Europa
	N55XS
	October, 2004

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Europa A-055

October 1st

Sanded lower starboard wing and filled a few small places needing a touch-up.  Started the sanding and filling of both doors...

Time: 2 hours
Total: 572 hours

October 2nd

Sanded out lower starboard wing and turned her over, sanded upper surface and filled.  Cut and installed interior vinyl in upper front fuselage, where instrument panel will be installed.  Trim painted door reveal, where upper console will make contact...

           
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Time: 3 hours
Total: 575 hours

October 3rd

Sanded upper starboard wing and filled.  Hooked up wiring connectors. Touched up the vinyl I installed yesterday, then installed the overhead console to check the fit.  Very nice...

Time: 3 hours
Total: 578 hours

October 4th

Sanded upper starboard wing and filled a few small places needing a touch-up.  Sanded starboard door and prepped the screen for bonding...

     
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Time: 3 hours
Total: 581 hours

October 5th

Finished sanding starboard wing and added it to the "Easy Bake".  They're both done, at least until time to add the clear wingtips and prime and paint.  Sanded both door frames and filled spots that needed touching up.  Began sorting out and assembling the hardware for the flap controls...

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Time: 3 hours
Total: 584 hours

October 6th

Sanded out both door frames and mounted starboard frame to fuselage.  Then bonded in the windscreen and cleaned up around the joints.  Strapped it down and let it cure.  Prepped the port windscreen for bonding.  Did a bit of fitting on the instrument panel...

        
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Time: 3 hours
Total: 587 hours

October 7th

Removed starboard door and mounted port door frame.  Bonded in port windscreen and strapped it down.  Filled in some small voids in the starboard door and cleaned up around the bond joint, then masked off the paint line...

  
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Time: 3 hours
Total: 590 hours

October 8th

Removed port door from fuselage and cleaned up the bond.  Masked off the windscreen and sanded both doors, around the bonded area.  Drilled fuselage to accommodate the wing wiring.  Added an extension to the port conduit and pulled the wire through it.  Bonded a tube in the tunnel to accommodate wire going from port to starboard.  Started connecting the wiring with that of the overhead panel...

        
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Time: 4 hours
Total: 594 hours

October 9th

Finished wiring from baggage compartment bulkhead through the forward conduit.  Wire behind the bulkhead will have to be run after baggage bay is installed.  Pulled pitot and static tubing through fuselage and forward, through conduit.  Began fitting and installing carpet.  Sprayed inside, forward, fresh air vents with rubberized coating...

     
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Time: 3 hours
Total: 597 hours

October 10th

Finished fitting and installing carpet in front half of cockpit.  Only rear half of tunnel, seat back and baggage bay remain...

     
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Time: 4 hours
Total: 601 hours

October 11th

Fabricated and laid up port wiring cover for baggage bay area.  Set baggage bay into fuselage to check fit and made minor adjustments.  Disassembled brake master cylinder and cleaned.  Refitted nylon washers that were binding and reassembled.  Rigged wings to fuselage and started fitting the flap mechanism.  Everything is ready for bonding the pivot mounts...

           
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Time: 4 hours
Total: 605 hours

October 12th

Finished fitting, aligning and bonding flap actuator hinge brackets.  Filled small gaps around plexiglas windscreens with flox and laid up one layer of BID all around and peel plied.  Painted the finger brake levers...

     
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Time: 3 hours
Total: 608 hours

October 13th

Drilled flap arm hinge plates and installed bolts.  Aligned flaps, drilled cross arm and installed bolts.  Fitted foam blocks in inboard flap ends and carved flap extension molds.  Removed flaps and prepped molds, then laid up two ply BID around them...

           
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Time: 4 hours
Total: 612 hours

October 14th

Dug out the molds from both flaps and floxed and laid up two layers of BID to the inside of the flap extensions.  Produced and installed "NO PUSH" stickers on the ailerons... :)

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Time: 2 hours
Total: 614 hours

October 15th

Rough trimmed flap root extensions and refitted flaps to wings, then filed the root extensions to fit.  Removed flaps from wings, sanded extensions and filled...

           
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Time: 2 hours
Total: 616 hours

October 16th

Scuff sanded doors and applied filler around windscreens.  Began working on the panel.  Cut out avionics area and drilled for mounting screws, then riveted in the plate nuts.  Installed stereo phone jack, which will be tied into the intercom, and power access in the shelf, for easy access, when using a portable CD player.  Next I started cutting the mounting holes in the front cover and mounted the fuel pump, flap and trim switches, along with the intercom, Hobbs and trim indicator.  These, of course, will be removed to finish the panel and apply the carbon fiber vinyl, which will be the finish surface...

        
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Time: 4 hours
Total: 620 hours

October 17th

Did a little wiring on the panel, then cut out the center of the flight instrument area and installed plate nuts.  In converting the monowheel panel to a tri gear panel, I was able to open a hole, where hot air, behind the panel can escape.  I plan to install a 12v computer fan, across from the avionics, to create a little circulation, thus keeping everything cool.  Sanded out the filler on the flap extensions and doors and refilled the spots that needed a touchup...

  
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Time: 5 hours
Total: 625 hours

October 18th

Sanded out both flaps, then cut witness holes and primed...

     
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Time: 2 hours
Total: 627 hours

October 22nd

Decided to add a little reinforcement to the seam on the top of the wing panels, so sanded out the joint and added two layers of bid on both wings...

Time: 2 hours
Total: 629 hours

October 23rd

Filled the seam on top of the port wing and touched up around the trailing edge seams.  Finished hooking up the wiring disconnects on the fuselage sides, where the wing lights will plug in...

Time: 2 hours
Total: 631 hours

October 24th

Sanded the flap and aileron areas of the starboard wing, in preparation for priming.  Started sanding the port wing top seam.  FAXed an order to Europa, for the parts necessary to finish the airframe.  Hope to receive them, without a hitch...

Time: 1 hour
Total: 632 hours

October 25th

Sanded the port wing top seam.  Sanded both doors, then removed trim tape and re-taped the plexiglas, then did the fine sanding, again.  Still more to do before they are ready for primer and paint...

Time: 3 hours
Total: 635 hours

October 26th

Worked on the wiring...

Time: 4 hours
Total: 639 hours

October 27th

Tied in strobe connectors to main wiring harness.  Fabricated and glassed the ELT mount.  Mounted the tailplanes and checked all movement and stops.  Everything is within specs...

        
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Time: 2 hours
Total: 641 hours

October 28th

Filled both top wing seams.  Mounted the ELT to the base and bonded it in place.  Fabricated a ground plane for the ELT antenna and mounted the antenna.  Ground plane will be bonded to fuselage, after the flap actuator is installed...

  
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Time: 3 hours
Total: 644 hours

October 29th

Installed cooling fan in panel.  Started working on the lower section of the panel, cutting the face and punching holes for ignition switch, master switch, mag switches, and circuit breakers.  Sanded aileron and flap rebates on the port wing...  Started sanding the top seam in the starboard wing...

     
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Time: 3 hours
Total: 647 hours

October 30th

Worked on the panel, fabricating and installing radio rack and other components.  Worked on the panel wiring...

     
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Time: 5 hours
Total: 652 hours

October 31st

Worked on fuselage wiring.  Set up pilot grip to accommodate channel selection and switching for the radio.  Sanded starboard wing seam...

     
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Time: 4 hours
Total: 656 hours

 

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