Fuselage

Gear Leg Openings ( 2 hrs )

Cut out and smoothed Gear Leg Openings in bottom of Fuselage: Step 3, 7-9 at Sec 26-10 for Tri Gear builder.  Nancy helped rotate the Fuselage onto a side so this was much easier !  Took some time since I first rough cut opening,  leaving material to hand file down to final size (aligned with inside panel already open - serves as template)

 

11/16" hole is for brake line routing along
gear leg

Fuselage

Control Column Assembly shims ( 3 hrs )

Tried again to measure total gap to be filled on both sides.  Targeted .098 and .074 to fill measured .172" gap (required combinations of washers to be ground down).  Can't measure inner gap due to flange once 1st outer ear has washer/shims installed.   Found this to be "loose", so started over with different combination of washers and shims.    Success [ still considering another tweak ! ] - not "loose", but sufficiently low friction so assembly free falls once nudged.   Contacting Mitch Lock, East Coast sales rep for Vans who has built RV14a for his insights.   Connected up control arm so I could get realistic feel from actual grip.   Recently received these Control Sticks.  Feel seems OK, but could be better if less drag...?    Moved on to Sect 26-10, first steps after QB:  Tri-gear specific Steps 2, 4 & 5 completed (no pics yet).

 Comparing left to right with no drag, vs some drag for pitch...  hmmm.  More tweaking needed...

Fuselage

Correcting Shims at Control Column Assly ( 4 hrs )

Back to building after quick adventure flying to Kansas City with Nancy and I taking turns as pilot or navigator.  Started at Sect 29-05 to "fix" the Control Column Assembly.  I discovered upon delivery back in Nov they were not correctly shimmed, binding the bearings so considerable friction when moving.  NOT good for that great RV feel!  Vans builder support sent shims and new nuts.   But I should have yelped about needing to redo (only washers installed were nominal shown in Fig 4) - since this is very difficult and time consuming.  Really hard to reach, especially the inner ear.   I used a mirror to guide the washer wrenches (the special wrenches are a necessity !) and applied cyanoacrylate to bond thick and thin washer together.   Van's advice today was to start at one control stick side, and when successful (low friction after torqued ) proceed to other end.  Finally, after several iterations got the RH side moving freely when torqued.  Still working on LH side with 4 iterations.  Shame can't find a way to accurately measure gap - - I tried, but just poor access  -- so only way seems trial and error.   #@$%&... to be continued.

2 washers plus thin shim bonded
 prior to inserting via "washer wrench"

first washer / shims "easy",
other side covered by flange is tough

Wings

Exchange of Wings & Fuselage ( 2 hrs )

Moving day:  time to exchange Wings from garage/shop with QB Fuselage in basement (fortunately a walk out basement with sliding door that can be removed).   Instead of gathering a small army to carry my QB Fuselage from my basement around the house into the shop, I bought a Harbor Freight 4'x2' flat deck "wagon" (bargain at $79).  Added a 5'x3' plywood sheet & covered with a heavy rug.  This worked out really well..."easy peasy"!  Nancy helped significantly, so the 2 of us were able to make the move.   Bringing the Wings through the yard (soft from recent rains) was the most work, but we made it !

sliding doors re-installed.  Next to Empennage tail cone/fuselage

Wings

LH Landing Light Lens ( 2 hrs )

Finished LH Lens.  Left a greater margin at perimeter, approx 1/2" instead of 1/4".  Fits great.  Sanded edges to smooth finish using 400 grit, including rounding.  Very surprised as I was finishing up to see 2 very small cracks starting at edge - so quickly stop drilled and chamfered.  I had noticed the Backing Plates had moderate "bow" (whereas those on RH Lens sat flat onto Lens), so maybe once tightened they may have induced stress along edges.  RATS !   Hoping stop drilling will prevent major cracks from developing - or I'll have a "do over" in future.    Otherwise, I'm "done" with Wings.  Ta Dah !    Time to exchange the QB Fuselage from basement with Wings.

I left the tape on as I installed this time.  Removed tape after removing Lens.

@#$%&!  ( i.e. Drat ! )   Couple cracks started soon after I
re-inserted screws to hold backing plates while double sided tape "set".
Maybe stop drilling will save the Lens

Wings

RH Landing Light Lens ( 3 hrs )

Completed RH Lens trial fit after machine CS Lens and dimpling skin for #6 screws.   Applied VHB double sided tape (same as used for TE on Elev and Rudder) to hold Backing strips/nutplates.  Good fit (whew - no cracks or scratches ...another hurdle !)  so on to LH Lens.  Cut off excess and immediately covered with masking tape to protect.  Sanded edges smooth - ready to drill tomorrow.

 

LH Lens started...

 

Wings

Magnetometer Mount, Landing Light Lens ( 3 hrs )

Double flush riveted Magnetometer Mount for Garmin GMU22.  Even with deeper machine CS on shop end, still required light filing to get flush.  Very pleased when slid into receptacle in LH Wing with snug fit - no UHMW tape needed as option suggested in instructions if loose.   Returned to Sect 17-09 Steps 1-5 for Landing Light Lens in RH Wing.  More cutting Plexiglass - thicker than Tip Lens, so takes longer with dremel/cutoff wheel.   Good instructions, including covering with masking tape.  Less concern with scratching Lens.  Positioned and drilled 8 #30 holes with plasti - drill.  Enlarged using Uni-bit at 5/32 (slightly oversized vs recommended #27 drill).   Note:  Uni-bit recommended by Vans at Sect 5.19 general instructions - works great on plastic to enlarge holes, and chamfer edge of hole too.