When I laid the fuselage plans out on my bedroom floor, I started at the minor details and flipped trough to full assembly. Although the plans specify how to fabricate every part you need, My project came with most of the small parts produced at the Sonex factory. In earlier kits you were given raw materials and used the plans to make each part. While the majority of my parts have been produced, I still need to check them against the plan to make sure they are built perfectly.
Starting at the back of the plans I came across the first task of the fuselage, Fabricating the rudder cable fairlead blocks. I gathered my materials, Phenolic (a composite material), drill and drillbits, and as always the pans. I laid out the dimensions for 4 blacks on the oversized piece of phenolic, I was careful to account for the thickness of the bandsaw. With the blocks cut to shape ,all the remained was to drill the 4 corner holes, and the large center hole. The blocks were set aside for later.
The next assembly is to fabricate the side panels of the aft fuselage. these consist of a 2 thick extruded angle pieces of aluminum that run the whole length of the panel. between the two strong angles are verticle braces, and running like a web across all of it, is the side skin, a long piece of 25/1000 sheet aluminum.
I trimmed the longerons to length ln the bandsaw, inspected the verticles, and added an acces panel to the skin (one on each side). To build the side, I carefully allignged the undrilled longeron to the prepiloted holes in the skin and used a #40 pilot drill bit to drill through the skin with the skin as a guide. To avoid the skin bunching up or shifting, I first drilled holes on the ends, then halfed it until there was a freshly drilled hole with a cleco filling it in every spot.
Before I locked it in for good though, I fabricated and installed a vital assembly. The Splice Plates. They would eventually hole the aft fuselage to the forward fuselage. they were what you would call a primary structure, one that must be pretty near perfect.
With the longerons drilled I moved on to the Verticle stiffeners. I used a similar technique to align them to prepiloted holes in the skin, drilled the #40 bit, and clecoed as I went. In short order I had a fuselage side generally assembled. I made sure that where metal rubbed on metal it was filled clear. When everything was ready for rivets, I updrilled to the larger #30 (1/8") hole, and disassembled everything to deburr it.
It all went back together perfectly. I positioned it such that the rivet heads would be on the outside of the skin, and began to rivet
Starting at the back of the plans I came across the first task of the fuselage, Fabricating the rudder cable fairlead blocks. I gathered my materials, Phenolic (a composite material), drill and drillbits, and as always the pans. I laid out the dimensions for 4 blacks on the oversized piece of phenolic, I was careful to account for the thickness of the bandsaw. With the blocks cut to shape ,all the remained was to drill the 4 corner holes, and the large center hole. The blocks were set aside for later.
The next assembly is to fabricate the side panels of the aft fuselage. these consist of a 2 thick extruded angle pieces of aluminum that run the whole length of the panel. between the two strong angles are verticle braces, and running like a web across all of it, is the side skin, a long piece of 25/1000 sheet aluminum.
I trimmed the longerons to length ln the bandsaw, inspected the verticles, and added an acces panel to the skin (one on each side). To build the side, I carefully allignged the undrilled longeron to the prepiloted holes in the skin and used a #40 pilot drill bit to drill through the skin with the skin as a guide. To avoid the skin bunching up or shifting, I first drilled holes on the ends, then halfed it until there was a freshly drilled hole with a cleco filling it in every spot.
Before I locked it in for good though, I fabricated and installed a vital assembly. The Splice Plates. They would eventually hole the aft fuselage to the forward fuselage. they were what you would call a primary structure, one that must be pretty near perfect.
And pretty near perfect is what they were (after considerable mind wrapping)
The splice plates are designed such that they join 2 pieces of angle. (aft longerons- forward longerons)
With the longerons drilled I moved on to the Verticle stiffeners. I used a similar technique to align them to prepiloted holes in the skin, drilled the #40 bit, and clecoed as I went. In short order I had a fuselage side generally assembled. I made sure that where metal rubbed on metal it was filled clear. When everything was ready for rivets, I updrilled to the larger #30 (1/8") hole, and disassembled everything to deburr it.
It all went back together perfectly. I positioned it such that the rivet heads would be on the outside of the skin, and began to rivet
I repeated the process for the other side.
When they were both done, I attached them together with a couple of premade cross ties.
Next post will be all about joining the sides of the fuselage, attaching the bottom skin, and building the tail wheel mounting structure. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped me by either contributing to my Airplane Fund, or giving me the opportunity to earn it. It is because of you all that I am able to spend my time building an airplane!
Mr John
Paul Shadwick
Stan Whitfield
Ron Sipple
Ralph and Joyce Shultz
Paul and Beth Duff
Mario Gonzalez
Mario Gonzalez
Paul Hockin
Kevin White
Kevin White
Nicholette Shultz
Gordon Fern
Anon Anon
Jeannette Shultz
Mike David
Jonathan and Julia Wolfe
Jon Palmstrom
Laurie Burns
Donna Mickel
Dana Baker
Mrs Nadine
Eric Johnson
Tammy Reap Hayes
Jeff Shultz
Brandon Lenart
WP Marsh
Michael Couillard
Mr Anonymous
Joe And Judy Green
Mrs Brenda
Mickey Gonzalez
Mickey Gonzalez
Mrs Cathy
Paul and Vickie Laberge
Judy and Roger Kemmerle
Fico Gonzelaz
The purpose of this blog is to document and share my experience of building and later flying an airplane. In the first portion, I will thank all the wonderful people who donated to me. Then in the second section I will post a building update, hopefully every 3-4 days ,explaining what I have done in detail and with pictures. Finally in the third and last section, I will post my flying adventures, and any maintenance I do. Thank you or your support and interest, I am pumped to be executing this project