Creating a new fuselage access hatch - Part 2

Here is an update on the hatshelf hatch cover.

Before the cover is painted and mounted in the fuselage, I needed to decide where and what to do with the radio speaker.

The radio I plan to buy has a radio speaker box, but the size could have created an access problem near the batteries and with push rod articulation.

Robert suggested a speaker for the radio and it looks like it would fit in the hatch.

With a little modification to the outside of the speaker-box, I was able to create mounting point on the case face.

I created a pattern of the grill cover and the screw holes.

I was able to cut the openings cleanly with a Dremel tool and drill.

I then did a test fit with speaker housing.

After a final light sanding on the surface, I applied a primer coat, ready for the next steps, Mounting the piano hinge and painting.

What fun, what joy......

Prep'n the cockpit - Fill'n gaps and Painting

It has been an interesting journey to get this far in the project.

The left side of the cockpit showed some stress ware in the glass where the airbrake handle was. I sanded down the inside and prepped the surface to lay in a couple of plys of  E-120 fiberglass.

 After the glass was applied to the inside, I covered the glass with peel ply, and squeegeed the excess resin off.

The seat belt loops were uneven and full of deep grooves. 

After filling the grooves with a flock thickened resin, they were sanded smooth. A coating of primer was used to finish them off. I also primed the area around the loops that were visible though the seat pan.  

The areas that were not intended to be painted were masked off with painters tape.

The sides were then primed, sanded and prepped again.

 The floor of the nose was primed and sanded smooth.  

 

The final priming and finishing of the cockpit prior to painting.

Right side

Then nose interior primed.

The cockpit was painted with DCC semi-gloss light grey paint.
The finish is more glossy than satin.

I dropped in the seatpan to see if the masked areas were visible.

The last part to be painted was the nose bulkhead for the Pitot pot.

Time is getting closer to start reassembing the glider.

Tick Tock, Tick Tock!