Bolting the Left Fuel Tank

I wasn’t quite sure what category to put this work under at first, but I soon realized I spent ALOT of time on the fuel tank portion, so I’ll put it under there.  I needed to get the scarf joint done on the two wing skins where they overlap, but … Continue reading

Leak Testing the Left Tank

Another quick update.  The left tank has been curing for about 4 days or so, and its time to do a leak test! I set it up like the right tank, by using a ballon as a presssure rupture vessel and also a pressure containment vessel.  I aired the tank … Continue reading

Closing Up the Left Tank

I managed to get the left tank closed up tonight!  I started out by cleaning the tanks inside really good with MEK and paper towels and made sure all the parts were in the right order and oriented.  Then I cleaned the baffle really good with MEK, as the tank … Continue reading

Left Tank Water Leak Test is Good!

Quick note. I filled the left tank up with water yesterday to do a pre-baffle install leak test, and let it sit overnight.  I came down at lunch today, since I am working from home due to COVID-19 and checked on it.  There wasn’t a drop of water anywhere! So … Continue reading

Sealing the Left Tank Access Cover

Another quick build session.  I first wanted to do a initial water leak test, but that proved to be a bad idea.  Well, using the cork gasket as a temporary seal instead of sealant on the access plate proved to be a bad idea.  I filled the tank up with … Continue reading

Left Tank Closing Prep Work

Just a quick prep work session tonight.  I had a few things to get done before I do the water leak test.  The time lapse didn’t catch much due to the angle, but here it is anyways. I started off by pulling the masking tape off the fittings, and then … Continue reading

Riveting Left Tank Inboard Outer Rib

LOTS of work done in this session!  I had to capture it in two time lapse videos, Here is the first video: The second covers the last bits, found below.  I started the session by dry fitting the outer rib and then trimming the last little bits of excess on … Continue reading

Left Tank Miscellaneous Sealing Work

Good progress tonight! I wrapped up a few miscellaneous things that needed to be done before riveting the inboard outer rib. Here is the time lapse: The first thing I did was to test fit all the accessories and fittings on the inner rib to make sure I had everything … Continue reading

Riveting and Sealing Outboard Rib Left Tank

The goal for tonight was to get the outboard rib sealed and riveted.  I started out with a bit of miscellaneous work first though. I did capture another time lapse, and heres that video: I fixed up the fuel return line, and cut it to the right length, and then … Continue reading

Riveting the Left Tank Ribs – Part 2

Got a lot done tonight! I finished up the larger riveting job on these inner ribs.  I had three left from the last session, so I finished those last three up tonight. Heres the timelapse: My tools were already ready to go from the last session, so I jumped right … Continue reading