Haven't been able to work on the plane much because of crisis' at work...   But I did further check the pitot lines today because I haven't been able to keep a balloon inflated.

So, I went at the fittings with soapy water and sure enough...  So, I'll re-flare the tubes (after cutting off the current flare of course) and the question is do I use thread locker or just teflon tape which online discussions seem to indicate is OK in air lines.

NEXT TASKS:

1. Fitting and final sealing of left wing fuel tank.  Tank off and test for seal.
2. Mark bolts.
3. Fuel tank on.  Just bolted at this point.
4. Top skins riveted on (STRINGERS!).  Top skins of left wing need priming.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
5. Leading edge riveted on (STRINGER!).  Fill rivets with Bondo.
6. Rivet fuel tank on.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
7. Wing tip assembly and light installation.
8. Finish sanding of left wing bottom rivet heads.
9. Finish right wing (3,4,5,6,7).
   
10. Finally finish one of the composite tips of the elevator.
11. Fill rivets of elevator with Bondo.
12. START ON FUSELAGE!

Work has been busy...  Since I need 3 or 4 straight hours to fit and seal the tank it's been hard to find that block of time.  Meanwhile it dawned on me the other day that I need to take the wing off the boxes before I fit or rivet anything since on those boxes the wing doesn't have the proper twist.  It needs to on the jigs.  I'll actually put it on 2x4's on the jigs since they need to be raised up a bit to provide clearance for the pitot.  But, as long as I level the two jigs we're good to go.  Precision!

Off these boxes it must come!

I wasn't happy with the results of my pitot line leak test the other day so I cut the surgical tubes and did it this way, blowing up the balloon via one of these lines carefully with the compressor.

The remotely blown up balloon.  Better than trying to blow up the balloon directly and placing it on the pitot (dumb way I think...;-)).

NEXT TASKS:

1. Fitting and final sealing of left wing fuel tank.  Tank off and test for seal.
2. Mark bolts.
3. Fuel tank on.  Just bolted at this point.
4. Top skins riveted on (STRINGERS!).  Top skins of left wing need priming.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
5. Leading edge riveted on (STRINGER!).  Fill rivets with Bondo.
6. Rivet fuel tank on.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
7. Wing tip assembly and light installation.
8. Finish sanding of left wing bottom rivet heads.
9. Finish right wing (3,4,5,6,7).
   
10. Finally finish one of the composite tips of the elevator.
11. Fill rivets of elevator with Bondo.
12. START ON FUSELAGE!

1 hr. prepping the back channel parts of the left fuel tank for sealing.  Sealing tomorrow...

Making sure all the contacting surfaces are scuffed up with Scotchbrite and cleaned with MEK.

NEXT TASKS:

1. Fitting and final sealing of left wing fuel tank.  Tank off and test for seal.
2. Mark bolts.
3. Fuel tank on.  Just bolted at this point.
4. Top skins riveted on (STRINGERS!).  Top skins of left wing need priming.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
5. Leading edge riveted on (STRINGER!).  Fill rivets with Bondo.
6. Rivet fuel tank on.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
7. Wing tip assembly and light installation.
8. Finish sanding of left wing bottom rivet heads.
9. Finish right wing (3,4,5,6,7).
   
10. Finally finish one of the composite tips of the elevator.
11. Fill rivets of elevator with Bondo.
12. START ON FUSELAGE!

2 hrs. test fitting the left wing fuel tank and testing the pitot lines.

1st time I put it on by cleco'ing along the top, the bottom cleco's were well off.  I uncleco'ed the top, jiggled it around and cleco'ed the bottom (really just wiggled the bottom cleco's, which were hardly in, until they snapped in place).  With a little pushing I was able to get the top cleco's in just fine.

Looks good from this angle too.

Riveted and bolted this fuel tank connector (the one on the left).

Tied together the two ends of the pitot lines with surgical-type tubing.

Put a blown up balloon on the pitot.  Should stay inflated.

NEXT TASKS:

1. Fitting and final sealing of left wing fuel tank.  Tank off and test for seal.
2. Mark bolts.
3. Fuel tank on.  Just bolted at this point.
4. Top skins riveted on (STRINGERS!).  Top skins of left wing need priming.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
5. Leading edge riveted on (STRINGER!).  Fill rivets with Bondo.
6. Rivet fuel tank on.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
7. Wing tip assembly and light installation.
8. Finish sanding of left wing bottom rivet heads.
9. Finish right wing (3,4,5,6,7).
   
10. Finally finish one of the composite tips of the elevator.
11. Fill rivets of elevator with Bondo.
12. START ON FUSELAGE!

1 hr. soldering the pitot heat wires and cleco'ing on the back plate and z-connectors to the left fuel tank.  I checked the flares for the pitot air connectors and they look fine.  I'm waiting for some surgical tubing and when I have that I will pressure test the lines.

Wires ready to be soldered with heat shrink tubing in place.

Wires wrapped together.

Use the right solder!  This is it!

Soldered.

Heat shrink tubing shrunk and the plastic sheathing  put over it.

The back plate in place with the connectors.  Will test fit tomorrow.

NEXT TASKS:

1. Test fit the fuel tank.
2. Fitting and final sealing of left wing fuel tank.  Tank off and test for seal.
3. Fuel tank on.  Just bolted at this point.
4. Top skins riveted on (STRINGERS!).  Top skins of left wing need priming.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
5. Leading edge riveted on (STRINGER!).  Fill rivets with Bondo.
6. Rivet fuel tank on.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
7. Wing tip assembly and light installation.
8. Finish sanding of left wing bottom rivet heads.
9. Finish right wing (3,4,5,6,7).
   
10. Finally finish one of the composite tips of the elevator.
11. Fill rivets of elevator with Bondo.
12. START ON FUSELAGE!

3 hrs. finishing the pitot heat wiring and cleco'ing on the leading edge.

I'm away again for work until Friday, so a few days away.

Drilled small holes in some ribs so that I could put a standoff style of cable tie to hold the pitot heat wire harness away from the edges.  Here looking toward the root.

Looking the other way.

Put one standoff on the lighting harness to make sure it doesn't move.

Two of the wires from the pitot heat were supposed to have bands to mark the ground, but one of them came off and now I'm not certain which is the ground.  I measured the resistance and I think I know, but I want to ask Garmin support to confirm it before I start soldering wires.

Pulling the plastic off the leading edge.  Should have done it before putting it on...

And it's on!

Found this excellent detailed video on proper flaring of tubing for aircraft.  I think I did the pitot tubing properly, but I'm going to double check it.

NEXT TASKS:

1. Double check the pitot tubing flares.
2. Test fit the fuel tank.
3. Fitting and final sealing of left wing fuel tank.  Tank off and test for seal.
4. Fuel tank on.  Just bolted at this point.
5. Top skins riveted on (STRINGERS!).  Top skins of left wing need priming.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
6. Leading edge riveted on (STRINGER!).  Fill rivets with Bondo.
7. Rivet fuel tank on.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
8. Wing tip assembly and light installation.
9. Finish sanding of left wing bottom rivet heads.
10. Finish right wing (4,5,6,7,8).
    
11. Finally finish one of the composite tips of the elevator.
12. Fill rivets of elevator with Bondo.
13. START ON FUSELAGE!

2 hrs. doing the electrical wiring of the pitot heat.

A picture of the pitot with the screws installed.

Had to enlarge the forming hole in the 1st rib in order to install a grommet and pass the pitot heat wire harness through it.  Didn't finish the wiring install today, but will tomorrow.

NEXT TASKS:

1. Finish installing pitot electrical lines and connect to pitot.
2. Cleco leading edge back on. I'll also test fit the fuel tank.
3. Fitting and final sealing of left wing fuel tank.  Tank off and test for seal.
4. Fuel tank on.  Just bolted at this point.
5. Top skins riveted on (STRINGERS!).  Top skins of left wing need priming.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
6. Leading edge riveted on (STRINGER!).  Fill rivets with Bondo.
7. Rivet fuel tank on.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
8. Wing tip assembly and light installation.
9. Finish sanding of left wing bottom rivet heads.
10. Finish right wing (5, 6,7,8,9).
    
11. Finally finish one of the composite tips of the elevator.
12. Fill rivets of elevator with Bondo.
13. START ON FUSELAGE!

4 hrs. working on the pitot.

The wing up on my new boxes.

The holes in the pitot don't exactly match up with the mast holes.  Using a small chucking reamer bit I opened them up to line up.

The pitot up through the mast.

My first attempt to bend the lines with a bending tool didn't go well...  Turns out they recommend bending them slightly and carefully by hand.  First I had to get rid of that kink, so I cut the tubes closer to the mast.  That was OK as long as it was at least 8" of tube before the fitting (per Garmin spec).

Cut down and hand bent.  Much better!

These parts of the fitting need to go on before you flute the ends.  Put tape on so they wouldn't fall down the mast...

The fluting tool in place.

Crank that down and it flutes the ends.

Fittings on!

Tubing cut to length (tool at bottom) and inserted into the fittings.  Nice!

NEXT TASKS:

1. Finish installing pitot electrical lines and connect to pitot.
2. Cleco leading edge back on. I'll also test fit the fuel tank.
3. Fitting and final sealing of left wing fuel tank.  Tank off and test for seal.
4. Fuel tank on.  Just bolted at this point.
5. Top skins riveted on (STRINGERS!).  Top skins of left wing need priming.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
6. Leading edge riveted on (STRINGER!).  Fill rivets with Bondo.
7. Rivet fuel tank on.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
8. Wing tip assembly and light installation.
9. Finish sanding of left wing bottom rivet heads.
10. Finish right wing (5, 6,7,8,9).
    
11. Finally finish one of the composite tips of the elevator.
12. Fill rivets of elevator with Bondo.
13. START ON FUSELAGE!

Well, family obligations have kept me away from the plane for the last few days, so not much progress to report.  I'm away for work the next 3 days, so I'll be back at it on Friday.

I did have to come up with a way to hold up the wing (and fuselage) and came up with tying together two plastic crates.  This should work well.

Just used a bunch of cable ties to secure two crates together.  Worked well.

I'll glue (spray) down some rubber flooring tiles and viola!

NEXT SESSIONS:

1. Install pitot.
2. Finish installing pitot air and electrical lines and connect to pitot.
3. Cleco leading edge back on. I'll also test fit the fuel tank.
4. Fitting and final sealing of left wing fuel tank.  Tank off and test for seal.
5. Fuel tank on.  Just bolted at this point.
6. Top skins riveted on (STRINGERS!).  Top skins of left wing need priming.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
7. Leading edge riveted on (STRINGER!).  Fill rivets with Bondo.
8. Rivet fuel tank on.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
9. Wing tip assembly and light installation.
10. Finish sanding of left wing bottom rivet heads.
11. Finish right wing (5, 6,7,8,9).
    
12. Finally finish one of the composite tips of the elevator.
13. Fill rivets of elevator with Bondo.
14. START ON FUSELAGE!

2 hrs. getting my wings and fuel tanks inspected by Bob DiMeo my EAA Tech Counselor and doing a couple of misc. things related to the tanks.

I asked him how long the balloon should stay inflated for the tank to be considered good and he said 24 hours.  So, I've re-inflated the balloon for the right tank and we'll see if it stays inflated that long.  I think my temporary seals on the fittings are not perfect, so that's why it hasn't stayed inflated that long.  I've tried to shore them up, so we'll see.

Bob checking out my left wing tank.

He recommended removing this sealant on one of the tank ribs.  Obviously it needs to be a tight fit when I put on the back plate.

Finally put in the vent fittings for the left tank.

A gratuitous selfie with my new selfie stick. :-)

NEXT SESSIONS:

1. Cleco leading edge back on. I'll also test fit the fuel tank.
2. Build boxes or stands to lift up the wing higher to enable installation of the pitot.  I'll use these with the fuselage too.
3. Install pitot.
4. Finish installing pitot air and electrical lines and connect to pitot.
5. Fitting and final sealing of left wing fuel tank.  Tank off and test for seal.
6. Fuel tank on.  Just bolted at this point.
7. Top skins riveted on (STRINGERS!).  Top skins of left wing need priming.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
8. Leading edge riveted on (STRINGER!).  Fill rivets with Bondo.
9. Rivet fuel tank on.  Fill rivets with Bondo.
10. Wing tip assembly and light installation.
11. Finish sanding of left wing bottom rivet heads.
12. Finish right wing (6,7,8,9,10).
    
13. Finally finish one of the composite tips of the elevator.
14. Fill rivets of elevator with Bondo.
15. START ON FUSELAGE!