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Kupe's Zodiac 650B
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Date:  1-23-2014
Number of Hours:  1.00
Manual Reference:  6-B-6 & 7
Brief Description:  Begin Firewall

With the single-digit temperatures expected to last for up to another week, I moved the operation out of the garage and back down to the basement. Today's task was to begin the firewall.

The firewall is a large steel wall that installs between the cockpit and the engine. For the Zodiac, the firewall is also the forward connection for the upper fuselage longeron, the foundation of the engine mount and the attachment point for the nose gear. Needless to say, this critical part has got to be sturdy.

Today I began the process of making this otherwise flimsy-seeming piece of steel skin into a behemoth. Step 1 was to measure a bunch of centerlines - this is always step 1! Step 2 was to match drill an 0.040 oversized L-angle into the bottom rear flange of the steel skin. Step 3 was to match drill the firewall top stiffener, with a reinforcing L-angle, to the forward (engine) side of the steel skin - this piece is near the top of where the nose gear attaches. Step 4 was to match drill the firewall rear reinforcement to the same rivet holes as the top stiffener/L-angle on the rear (cockpit) side of the steel sheet.

Step 5 will be tomorrow.
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Rear (cockpit) side of the firewall with the rear reinforcement and bottom stiffener clecoed in place.

Rear (cockpit) side of the firewall with the rear reinforcement and bottom stiffener clecoed in place.

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Forward (engine) side of the firewall with the top stiffener clecoed in place.

Forward (engine) side of the firewall with the top stiffener clecoed in place.

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