May 21, 2006 - Flap Actuator Mechanism

To get to the point below, I had to backtrack from Friday night's work.  I had no luck trying to hook the bottom part of the flap motor to the flap actuator, so I detached the top of the flap motor from the channel and removed the channel itself.  Then it was easy to hook the bottom of the flap motor to the actuator.  I screwed the channel back on, and bolted the top of the flap motor to the channel.  I clamped the bracket angle to the channel for match-drilling. 
I match-drilled the top and bottom holes, using the channel as a template.
Once again, I removed the channel from the fuselage, and match-drilled the middle hole of the bracket.  Then I put the channel & bracket in the vise and riveted them together.  I had to use the rivet gun to do it, but it was an easy riveting job. 
A better look at how I riveted the channel. 
While I had the compressor fired up, I finished riveting the seat tunnel cover.  I was only able to get about half of the rivets with the hand-squeezer.  This component took flush 1/8" rivets which is unusual.
The channel after riveting. 
I screwed the channel back on, bolted on the flap motor top and bottom, and run the flap actuator handle up and down a couple of times.  Cool! 

Then I screwed the bottom of the backrest to the floor, and match-drilled the top, using the F-705 bulkhead as a template. 

Then I screwed the forward and bottom edges of the the side panels down, and match-drilled them to the backrest with the #19 bit -- since they would take #8 screws, using the side panel as a template.  Everything I've been doing the past month or so gets screwed down with #8 screws into nutplates.  I am soooo glad I bought the good Snap-on screwdriver.  It is absolutely amazing how well it grips the phillips head.  And the wooden handle is nice and smooth;  no chafing of the hand.  I use a power screwdriver when I can too. 
The right side panel from the rear quarter. 
The left wide panel from the forward quarter.  I had to "notch" the side panel where the bolt head protrudes.  I made the intitial notch with the Unibit, then expanded it with the Dremel tool.  No big deal. 
 
So all I have left to do on the flap actuator mechanism is install nutplates on the backrest and I'm done. 
 
The next step in the instructions is to fit the wings, but I probably am not going to do that until after I get back from my Oregon Trail flight in the Citabria.  Until then, I'll work on the Kitfox and perhaps start on the canopy supports.
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