Fuselage - Cabin

2006-10-22 - Finished installing the landing gear mounts. (4.5 Hrs).

Match-drilled the left gear mount and installed both gear mounts in the fuselage.

Working on the left gear leg. This is as far as I can get the gear support onto the gear leg. I've already taken sand paper to all four surfaces to clean off the rust and paint, but it still does not fit. The right gear did not give me any problems.

And yes, I checked to make sure it was the gear leg, and not the support, by trying to push the gear support on from the other end. I need to do some more sanding.

There, that's better. Only took a few minutes with a strip of #46 aluminum oxide sanding cloth. Looks like the problem may have been the powder coat ahead of the lower bearing. Unfortunately, after I got things to fit, I decided to clean up the gouge I found inside the gear support with a drum sander. When I was done, there was a little looseness in the bottom bearing--oops!

Just like the right gear leg, my 5/16" drill bit would not go all the way through the hole. So, I used this setup to ream out the gear leg hole. This is a 9/32" drill bit, with #46 aluminum oxide cloth wrapped around it. The hole was already very close, and only needed a little sanding before the bolt slid right in.

Left gear leg match-drilled to the left gear support.

Van wants us to put a washer between the gear leg support and the spar web. I tried to do this after the support was installed, but the washer just fell down. So, off came the gear support, again, just to get the washer in place. This worked good. The bolt and tape held the washer in place while I installed the support, and the tape came right off once the bolt was in the hole.

While the gear support was off, I filed a little notch in the top of the gear support, to clear the nutplate on the top spar flange. I must have installed the nutplate after I fit the gear support a few months ago. I don't remember having this much trouble getting the supports to fit back then.

And, how do we get those washers and nuts onto the lower bolts? As Dan has thoroughly documented before, long needle nose pliers, $6 at HF, $4 on sale. Sorry, when I took the picture, I didn't realize that you cannot see the washer in the end of the pliers, but you get the idea.

Right gear support installed, bolts torqued. Note, that I, also, installed the F-782B cover support rib.

Left gear support installed, also. BTW, my back is really aching, so I don't think this is a good height for the fuselage to work on it.

	Working on the left gear leg. This is as far as I can get the gear support onto the gear leg. I've already taken sand paper to all four surfaces to clean off the rust and paint, but it still does not fit. The right gear did not give me any problems.
	And yes, I checked to make sure it was the gear leg, and not the support, by trying to push the gear support on from the other end. I need to do some more sanding.
	There, that's better. Only took a few minutes with a strip of #46 aluminum oxide sanding cloth. Looks like the problem may have been the powder coat ahead of the lower bearing. Unfortunately, after I got things to fit, I decided to clean up the gouge I found inside the gear support with a drum sander. When I was done, there was a little looseness in the bottom bearing--oops!
	Just like the right gear leg, my 5/16" drill bit would not go all the way through the hole. So, I used this setup to ream out the gear leg hole. This is a 9/32" drill bit, with #46 aluminum oxide cloth wrapped around it. The hole was already very close, and only needed a little sanding before the bolt slid right in.
	Left gear leg match-drilled to the left gear support.
	Van wants us to put a washer between the gear leg support and the spar web. I tried to do this after the support was installed, but the washer just fell down. So, off came the gear support, again, just to get the washer in place. This worked good. The bolt and tape held the washer in place while I installed the support, and the tape came right off once the bolt was in the hole.
	While the gear support was off, I filed a little notch in the top of the gear support, to clear the nutplate on the top spar flange. I must have installed the nutplate after I fit the gear support a few months ago. I don't remember having this much trouble getting the supports to fit back then.
	And, how do we get those washers and nuts onto the lower bolts? As Dan has thoroughly documented before, long needle nose pliers, $6 at HF, $4 on sale. Sorry, when I took the picture, I didn't realize that you cannot see the washer in the end of the pliers, but you get the idea.
	Right gear support installed, bolts torqued. Note, that I, also, installed the F-782B cover support rib.
	Left gear support installed, also. BTW, my back is really aching, so I don't think this is a good height for the fuselage to work on it.