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Click Images for larger view.
{short description of image} It all starts here with the plans and a few pieces of tubing. The toughest part of the whole job is fitting the tubing ends.
{short description of image} This is the engine lathe setup I used for fitting the tubing ends. The lathe cross slide is rotated to the angle required and the tubing is fed into the cutter. I used an aluminum split bushing in a boring bar holder to grip the tubing. I used a carbide end mill to make the cut, but you could use a reamer instead.
{short description of image} You will need a couple of fixtures to tack up the fuselage. Make one to tack up the side ladder structure and one to tack up the assembly. The top longerons are flat from the firewall to the tail post so the structure is tacked up on this fixture upside down with the cabin structure down through the big hole.
{short description of image} Here is the left ladder structure laying on the assembly fixture. The left side has the door. You can also see the center line of all the tubes drawn on the surface with aluminum blocks screwed down to locate the longerons.
{short description of image} Both sides are shown here with some of the cross tubes in and clamps and wire holding the assembly together. If you look at the larger image you can see the crossed wires holding the assembly square. You make a loop of wire from the upper longeron on one side to the lower longeron on the opposite side. You then make a loop from the opposite longerons making an X at each fuselage station. Use a rod through the middle of each loop to wind it tight, checking for square as you go. Leave the wire crosses in until you have finished the welding of the complete structure.
{short description of image} After tacking in the assembly fixture is complete it is removed and the rest of the tubes can be added in preparation for finish welding.
{short description of image} These last two pictures show some of the tougher clusters to weld.
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Fuselage Welding

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