I wasted a bunch of 1/4" tubing today fabricating the left fuel tank vent line. Oh well, it's definitely a learning process for me. The 1/4" tubing is MUCH easier to work with than the 3/8". I spent most of my time today struggling with getting around the lower longeron angle. I drilled the 7/16" hole for the fuselage bulkhead fitting too high and too close to the angle. I couldn't make the bend around the angle without kinking the tubing. I ended up using a bunch of washers on the inside of the fuselage in order to bring the elbow of the fitting out from underneath the angle. With this many washers on the inside of the fuselage I couldn't place any washers on the outside or I wouldn't have enough threads for the nuts. This actually worked out fine. There are several fittings that have no washers at all, including the vent fitting through the floor. By the way, I did grind a 45 degree angle on the nipple of the floor fitting according to the plans so that the airstream provides a slight positive pressure to the line. Even though I was able to run the complete vent line for the left tank and secure it with all of the adel clamps that were called out in plans, I have a feeling that I will have to remove the line in order to rivet the sub panel to the bulkhead as well as the forward top skin to the upper longeron. We'll see but I'm almost certain this will be the case. Otherwise there won't be enough room to buck these rivets. Oh well, I'll leave the line in place for now.
Tank fitting to fuselage bulkhead fitting run complete
