First engine start

Another long day. Started at home, trying to finish the paperwork for the inspection, realized that it would not be possible to be anywhere close to 100% ready. Decided to go to the hangar to get the aircraft ready for inspection.

I have some tasks to do like actually mounting the fire extinguisher, place some markings like "experimental". This will be done and shown via photos to the inspector. The physical inspection went well and we decided to finish up the paperwork part later in the week.

Then it was time to try and start the engine. The first attempts were not successful, we checked and could verify that the engine received fuel... put the battery on the charger and started to trouble shoot. I had a suspicion already while trying to start the engine but I decided to charge the battery first and verify.

I remembered thinking a lot about the mag switches, I fully understand the concept of preventing them to function by grounding them, somehow I anyhow managed to install them up side down! Very embarrassing.

After charging the AC battery it was time for the next try, my GoPro had very little power left, Lars main task was to be ready with the fire extinguisher also filmed with his mobile, this was great as very little of the successful start was recorded by the GoPro.

I did not get any EGT reading and soon also lost CHT so the run was kept very short, ended with a slow lead to check rpm rise, result almost exactly 100 rpm.

Drove home with a great smile on my face during the entire 1:30 trip (some traffic on a Sunday evening)

   

27 is done, continuing on chapter 28

Forgot to turn on the camera when my wife helped me with the last rivets on the firewall, completing chapter 27.

Then there was more parts separation and dimpling.

Enlarging the hole for a radio antenna

Every little space gets taken

The four tools of tonight

Parts ready for scuffing and priming

Almost done with chapter 27, started on 28

Riveted all fw rivets that I could back rivet, including the nut plates.
Started with chapter 28, finding parts and some separation and dimpling.

Chapter 27, Firewall angles almost fully riveted

 Sorry about tonight lousy camera placement.

 

 

27 A firewall held together with cleco

I would have liked to rivet the firewall together tonight but there is simply not enough time.

 Here we go again with the sticky stuff

 Putting the proseal into a dispenser was way easier than expected :)

 I decided to try and place the center piece in at the same time, it worked even if I had to remove clecos on one side at a time to put the tunnel sided with stiffeners in place

 Back riveting the first 5 rivets per the plans went great

 Then I found another mistake, four rivets done that should not have been, luckily it was possible to remove them without taking everything apart

 Match drilling

 Ready for riveting

27 dimpling and countersinking more FW parts

Dimpling

Marking were not to countersink

countersinking

Cleaning with acetone in preparation for proseal (to seal the firewall parts so that no fumes can enter the cockpit from the engine compartment)

27 Stiffeners riveted to the firewall sides

The squeezer is still my nr.1 tool

Managed to rivet one rivet to much

426-4 rivets are easy to drill out

27 Started riveting the firewall

Started riveting stiffeners to the firewall. Warned by builder E, I attached the stiffeners to the FW first to check for clearances between the parts and on one side they needed some grinding to fit.

Not enough time to rivet everything, back riveting using the C-frame has worked great so far.

27 Dimpled FW sides

Dimpled the two firewall sides.

Marking were not to rivet

Making sure that I have marked the no dimple according to the revised plans