Wings

Big day today... time to install the baffle plate and close up this tank!

There's only one picture today, but a lot of work behind it. It started with priming the z-brackets. While they were drying, the baffle plate was cleaned and everything checked one more time to make sure the tank was ready to close up. The plans have you lay down a 3/16" bead of proseal all around the skin of the tank, and as the baffle plate is lowered into place, it pushes the bead of proseal ahead and seals itself off. Obviously, attention to detail needs to be paid here so you don't leave any gaps anywhere. This is the most common place for leaks. You can't get inside the tank and filet it out or push it around, except for the end bay perhaps. Pop rivets are used to rivet the z-brackets to the baffle and ends of the ribs. I took care to put fresh proseal in each rivet hole first, and on the ends of the pop rivets before inserting them. All the rivets on the sides of the baffle plate can be squeezed, fortunately. They were all carefully prosealed as well. Anyway, after a long session, here's the finished product! All that remains is sealing and installing the end cover plate with the fuel pickup tube and float gauge. After taking this picture, the tank was taken out of the cradle and turned over. The idea is to let it sit overnight with the nose up, so that the wet proseal can ooze and settle down into the cracks and leave a good seal.

<< Previous | Home | Next >>