TeenFlight!

TeenFlght crew was busy at the hangar today finishing and beginning old and new projects.  We are to the point now where the plane is 90% done but still has 90% left to go.  This is where we make slow visual progress but incremental actual progress.

Today saw a LOT of fiberglass work, and fiberglass powder was thick in the air.  Fortunately for those of us who were not grinding down composites it was a nice day, and the "grinders" all went outside.

The canopy frame was deburred, matched drilled, and parts were aligned.



These switches are what the wiring team labored over all day.  The wings are attached to the fuselage in the plane by pins that run through the spars and through the main center bulkhead.  This setup tightly secures the wings, but also allows the option for trailering the aircraft because the wings come off easily.  These switches sense a magnetic field.  The wing pins have strong magnets inside them, and when the pins are securely in place, the magnet in the pin will come in contact with the switch.  This is a warning mechanism, so that if the switch is not making contact with the pin's magnet it will warn you on the electronic flight information display that the wings are off or not attached properly. 

The versatility of a Starbucks cup.

One of the hangar doors was opened and warmth and sunshine streamed in.  One of the mentors left early to do some soaring, much to the envy of all the rest of us who stood at the door, gazing at the clear sky, and wished that we were flying.

As of last week, the wing rack is finally full.

The cowling was pulled out for the first time and many people worked on trimming and grinding it into its final shape.



This is an example of fiberglass powder thick in the air.  Notice the powder all over his arm, shirt, and pants.

 

The empennage fairing was trimmed and fitted.  This will cover the gap between the vertical and horizontal stabilizers.

More next week!