Brief Description: Installed lower longerons in forward fuselage
I started the night by reviewing the plans to prepare for the next steps in building the fuselage skeleton. To check on a few things, I looked at the Orndorf video. Then I noticed that the longerons (both upper and lower) are to be installed on the outside of the engine mount doubler weldments that are fitted to the aft side of the firewall. I had placed the upper longerons inside the weldments. DOH! So, I had to un-clamp the upper longerons, re-bend them a little to fit properly, and then clamped them back into the jig. Next, I clecoed the forward belly skin on to the skeleton to see if the firewall lined up with the center section bulkhead. It didn't. I had to move the center section bulkhead about 1/4" to the left to get everything lined up. That meant removing the screw down clamps from the center section fuselage where it was clamped into the jig, and then move them. Oh well, it is just one step closer to the first flight. Once the belly skin, the firewall and the center section bulkhead were lined up, I filed out some of the aft part of the lower longerons to allow the landing gear weldments to poke through the belly. I then fitted the left landing gear weldment to the center section bulkhead to see if it needed more filing and fitting. It did. I will have to finish tweaking the belly skin and lower longerons to fit the landing gear weldments tomorrow. I am bushed tonight.
Lower longeron fitted to the outside of the engine mound doubler weldment on the back of the firewall
Lower longerons (on top here because the fuse is upside donw) held in place with cargo straps
Left landing gear weldment being fitted to the belly skin and lower longeron
