I got a late start today so I didn’t get nearly as much done as I wanted to tonight.
I started out today by removing the peel ply from the main landing gear bolt swap foam insert layups.
I figured at some point I should add a selfie for the FAA, so here it is!
After cleaning up the aft fuselage landing gear bolt layups I then marked up the lower firewall to cut for adding the extension.
I then marked the lower firewall to cut the matching “puzzle piece” interfaces with the wood extension piece.
After cutting the “puzzle piece” notches in the lower firewall, I then test fitted the firewall extension.
I then floxed the firewall extension piece to the lower firewall & glassed with 1 ply of BID.
And peel plied the lower firewall extension addition.
After glassing the firewall extension I then traced the gear leg brake disk heat shield template onto the 0.09″ thick 6061 Aluminum plate for cutting. Again, I’m using 6061 Aluminum as a heat shield since it’s much more corrosive resistant than 2024 aluminum, and in this application, strength is not really required.
I then cut out the heat shields using my jig saw.
I then test fitted the axle mounting flanges on the heat shields. So far, so good!
I pulled the gear out tonight to clean it up & then mount it, but then I realized that I needed to sand the entire gear bow in preparation for attaching & glassing the gear fairing to it. It was too late to undertake a big sanding job, so I’ll do it tomorrow. I also plan to drill & tap a hole on each axle end so that the axles are prepped for the eventual mounting of the wheel pants.