5/3/2008
I finally came across a good deal on a used Comant CI-122 bent whip antenna last week...$60, guaranteed to work-
It's in really good condition, but I will repaint the base of it to cover a few chips.
Well, over a week has gone by since I've worked on the airplane (last Saturday's garage cleaning didn't count), and I didn't really do much last night/today...
Last night, Brit helped me get the main landing gear out of the engine mount so I can work on the forward cabin and canopy again.
I am in the process of making new fuselage stands that will allow it to be moved easily, but they are not ready yet. I was making spar blocks out of aluminum, but I didn't have the proper tools to mill one side down a couple thousandth's. I took them to a local machine shop, and their first estimate came in at about $40 and a day's turnaround. Two and a half days later, they tell me it's gonna be more like $140. No thanks. My friend Carl (who's a wood working EXPERT, and 9A builder) offered to make the blocks out of a hardwood for me that will work just as well. Anyway, in the meantime, I called Rob to see if I could borrow his A-frame stand until the stands are ready. Yep, he just gave it to me, and I cut the legs down to make the fuselage nice and low. The stands will bring it down another few inches, but this works for now.
All I really did today was re-install the new brake lines from Bonaco. I had these before, but they didn't have the anti-chaff on them, so ordered new ones with anti-chaff.
Temps are still a bit cool to start on the canopy...in the 40's and 50's today, and 60's-70's next week. I'm debating on whether or not to rivet the forward-aft top skin this week before starting the canopy...
1.0 hour