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Dick Fisher
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Date:  10-1-2014
Number of Hours:  3.50
Manual Reference:  
Brief Description:  Fitting the Turtledeck

Today was fitting the turtle deck skins to the formers. I took
Tony Spicer's advice and used duck tape to pull and hold the skin
in the approximate position for the first bulkhead. I also used a
second strip close to the third and smallest bulkhead. I then placed
the first former in place and placed a cleco in each hole. I then measured
the skin width at the second bulkhead position and used a third piece
of tape to pull the skin a bit tighter and clecoed the bulkhead. The
third bulkhead needed no adjustment and was easy to cleco in place.
I then removed all of the tape.
Next item was to very carefully mesaure the width of the fuselage at the
two forward bulk head positions. Once I was satisified with the measurements
I set the tuirtledeck on my table vertically, clamped my yardstick to one side of
the largest former and pushed/pulled the other side to the exact width
I needed and then clamped the second side. Now, I was at the point of
no return as I drilled a couple of holes in the top of the former and clecoed
the two halves together. Did the same with the middle former. Now was
going to be the moment of truth. Did I measure correctly or not??
Holding my breath, I set the turtledeck in place and was pleased it actually
fit.Taking my time paid off in spades. Now I can match drill the turtle deck
skin to the side skins/upper longeron and proceed to get this thing ready
for mating with the forward fuselage.
BTW, no kinks...dents...or creases in the skin. Check out Tony's Picasa
photo album for more pictures of this procedure.
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Turtle deck right front

Turtle deck right front

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Right Rear

Right Rear

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View toward the tail

View toward the tail

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