SB 0017 Modification
Sling Aircraft issued Service Bulletin 0017 earlier this month, indicating that the elevator torque tube may have been incorrectly assembled at the factory. The issue is that the elevator control stop plates may have been incorrectly attached with aluminum rivets, whereas stainless steel rivets are required for the shear...
Starting Side Skins and Insulation
Per a suggestion from Craig M’s fuselage build order (link), I’m starting the side skin installation by installing the forward interior wall skins first. I’m glad I did, because I had to drill out some rivets in the floor skin that are shared with the wall skin, and it...
Rear Seat Belts Part 4
This weekend, I took a break from working on my heating system to complete the seat belt mods for the rear seat. Both seating positions now have a retractable 3-point belt. The second one went a little easier than the first, thanks to a few new tricks along the...
Custom Heating System
I’ve been busy designing a custom heating system for my plane, which is why I haven’t posted in a little while. My Sling 4 kit would normally include a cuff-style heater, which heats air by passing it over the exhaust pipe. It’s a basic system, but many small airplanes...
Rear Seat Belts Mod Part 3
When I first wrote about my rear seat belt modifications, I initially planned to mount the inertia reel below the floor, and then cut a slot in the floor to route the belt up to the shoulder anchor point. However, the more I thought about it, the more I...
Front Seat Base Mechanism
Sling 4 Fuselage Manual Page I3 In between working tasks for the rear seat belt mods, I’m also building up the front seats. I assembled the locking mechanisms that attach to the base of the seat pan. It’s a nifty mechanism that uses guide pins tethered by a steel...
Rear Seat Shoulder Anchors
I’ve been continuing with my rear seat belt modifications. The shoulder anchors attach to hat sections, which are attached to the rear fuselage beltframe and skin. I fabricated the hat sections from 0.080″ aluminum. The sheet stock is too thick to cut with shears, so I used a nibbler...
Front Seat Assembly
During the week I assembled the front seats. These go together pretty easily. There were some improvements made to the design, so the parts I had were a little bit different than what is shown in the KAI – for example, the channels on the left, right and bottom...
Comm Antenna Mount
Some number of months ago, I created a miscellaneous parts board, made from a recycled shipping container cover. It is home to a number of loose parts that are still in sub-kit bags, but either I haven’t needed the parts yet, or I haven’t figured out what they’re for....
Luggage Door and Light
I’ve continued with upholstering the luggage area, it’s getting close to done. I worked on the ceiling pieces as well as the door. I’m not too sure what is the “correct” way to upholster the door, so I’m sharing a few pics of how I decided to do it....