June 2011 – Bulkheads

11 June 2011 – After another few discussions with some experienced Canardians familiar with the old glory days of the Cafe Races, I decided on another modification.  Now I’m sure this  may very well elicit some groans and ha-rumphs, and maybe even a few mutterings of how crazy I am, to put it politely, but I decided I was going pulley-less and running my rudder cables from Point-A (the rudder pedals) through a curved conduit that traverses through the centersection spar, makes a semi-shallow bend and heads to Point B (the rudders).  No fiberglass strands will be hurt in the making of this modification, just merely slightly separated at the holes in the foam so that glass strength and integrity is still in tact on the centersection spar.  So, no pulleys means that I don’t require the pulley brackets, and thus no “ears” on the firewall.

Modified Firewall

Once I finished cutting the ears off the firewall, I could get to glassing it (and laying up CF on the instrument panel).

Glassing Firewall & Instrument Panel

•••

12 June 2011 — Ok, obviously by just that fact that I’m building an “experimental” airplane I like to experiment, at least a bit.  I thought quite a lot on how I wanted my instrument panel to look.  I wasn’t sure exactly, but I figured I would make the top layer Carbon Fiber on the front face of the panel to A) Add stiffness and B) Add coolness.  I ordered some CF in my last Aircraft Spruce order and after it came in, I assessed it one last time and decided to pull the trigger!

Carbon Fiber Instrument Panel

 

Recent Posts

Project Update

Hey Guys, 

I’m currently WELL into the final micro-finishing stage of this project, with really only the outboard underside of the wings and the top of the nose forward of the canard that remains to be done (ok, and the wheel pants). 

I set the canopy into its final position which allowed me to complete the final canopy latch install.  With that, I am finishing the final fit and finish of both the aft nose/avionics cover and nose hatch door onto the nose.

I have still yet to pull the engine off the bird, but that will be coming soon.  At which point I’ll finish making/installing the forward heat shields in the wing roots, and then move on to cut and install the Titanium firewall. 

  1. Chapter 25 – Nose job: Part 2 Leave a reply
  2. Chapter 25 – Nose job: Part 1 Leave a reply
  3. Chapter 25 – Playing Hooky! Leave a reply
  4. Chapter 13/25 – Yes… more sanding Leave a reply
  5. Chapter 18/25 – Canopy latch installed Leave a reply
  6. Chapter 18/25 – Final canopy lock tasks Leave a reply
  7. Chapter 18/25 – Another milestone Leave a reply
  8. Chapter 13/21/25 – More nose jobs! Leave a reply
  9. Chapter 25 – Miscellaneous tidbits Leave a reply