Construction Blog and Builder's Resource
Shoulder harness cables installed.
Infinity grip installation underway. Here, the passenger stick has been cut down, the powdercoat stripped off the end, and the spacer fitted.
The guts of the passenger’s Infinity grip. Some fiddly little parts in there. I’d forgotten how much fun it was from the last time…
The canopy has been installed – hopefully for good! Thanks, Alex, for all of your help today. — with Alex Cole.
Canopy installed!
Canopy installed!
Canopy installed!
Canopy installed!
Right step (finally!) in place. The bolts (close-tolerance, of course, for extra pleasure), especially the lower one, were a bear to get in and tightened in the extremely tight and awkwardly-shaped space.
Left step in place. This one didn’t require nearly so much time or effort. That’s down to both repetition and handedness, but I was grateful either way.
Left step in place and ready for shin barking.
Step access covers screwed down. Hopefully, forever.
Instrument Panel Power-up
Padded glareshield now fully installed.
The first of the steps in progress. Each step is secured by two close-tolerance bolts. These are, naturally, an interference fit and are located in a very access-restricted area such that it’s nearly impossible to bring any force to bear on the bolt heat.
I got one in and put the rest in the freezer overnight. Hopefully, the others will surrender today without a fight.
Harnesses laid out for the first time. Not quite ready for installation, but soon…
IBBS installed atop remote Comm 2 radio.
Comm 2/IBBS angle supports seen from below. At the front, the angles are Prosealed to the firewall structure.
Lots of wiring neatening left to do here (obviously), but the Comm 2 radio has now been connected to its harness.
Not much a photo here, but it’s a quick shot of the glareshield cover sitting beneath the canopy. I’ve just affixed the glareshield edging and the Velcro patches for the cover.
The seats have finally been removed from their box! A very nice job done by Abby at Flightline. The carpets can be seen lurking in the background.
I’ve been wondering for over a year (since I built the fuselage forward floor area) about how a flat floor would be achieved with the longitudinal angle in place. Now I see – a very ingenious solution!
If you don’t already know the answer, keep wondering for another few weeks…
Right side wiring cleanup underway. Most of the delay on this side has been due to the lengthy process of deciding upon and executing a solution to the B&C regulator location conundrum.
Problem solved!
Back under the left side for some semi-final wiring cleanup.
The B&C regulator in place. It turned out (completely coincidentally!) that the bolts holding the Comm 2 radio’s forward edge to the support angles were an exact match, width-wise, for the regulator.
Ideally, I’d have used the center hole on each side of the regulator, but there was no way to do that and still fit my hand above it with a wrench. In practice, though, it’s fine; that puppy isn’t going anywhere.
Having finally received the proper 3-blade stripper and crimper for RG400, I set about installing the Comm 2 antenna cable.
Unfortunately, the antenna backplate’s center hole (around the connector) is just a tiny bit too small to allow the terminal to fully seat. I’ll have to remove the antenna tomorrow and open it up with a Unibit.
Oddly, the other side (for the Comm 1 radio) is fine. Weirdly non-standard, right? Van’s – what are ya gonna do? LOL
