I started today by cutting out a piece of 2mm acrylic sheet to make the left door window. I'd been puzzling how to mount this but eventually decided to use the simple approach of screwing it to the window surround. I've got a large stock of countersunk #6 Torx head stainless screws left over from the Vans so match drilled the window to the frame and then countersunk the acrylic and dimpled the surround to take the #6 screws. This has the advantage that the window is easily
replaceable and is very secure. Next I fabricated the aluminium panel used to mount the rear window. This was match drilled to the tabs installed previously -
http://tailwindbuild.blogspot.com/2009/03/26th-march-2009-left-rear-window-mount.html . The rear edge and the bottom edge were folded inwards 90 degrees to stiffen the panel and the top edge and front edge bent in slightly using an edge roller to fit tightly against the door frame and top longeron. At this point a problem became apparent: I wanted to have the bottom of the rear window in line with the bottom of the door window and bottom of the front window. However, the line of the stub stringer that forms lower mount for the rear window frame starts at the door post exactly level with the bottom of the window in the door and then slopes downwards as the fuselage narrows towards the rear. In order to keep the window bottom in-line it was necessary to start the opening 4 inches behind the door post, shorten two of the mount tabs and use an uneven placement of the lower window mounting screws. The rearwards start does have the advantage that it will hide the aileron and flap linkages and the screws will be hidden by the fabric which will cover the rear window frame. I don't think the fact that there is an angle between the bottom of the window and the stringer will look odd once the covering is in place. I'm continuing to keep my to-do list up-to-date
http://tailwindbuild.blogspot.com/2009/03/25th-march-2009-list.html and was able to completely remove one item today. I'd been assuming that I would mount a VOR antenna on the horizontal stabiliser. However, I emailed the guru of antenna for homebuilt aircraft - Bob Archer and he very kindly sent me a design for a dipole antenna and matching balun that can be built inside the wooden wing. Not only will this be much neater but the cost will be much less than a commercial VOR antenna.
I started today by cutting out a piece of 2mm acrylic sheet to make the left door window. I'd been puzzling how to mount this but eventually decided to use the simple approach of screwing it to the window surround. I've got a large stock of countersunk #6 Torx head stainless screws left over from the Vans so match drilled the window to the frame and then countersunk the acrylic and dimpled the surround to take the #6 screws. This has the advantage that the window is easily 
replaceable and is very secure. Next I fabricated the aluminium panel used to mount the rear window. This was match drilled to the tabs installed previously - 
http://tailwindbuild.blogspot.com/2009/03/26th-march-2009-left-rear-window-mount.html . The rear edge and the bottom edge were folded inwards 90 degrees to stiffen the panel and the top edge and front edge bent in slightly using an edge roller to fit tightly against the door frame and top longeron. At this point a problem became apparent: I wanted to have the bottom of the rear window in line with the bottom of the door window and bottom of the front window. However, the line of the stub stringer that forms lower mount for the rear window frame starts at the door post exactly level with the bottom of the window in the door and then slopes downwards as the fuselage narrows towards the rear. In order to keep the window bottom in-line it was necessary to start the opening 4 inches behind the door post, shorten two of the mount tabs and use an uneven placement of the lower window mounting screws. The rearwards start does have the advantage that it will hide the aileron and flap linkages and the screws will be hidden by the fabric which will cover the rear window frame. I don't think the fact that there is an angle between the bottom of the window and the stringer will look odd once the covering is in place. I'm continuing to keep my to-do list up-to-date http://tailwindbuild.blogspot.com/2009/03/25th-march-2009-list.html and was able to completely remove one item today. I'd been assuming that I would mount a VOR antenna on the horizontal stabiliser. However, I emailed the guru of antenna for homebuilt aircraft - Bob Archer and he very kindly sent me a design for a dipole antenna and matching balun that can be built inside the wooden wing. Not only will this be much neater but the cost will be much less than a commercial VOR antenna.
