(Page 22-03) The belly of the beast......                             

The assembly of the stainless steel Firewall Bottom and Firewall Shelf held no surprises.  It was my first exposure to the much discussed and dreaded ProSeal (fuel tank sealant).  I ordered the 1 oz container from the mothership and this proved way more than enough.  Instructions are minimal, so I mixed the two parts as if it were epoxy, smeared it on the upper firewall flange, did the prescribed riveting, and all was well.  I had no idea whether the working life of the ProSeal once mixed was five minutes or five hours, but it all worked.  If I had it to do again, however, I'd do step 8 before step 3.  The F-1201L bracket must be held exactly in place with one hand (preferably with a block of wood so fingers don't get drilled) while match drilling from the opposite side of the firewall.  It would be easier without the shelf installed.

 My first attempt at making said bracket from the 3/4 by 3/4 angle resulted in a piece I scrapped for minor deviations in dimensions.  After remaking and installing it, I realized the first one would have been fine since all holes are match drilled through the firewall and tunnel rib.  No dimension for the bracket is critical.  The picture shows my tight-fit, right-angle drill attachment, which was needed for drilling into the tunnel rib.

To attach the Forward Lower Fuse Assembly to the Lower Fuse Assembly and Bottom Skin, I turned the fuselage on its side (shown).  This allowed me to hold and cleco the forward assembly without assistance from the Spousal Unit.

Next up are the dreaded longerons, which involve among other things spreading a 3/4 x 3/4 angle to 95.4 degrees.  Point four degrees?  Really?