Today, I worked on the camlock mounting strips. I used Jeff Bordelon's website as a guide. First i cut some two inches wide strips from 1,5mm (0,060 inches) aluminum sheet bought locally. The curve at the top requires some tweaking and leaves a bit less strip apparent than on the top and the sides, but it should not be a problem.



Some builders have reported that the cowl is standing slightly proud of the fuselage. The only thing to do is to insert a small shim (0,020) between the strip and the firewall. I make only one to see how it works. The holes are drilled large enough for the dimple to show. This will also allow not to countersink the strips. I'll see later if I need the shims or not.



A picture from the side of the fuselage, the long line shows the separation between the upper and lower cowl. The circles show apporximate position of the camlocks.



A view from above, with the circles and the cutouts that will be done to allow for a better tweaking around the curve.

I will install Camlocks along the firewall and so beagn preparing the installation. First I had to dimple the firewall, then I began preparing the mounting strips.

I was not very happy with the left forward skin position. Today's investigations showed that the gap between the siderail and the canopy deck whiich is supposed to be 1/8, closed completely after riveting and forced the forward frame upward. The closed gap can be seen on the picture forward of the green adhesive.



On this picture the postion is correct, but the 1/8 spacer had to be forced into position. So I drilled out some rivets I thought my cause the problem and this proved correct. The two upper left rivets and the forward rivets on the splice plate where causing some tension on the parts. The small wedge proved also to be not thick enough.



So I fabricated a new wedge, reamed some holes that were slightly misaligned and all looks better now if id the gap is a it less than 1/8.

Today I work on a small modification of the part joining the rear fuselage and the roll bar. I fabricate a cover for the part and tap a delrin bloc to accept the tie down rings. This will allow the rings to be stored during flight. They will also double as coat hangers.



Here the parts installed in the fuselage. I may install a dome light forward of the rings.



As the weather is sunny, I begin painting the interior parts. I use Rustoleom paint available at Weber Materiaux in Paris.

Today's afternoon I installed the lifting struts on the canopy. Here the forward support is bolted to the frame.



As the screws are countersunk, the skin needs to be dimpled (the two big holes on the right) and the frame countersunk. The countersink being quite deep, I used the forward support bloc as a guide and screwed it as shown.



Then the rear mount is installed in the fuselage. To get it to the correct position, I make a template of the closed strut with some aluminium laying around.



The mount is to be bolted to the canopy deck, but acces to the bolts (and washers) is marginal. So I stole the idea of other builders and made a platenut plate that also acts as an antirotation device.



An here the strut is fully installed.