I felt it would be prudent to test the tanks in their current state for leaks. There are different ways everyone has done this but I’m just going to do water for now. I filled them up with water and the only leaks I had was my tape job trying Read more
I did some cleaning yesterday and today but I forgot to post it yesterday. Not a huge deal since it didn’t really change the appearance of the tanks that much. I did find a single rivet that I forgot to encapsulate so I got that sealed and I also got Read more
First thing was the additional VA-141 3/8 NPT flanges came in today. Unfortunately one of them did not have threads all the way through like it is supposed to. I called Van’s to see if they are going to ship a replacement or if it is okay to tap it Read more
Eric came by today and looked at my wing progress and the tanks. The only thing I need to fix is make sure I don’t have any strings or possibility of sealant coming loose. I knew I needed to clean it up but he pointed out a few that I Read more
I went by the EAA tool crib today and got a flare tool so I could finish the vent lines and get the final half of the inboard ribs installed. Luckily that went off without a hitch and the tanks are now ready to be inspected! I called my wonderful Read more
I got a little bit of time today to finish the J stiffener and I got both of the forward mount brackets done too. I now need to let that sit and work on getting the fuel vent lines installed. I’ll get to try out my latest tool for bending Read more
Took a bit to figure out how best to tackle this but I got it done. The longest part was going back and capping over the rivets and getting the underside of the J stiffener sealed up. I think the next one I do I am going to put a Read more
I got the rest of the 6 ribs installed today. It took me about 45 minutes each between cleaning, mixing, riveting, etc. Glad this is over with and I can move on to the other things like the J channel and bracket installs tomorrow.
I didn’t get alot of time today as I was busy with work, school (grading), or church stuff. But I did get four ribs installed. Good progress and trying to keep it as neat and tidy as possible.
I got the shims in while we were at Lake Texoma. I got those trimmed and installed. I then got the first two full ribs installed in each tank. I’ve been watching some people on how they keep their installs so clean and they talk about keeping a clean workstation Read more