UH-13P Construction Log - Page 17

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Sat Jul 9, 2005

 I removed most of the hardware on the craft in preparation for finishing and paint.

I sealed all of the bare wood inside the seat and under the dash with epoxy.  I also filleted using epoxy and microfibers along the inside bottom of the seat and around the inside of the bottom cockpit rails.

The bottom picture shows where my feet will ride around the lift duct. It doesn't look pretty but I'll paint it and it won't be seen anyways...

Sun Jul 10, 2005 

 I figured out what I am doing with the cockpit sides at the rear of the craft.  It's pretty close to the mockup pictures on the previous page but I will be starting the slant at the seat backs about 5" up instead of at the deck.  This will allow the control cables clearance and I won't need to make a hole in the panels to accomodate them.

I started filleting the front of the craft around the lift duct and sides of the craft.  I'll sand and fillet some more...

 Thu Jul 14, 2005

 I attached the bottom stringers at an angle from the bottom of the seat up to the thrust prop stand.  I cut a piece of 2x4" down to the right size and angles.  I built a jig to hold it so I could put a bigger piece in so it would bend slightly to match the top stringer. I'll remove the pieces of wood with the duct tape on them.

This concludes the stringers for the cockpit walls.  I am now ready to put the walls in place.  I just need to paint some hard to reach areas of the cockpit

Sat Jul 16, 2005

 I was disappointed when I took a close look at my rudders and trim wing.  The caps that I made out of light weight drywall spackle and epoxy had bubbled!  Argh!  The fiberglass cloth under some of the spackle on some of the rudders had also bubbled...sigh...I removed the spackle and epoxy caps with a razor knife and then refilled them with epoxy and microballoons.  In order to repair the bubbles on the rudders and trim wing I used a T pin to poke tiny holes in and around the bubble.  Then I used foam friendly CA (thin) to saturate through the holes and into the foam.  I used a piece of plastic on top and then pressed the bubble flat onto the foam.  I repaired all the bubbles this way and it worked great. I'll give the rudders and trim wing a final epoxy coat before painting.

Sun Jul 17, 2005

 The heck with painting!  I fitted the right side of the cockpit onto the craft today.  It took a fair amount of time to measure and size the piece into position and in the end I still needed to make a last minute cut with the jigsaw with glue and claps in place.

I used duct tape covered pieces of a cut up stake to secure the walls at the bottom and around the seat.  I brad nailed them in place with 2" brads.  They will be easy to pull out when the epoxy cures.

The bottom cockpit stringer at the back above the deck may need some reinforcement.  It seems a little flimsy now with the weight of all the clamps in place.  I am pretty sure I used just about every clamp I owned to hold this piece on.

I used some cutup pieces of 2x4" to hold the cockpit wall flat to mate up against the existing front wall.  Hopefully this should have the two pieces pretty close to flush.

Thu Jul 28, 2005

 Just finished a 10 day stretch at work so haven't had a chance to work on the 13P until now.  I cut and epoxied the left hand side of the craft on today.

In the last picture you can see the results of using the trim router to clean up the edges on the top and bottom of the right side.

Sun Jul 31, 2005

  

Sun Aug 7, 2005

 I used some 4oz cloth to fiberglass over the back of the cockpit top and around over the dash.  I needed to reinforce it a bit more.  I coated the dash with epoxy while I was at it.  I also joined the left and right side cockpit seams using some 4oz cloth.   I added the final support to the top rear of the seat.

Mon Sep 5, 2005

 I have been getting the hovercraft ready for paint.  I finished the last of the fillets on the seat and the outside bottom of the cockpit.  I have been really busy with work the last 6 weeks so haven't had much of a chance to work on the craft. 

 

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Any Questions?  email brendin@hovercrafters.com