Fuselage

Another HUGE day today! Daniel came home for Easter weekend, so with his helping hands we lifted the firewall in place and clamped it to the side skins. Then I pulled out the forward bottom skin and we clecoed it in place. By the end of this session, we had the firewall drilled to the side skins.

The plans have you draw a centerline down the aluminum flange on the bottom of the firewall. I made the mistake of drawing it on the stainless steel firewall flange. Don't do that! I caught my mistake when things didn't fit right and did it over. Here's the firewall, now fitted and clamped in place along with the forward bottom skin. This thing is really looking good!

What a clever idea... the plans have you insert a handful of 1/8" rivets through the skin into the longeron angle behind it. This holds the longeron up flush with the edge of the skin where it's supposed to be. Otherwise, it would sag from the weight of the firewall. They aren't riveted at this point, just pushed in to hold things in place. Then you can clamp the firewall brackets with clamps, and begin carefully measuring everything to make sure it's in place.

Once the line I drew on the firewall flange (the correct one this time!) shows through the second line of rivet holes, you clamp it down and drill and cleco a hole on each side. This "sets" the correct distance from the F-704 bulkhead to the firewall.

Next, the forward face of the firewall is supposed to be exactly 5/8" from the forward edge of the side skin. Careful measuring and clamping sets this distance correctly. Now it's time to start drilling!

Then you do the same for the other side. Notice the clamps on the bottom holding the firewall brackets inside to the longeron.

Here it is... all drilled in place to the side skins. I left off here and called it a night. Next I will be drilling the rest of the holes through the firewall brackets, which are still clamped in place in this photo.

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