I discovered another fabrication task today I don't particularly like, routing, bending, and flaring brake lines. I began by inserting the bulkhead type elbow fittings in the fuselage floor inside the gear boxes. Then, starting inside the gear boxes, I routed and bent the brake lines.
Earlier in the project I modified the gear boxes to have large access plates by removing the metal between the lower two lightening holes. This meant running the brake lines through the upper most lightening hole rather than the middle one that now is covered by an inspection plate.
This was another of those tedious tasks requiring a repetitive install-mark-remove-bend-install-check process. I don't know how many times I temporarily installed those two brake lines. Admittedly, the second one did go faster than the first. It's a lot like building fuel tanks. About the time you get comfortable and a little proficient, the job is done.
You will note in the second image below that the brake line is sheathed in plastic tubing (1/4" ID) to protect it against any chafing where it passes through the lightening hole.
The next task will be to fabricate the fuel vent lines. Frankly, I don't know how to fabricate them per the plans and get them inside the gear boxes. The plans show the lines coming up inside the boxes between the holes and the gear box rivet lines and crossing over just above the top hole. If the lines are formed outside the boxes there will be no way to get them inside. May have to do some of the routing and bending inside? That could be ugly! If there is a builder out there that knows a trick or an easy way to do the vent lines, feel free to drop me an email.
