Page 09-08 Build Time: 129 hrs

All parts are through primer and ready for final assembly. This represents a solid weeks worth or work. The Christmas break is over and I made significant progress on the tail feathers but putting it all together will have to wait for another week. Yesterday was a very long day of prep, primer and cleaning the gun several times. I mixed up 8 oz of primer and set some aside (gun only holds 6). But at some point the paint started to spatter again. At first I thought I had reached the end of the pot life and it was thickening. Then I noticed the gun was loosing air at the hose and that seemed to be the problem. So I cleaned up the gun, loaded the rest and went on. Then the air on the gun wouldn't stop. That caused the compressor to run constantly until it tripped the breaker. So I figured that out - was some dried paint on the trigger pin, cleaned up the gun and took a dinner break. I still had the skins to do and thought that might have to wait until today but I had planned on flying and it was only 7PM so out I went, mixed up some more paint and went back at it. Everything worked out this time since I pretty much ran into everything you could except spilling large amounts of primer on the ground. This morning when inspecting the parts I noticed the right lower corner of the skins were a little too light. You could still see the aluminum. Since I'd spent so much time getting to this point seeking perfection I couldn't live with that's good enough. So out came the paint, gun, masking and I scuffed up the area I wanted to re-coat and cleaned it up and shot a light coat only on the problem areas. This stuff is rock hard. I've always been concerned about it sticking but in twelve hours it's like powder coat. I had intended to keep it light but those corners were near the ground in a shadow so I missed it. I also don't want to keep piling it up while it's wet. Going forward I'll use two very light coats on the skins. They came out nice.

Ready for assembly

Once the parts were where I wanted them it was time to fly. I had planned on some IFR since we had a small storm move through. I decided to head north and not chase the ice but it turned out I only got 0.3 IMC and no approaches. That was the plan I it was a good plan so no need to deviate. It was a nice ride and I love being in the clouds.

It will be "different" flying a RV with a glass panel, AHRS and synthetic vision that will never be able to do what the might Cessna can do. Oh well, maybe I'll have to keep the old girl.

Up with the angels