Again, my current status is that I have both wings, both winglets, both strakes, both rudders, and both ailerons now in micro [caveat: underside outboard few feet of wing and inside lower winglets currently not micro’d].

My next task that I didn’t grab a shot of was prepping and microing the top surface of the left aileron.

As you might have guessed, I’m trying to keep the micro cure times somewhat matched for the control surfaces: inboard rudder to inboard winglet; top of aileron to top of wing, etc. to match sand those surfaces here shortly.

I bought some 40 grit sanding disks for my orbital sander and did a full regime of that on the right wing and strake tops.  I also hit both sides of the right winglet, the winglet-to-wing fairing and around the wingtip area at the Nav/Strobe light bump.

I then did a few more rounds on the right side with my air file, which really got the micro knocked down to much closer to final contour… I’d say about 80% done.  Tomorrow I’ll probably do one final round with the air file before switching to hand sanding with what my buddy Dave B. calls “the sticks of pain,” AKA sanding boards.

As with so many things on this build, the micro-finishing work is an iterative process. It’s certainly a workout, and can be monotonous and repetitive, but it really is a cool process to see the imperfect surfaces get so smoothed out.  I have to say I’m really pleased so far as to how it’s all shaping up.

Here we have the right wing tip Nav/Strobe base, also at about 80% to final.

I then got to work on the left side, mainly just get the high spots knocked down and the micro to general shape.  I hit the entire micro’d surfaces of the left wing and strake, and also leading edge on both of those as well.  I still have quite a bit to go on the left side, but it was a good start.

I’m at the point on the right side where I’ll be breaking out my pencil (or black paint) to ensure my surface level is even across the board as I finalize my micro application.

Moving forward.