Here's another update,
I got quite a bit accomplished today.
The tail group is finished except for installing the control horns on the elevator and rudder. I am real pleased with the Sig tailwheel assembly that I installed instead of the factory unit. Both the elevator and rudder are also hinged. I went with some H9 CA hinges that I had available instead of the stock blue ones. I also put 3 CA hinges in each elevator half instead of the recommended two. I like the added security that the additional hinge provides. It will also help prevent flutter.
The motor is installed and all the fuel lines are ran. I bought and assembled a Dubro 16 oz. tank. The extra 2 ounces is necessary for the thirsty Saito 120. There is one very important aspect I forgot on the motor. I neglected to put on the muffler before I mounted the engine (DOH !!)
. Now I have to take the Saito off in order to put the muffler on. I tried several times to get it on, but was unsuccessful.
The remote glow driver and fuel filler are also installed. As you can see in the pics, I made my own mounts and epoxied the mounts to the firewall. I really like the remote glow driver I picked up. I can't remember the name brand, but it is actually made for helicopters. The part that connects to the glow plug looks very similar to the boot on spark plug wires. At first I wasn't getting any fire from the remote. I looked at again and realized that it had only one wire. I had to install a ground wire from the remote plug to the engine (no problem).
After I cleaned up for the night, I came across a brand new roll of Ultracote Checkerboard (hmmmmmmm...). Needless to say, I opened it up and began wondering where could I use it. I looked at how plain the underside of the wings were and.... I traced a template from some cardboard and cut it out. I then cut one piece. After I cleaned the wing off, I peeled the backing and layed it down. My template turned out to be a near perfect cut. I ironed it on and used the heat gun for the wrinkles. Be
EXTREMELY careful if you decide to use any type of iron on film. I noticed that as I was using the heat gun to get out the wrinkle, the wing started to bubble up. I quickly stopped and used the curved side on my sanding block and smoothed it back down. If I would have thought about it, I would have ran down to the local sign shop and bought some checkerboard vinyl graphics. Oh well. At least I know now.
All that is really left for me to do now is to hinge the ailerons, install all the control horns, radio gear, fuel tank, canopy, belly pan, tail fairing, cowl, and a few other odds and ends. I would say that after 2 days, I am about 75-80% complete. It sounds like a lot, but I have put in about 20-22 hours assembly time since i received the plane yesterday afternoon. Only on 4 hours of sleep[sm=redface.gif].
Well here are the latest batch of pics. Later guys.