Chapter 25 – Yup, more finishing!

Today I started off by sanding the RAM air scoop/hell hole hatch cover to pretty much final configuration… and ready for epoxy wiping.

I then went off script for a bit to knock out an ancillary task: the aft NACA scoop ground cover attachment.  I’ve been pondering this for a while, and after learning that my local airport’s schedule to have the new replacement hangars built has slipped again to the summer of 2022 (for the hangars, including mine, that were damaged in a spin-off tornado from hurricane Dorian). Thus, if I finish my Long-EZ prior to next summer –which I fully intend to!– I very well may need to keep my bird parked out on the ramp for a period of time.

In light of this hangar situation, I want to ensure all open holes in the plane are plugged or capped to ensure no bugs or critters take up residence in any aircraft orifices.

I will say that in addition to sealing up the plane during ground parking on the ramp, there is an element of cleaning up the lines when viewed from the side by eliminating the slight “notch” of the NACA scoop on the rounded aft RAM air scoop structure.  See the top vs bottom pics here.

Again, I’ve been pondering just how to attach this NACA scoop cover for a while now.  I finally decided that I would have a rubber/foam type plug that goes into the hole on the aft side, and then a small embedded magnet to keep the front narrow part of the cover attached to the NACA.

Here we have the mounting hole drilled and prepped for a small round embedded magnet.

Since I had these magnets on hand to use for my lathe RPM/tach display, I simply grabbed one for use to secure the aft NACA scoop cover.

After I test-fitted the magnet in its mounting divot, I then sanded the surfaces of the magnet to texture it so that the micro could grip it a bit better.

I then micro’d the small magnet into place in the front channel of the NACA scoop.  You can also see that I added some micro to the aft corners and spots inside the NACA scoop.

I then added a pure flox lip to the front edge opening of the RAM air scoop.  I wanted something that would add strength and durability to anything getting thrown at the RAM air scoop in flight, in addition to being able to be shaped to allow me to create a rounded/radiused edge on the front lip of the RAM air scoop.

I then left the the RAM air scoop and NACA to cure while I spent a good hour sanding the bottom cowling (sorry, no pics).  Tomorrow I’ll press forward with getting these ancillary components prepped first for primer, then paint.

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