The Christmas vacation provided opportunity for some significant shop time.  The main focus for the 10 days off was fitting the overhead console and fabricating the rear seat backs.

The carbon fiber console was obtained from AeroSport Products. It is very light weight, but not exactly proportioned to the Van’s cabin cover.

The middle portion needs to be relieved to accommodate the heavy fiberglass reinforcement section of the cabin cover.  This element apparently is very significant to the structural integrity of the plane and everyone suggests no alterations to this element should be undertaken.  My intention is feather the console into the ceiling with fiberglass and paint (no need for the carbon fiber look).

Here are photos of aligning the rear console with the baggage bulkhead.

A #30 drill with a drill stop set to a depth of about 1/4″ was used to drill through the carbon fiber and the under layer of fiberglass/resin of the cabin cover – just enough for a cleco to grab. Drilling much further would penetrate the outer fiberglass, definitely not recommended.

The console was removed and modified for the center bracket, then refit to check clearance.

Here the console is shown in final fit configuration.  Further work on vents, lights and cabling will be performed with the cabin off the plane.  With the canopy upside-down gravity will assist holding the console in-place.

This week was about finishing the rear windows and starting on the windscreen.

The  process for the rear windows is about first getting close to the scribe line with a Dremel tool. Then using 120 grit sanding belt before hand shaving closer with 220 and polishing/rounding the edges with 320 grit.

For the windscreen first peel back the protective covering just enough to expose the previously marked scribe line.

The windscreen is a slightly different process, as it is much thicker (roughly 1/4″ Lexan or acrylic).  My technical counselor advised against using a Dremel tool, saw or other cutting mechanisms (tend to cause cracking in this type/thickness material).  Instead a 3″ belt sander with 80 grit paper is used to get close. Everything else is by hand.

When talking about ‘by hand’, I mean hours of edge sanding with 80 grit paper on a Great Planes sanding block. Going through Lexan this thick takes time. Check for fit, mark the high spots, and repeat over, and over, and over…

The hand shaping process requires many iterations, but this way has less danger of removing too much, too fast in the wrong places as with power tools.  The final outcome is coming into shape nicely.  More of the same fitting process this weekend before the edge polishing can begin.

Attaching the center console brace and beginning to trim window panes was the order for the day.

The center brace is clamped in the middle of the forward canopy cover, then match drilled with a #12 drill to accommodate an AN3 bolt.  This is tightened down to fasten the brace, so the the rest of the holes can be drilled.

Here is how the top of the outer cabin cover looks after the fastener holes are completed.

Here are left/right pictures of the bottom portion of the center brace attached near the firewall.  Two AN3 bolt hole are drilled between an angle bulkhead and a reinforcing plate.

A set of spacers 1-13/32″ long  are fabricated from 5/16″ diameter tube.  This will eventually be driven into enlarged holes for the center brace.  The cabin cover needs to come off for further processing, so this step will be saved for later.

The plans call for fitting the windscreen first, but I wanted some experience dealing with Lexan/acrylic trimming beforehand.  The side windows will be my test platform – if things go south these will be cheaper and easier to replace compared to the windscreen.

Pull back the protective covering and get ready to power trim!

Over the Thanksgiving week off the focus was finishing major elements of the cabin cover.

The first step was complete match drilling the mid-skins to the cabin cover.

Next was clamp the rear door frames to the bulkheads and match drill for #10 countersunk screws.

Here the right side has been drilled and clecoed into place.

Now for the forward door frames. The gusset  is clecoed to the bulkhead, but match drilling for the #10 screws to the fiberglass frame goes through about 1/4″ of empty space. According to the plans, this space will have structural filler applied.

Getting the fiberglass trimmed for the front deck took quite some time. (between initial Dremel tool sanding and hand filing).

Next was measure the door jam bottom, then drill #19 holes for #8 countersunk screws.

Check for size, then countersink with an angle tool.

The final product looks pretty good.

Now rough fit the center console brace.  Overall starting to look like an airplane.