Hi Paul, its a LMA Taylorcraft 85% full size SSDR Microlight, power will in the short term is a 2 stroke 447 Rotax twin, with the option to fit a Rotax 582 at a later date.
ref the gussets, they are placed, drilled 3/32, clecoed, then each hole opened to 1/8th". then plates removed, the inside is scuffed up with oxide paper, as is the alloy airframe tube, then de-greased, and finally bonded and riveted with Hysol, aircraft glue, the vaseline is to keep the clecoes lubed. the rivets were supplied in the kit,and only support the structure while the glue sets. As its a SSDR project we don't have to use 'aircraft spec fitting' but as were all LAA Members and or inspectors, we are building to LAA/CAA quality control.
Amazing. Modern glues!
I recently saw Car SOS doing a Lotus with a bonded aluminium chassis and to demonstrate how good the glue was they lifted a fork lift truck with straps using two 20 x 15cm (approx) steel plates glued together and acting in sheer.
Good luck with the project.
We have a chap locally who has built a 7/8th's Mustang.
Wonderful work. As a traditional shed bodger I have put my special on a pair of You tube vidios Under the title 1938 Austin 7 special 40 years in the life parts 1 and 2. I cant even try to compete with this work. My car has a wooden frame and traditional Ali skin in the style of a 50's special. It covers the evolution during its life. If you can't get to it under that title its also on my Alihari site which is my Citroen 2CV special. I hope some will be encouraged to do their own thing as we might have a lot of time on our hands now. Keep safe.
As for these wonder glues, where are they available from, and can they be supplied in very small quantities? When I was a boy, ('bout the same time as Noah) all the hobby magazines used to have an advert for Araldite which showed one of their road tankers being suspended with chains from a hook that was glued in the way Paul describes. They would not be able to do that with the rubbish that passes for Araldite now!
I have removed the skin again to do various small jobs such as installing a few captive nuts for the windscreen ect, hopefully this is the last time now before final riveting. Whilst off I decided to make the instrument panel/dash facia which is a dam sight easier to trim to size with the skin off, at present it is just in bare Aluminium but I am intending a crackle black finish eventually....need lock down to end first so I can buy some paint!
Don't you just love lockdown, I have been able to make great progress in the shed without all the usual distractions and today reached an important milestone in this project, I now have the skin permanently riveted to the floorpan superstructure! It has been five years since my accident and somewhere around four years since I embarked on this rebuild but I can finally see the light at the end. Whilst I was at it I also put some black primer on the instrument panel to see it closer to how if will present when painted. Now to get on with making the sills, wings, bonnet sides, wiring, exhaust...........etc, etc!
