Day 28 - October 7, 2017 and Day 27 - September 30, 2017

Hi everyone!  It's back to building at the TF5 hangar after the summer break.  Over the past few classes, progress has resumed on various areas of the build.  The primary task has been preparing the interior fuselage for paint.  This calls for the tedious task of using scotch brite to remove the aluminum oxidation in order to increase the adhesiveness of the paint to the surfaces.  The fuselage was then cleaned, masked off, and transported for painting.  The fuel tank has also proven to be an important task.  Over the last few weeks, the tank has been sealed and tested.  As of now, our first test shows that the tank is holding air by the pressure in the balloon.  Furthermore, the wing spars have been started, and the ribs are ready for assembly.  The structural flanges are currently being riveted, and the tie down attach points have been tapped.  In addition, a hinge adjustment to the engine cowl was worked on, and the oil door is under progress.  

  As for other news, it is time to pass along the writing of this blog to another TeenFlight student member.  So this is Davis signing off.  It's been fun.  Thanks for reading and stay tuned!

Day 26 - June 24, 2017

Today was the last day of TeenFlight 5 before breaking for the summer.  We wrapped up our projects in the hangar for now, and we ended the afternoon with a fun potluck.  

See you in the fall, and have a great summer!

Day 25 - June 17, 2017

The projects from last week continued and are looking good.  The fuel tank was a little messy this week with the application of Pro Seal in order to make it fuel/air tight.  This process consists of applying the solution to each edge and rivet before final assembly.  So far, the fuel gauge, fuel neck flange, and the main skin have been sealed and riveted.  Once the sealing is completed, the tank will be checked for proper functionality.  The wing team also underwent the tedious process of deburring.  Each wing consists of many intricate pieces that form the structure of the wing, called ribs.  Many of these ribs have been completed; however, many more remain.  The engine cowling was also continued and has been trimmed to size.  Match drilling was worked on to ensure the proper fit to the hinges that hold it on.  After being delayed for the fitting of the canopy, the wiring resumed.  This consisted of a few hours in the airplane routing wires and installing brackets.  

Stay tuned for next week!

Day 24 - June 10, 2017

This week, TF5 continued to work on many tasks including the fuel tank, the forward fuselage, the wing spars, and the wheels.  As for the fuel tank, the body was clecoed and match-drilled in preparation for riveting soon.  The mechanical and electrical fuel gauges were also temporarily attached for proper adjustments.  The upper engine mount was torqued down to the proper tightness and will eventually have an engine attached to it.  As for the wings, the flaperon hinges were riveted to the doubler plates and rear spar webs.  Also, the wheel tubes were installed and underwent the process of inflation and deflation to ensure there was no binding against the tire.  The wheels are now almost completely assembled with the proper fit.      

Stay tuned!

Day 23 - June 3, 2017 and Day 22 - May 27, 2017

Currently at the TF5 hangar, progress is continuing on various fronts including the canopy, the landing gear assembly, the engine cowl, and the wings.  As for the canopy, it has been fitted and drilled to the frame.  The fiberglass work is set to start in the near future.  The engine cowl has also been trimmed to ensure a proper fit to the firewall.    

In addition, the wheels and landing gear struts are closer to completion.  The hubs and brake pads are currently being aligned.  Regarding the wings, work on the flaperon spars such as deburring and trimming has also started.  

Stay tuned for more progress in the coming weeks!

Day 21 - May 13, 2017

This week at the hangar, very noticeable progress was made.  TF5 worked on fitting the canopy to the fuselage, assembling the baggage bulkhead and roll bar support beam, routing the brake fluid lines, and testing the flap handle.  Fitting the canopy frame is a very precise task that requires modifying the frame and using shims to keep temporary alignment.  As for the rear end of the fuselage, the roll bar brace, baggage bulkhead, and bulkhead channels have been riveted.  In addition, the brake fluid lines have been routed, and the map box has been assembled and will soon be installed. The empennage fairing has also been fitted and will be riveted in a few weeks.  

The project is looking good!  

Next week, TF5 will be on a field trip.  See you back here in a few weeks!

Day 20 - May 6, 2017 and Day 19 - April 29, 2017

TeenFlight 5 has been busy at work.  Progress is continuing on the side skins and tailcone, while work has started on the flight controls and various sub assemblies in the forward upper fuselage.  The flight control system consists of many push rods and cables that push and pull on the control surfaces to produce movement.  The flap handle, which actuates the flaperons, has also been assembled.  In addition, work on the fuel lines is progressing and is looking good.  The canopy frame has also been worked on to ensure a proper fit.  In upcoming classes, we will be starting to focus on the landing gear, wheels, and brakes.

 Stay tuned!

Day 18 - April 22, 2017

Last week, progress was continued on various areas of the build.  The tail cone is now complete,  and work on the servo trim assembly has started.  Also, the roll bar has been riveted to the fuselage and is permanently installed.  In addition, the fuel lines have been shaped and routed into place.  

Check back soon!

Day 17 - April 15, 2017

Over the past few weeks, very noticeable progress has been made on TF5 in various areas including the tail cone and fuselage.  The rudder pedals and the roll bar have been completed and are ready for installation.  In addition, the seat backs have been deburred, prepared, and assembled.  The primary task at hand has been the installation of the side skins, otherwise known as the sheets of aluminum covering the sides of the airplane.  These are supported by two longerons, a few bulkheads, and various support beams.  After hours of drilling and riveting,  the skins are now permanently in place.  The tail cone has also been riveted after many bulkheads were prepared and many holes were drilled.  All of the pieces are coming together nicely and our project is starting to look like an airplane! Stay tuned! 

Day 13 - March 18, 2017

This week at the TeenFlight 5 hangar, progress was made on predominately the same areas as last week including the fuselage, roll bar, rudder pedals, and side skins.  As for the fuselage, the forward bulkhead was worked on in order to ensure the proper fit of the floor ribs under the passengers' feet.  The bottom skin and the side skins were also dimpled and prepared for attachment.  Furthermore, the roll bar has been match drilled and is close to the point of riveting.  The rudder pedals have also been drilled and are almost fully assembled.  

Stay tuned!

Day 12 - March 11, 2017

Over the last few weeks, progress has been very noticeable on various areas of the plane including the forward lower fuselage, the middle fuselage, and the baggage area.  As for the forward lower fuselage, the lower half of the firewall has been installed and sealed for perfect fit.  The main tunnel ribs, skins, and rudder pedals have also been assembled and are all coming along well.

The work in the middle fuselage has consisted of working on the seat floor assemblies which support the occupants in the aircraft.  The seat belt attach lugs have been completed, and the assemblies are ready to be attached to the center section bulkhead.  Furthermore, the side and bottom skins have been deburred and are almost ready for riveting.

Stay tuned!

You can also check us out on our Faceook page:

https://www.facebook.com/teenflightpdx/

and on Instagram: @teenflightportland

Day 9 - February 18, 2017

This Saturday was a very productive one at TeenFlight.  Yesterday marked the first day of assembly of actual airplane parts!  We made progress on four different areas: the forward lower fuselage, the baggage compartment, the center bulkhead, and the forward fuselage bulkhead.  As for the forward lower fuselage, prep work was performed on the firewall, tunnel ribs, and the bottom skin.  Mainly deburring, countersinking and riveting resulted in a temporary assembly.  The work in the baggage compartment consisted of deburring the baggage floors, ribs, and the seatbelt attach lugs.  Work on the flaperon mixer arm, the assembly that enables the use of the flaps, was also started and is coming along well.  As for the center bulkhead, the work mainly included countersinking, deburring, and match drilling for the alignment of the side bulkheads.  The work on the forward bulkhead also comprised of deburring and countersinking of the stub spar receptacles, or parts that reinforce the bulkhead.  A lot was accomplished today, so tune in next week for even more progress on the actual airplane!  

You can also check us out on our Faceook page:

https://www.facebook.com/teenflightpdx/

and on Instagram: @teenflightportland

Day 8 - February 11, 2017

This weekend, we crossed the finish line on the toolboxes and started the inventory.  We made good progress on the fuselage kit, and the deburring has started.  Next time, we will start to see real airplane parts come together, so stay tuned!