A while back I made a template out of 0.032 for the cutout required for the NACA cold air intake vents. Today I got to put that template to use, and I am sure glad that I made it.
I pre-drilled the template and then match-drilled it to the fuselage. With the template clecoed in place I scribed the inside contour onto the skin. I then very carefully cut out the hole. This hole is in the side skin so it is a one-shot deal. There is no room for error!
I positioned the vent far enough forward so I could still remove the rudder pedal assembly with the vents in place. I still need to make some doublers out of aluminum to back up the rivets on the inside, otherwise it will crush the plastice when I set the rivets. The vents will be sealed to the sides with a bit of pro-seal.
