Sinus With Landing Gear, Upside Down

Sinus landing gear in place, with bolts, to make sure it all fit properly. Then a bead of silicon was run around outside the three holes on each side (two on each side for the bolts and another on each side for the brake line which goes down the inside the landing leg) between landing gear and fuselage. This apparently is for keeping moisture, mud, and stuff out of those holes. The bolts (with Patty's help) were torqued to 5.5 Newton-meters, which didn't seem particularly tight to me. But the bolts do fit snugly and precisely. Not that I can read my torque wrench that accurately, though we were in the neighborhood of correctness.

The firewall, with all the penetrations drilled. The large opening in the center is for cabin heat. Most across the top are for electrical wiring. Five holes around the margins (where the foil covering and the underlying fiberglass cloth have been removed) are for the engine mount. The oblong opening beside the lower-center engine mount hole is where the fuel lines will run.

I was puzzled by certain photos in the manual that showed another, rather large, opening in the center-lower firewall. What was that, and what was I missing? I looked through the manual, and finally figured out that this opening was for nosewheel steering. I have a tailwheel, not a nosewheel, and that's why no opening was marked on my firewall! This is simple enough (a lot simpler, actually).

Neighbor Todd Gordon, Patty, and I flipped the fuselage upside down. This allows a number of things to be done such as to install the headliner. I have my father's hoist which I attached to the approximate center--unfortunately well behind the current center of gravity--for just a bit of help stabilizing things. When it comes back over again, the Sinus will be able to rest on its wheels, not on the boxes it's been on.

I could have done this step before the landing gear was bolted in place. The aircraft would have been lighter, of course, but I thought it might be nice to have "handles" in place.

This is the top of the cockpit area. The bare fiberglass will by painted, and the cloth headliner will by installed with contact glue. A few parts will be bolted in place, such as the bracket visible on the left here. At left is the windshield opening. In center is the skylight opening. The rectangular opening in the aircraft's side is where the spar from the wing will pass. The wings will be removable, should that be needed, as for trailering or storage.