Brief Description: Riveted baggage door external skin
I had a restoration tour at the NMUSAF today but did find the shop time to get the baggage door external skin riveted to the fore and aft ribs. The skin was also riveted to a reinforcement plate where the lock will be installed and a piece of angle with a hinge where the door will be attached to the fuselage. In fitting the door to the fuselage I discovered small gaps at both ends of the hinge. Apparently, this is normal but their size bothers me just a bit. They both measure about 1/4" from the hinge end to the fuselage skin.
I am currently debating whether to cut a new piece of hinge about 1/4" longer which will reduce the gaps to about 1/8". I double checked my hinge length against the plans and it matches the 13.5" dimension called out. I also need to get some closed-cell foam and see how it might work as a hinge seal (also called out in the plans).
