More 28AAD stuff

It was dull today but dry up until almost 4.00 pm and I managed to get a good bit done on 28AAD. I’d already swapped the rudder pedals over for those on MYRO, which are still in good shape after I painted them all that time ago, and also fitted MYRO’s old trailing links. I was surprised that they fitted, but shouldn’t have been. Only the wheel diameter is different and the main axle design is almost identical, meaning that dimensions are the same on both aircraft. So that will save me having to make up new ones after all.

My main tasks for today were to finish swapping over MYRO’s old throttle lever, which I prefer to the not very nice French one, and fit the seat bases and cushions and here are the shots that I took after I’d finished. The trailing links had been removed again so I can repaint them.

After I’d fitted the seats, I couldn’t resist climbing in and strapping myself in. What struck me was that after being used to the X-Air, I’d forgotten just how narrow the cabin is and how tight the tube is up against your hand operating the throttle. But it can’t be too bad – after all, I did fly MYRO all the way down from Kent to the Dordogne without too much difficulty 😉

Here are MYRO’s old rudder pedals. I’ve mated them with the base from 28AAD as it doesn’t have holes drilled in it for the heel brakes and it cleaned up quite nicely too.

I had to use MYRO’s plywood seat bases as those from 28AAD had been damaged and fitting them wasn’t as tricky as I’d remembered from last time when I’d renovated MYRO after I’d first bought it. I also used MYRO’s seat cushions as the vinyl on those from 28AAD was beginning to crack up a little bit on the cushion fronts.

And finally, this is how things finished up at the end of the day, shortly before I covered it over as the rain began to lightly fall.

And aside from finding some time to smarten up MYRO’s old trailing links with a splash of white paint, that’s how things may have to stay, possibly until the new year. It saddens me to have to call a halt when it won’t take a great deal to get the fuselage work finished and when I’m looking forward to fitting and wiring up the engine, but I really do now have to switch my priorities.

Tomorrow I’m hoping to take Wim’s grandchildren flying again, which I’m looking forward to as I haven’t flown at all yet in October and only flew once in September. Then it’s back onto the garden tool store and my kitchen in readiness for my sister and brother-in-law’s visit in December.