Today I started installing the landing gear mounts. There is more to be done than meets the eye because so many holes need to come together and fit. The weldment is powder coated, and therefore all the holes need to be reamed out. In addition the NAS bolts that hold the wing on need to fit through the weldment so a trial fit with store bought bolts is appropriate to check it all out. I want to make sure there is absolutely no damage done when sliding in the NAS bolts for the wing attachment, so store bought bolts cleaned up and buffed with a light scotch brite wheel will do the trick for the preliminary check. I made an aluminum template for the hole in the fuselage for the full size plan. This is overkill because you need to work the hole until the weldment fits through it and then adjust the hole to get it to sit against the spare and the fuselage weldment. By the time I was done the hole was probably 1/8” lager then the gear tube, which I figured was about right for flexing. This gap gets filled with Pro-Seal. Monday I will finish drilling the left gear and start on the right. The best advice I can give here is the remove the 3 top nut plates on the spar flange, it goes in with a smaller clearance hole and take your time making little adjustments in the hole through the fuselage until the weldment in drops into place.
