N114KB Project Updates

Empennage, rudder, horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer underway

Waiting for epoxy to set up after each operation caused some delays this week (plus, my compressor died and had to be replaced), so there are several days of progress represented in today’s update.

All three empennage tip fairings are shown here having received their initial internal flox fillets and fiberglass layups.

One of the spinner gap fillers shown here with its flox fixes in place. They came out pretty nice and should look fine once they’re primed and painted.

The other spinner gap filler shown here with its flox fixes in place. They came out pretty nice and should look fine once they’re primed and painted.

First post-sanding pass at fitting the left horizontal stabilizer tip fairing to clear the elevator counterweight arm.

First post-sanding pass at fitting the right horizontal stabilizer tip fairing to clear the elevator counterweight arm.

First post-sanding pass at fitting the vertical stabilizer tip fairing to clear the rudder counterweight arm.

Taillight installed and Molex connector fitted to the wiring harness.

Lots of micro slathered on in this (hopefully final) step. Some sanding tomorrow and another coat of filler primer should see these puppies ready for riveting. Hopefully.

Empennage, horizontal stabilizer, firewall forward continued…

Spinner gap fillers trimmed to fit.

A little more needs to come off (marked in red) and I’m going to have to add some material back between the edges of the gap filler and the spinner. Must have gotten a little carried away with the sander.

Back to fiberglass work. Yay. Not.

Right horizontal stabilizer tip fairing closure in progress.

Left horizontal stabilizer tip fairing closure in progress.

Vertical stabilizer tip fairing closure in progress.

Firewall forward in process

Spinner prop blade cutouts underway.

Spinner prop blade cutouts first pass complete.

Spinner first fitting. Not too bad…

A little more trimming required, though.

Super-slick use of neodymium magnets to locate the front bulkhead holes under the opaque spinner.

Super-slick use of neodymium magnets to locate the front bulkhead holes under the opaque spinner.

Inner magnets taped in place.

Spinner centered over prop blades and clecoed in place.

Magnets doing their thing to locate the front bulkhead holes.

Plastic washers taped in place.

Voila! It actually worked. So cool even Jean thought it was neat.

The clamped board arrangement makes it possible to rotate the prop blades through their range of motion to check for interference/clearance with the spinner.

Spinner plate assembly drilled and clecoed to spinner. That puppy is well and truly on there now.

Gap filler template has been cut out and awaits its date with the spinner remnants tomorrow.