March 2, 2007 - Canopy Frame Side Skirts
All done. You can see the top row on the side skirts.
The bottom aft two holes are higher than the rest of the row.
March 2, 2007 - Canopy Frame Side Skirts |
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| The top row of the side skirts gets drilled to #19 using the side weldment as a template. But you can't do that from the outside, obviously. The instructions say to remove the canopy and frame from the fuselage and then drill the side skirts from the inside. For a couple of reasons I really didn't want to do that. I didn't want to risk cracking the canopy by moving it. But more compelling, it was just too much effort! I removed the aft top skin and was able to crawl in to the baggage area. Lynnette helped me by pushing on the side skirt from the outside while I drilled from the inside. | ||||||
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All done. You can see the top row on the side skirts.
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| Because of the aft end of the side weldments, you have to be careful with the aft side skirt holes. Having learned the hard way, I did not drill the holes from the drawings, but waited until now when I could visually see where the holes should go and not be interfered with. I went ahead and drilled the holes and they were forward of where the drawings indicated. | ||||||
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The bottom aft two holes are higher than the rest of the row.
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| I fabricated the canopy lift handle that goes on the left side skirt. Piece of cake with the band saw. I deviated from the drawings by drilling all three holes in the lift handle first, then match-drilling the side skirts using the lift handle as a template. | ||||||
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| The lift handle clecoed to the left side skirt. | ||||||
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