Inventory complete

I’ve completed the inventory of the kit. I was missing a couple parts, which surprised me but I am sure that given all the backlogs with shipping they are trying to move fast and overlook things. 

I was also shipped a couple pieces of hardware that were incorrect but replacements are on the way as well for those. 

If you are a new builder, my strong suggestion is to make sure you look up each piece of hardware as you inventory it to get familiar with numbers (AN or the evil MS numbering). I was went incorrect rod end bearings, and only noticed because I looked up the part number and saw that it was different than the part I was looking at.

One change I have made for hardware storage this time around and I can’t believe it took me this many kits to do this is to put each different type of part in its own bin. I bought a bunch of drawers and organization cabinets from Harbor Freight. In the past what I have done is either keep the misc hardware in the bags and then go find them on the inventory sheet later when I need them or put them in a drawer but just label it bag xxxx. It is so much easier to separate the different bolts, screws, and misc hardware by part number to find later. Rivets I always kept separate.

Building comes next. I have to complete the repair of the aft fuselage before starting on the actual fuselage kit, so there will be a delay while I do that slightly out of sequence from the instructions. This new kit looks interesting and there are a lot of parts, which means lots of deburring.

Stay tuned.

Inventory under way!

It’s incredible the amount of parts there are with this kit. This will be a lot more variety than the wing kit for sure.

I ended up building a couple new tables so that has slowed the unpacking down.

Much sturdier table

A little too soon to be thinking about the panel

Fuselage kit has Arrived!

It's here!  I am still building my second new table so I will be opening it up later tonight and taking a look. Old Dominion came through with no damage at all on the outside crate.

Fuselage kit has SHIPPED!

 Exciting news from the mothership. I just received a notice from Old Dominion that the Fuselage kit along with a couple of replacement skins for the tailcone has shipped!

Time to clear out the shop this weekend!

 

For those that are curious, time from ordering to shipping was 15 weeks. Original quote was 10 weeks, however COVID and the wildfires added an extra five.

Stay tuned!

Left side skin re-do

I had already mis-dimpled one of the holes in the left side aft skin and was able to upsize the rivet. Unfortunately due to some unique circumstances a decent sized dent was made in the assembled tailcone and I have chosen to redo the left side which unfortunately will require disassembly.

Luckily because of the fuselage kit delay, I have a crate coming from Vans which allows me to get skins and stiffeners shipped basically for free as it just gets thrown into the crate (or more accurately REALLY duct taped and papered in).

More to come

Fuse Kit Shipping Delay

 So today was supposed to be the date that crating began for my fuselage kit. Unfortunately I was informed late last week that shipping is now delayed by 4-6 weeks, so my total wait could be like 3-4 months since I ordered. This is really unfortunate and I do understand the issues with the fires up there however it just seems like the message was a little off from when I ordered. Covid was already in full swing and the crating date was supposed to be today. When I asked about why the delays were 4-6 weeks more I was told it was because of the fire issues as well as Covid (I was expecting maybe a 1-2 week delay given they just started shutting down a week or two ago for the fires)

On a more positive note, this allows me to start working on fiberglass perhaps. I have to look more into what is involved in it as I was originally going to wait until the end of the project to work on it other than the canopy.

Waiting for the Fuselage Kit

 Progress continues, although right now is a bit of a lull in the project. I only have around 45 minutes of riveting to go before the tailcone is complete. Finding helpers has been somewhat of a challenge but this will be resolved soon. The only remaining rivets are the very top ones in the middle of the top skin. I plan on climbing in and having someone rivet from the outside. 

My current crating week is September 28, and I was hoping that somehow it would ship sooner but it is so unfortunate what is happening with all the fires out west that this looks unlikely. 

I have chosen for now based on advice in the forum to delay all fiberglass work until the end of the project, although if the Fuselage kit gets delayed a lot more I may reconsider that and work on the tips for the rudder and elevators.  Chapter 11+12 I find quite confusing as it seems like this is where you would mount the tail surfaces on a permanent basis and this is not at all what I want to do right now.

Stay tuned, it's time to clean the garage and take care of all the other projects while I wait!