Rudder Pedal Base
I spent about 1.5 hrs doing a few small tasks. First, someone on the Sling Builders Facebook group happen to notice that I installed an aileron control stop incorrectly; incredibly, I did this even after studying other blogs, and being aware that the build manual shows them in the...
Starting on Center Console & Rudder Pedals
As I was getting ready to start working on the next sheet of the center fuselage – sheet E8 – I noticed that I had some extra parts in the controls subsection bag that aren’t mentioned in the build manual. I figured out that these brackets function as locking...
Update on Cabin Heater
I’m pretty excited about the idea of an improved cabin heater for my plane, so much so that I decided to go buy one from a junked car for inspiration. I haven’t committed to this yet, but I would like to reverse-engineer an automotive unit and then design something...
Finishing the Forward Floor Substructure
Still working on page E6. I finally decided on a paint to use for skins inside the cockpit – still using SEM self-etching primer as the base, and then Rust-oleum “Stops Rust” Satin Enamel in a color called Coastal Gray. This enamel is readily available at Home Depot and...
Control Stick Mounts
What should have been 5 minutes of work turned into 2 hours! While attaching the control stick brackets (CF-BKT-009-X-C-) per sheet E6 of the manual, a mandrel broke off a rivet in a hard-to-reach location. It took me over an hour to remove it. First I tried drilling it...
Forward Floor Insulating Foam
There’s an interior skin that goes over the forward floor bottom skin, so I needed to install the insulating foam first....
Forward Floor Stringers
Having completed page E3 (Main Spar and Undercarriage Channel), the next step is to attach the forward floor stringers. The rivets go up through the bottom skin, so I had to rotate the fuselage assembly onto its side. It winds up resting on the forward upright for the main...
Main and Rear Spar Carry-Thrus
I’ve been quite busy the last week with family and friends so I only had an hour here or there to make progress on the plane. Most of the work has been on attachment of the spar carry-thrus to the center fuselage. Those are attached now, so I think...
Resuming Fuselage Work
I had planned to spend Sunday doing the majority of the sealing work on the right fuel tank, but I discovered a crease in the leading edge of the skin. I spent a bunch of time trying to smooth it out, but I was not satisfied with the result....
Undercarriage Channel
Fresh back from a week of vacation on Cape Cod, I resumed work on the center fuselage. On Sunday I worked on page E3, which assembles the rear bottom assembly, undercarriage channel, and main spar assembly onto the bottom skins. Quite a few big and substantial assemblies here, but...