Fuselage Begin

So the wings aren't 100% done, but they are "done enough" to begin work on the fuselage. Really, all that's left is re-testing the fuel tanks and finishing up a few smaller tasks like actuation and wiring. I figure we can get to these parts periodically through the fuse build just to switch things up a bit. The only big thing left to do is the bottom skins, but we're holding off on those for a bit longer, possibly until just before we move to the airport. We'll see!

We spent a few minutes in the shop cleaning up and organizing a bit more to get ready for the next deep-dive... starting on the fuselage! Time to open the new plansbook to page 1!

Fuselage Step 1: Section 25 Page 1 - Mid Fuse Bulkheads

This section consists of building four separate bulkheads: Two very beefy center section bulkheads to "sandwich" the wing spars on the front and aft sides (the main sections for these were actually shipped with the wing kit), and then two more progressively smaller bulkheads working towards the back. Thinking of it seating-wise, the two center bulkheads will go directly beneath the front seat passengers; the third goes underneath the front part of the backseat; and then the fourth goes at the rear of the backseat, which is also the front of the baggage compartment. It's all just a giant jigsaw puzzle really... with a few rivets holding all the bits together. And it flies. Hopefully.

First step was to create a pair of aluminum angle stiffeners out of 1/16" stock and mark a center line.

Attaching the F-1004P Mid Seat Rail Supports

Next step was to attach the F-1004C L/R bulkheads, which I did but didn't snap a photo of. After a bunch of pretty straightforward match-drilling, the plans then called to grab the landing gear support brackets and mate them up to the assembly. Before going any further, the plans need an "F-Drill Bushing" provided in the fuselage kit and buried somewhere in the hardware bags. We'll have to dig through them to find it, and that wasn't in the cards for tonight. Time to call it for now, but it was a good first day of building a new kit!