To finish up the aileron actuation section, I installed the main pushrods and the left bellcrank (the right bellcrank had been installed along with the autopilot servo):
Main aileron pushrod attached to bellcrank
Main aileron pushrod attached to wing root torque tube
I also took the opportunity to complete the last step from section OP-38, attaching the springs to the roll trim servo (and then shortening the wires enough that they don't hit the nearby screws:
Trim servo springs attached to aileron pushrod
Trim servo wiring inside the wing
When I mounted the actual aileron in place, I realized that, as it got actuated, it'd rub against the bracket rivets next to it, on both wings - so I replaced those with flush rivets:
Interference between a rivet head and the aileron
Interfering rivets removed and countersunk for flush-head rivets
Flush rivets installed on aileron brackets
I then attached the aileron-to-bellcrank pushrods:
Aileron-to-bellcrank pushrod installed
With that, the only remaining step in section 23 is actually attaching the pushrod to the aileron.
I followed the ZipTips manual I wrote for the left wingtip, using the hinge attachment method for the bottom side in order to properly ground the Archer antenna to the wing:
Left wingtip marked from trimming for hinge attachment
Left wingtip attached to top skin
Match-drilling hinge to bottom side of wingtip
Bottom side of wingtip with hinge in place
I modified the Archer NAV antenna for better ILS reception, with the center strip that Martin Renschler designed (and very kindly distributed at Oshkosh):
Archer antenna with ILS addon
The antenna and the hinge were then secured to the wingtip's bottom surface:
Archer antenna and hinge clecoed in place
Archer antenna and hinge riveted in place
I drilled and countersunk the inspection panel's holes (for tinnerman washers), and installed nutplates to secure it:
Inspection panel drilled for attachment
Nutplates installed to hold inspection panel
I match-drilled the forward holes to the light module:
Light module match-drilled in place
At this point, it became evident that the hinge had a problem - it was slightly misaligned, making it nearly impossible to insert the pin :( That'll have to be fixed soon.
I trimmed the corner of the forward seat panel to make it possible to insert and remove it:
Forward seat panel marked for trimming
Inserting the forward seat panel
Forward seat panel fitted in place
We then mounted the fire extinguisher (with a third-party quick-release mount) through the right-side cover and the seat support - this position is out of the way (according to our own testing), yet easy to reach from the pilot seat, and makes the extinguisher gauge easily readable during preflight:
Fire extinguisher mount in place
Fire extinguisher mount attached in place
Seat support showing where the fire extinguisher mount is attached
Fire extinguisher mounted in place
With this, we're on fire! Or at least ready to be.
Time lapse:
Total forward fuselage ribs, bulkheads and bottom skin rivets: 954
Total forward fuselage ribs, bulkheads and bottom skin time: 138.7h
The inspection panel countersinks needed to be made a bit deeper, and then we alodined those (turns out the holes are just small enough that I could create a drop of alodine in them to leave them "immersed" for the duration required:
Alodining the inspection panel countersinks
With that done, and a little bit of trimming and edge bending of the inspection panels, we installed them all:
