2/5/2007
Today was a neat day in the shop because I got to work on control column stuff! Cool! I started by finishing up the countersinking on the sheer bars. I forgot to do this last night. Then I found the F-633 control column mounts in the mess of parts stashed in the guest room.
Here the bars are countersunk, and the control column (CC) mounts are as they were shipped, tie-wrapped together.
The first hole on the CC mount is marked and drilled from plans, then they are bolted, squared, and clamped to the aft section of the bulkhead and back drilled.
After the holes are drilled, the plans allow for some of the bar to be trimmed for a small amount of weight savings. This is another thing I REALLY like about these airplanes, and Van's engineers. It doesn't seem like much here and there, but it DOES add up.
The hashed area is what can be cut away.
Here they are after cutting with the bandsaw, then the file, then the wheel, then maroon scotchbrite. Nice!
This all happened in the first hour or so of the evening. The next three hours, I have VERY LITTLE to show for, but it does look neat! The plans call for fitting the CC to the aft 704 bulkhead since everything is still open and easy to get to.
First, the mounts are bolted on. These aren't torque'd yet, but I am going to do that tomorrow since they will not need to come off again.
Then there was all kinds of fitting, grinding, fitting, drilling, fitting, etc...to get this.
Doesn't look like much work, but it definitely took some time! The CC will come off the mounts, but will stay bolted together.
4.0 hours