Nose Floor

Step 5 Nose Floor and Sides

Here's the foam blocks after microing them to the NG-30s, F-0 and F-22. Nothing special here, just make sure you make them oversize and trim to fit; regardless of what dimensions the plans list.

I used box sealing tape to hold the foam blocks in place while the micro cured.

Here's the urethane foam I carved to fill the joggle over F-22. Oversize, of course, then sanded to fit properly.

After sanding, there wasn't much foam left. I continued it, width wise, well onto the center bump to be sure the nose wheel box and it joined together.

Here's the foam on the other side. I tried to make sure the micro didn't extend into the areas that would be carved or sanded.

Applying micro to the top of the foam blocks where the fiberglass layup will go. This was easy, just make sure you don't get any micro on the edges where the next layup will join.

I made a nice round micro fillet, carved with a popsicle/mixing stick, to make the joint between the foam and the NG-30s a little easier to layup.

Before doing the next layup, I made a paper pattern. I do this for these complex-shaped layups, especially when it will be awkward to trim once installed like this one will.

I put the pattern underneath a piece of 4 mil plastic, then, when I do the layup, you can be sure you've got enough 'glass but don't waste too much. You can also cut the piece to size by looking through the 'glass which is transparent once wetted out.

Transfer the layup to the part with some waxed paper (on top, of course, or another piece of plastic or plastic wrap) and squeegee into place, bubble-free.

Here's NG-31 being made out of a piece of 3/8" PVC foam. I cut the center ballast compartment out already to make locating it easier after the layup is cured. The white fabric you see is peel ply.

NG-32 and it's little brother made of 1/4" ply. The two layers of glass have been added, as has a layer of peel ply.

To trim these parts, after cure, I clamped my Shurform plane between a couple of blocks of wood. Watch those knuckles! Ouch!

Trimming the ballast compartment out of NG-31 with a coping saw.

I used a wood block and some clamps to get everything line up properly before drilling holes for nails and/or floxing. You can see the nail I've installed to locate NG-32's little brother.

Once everything was lined up, I used a couple of sticks and some clamps to hold it all in place. Notice the nail in the middle/front of NG-32 which is also preventing the stick from sliding up or down while the flox cures.

All of these parts get 2 ply BID tapes once they were floxed in place. As always, I made these tapes on the jig table, then moved them to the parts with waxed paper.

Here's one of the nose sides, after joining the appropriate-sized blocks together & after they were rough-cut. I've begun sanding them to shape with a piece of 36 grit. Note the blue tape on the sides. This not only marks the sides, but, prevents me from sanding them by accident. I like to find ways like this to prevent me from making so many mistakes.

Sand, carve, examine, measure, fit, sand, carve, examine, vacuum, repeat, repeat. You get the idea.

Aft end of one of the foam blocks. It's been sanded in the middle but the rudder pedal blocks and a couple other places need rounding/finish sanding.

The front end of one of the nose side blocks, after carving and sanding. You can see the outline of F-0, and the inch of foam left after carving. These were fun to make. Messy, but fun.

Overhead view of both nose side blocks, after final carving and sanding. Looks good!

Side view of one of the blocks, again after final sanding.

Other side. We're ready for the layup!

I was so impressed with how these foam parts turned out I just couldn't resist another picture!

I had made some flox pads for my canard to get it square side to side. Given the layups that are going to be added after the nose sides were on, these needed to come off. I got busy with my Shurform plane to take them off.

This took a while. Flox is hard. Not sure if there's a better way to take them off other than that plane, either.

I made a paper pattern for this layup, too. Here's I'm using it to cut the UNI to size and at the right fiber orientation.

One of the nose sides after doing the layups. These were pretty easy to do with the part on the jig table. The move to the nose wasn't quite as easy.

Here's the other side, ready to be installed on the nose after curing for a couple of hours.

This is one of the 3 ply doublers made to reinforce the canard lift points. I made this on plastic w/waxed paper on top to make the move to the nose easier.

Here's both pieces once installed on the nose. The hardest part of this is not getting micro, which you use on the foam to foam joints, from getting on the 'glass that's hanging off the edge. If I had this to do over, I would have used T-pins or something. I did get some micro on the 'glass, some of which I was able to remove, some not.

I did some repair layups, later on, to fix this.

Another shot of the sides, after installing on the nose. You can see the 3 ply doublers for the canard lift points in this shot, complete with peel ply.

The other side from the top. All of the edges have been wetted, de-bubbled then peel plied. This was sort of a pain. Think through this layup carefully before you start it.

Making the lift tab bolt nutplate plates. A CAD drawing, full-size, has been spray-glued onto the aluminum to aid in locating holes.

Here's the nutplate plates once completed and sanded, ready for installation.

Sure, I bought a spot-facing tool. I wanted to spend $50 for a tool I'd use once or twice. A hole saw would work just fine here, folks.

Visible in this shot are some lead weights they sell to balance ceiling fans. They have one sticky side, so, they work perfectly for the spacers this step calls for. I put a couple on the highest spots on the top of F-22 and the nose sides.

I mounted some brackets to the floor joists in the ceiling of my workshop, then, hung some motorcycle tie-down straps from them to hold my canard. This allowed me to, by myself, lower it into place for multiple installs and removes that many of these steps require.

Floxing the holes for the lift tab inserts.

I did my best to protect the bolt (hardware store 1/4-20) from becoming one with the hole during this floxing step. I have waxed paper and peel ply on the inside of the bolt head and washer, also, the bolt's been covered with petroleum jelly. The only problem is this is baby diaper jelly, so it's scented. The whole workshop smelled like baby powder....

My daughter Emily took this picture of me, gloved and masked, installing the lift tab inserts with flox.

After the flox cured, it was time to removed the canard and inspect my work. You can see the peel ply, wax paper and tape carnage. I tried really hard to prevent flox from ending up all over the inside of the plane or on the bolts, even if they were just temporary.

The other side turned out a little nicer. You can see the flat spot around the lift tab insert...

...made by the washed I used smashing the extra flox to that shape. I needed this side to stick out a bit for proper canard square to the fuselage alignment.

Here's the back side of one of the lift tab inserts. This side will get trimmed flush with the layups around it.

One of the nutplate plates, floxed onto the back of F-22.

I used a bunch of washers to prevent the bolt from sticking out the back side of the nutplate during the next step when you lay up some 'glass over the plate to keep it in place.

Here's the plate after the 1 ply BID layup has been installed. To do these (sorry, no pictures of that part) I used some plastic wrap over the part and then clamped some dense foam rubber over that. This pressed the 'glass into all the nooks and crannies, vacuum-bag style. Turned out pretty nice.

That completes the nose floor.

Next step is Installing the Rudder Pedals.