Getting close to the big move

I'm continuing to work on fiberglass/cowling, also some electrical stuff and odds & ends.  I completed the cowl baffles with the rubber parts, test fit cowling with the rubber pieces on - it's tight but doable.   Also working on finish work on cowling - waiting for parts to complete my oil door as I want to use Hartwell latches.

I fired up the electrical system using an external power supply for the first time, all seems just fine after doing some configuration (for lighting and canopy microswitch).   It's exciting to see the screens all lit up.  I tested the radios and external GPS antennas - all seem to be working except I couldn't get the GTN 650 to see satellites inside the garage (with door open I can "tilt" the two GPS antennas on the windscreen and pick up signal). 

Cowl baffles in place:

 Finishing smoothing of cowl inlet ramps.  This required some significant work to fit to the cowl.

G3X, G5, GTN 650 up and running:

Headset holders - Van's makes these for the RV-12 but they fit just fine in the 14:

External power supply:

Flox mixture to smooth transition of the main wheel intersection fairings.  Sanding to come (and probably more filling too...)

Flox mixture on lower cowl to match inlet to cowling:

Quick Update on Cowling

Since last post I finished coating the inside of the upper/lower cowling with epoxy, countersunk/riveted the cowling hinges, and fitted the top cowl inlet ramps.

Bottom half of cowling fitted and drilled.

Yesterday my friend Andy Grimm came over and helped me fit the lower half of the cowling.  On & off a BUNCH of times, taking small amounts of material each time.  After a few hours we had it "good enough".   Last night I started drilling all the hinges, and finished that today.


Initial fitting of bottom cowl:

Taping between rivet hole locations:

Drilling hinges:

Fitting the front tabs for the two side hinges:

Final fit of side hinges:

Notch for hinge tab:

Fairings, cowling - this thing is close to being an airplane...

Since last post, spent time working on main gear intersection and gear leg fairings.   I had to get some help to get weight off the main wheels to fit the intersection fairings.  Still some work to go, but I was able to get back onto main wheels.  Last 3-6 days I've finished fabricating the sets of hinges for the cowling, and yesterday/today I trimmed / sanded and fit the front part of the two cowling halves, and today I finished fitting/drilling the cowl top to the fuselage/hinges.   I found that I had to go back and do more fluting of the curved outer part of the top hinges to get the cowling to lay flush.  I'm pretty happy with the fit except for slight gaps on the sides near the "angles" of the top cowling.  But since it's fiberglass I'll figure out a way to make it better cosmetically - this may wait until I'm flying and close to paint.

I also figured out today that when I cut out the oil door, I misinterpreted the location of all the scribe lines - they just weren't very clear on the corners, and it turns out I should have left more material in the two corners where the cam locks will go.  But I do have in "stock" some recessed latches that I may use, and if so they may fit just fine as is.  If not it will be easy to fix the corners by laying up some fiberglass from the inside.

I've enjoyed the cowling more than I expected so far.  I hate cutting/sanding fiberglass but fitting the cowling to the fuselage has been more pleasant than expected.

Starting the fitting process:

Using level and plumb bobs to align top of cowling:

Fitting/drilling to fuse (after sanding repeatedly to fit to fuse).  Note centerline "string" (actually wire) to help with overall alignment:

Drilling the hinges at "transferred" rivet locations:

Clecoed in place, ready to fit bottom of the cowling: