December 11, 2024

Reassembled the door frames on clecoes to align before riveting.

December 10, 2024

Installed the front L angles.…

December 9, 2024

Drilled holes in the front top skin.

Used a strap duplicator to not enlarge the existing holes.…

December 8, 2024

Installed the instrument panel

December 7, 2024

Drilled left door frames holes to #21.

Riveted piano hinges to the door frames.

Drilled out the SS rivets on the left side.…

November 30, 2024

Drilling and clecoeng the forward to skin.

Questions to Zenith about the skin.

My instrument panel is wide. I cannot wrap the skin around the cabin frame like on the drawings. I suspect the drawings is for the SD only.

Should the top skin be over the side skin or under, like the drawings says.

The most difficult - what to do with the 9 SS A5 rivets in the cabin frame? Should I remove them and set again through the top skin or I can leave the…

November 29, 2024

Started installing the forward top skin.
Continued making the left door frame.

November 27, 2024

Clecoed #30 the external gussets to the frame bars.

It is not clear what size, what type and what pitch of rivets to use in different parts of the window. I will ask Zenith.

The areas to question are: size A4 or A5, pitch 100 or 60, material soft, regular, SS, countersink, countersink angle (100 or 120)

Gussets IB

Gussets OB

Bubble

Frame braces

Zenith's ansrwers:

The gusset rivets are all A5.

The bracket rivets are…

November 25, 2024

Mabe the top and back bars for the right door frame.

Put more rivets in the front bottom fuselage.

Some A6 rivets are diffilult to set. The room is too tight to use a regular riveter. Depending on the rivet position I might not have enough strength to use a hand riveter.

I used clamps.…

November 23, 2024

Squeezed the fuselage top skin between the firewall and the cabin frame. No need to cut anything.

Removed the sawhorses. Now the plane stands on its own wheels.…

Zenith 750 Cruzer project s/n C75-10769

Located at AKH in EAA Chapter 309 hangar

Status:

Fuselage structure is built and, the engine is hung and fuselage is standing on the landing gear.

Nosegear installed with updated “donut” discs in place of original bungee shock suspension

Wings are built and in wooden cradle; the wing tanks (2 x 15 gallon) are installed

Fin and rudder are built and have been fitted, but not installed

Flaperons are…

November 23, 2024

The drawings shows the Forward Top Skim with an open hole for the cabin frame.

The actual part has a closed hole. With the firewall assembled and partially riveted to the fuselage it is not clear how to put the Forward Top Skin in place.

Zenith said - either try to push it through the gap between the firewall and the cabin frame or cut the skin and use 0.025 thick patch with A5 rivets pitch 40, like Super Duty has.…

November 16, 2024

Riveted the piano hinges to the door sills.

November 13, 2024

Riveted the back door post.

November 11, 2024

Bent the trim support.

Drilled and clecoed.…

In case you forgot to get flowers today there is still time to go out to the shop and make a 6061 T6 rose.

November 5, 2024

Attached the main landing gear. Have several questions. Asked Zenith.

1. The drawings and assembly manuals describe 2 styles of installing the main gear support - the vertical edge inward and the vertical edge outward. Does it matter from the structural point of view?

2. When the supports are installed the vertical edge out the trimming in the drawings makes sence. If it is installed the edge out - the trimming looks useless.

3. When installing the…

November 4, 2024.

Packed the wheel bearings with Mobil 28. Installed the wheels on the axles.

Started building the door sill and the top window rib.…

November 3, 2024

Assembled and balanced the main wheels. Slightly cut the edge of the dimpled washer to make it fit in the wheel.

Made a custom wrench to screw the stop nut in the nose wheel. The wrench should go through the hole in the wheel.…

Today I wrestled with getting my Horizontal stab top skin installed and LOST. I decided to step away tonight and regroup tomorrow. I’m going to try something tomorrow using some Velcro straps rather than the ratchet straps - going shopping tomorrow 🤞.