Skin E-F

Build hours: 91

Skin E-F was layed out and cut from the pattern. The .016 6061 is not very impressive while cutting and I was beginning to wonder if it was really better than the poster board. Anyhow, the wimpy skin was centered and clecoed to the top stringer and pulled together with strapping tape at three locations along the length. The holes were layed out to be centered on the front and rear flanges, drilled 3/32" and clecoed on the top fuselage half. The beam and fuselage was flipped and the skin was drilled and clecoed on the lower half. The .016 skin becomes amazingly stiff when wrapped and should be more resistant to weather than the poster board:)

Shop note:

The shop was 97 degrees and 60 percent humidity. Even with all the fans going and the excitement(?) of the first skin wrap, that temperature and humidity is a drag.Its obvious that the builder was suffering from too much heat (or.. if I only had a heart - The Tins Man's request from the Wizard of Oz)

Plan note:

You will screw yourself if you don't think far enough ahead since the plans nor the kit construction manual lays out a specific order or indicates why what your doing now will be IMPORTANT in the FUTURE! So... For the horizontal stab to be horizontal, the tabs on bulkhead F should be level. Its easy to lose a 1/16" while cutting and trimming the bulkhead. Add a lines width during alignment to the beam and the tabs will not be level when it time to add horz. stab doublers! To be continued and corrected...