With a minor update, I managed to work on the fuse a little last night. The tank plate is in place and the entire area, above and below the plate, was fuel proofed with a 50/50 mix of laminating epoxy and alcohol. This stuff brushes on thin and nice and easy. I'll take some pictures of that when I'm done shaping the bottom nose retract block.

I also decided to add some 3/4 oz glass cloth to the FW/fuse side tank area for strength. Further, two ~1" holes were drilled out in the tank plate to reduce weight and facilitate access to the tank area for plumbing purposes. As a side benefit, the holes allow the plate to be mounted lower in the fuse providing more space for tank padding. The reason for this is due to the rear hole providing additional clearance for the nose wheel to retract higher in the fuse than it would were the plate solid (which would require a higher mount for the tank plate and less room for foam padding - things are tight in there).

I also began shaping the fuse front top and bottom blocks (not evident from the pictures) as well as the canopy. Pushrod cutouts in the rear are also done.

David.