A morning flight, Flight 42

Sat myself in the car a few minutes after 5am and headed for the airport. Block off at 6:03 and airborne at 6:14, living closer to the airport is great! I am now in the air before I would have arrived at the airport if living at my old adress :D

Today's flight was just a another flight to verify that the G5 works as it should. My radio interception is now much improved and I listened to Sweden Control for most of the flight, happy to hear some traffic again, it sure has been silent on the radio for many weeks now.

I was hoping to do some IMC flying but I am not sure the cloud flying I did at the end of this video even qualifies for logging IMC... When flying in IMC with the pitot heat on at 11 degrees Celsius with all normal equipment on and a camera on the USB interface, my total system draw is only 15 Amps. Flying at -40 celsius should make the GAP 26 draw a maximum of another 6 amps, feels great to have lots of marginal :D

Was home at 8:05 the kids had just woken up and my wife's greeting included "...perfect tajming, the coffee is just ready to be served". Life is great!

  

To-do/squak list

Done

- Install Garmin G5

- Wrap center panel

- Clean up the wiring behind the panel (some minor stuff left to do)

- Fix/replace the non working canopy fan

To-do

- Install new TOGA switch

- Re-label the center panel

- Forgot mounting the light regulators in the panel, a 5 minute job

- Connect the canopy warning switch (not sure if I will)

- Provide a USB connector at, at least one external camera postions

- Install the new access doors/covers

- Install Wheelpant access doors (to be able to fill up the tires without having to dismantle the fairings)

- Install flush iPad mini holder in the panel

Working in the heat

I´m on vacation/paternity leave for the entire July :) I sure have picked the right time for being away from work. We have blue skies and yesterday the temperature topped at 35.5C / 95.9F I have never before experienced temperatures this high in Sweden.

First time the top cowl is on with the baffling in place, I have trimmed some in the front.

GEA 24 and GAD 27 in place

The MGL ECB and the second ground bus bar in place, I need to by more hardware, they are only in place with borrowed bolts for now

Heated but not regulated pitot in place. Have never flown an AC with regulated pitot heat and never missed it so I could not justify the extra cost for my RV

Pitot mast attachment

I had planned to (might later) post a little movie of this evenings session. For unknown reason the picture transfer to my PC is taking forever.

I riveted most of the remaining rivets on the skin and riveted the pitot mast attachment.

AOA routing done

So with a new drill bit I could finally do the holes in the ribs for the AOA line. After some cleanup I attached the inner skin again, maybe I will rivet it on now.

Primed the other side of the fairings

Flap and aileron fairings

deburred and one side primed. Did the pitot parts and some j-channels at the same time.

Pitot mast almost done and started on chapter 20

Chapter 20 is called Bottom wing skin. The first part of the chapter is however the Aileron and flap gap fairings. I sanded, final drilled and dimpled the flap gap stiffeners and then dimpled the fairings. I was not mentioned but I think it would have been good to break the edges before dimpling... to late now and not critical in any way.

I also vacuumed the shop in the afternoon.

removed some primer runnings

after another shot of primer I installed the nutplates

left to do is to prime the mounting plate and spacer

Prepared and started priming the pitot mast

Prepared and started priming the pitot mast, spend most of tonight's time cleaning the garage.

Pitot mast installation

Continued on the pitot mast installation but I do not have any pictures or videos yet.

Copied another builders mount, placing it so I get four holes at the bottom (front)

Not shown is that the angle was sized so that the spacer that is included will sit just next to the angle.

Positioned so that the skin will lay flat on top later on

still ok?.... yes!

drilling two holes at the bottom to be sure that it will be placed correct later

fixed the template and made marks on the skin

And finally everything was match drilled

Right flap bottom skin on, started on the pitot mount

Nothing new to show on that topic, exactly the same procedure as last nights riveting on the left one. Then I spent some time making an angle from a small aluminium sheet and to reposition the wings so that the left one that shall get the pitot mast is facing the open room.