Folks
Here are a few more photos and notes. Still pretty much working on the interior stuff.
I am making a panel, removable, to block off the extended baggage when not in use. The idea is to effectively make the cabin smaller so the heater will work better in the winter.
I had Jay weld in a couple of attachment tabs for this.
Beginning of the side panel fabrication for the three piece boot cowl.
I'll go borrow a set of rollers tomorrow to get the lower curve in.
Unfortunately, as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, at some point during your build you are going to drill a hole or two in the wrong place. Here is one technique for fixing it. I drill a countersink bevel (even on thin stuff), coat a clipped rivet head with JB weld, and basically glue it in the hole. Then a little sanding, filing, grinding or whatever and you have a pretty good fix. Another coat of JB weld over the top, sanded down and it comes out pretty smooth.
Often you will need to sand the back side as well so a panel will fit up flush and it will look like this. A Dremel tool helps here. I know some folks just bondo over the hole and that seems to work but I feel better with a little more substance in there.
Because I had to box the rudder cables (due to the floorboards laying on the longerons) I needed a way to secure the bottom of the side panels so that cargo would not collapse them into the cables. Good old epoxy. Use 80 grit sandpaper to rough up the aluminum and also the carbon fiber floorboard. Cleaned well with acetone and glued in a couple of angles with nutplates.
I like a fabric interior on my panels. Feels warm, reduces noise, and looks nice (to me) so I use Weldwood Contact Cement to glue a med weight, tweed type fabric to the side panels. This will add about 3 pounds to the weight Vs nothing. I do not know how much paint, or flocking, or other finishes would add. It will be less than the last build as I am not doing the extended baggage area like the last time. The extended baggage will be left in the natural carbon fiber. This side panel weighed 13. 21 ounces pre fabric and 18.72 after fabric, so the weight penalty on this panel was 5.5oz.
This is the back side. I wrap the fabric around.
Once it is covered use your soldering iron to burn out the screw attachment holes. You can also use the soldering iron to melt down any frayed edges. It works like burning the end of a rope to cut down on fraying. Works great and leaves a nice looking, clean hole.
The installed panel. I will paint the attach screw heads flat black and that will help them to blend in.
Hope this helps
Bill