Sunday, 4/29: Installed the middle-rear windows and riveted them in place along with the side upright channels. The channels are used as a raceway for the wiring and antennae cables that go to the wings and roof. I added "nutplates" to the center control tunnel top, which will allow me to access the tunnel for inspections later on. The plans do not call for these, but that's what's nice about experimental-class airplanes as you can add what you see fit. Danny added a stripe on the top of the rudder to accent the side stripe on the fuselage.

8 hrs, 883 total hrs. to date.

4/22 thru 4/25:  Sunday - Today I riveted down the glareshield which ties the instrument panel's top to the fuselage. I'm fairly comfortable with all the wiring runs underneath it, but I would like to have better access to that area. Once this glareshield goes in place, everything in there is really hard to get to. I cleaned up a few electrical runs with conduit, installed some of the door latch hardware, and worked a bit on the armrest/control tunnel tops by adding nutplates so they are removable.  We painted the pilot side of the fueselage.

Danny continued painting Monday through Wed. and finished the fuselage. Now I am waiting on my replacement windshield to come in. In the meantime, I'll be starting on the doors & door hardware, and we will continue painting the wings and cowl.

21 hrs, including Danny.  total hrs. to date: 875

Week of 4/16 thru 4/21:  I finally riveted the seat supports down after getting all the wiring & fuel lines done to my satisfaction. We started painting the fuselage this week. Danny Still, a good friend and painter extraordinaire, started painting the fuse. I joined in when I could during the week to help out. On Saturday I completed the ELT install, mounted the ELT & Comm antennaes, riveted up more of the cabin areas, and started on mounting the seat belt attachments. Danny painted the passenger side fuse accent stripes Saturday and it really turned out nice.

Total hrs Mon - Sat including Danny's time, 27 hrs.

Total Hrs. to date: 854

Here Danny is, laying out for the stripes:

Friday, Sat. & Sunday, 4/13-14-15/12: Primer painted the fuselage. All priming is now complete. Bought my paint for the finish coats. Built the seat pans. Fitted up to seat supports in cabin and installed nut plates to hold them in place. Completed all final wiring issues under the seats and routing to instrument panel. I am now ready to do the final riveting of the seat supports and close that area up for the last time. I got to sit in the cabin for the first time today, and it is very roomy. Felt really good to actually sit in this plane after 2 yrs. and 5 months of building!  20 hrs.
Total hrs. to date: 827

Sunday, 4/8/12:  Primer painted both wings, horizontal stabilizer & elevator. Began prep work on fuselage. 7 hrs.

Saturday, 4/7/12:  Cleco'd glareshield in place to begin windshield install. Cracked the windshield on the first install attempt. This plexiglass is pretty fragile! Will order a new one and try again. Proceeded to prep more parts for primer painting.  4hrs.

Thursday, 4/5/12:  Began primer painting on rudder, flaperons & slats. Using an acid wash solution & Scotch-Brite pad for prepping, followed by a water rinse and air dry. Using a 2-part epoxy primer from PPG. 5 hrs.

Total hrs to date: 797

Sunday, 4/1/12: Cleaned up wiring runs under the seat area to the instrument panel. Secured wiring harnesses to the cabin sides. Located ELT under baggage floor access panel. Fitted sunroof panel and drilled out/cleco'd in place. 8 hrs.