August, 2005 fuselage work

Aug 29 - Ran out of engine things to do for now, until I get my upgrade parts, so I decided to do some fuselage work.  I don't want to do the rear window or aft upper skin until after I have done my custom side access panels, so I'll get the access panels out of the way.  The RT panel is for custom baggage compartment access.  The LT panel will be longer and will be both for batteries access and autopilot servo access.  Laid out panels on both sides.  Cut out RT panel and worked on filing and smoothing the cutout.  3.0 hr

  Cut out my first fuselage access panel.  This is on the RT side, behind the baggage area.  The gray panel you see through the cutout is the wall I made for the custom baggage compartment, which is behind the regular baggage compartment, on the RT side.

Aug 30 - update web site  0.5 hr doc

  Hummingbird at the feeder

Aug 31 - finish filing RT side access panel, cut out LT access panel  1.5 hr

  Here is the LT fuselage access panel, as I begin to cut it out.

  on the upper RT corner of the LT panel, I started the cut OK, going down, then apparently was focusing on the leading edge of the cutter and ignoring the trailing edge of it, to my peril.  Grrrrrr!  This really ticked me off, but not much I can do about it.  There will be a backing plate under it.  I will smooth it well, then fill in the slot with epoxy.  All my cutting has gone well, but one moment of lapsed attention.....

  This shows how I can reuse the panel I cut from the LT side as the panel for the RT side.  The panels are tapered in shape, so the longer LT one is wider at the wide end, so I can use it as the final panel for the RT side.  I marked the approximate starting size.  Now, I will have to carefully trim it to fit the RT hole.

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