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5/17/05- Using a pipe cutter, I started
cutting the 7/8" tubing for the rudder pedals. There are
2 for the front seat and 2 for the pilot. I still have to cut
the tubing for the brake pedals that mount on top of the rudder
pedals.
5/19/05- The rudder pedal jig is made
and the parts are all notched. I notched them all on my Accu-Jigger
and touched them up a little with the files.
6/13/05- The front and rear rudder
pedals are all tacked including the .065 reinforcing plate over the
top of the pedal. In the center are the .100 slugs that get
welded on the ends of the pedal and then drilled for the brake pedal
shaft.
6/17/05- Here are all the .100 slugs
that get welded to the rudder pedal ends and the rudder cable
attachments. I tack welded them all right after I took this
picture.
6/17/05- Here is my first
passenger brake pedal just after I tacked it together. That's
1/2 x .035 tubing and it is tiny! The picture makes it look a
lot bigger than it is.
6/20/05- My first pilot brake pedal
mitered and in the jig ready to be tacked. The center tube is
there to weld the brake cylinder arm to.
6/20/05- Pair of pilot brake
pedals. One down, one to go.
7/2/05- The brake pedals are all
tacked and all the tabs and brake cylinder arms are cut and ready to
be tacked. I counted over 70 parts in the brake and rudder
pedals and they all have to be welded together.
7/9/05- After 25 hours, the rudder and
brake pedals are finished. Actually they were done on 7/6 but
I didn't like the way some of the tabs and holes were misaligned so
I cut them off and re-welded and re-drilled them for perfect
alignment.
7/9/05- This is a sample of where my
TIG welding is after finishing the rudder pedals. I'm glad I
started on the pedals because it allowed me to improve my skills on
some small parts where ruining a little bit of material was no big
deal. With 70 pieces and 60 welds making up the rudder and
brake pedals, my welding skills improved 500%.
6/27/06- After installing the seats and
sitting in them to fit the rudder pedals to my body, it was time to
make up the jigs and get the mounts welded in. This is the
passenger rudder pedal mount.
6/27/06- As usual, I notched 1x2's
for jigs to hold the rudder pedals in the correct position.
6/27/06- Since I am only 5'9" and the
plans locate the rudder pedals for a 6'3" pilot, I had to move my
rudder pedals back about 2" further than the plans call for.
6/27/06- I used a scrap piece of 3/4
tubing to keep everything lined up.
6/27/06- I tacked in the front rudder
pedals in the location called for in the plans. Be sure to
drill the inside mounts and axles for the retaining bolts prior to
welding in place. Sure is easier than trying to drill them
later!
6/27/06- The rudder pedals are now all
tacked in place. Time to finish weld them.
2/7/07- According to the plans, the
rudder cable fairleads are made of 7/8x.058x25/32 tubing. To
position them on the fuselage sides, I snapped a chalk line from the
rear rudder pedal to the rudder control horn. Then I slipped a
piece of 3/4" tubing through the fairlead and aligned it with the
chalk line and tacked the fairlead in place. I located both
fairleads where the cable changes direction: in the pilot's cockpit
and just before where the cable exits the side of the fuselage in
the rear.
