fuselage sides. Measured positions and fitted lower longerons in place. 4.0 hours.

11/20/01 – Fitted and floxed left lower longeron. Cut 2 lower longeron doublers and installed on lower right side longeron. Trimmed and layed up electrical channel on both fuselage sides. Made 2 electrical channel plugs and layed both up. 4.8 hrs.

 

Here is the lower longeron floxed into place. The longeron is a triangular piece of wood and the only way to hold it in place properly was to use a series of clamps.

The electrical channel is carved out of the spacer foam and glassed. This will be used to route wiring from the engine compartment forward.

 

11/21/01 – Floxed lower left longeron doubler in place. Cut and fitted LWX/LWY stringers into right fuselage side. 2.8 hrs.

11/22/01 - Trimmed electrical channel covers and epoxied to fuselage sides. .5 hrs.

11/23/01 – Cut ¾ inch clark foam for area between lower longeron/LWX/LWY/Firewall. Microed in place and layed up. 3.3 hrs.

11/24/01 - Trimmed layups, popped fuselage sides out of their jigs and cut the main wing spar area out. Measured sides and cut to 101.75 inches. 5.0 hrs.

Left picture shows the completed fuselage sides.On the right is the cut out for the main wing spar.

This finishes Chapter 5. Total construction time: 58.7