Had a good day today with my inspector signing off the fuselage and empennage of my W10. In the UK we build under the control of the Light Aircraft Association (LAA was PFA) and a qualified inspector has to inspect the work at pre-specified stages through the build. Today I got two of the major stages signed off.
Complete empennage structure for alignment, dimensions, welding and quality
Fuselage structure for alignment, dimensions, welding and quality. Fittings attached.
Basically, I'm now ready to paint and cover the fuselage and empennage, but I'm going to wait until I've test hung the engine and sorted out all the firewall locations so I can weld any brackets I need to support things like the battery before I paint. Still it feels good to have the framework together and looking like a Tailwind - pity it all has to come apart again.
I'm sorry there has been no entries over the last week but I've been working flat out to get the aircraft ready for the inspection today. Basically, this has been an iterative process of test fitting items, making adjustments, refitting, etc. It's extraordinary how much time this takes to get things exactly right. Holding things together with clecos can mask a number of problems. For example, one of the nuts needed to secure 
the autopilot servo to it's rails couldn't be installed as it was too close to the tab holding the rail itself - no problem with a cleco through. I've also had to add nutplates in various places where it was not possible to get a conventional nut into place as other components are added. For example, the centre support for the rudder torque tube bolts through the inner floor panel into a plate welded to the fuselage structure. The outer floor panel has to be installed before the inner and the plate is between the two - not possible to get at so rivet on a nut plate. Likewise the side cheeks have screws along the top edge which screw through the side windows and into tabs on the upper stub longeron but you can't get at these with the tank in place and the tank has to be in place before the side cheeks to get all the cabling into place - more nut plates. All this has taken time repeatedly installing and removing panels.
The only disaster during the week was with the main windscreen. The holes in the plexiglass windscreen were drilled to final size and countersunk. The windscreen was then screwed into place first down the centre and then down the left side - all OK. Next as I was screwing down the right side there was a loud noise and I looked up to find that the windscreen had cracked all the way from the left edge just behind the front spar carry-through to the centre. The screen was duly removed and the crack appeared to have started on the edge of one of the supporting tabs on the left windscreen bow. I assume that in tightening the windscreen down it had bent too sharply across the edge and caused the crack. So the edges of the tabs were all bevelled to reduce the possible stress and a replacement piece of windscreen procurred - polycarbonate this time. This material is much stonger than plexiglass and also more flexible (and more expensive) but this time it was cut out and drilled without a problem and fits nicely.
I also spent a long time getting the fit of the doors exactly right. The right hand door was hung slightly too far in at the top and was rubbing on the edge of the combing. To solve this the top hinge bracket was cut off the door post and a new one fabricated, welded into place and re-drilled with more clearance.
Installing the seat belts was more work, the seat side panels and flap lever cover had to be cut out to allow the belts to pass through and a supporting strip fabricated at the back of the baggage compartment to support the cables for the shoulder straps.
Anyway, it all came together in the end and passed the inspection with flying colours.
I'm now going to take a break from building until mid July. Hopefully by then the engine should be back from the shop and I can get it mounted and finish off the firewall. Next post is scheduled for Friday 10th July
