Sling 4 for Matt Build Log

I finally ran out of excuses to not work on the V. Stab. and got to work. TIME: 2 hrs The first task was to test fit the assembly. Two things of note: 1) Some of the rib flanges didn't align well with the rear and front spars, so some work with a hand seamer will be necessary; 2) The bottom ribs (1 & 5) require riveting through 4 layers, which usually means alignment challenges. I asked for a VOR doubler plate from the factory. The doubler plate is cut to fit inside rib 4 and follows the contours of an airfoil. However, rather than nicely rounded edges, it's a series of straight segments that are rather unappealing. The image below really demonstrates the awkward outline segments.  I believed that is was just shotty work and I would clean it up myself. Unfortunately, I don't have a bench sander, so away I go with the file.   The final result above looks nicer, even though this plate will never be visible when the skins are closed out. Consequently, I took a closer look ...

I'm a bit sore today after moving the entire airframe kit from the garage to a storage unit a few miles away. I did it on my own, so I had to get creative with how to load and unload the center and rear fuselage assemblies as well as the canopy. Everything had to be painstakingly packaged and secured, followed by the reverse and then organized into a 10'x14' unit. I kept the wing spars in the garage because they're not really imposing on space by hangin high on the walls. And, I'm planning on getting to them soon. With the exception of canopy and fuselage assemblies, I can transport unfinished components back and forth without requiring a larger vehicle. That'll reduce the cost of keeping stuff in storage and keep my wife happy with a less cluttered looking garage. As I look at the picture above, I'm already thinking about how I'd rearrange it. Next steps: Build the VS with VOR antenna. 

I used to think that the new standby comm radio frequency monitoring was a great feature. That was until I actually tried to use it. On the surface, it sounds like a great idea. Especially for mission limited aircraft. And, for the most part, it still is. But, if you're typically flying in busy airspace, as I do in Southern California, then it's not a feature you can count on for typical flight missions. A little background: TRACON in SoCal really appreciates all pilots flying in Southern California be in communication with them. They deal with busy radar screens and get a little stressed out when having to call out unknown traffic that affects you and your safe flight. They would rather be able to communicate with both pilots (sometimes more) and vector you away from in each in a coordinated manner. I know this because I regularly talk with several controllers and they say it's one of the worst things they have to deal with. Any flight to another airport will require you t...

Even though I haven't posted much lately, I've been working and keeping a written log. However, recently I learned of the EAA Builders Log site and am now switching over to that. My new log keeping site is now  https://eaabuilderslog.org/?s=MattsSling4 I will continue to use this site for tracking other resources and details not suitable for the EAA's builder log, but I find that site more suitable for building logging, expense keeping, and metrics tracking.

I'm trying something I've been meaning to try for some time now. Instead of blogging after I complete work, I'm blogging while I'm working. The fact is, I haven't kept up with blogging after I work, so perhaps I'll do better at both concurrently. After some thought about the order of things to do, I've decided to complete the center fuse to the point where the outer side skins and skin channels are complete. This includes the firewall and perhaps the forward inner skins. I found it very difficult to fit the inner skins with the outer skins in place. We will see what I end up doing. I need to finish soundproofing the forward floor void and under the torque tubes. I'm reusing the templates from the right side to cut the left soundproofing (I wish I installed the soundproofing before I reinstalled the torque tubes). Templates drawn out in fine point blue sharpie: After blowing the surface off with compressed air and running a tack cloth over...

I little while back, I visited a new friend nearby building a Sling TSi. He is working five days a week, 12 hours a day to complete it in an 8-month timeframe. I think he will. He gave me a piece of advice that I now realize is very prescient. He said, and I'm paraphrasing, "Jig out the assembly as far as you can in advance and figure out what your build order will be and what other actions you need to take before permanently riveting it together." Well, I applied that advice to the center fuse and figured out the myriad of things I needed to do, know, and have before continuing. This weekend, I took the side skins and channels back out in order to finish the soundproofing. I finished under the rear seats with the exception of the right seat channels because I need the ELT mounting brackets. My wife helped cut templates, soundproof material, and install. The view below is from the front of the CF, looking at the void between the bottom skin and the floor skin....