Brief Description: Step modification and bending the side skin
Today I continued with the fuselage work. It is almost ready for me to start drilling the longerons. The first task completed was cutting the flanges on the baggage compartment ribs to allow the step support slide into the fuselage. Previously I had marked the edges of the cuts with a straight edge using the 1 1/2" hole in the side skin for alignment. I took the baggage compartment skins out so I could reach the appropriate ribs, pulled them out and went to work. Using my nipper and dremel tool it went pretty quickly. After clecoing everything back in place I checked the alignment of the holes with one of the steps. Photo two shows the results. It slide right in, but I noticed that the support shaft is too long. Not by much, about 7/32." I still need to install a support bracket inside on one of the ribs. That will make it a little bit longer. But I can cut it to size later after the fuselage is riveted together. That way I know it will be the right length. You can see in photo three how far the step sits away from the fuselage. After that was completed the next step was to bend the bottom portion of the F-770 side skins to match the curve of the aft section of the fuselage. That meant removing the side skins AGAIN! The curve is a compound curve, in that the forward edge below the step is almost a 90 degree bend with the aft edge a radius curve. You can compare the before and after condition by looking at photo 2 and photo 3. Left of center in photo 2 is the unfinished skin and photo 3 shows the curve completed and the skin clecoed back in place. I put the step back just to admire the finish product. Of course all that work was times 2, as I am putting steps on both sides. I need to install a couple of brackets and then it is on to drilling the longeron.
Step mod of the flanges
Left step inserted to check holes
Left skin bent to match - compare with previous photo
