My first fabricated tool! Radius Gauges for Checking Bend Radius

Living proof that I do not like cheap digital cameras very much. This is a bit blurry, but shows two different gauges that I made out of scrap aluminum sheet that Van's provides in the kit. They are used to ensure that the wood form blockes that are used to bend the ends of the aluminum support angle brackets on the front spar of the HS. This is thick aluminum, and you just can't take a piece of wood with a sharp edge on it and start bending the metal - it will fatigue and crack if not bent with a proper radius in the bend. The plans called for a minimum bend radius of 1/8 inch. A trick I learned from one of the sheet metal books I read was to take the scrap metal,drill a 1/4 inch hole in it, and then cut away the metal. leaving a 1/8 inch radius. The gauge can then be placed on two sides of the wood block, which can be sanded to the correct contour for radius needed for the bend.

NAPA Primer and Metal Cleaning Products used by lots of plane builders

Pic of the NAPA prime and surface cleaner that I purchased for the small jobs. Need to use a respirator with this stuff - self etching primer contains an acid that roughs of the surface of he metal, allowing the primer to adhere to bare metal. The process involves sparying the part with the surface cleaner, wiping it dry, then air blowing it dry, then applying the primer. Takes about 15 minutes to dry to the point that you can handle the part.

First 7220 Self Etching NAPA Primer sprayed on HS Center Bearing

A bad pic of the center bearing hanging up on my painting booth hanger (a strand of aluminum wire that I removed from the garage when I wired in a new circuit for the high powered tools to keep them separate from the lights.) It is long enough to string across the garage by attaching it to the shelf brackets on one side and another shelf bracket on the opposite side of the garage. Although hard to see - it has been sprayed with the primer, and the center part has been masked over with frog tape. It is hanging from another piece of copper wire - remnant from the new electrical circuit mentioned previously. This works pretty well for me as a painting platform. I need to get some more flood lamps to add much needed light.

HS Center Hinge with Center Elevator Bearing in place

This is the center hinge bracket with the bearing assembly clecoed inbetween the brackets. Holes were match drilled through the bearing plate, which was primed with NAPA 7220 Self etching primer, after masking the center on both sides to prevent the primer from messing up the bearing. This bearing receives a bolt that connects the control horms of the two elevators - the things that make the plane go up and down, and do loops, and other fun stuff! This is also the first actual subassembly that gets riveted together.

Middle Hinge on one side of HS - Marking Top/Bottom/Left/RIght

Mid-point hinge - if you click on the photo to enlarge it you will see some writing - RTR and RTL - stands for Right side, top, left hinge, nad Right Side top, right hinge. When you drill holes in things it is very important to ensure that the holes will match up again after you disassemble everything and prime it. You get very good at labeling things so they don't get mixed up.

Match Drilling and Fitting HS Hinges to Rear Spar

Outside elevator hing clecoed to the rear horizontal spar. Following are a series of photos as I continue to move forward on the build. Lots of hole drilling involved here.

Class Partner Gets to Keep the Prize

This was my partner in the class. He had started working on his private license many years ago, but like many others, he ran out of money after soloing. He told me that the next time he starts to work on it he is going to finish it all the way. It was very interesting to see that several people in the class were not even rated pilots (yet)!
As much as I wanted to take home the completed project, I felt that it would be better off remaining in the possession of someone that is still trying to realize the dream of aviation, even if it means having a bunch of riveted metal parts stuffed out of sight in the corner of a garage for a while. Perhaps one day it might just be responsible for the creation of one more pilot, or even better yet, another airplane builder! I wish him well in his pursuit of flight.