This week saw the completion of the wood components build, other than the covering which will be done when the internals are complete. There also remain a few bits and pieces related to the canopy but these will have to await the fabrication of the metal parts prior to gluing up.
The seat pan was redesigned as I was not happy with the 6mm plywood seat back. It just looked too flimsy for what will need to be a very robust construction, so now the whole pan has been redone in 12mm plywood. I also incorporated a few tabs in the sides, bottom and front that now provide accurate assembly guidance points and additional strength.
The rear of the seat requires careful filing and sanding to incorporate the correct angle offsets. Here a 12″ sanding disk is a heaven sent. The rear supports provide the correct angles when gluing it up.
Seat back weighed down into rear supports while gluing up 
Glued up seat frame prior to inserting back 
Seat assembly completed
The seat back was then covered with fibreglass to provide additional strength and durability.
Seat back fibreglassed and front brackets installed 
Bottom brackets installed 
Seat test fit in the fuselage 
Caroline demonstrating correct stick and rudder posture 
Rear of seat being fibreglassed
The balance of the work consisted of the gluing up of Frame 9 and then finishing the related intercostals. The antenna mount which doubles as the seat belt harness anchor point was also installed.
Gluing up Frame 9 
Antenna mount assembled and positioned 
All frames and intercostals in place
That concludes the building for the time being. We need to finish off the numbering and application of metadata for the metal and 3D printed nylon parts before we can generate their cutting, bending and printing files and drawings. There are still 800 to go out of the 2000 or so, so all shoulders to the wheel to try finish that in the coming week! It is soooo much more fun to build 🙂
Looks very nice! Did you cover this whole proces in video also? Guess when you are involgde in it for so long you kniertjes ons and puts if it pretty well. This however is not the case for the folks that will bild if later in time. Hence the video question.
Thank you Cees! I am doing a time lapse video but the nature of that is not all that detailed (check the link to our YouTube site in the previous post). However, build manual I am preparing will have all the detail with illustrations and guidance. That is a better way of doing it. People who have already purchased the Throttle Quadrant display set (also in this site, see the Shop) can attest to this. If you want a “try before you buy” or in this case before you spend $275 on the full plan set, I would suggest you purchase that for $35. You will get a credit towards the $275, so that is never wasted. You will also be able to decide if the builders manual makes sense and is easy to follow.
Do you have a pattern for the seat
Hi Robert, yes we do. It comes as part of the overall plan package.
I would like to build mine including frames #5 – #13 possible ??
Hi Jeremy, please look carefully at we offer. While it would be possible you would need to do the design for the extended sections or any other variations yourself.