Ready to rock and roll

The repair work on 28AAD, my French Weedhopper, is now complete. Apart from the usual checks on the engine, gearbox and carburettors, the work on the main fuselage has now all been done.

I still have a couple of holes in the panel – I have a 5000 ft altimeter which I’ll have to fit temporarily as I’d prefer to have a 10000 ft one, and I also don’t have a variometer (rate of climb/descent gauge), but the latter won’t prevent the aircraft being safely flown as it’s a secondary rather than a primary indicator.

Here are some shots of a finished door.

Here’s a detail of its hinge – I think it’s much better for having pop rivets rather than nuts and bolts.

Unlike MYRO, whose pod fitted snugly up against the cabin door tube, this one has spacers each side. The pod must be wider but it’s useful because it means that the door is well tucked in safely away from the external airflow reducing the chance that a door will be blown off in flight.

Here’s a shot of the cabin top. I couldn’t get hold of any suitable draught sealing strip so I made some up myself to go along the bottom edge against which the tops of the doors have to seal by cutting up a length of pipe insulation and sticking it on with contact adhesive. It doesn’t look too bad and seems to work well.

Now the prop. I’m delighted with its appearance – it could almost be a new one 😉

Now a general shot of the whole side of the aircraft.

A couple of shots from each side of the outside of the cabin.

A general shot of the cabin interior.

And finally, the engine cover in place.

This is the first time I’ve put it on with the prop in place and indeed, it’s the first time that I’ve used it with a two-bladed prop as MYRO had three-bladed ones the whole time that I had it. I can only describe the fit as ‘snug’ but it goes on nicely.

I have to get hold of a length of bungie cord to hold the doors closed but tomorrow I can start on assembling the wings ready for them to be fitted. In all likelihood I won’t, in fact, as rain is forecast but let’s just wait and see.