Stjohn's RV-7

5 hours.
Not 5 hours all at once, by any means. But I did drill the UHMW flap actuator bearing blocks, match drill the flap servo goodies, and began the process of getting it all into the plane. Unfortunately, because I don’t have iLife on this machine, I can’t exactly share the photos I took. Oh well, i’ll post them when I get a chance. Anyhoo, I feel like I’m actually getting aircraft stuff done, and it feels good to be able to work out problems and see how things are going to fit without having to run to VAF whenever I get stopped by some weird thing or other, and my hunches work out more often than not, these days.
I haven’t been putting in a lot of hours, but the skills do keep, if I do a little bit each day. I’ve been trying to do something, anything at all in the mornings before work. I’m able to put in about 45 minutes before I have to go in, and that keeps my head in the game. The tunnel cover coulda been.. Better. But it’ll be fine, since it’s non-structural and serves mostly to keep the occupants’ meaty bits, car keys, cell phones, and sunglasses from fouling the elevator pushrod. Also, it serves to cover up wiring, and that’s probably a good thing. I’ve also discovered that it’s very easy to round out #3 philips head screws if you don’t keep the driver bit seated. After all the fun, the flap actuator seems a little stiff, but well within the servo’s capability. However the center bearing block seems to sit a little high. The plans have you milling off about 1/16 of an inch from the bottom, 1/2 inch back, to clear the lip of the seat floor skin, but in this QB fuse, the baggage floor covers are atop the seat floor skins. This is all fine and dandy, but I think I’m going to file off 1/16 of the lower center bearing block, just to relieve the tension on the weldment a little. Maybe this is unnecessary, but it will make me sleep better. As I’m doing this process, I see the need for future tasks, like where the f am I going to mount the strobe controller, and how will I do it? Right now it’s looking like it’s going on a yet-to-be-fabbed shelf between two ribs under the baggage floor. Of course, this means I have to install platenuts on all those, But whatever, it’s easy and quick if you use the platenuts themselves as drill jigs.
Next weekend, Shelley’s going to be at her permaculture camp in the hills of Acton, so I’ll hopefully be putting in a bunch of hours, and maybe even paint something.