Woo-Hoo! Got the fuselage today

I picked up the fuselage kit today from ZAC. I got some funny looks when I first backed the Mazda3 into the hangar--but after rolling the fuselage skins a bit of creative placement, it all fit with room to spare. Here are some photos from today along with a photo from when I brought the tail kit home:


Here it is--the entire fuselage and finishing kit in the car


Here is another shot from the passanger window


Safely at home






Here is the tail kit which I brought home in January

Replacing CherryMax Rivets

Rivets replaced with some help from Brad and Scott at the Garmin Hangar.


More helpers...

Drilling out CherryMax Rivets

Two of the CherryMax rivets need to be drilled out.




Used the Dremel with a 1/64th inch thick cut-off wheel to fail the rings.

Tail Kit Finished (all but 4 rivets)

I meant to post this back about half a month ago--the Taik Kit is done...for now. I have 4 more rivets to put in--I'll have to use Cherry rivets because I didn't leave enough space for my regular rivetting tools. Now I'll just have to wait 3 months to get the Fuselage Kit (I didn't realize there was such a lead time on the kits).

Elevator Control Horns and Hinges

Rivetting the Elevator TE and making Cutouts

Rivetting the Elevator Skin

One rivet is not quite right and should be drilled out.

The steel shaft in the rivet pushed the drill bit to the side and created a slot.

This was fixed according to instruction by Zenith Tech Support--install one rivet on either side--halfway to the next rivet. Install a large rivet in the elongated hole.

Elevator Skin Cleco'd in place