Plans: 1. Make more precise weight & C.G. measurements. Status: In Work. Having learned that my tail was perhaps too heavy I am making some more measurements. I gave up on the idea of having a battery in the tail. I removed the battery cables and re-weighed things. The tail is now at 31 lbs. with the fuselage uncovered and some ballast to represent a second battery near the fuel tank. In this configuration the balance is in the middle of the target C.G. range of 22.67 to 24.47 inches. Hence the battery is now going to be mounted in the new location near the tank. Things can be fine-tuned after the fuselage is covered. 2. Finish the radio installation. Status: Complete. I drilled holes in the back cover of the radio to allow me to bolt it to the mount. It is now solid as a rock. The batteries had to be removed so it operates exclusively off aircraft power now. 3. Some odds & ends. Getting down to some details: a. Installed the compass error card. b. Installed a clipboard as an alternative to the IPad. Some trimming of the edges with the band saw was required. c. Added metal ties to the fire shield covering the fuel lines. Not sure if it will do much but this seems to be the standard practice--so there you go.
