I installed the rudder cables tonight, mostly because I couldn’t think of a good reason not to.  The rudder cables run through snap bushings installed in every bulkhead from F-902 to F-710.  The front end of the cable has en eyelet that is larger in width than the inner diameter of a SB625-7 snap bushing, so the eyelet must be forced through the snap bushing before it is installed in the bulkhead.

Where the cable exits the side of the aircraft just in front of the rudder, the cable passes through a plastic sleeve so that the cable doesn’t rub against any metal parts.  The sleeve is held in place by an adel clamp that is secured by the flush phillips screw that is just above and in front of the rudder cable exit hole.  I’m going to buy or fabricate a little exit fairing to hide the plastic sleeve (not because I think it will lower drag, but I think it will look nicer than the plastic sleeve just sticking out of the hole).

I installed the seat belt anchors tonight.  Other than it being pretty cramped where the outboard anchors attach, making it difficult to get a torque wrench in there, these were pretty straightforward.  I clamped a piece of scrap 1/4″ thick steel between each pair of anchors and used an AN4 bolt to keep the upper holes aligned while I torqued these down.

Next, I laid out and drilled for the static ports.  I’m using the SafeAir pitot/static/AOA kit, so the flange of the static port doesn’t allow you to install them precisely where Van’s recommends (11/16″ forward of the vertical row of rivets).  The position I used is 2″ down from the horizontal row of rivets and 1 1/4″ forward of the vertical row of rivets).  Here I’m holding the SafeAir static port in the hole while trying to take a picture.  I had a hard time getting my camera to focus on the static port, so this is a little blurry.

I mixed up a small batch of proseal and bonded/clamped these in position.  I installed the 90º adaptors in the ports before doing this so that I could ensure both of them are pointing upward.  I’m not going to use any rivets to secure the ports since the proseal is plenty strong to secure these.

I fit a piece of the static system tubing between the two static ports.  There is a tee on the right that will allow a single piece of tubing to connect between here and the instruments.

After fabricating the clip that ties the top center rib to the F-707 bulkhead, the lower two rivets can be squeezed.

Next up, I deburred every hole on the fuselage structure (not the holes on the pieces that have yet to be attached permanently to the fuselage structure).  I also dimpled all of the bulkhead holes.

Finally, I played around a little bit with conduit routing under the baggage floors and seat pans.  I’m routing the conduit through the outboard baggage bays since I plan to use the inboard bays for storage.  This also puts the conduit one bay outboard of the area containing the crotch strap and control columns.  This is likely to be a packed area.

I’ve decided to put storage compartments in the two larger bays below the baggage floors.  After doing some measurements and mocking it up in the computer, I cut a hole in one of the floors.

I fabricated a reinforcing ring that wraps around three sides of the hole.  There will be a hinge along the fourth side.  The joggle at the two ends allows the reinforcing ring to step up onto the hinge so that the corner rivets tie all three pieces together.

After fabricating the door and cutting holes for the hartwell latches, I test fit the floor in the plane.

Here is a closeup of one of the hartwell latches.  They make a crazy number of models of these, but four of the eight I bought off eBay were the same, so I used those.

To open the door, you push in on the button marked “PUSH” (duh)…

and the other part of the latch springs open.

Once both latches are released, the door can be opened.  The reinforcing ring provides a lip that the door can be closed against (and the latches catch under).

After vacuuming out all of the metal shavings in the fuselage aft of F-705, I installed the side walls.  These use LP4-3 rivets along the top an AN426AD4-4 rivets along the back.  After I finish modifying the baggage floors for the hatches, they will rivet to the ribs and the lower flange of this panel.

I ordered the AHRS mounting kit from Van’s.  This is designed for the Grand Rapids EFIS or the Garmin G900X, but I’m going to adapt it for the Dynon Skyview ADAHRS.  I drilled out two rivets that tied the bottom skins to F-706 and F-707.  These will now additionally tie the rib pictured here.  I then ensured the ribs were parallel and match drilled the skin to the rib.  I then used the digital level to ensure the mounting plate was level laterally and match drilled it to the F-729A rib and F-707 bulkhead.  The mounting plate is tipped aft about 0.5º from the level of the longerons, but this is well within Dynon’s 1º limit.  I can always shim the ADAHRS unit if necessary.

I’m still trying to decide how to mount the ADAHRS unit to the mounting plate.  Dynon calls for nonferrous fasteners, but I haven’t been able to find stainless steel or brass nutplates.  I can reach under the front edge of the mounting plate, but I’d kind of like to install the unit near the aft end of the plate in case I want to install another unit just in front of it.

Update: I ended up not installing the ADAHRS here because it is too close to the pitch servo and this can interfere with the magnetometer.  I decided to use this to mount the ELT instead.

Since I’m going to mount the ELT on the Van’s mounting bracket on the right side wall behind F-706, but put the antenna behind the roll bar, I decided to run the antenna cable behind the baggage sidewall.  I drilled a couple of 3/8″ holes in F-706 and F-724 below F-786B.  The cable will also run behind the flap cover and then come up through F-786B right behind F-705.   I then fished a piece of safety wire through both holes so that I can later pull the coax through. This would have been easier to do before riveting on the side walls, but it wasn’t too bad.

Update: I ended up not mounting the ELT on Van’s mounting bracket and put the antenna under the empennage fairing.

Next up, I drilled 3/4″ holes through F-705A and F-706 on both sides of the fuselage and ran conduit.  I’ll put a zip tie anchor on the rib and cushion the holes with proseal before buttoning this up.

On the right side, the wires will exit the lower conduit and come up the back of F-706 through an adel clamp to keep them away from the rudder cable.  The ELT wires (other than the antenna cable will separate here and go to the ELT bracket.  The trim and tail strobe wires will continue up and enter the conduit shown in the upper right which makes a straight shot to the tail.  I’ve intentionally left this conduit long right now while I determine how to terminate it.

Here you can see that the conduit passes through F-707, F-708, and F-710.  The wire bundle will then separate with the tail strobe wires dropping down to penetrate F-711 and F-712 and into the rudder while the trim servo wires will make their way up and into the elevator.  I put the conduit up high like this to keep it about 2′ from the Dynon Skyview ADAHRS unit.

I deburred and primed all of the fuselage components that I’ve finished so far.

After those were dry, I riveted F-709 to the aft deck.

I then riveted the aft deck to the longerons and F-710/F-711.  There were four rivets that couldn’t be reached with the squeezer, so I’ll have to shoot/buck those.

Next up, I riveted the F-695 gussets to the longerons and upper firewall stiffener.  There were two rivets on each side along the firewall stiffener that couldn’t be reached with the squeezer.  I’ll shoot those later.

I then squeezed all of the rivets that tie the bulkhead braces to the longeron.

I squeezed all of the rivets that hold together the elevator bellcrank.  I’ll have to slip a washer in between the halves when hooking up the autopilot servo, but that will be easy with the washer wrenches.

I also assembled the hatch in the left baggage floor.  Here, I’ve riveted the reinforcing ring and hinge to the floor.

I then riveted the other part of the hinge and the hartwell latches to the hatch.  Here is how it looks closed.  The hatch closes firmly enough against the flange that it shouldn’t rattle in flight.

And it opens just enough past vertical that it will stay on its own.  I’m really happy with how this turned out.  This will come in very handy.

I laid out and cut the notch in the upper baggage wall for the harness shoulder anchor cable to pass through.

I then fabricated a couple of UHMW plastic blocks that will act as the wear surface for the cables.

The #19 holes in the upper wall need to be match drilled in the lower wall.