I purchased the entire Aerosport interior package, and boy does it look good. (At least the pieces do) Hopefully it will look even better installed. |
Fuselage >
Section 43X - Aerosport Interior
Overhead finishing
Well I got my wiring master kit from SteinAir, so it was time to wire up and finish the overhead.  All the wires run.  Vents and lights installed. I sealed all of the vents and lights in with RTV to keep air from flowing out.  Glued the overhead console into the cabin top.BEFORE you do this you should install the door lift brackets. (I did not, and it made it MUCH more difficult.) After top dried, 2 layers of micro/sanding to smooth it into the cabin top around the doors. Then 2 coats of UV Smoothprime. and sanding.  Then painted. Paint looks great with the cabin top. Hard to tell, but the overhead is still carbon-fiber with clearcoat and the top is a metalic black. (rattle can) Overhead complete, cabin top ready for permenent installation. |
Overhead finalize
Final assmebled all the lights and vents on the overhead console. Added the cabin lights, and a switch. Used a little RTV under the flanges of the lights and vents to make sure there is no air leakage around them. As soon as I get my wiring kit, I will be able to wire the console and then glue it in place on the cabin top. Also cut and test assembled the air vents tubes into the rear bulkhead.  Pilot hole cut  Holes finished and scat tube attached. Right tube still needs cut to length in this picture. |
Areosport interior complete
Well not complete, but as much as can be done until doors are complete.  First I cut sound insulation to go under the panels. The forward most insulation is cut about 2" from the firewall so as to not be a fire hazard as it is not firewall rated.  Cut front panels to fit under dash. I cut them with tin shears.  Attached cup holder and map pocket to side panels  Back side of panel.  Drilled screw holes in all the panels, and then installed nutplates in the structure. Tip: Don't install baggage compartment closeout panel until you have added the nutplate for the aerosport panel.  Aerosport interior complete! |
Aerosport progress
I am finishing up and working on all different areas of the fuselage as I wait on parts and finish up the fuselage kit. Finished up the center console with 2 coats of clearcoat with a light scuff between.  Cut openings for vents and lights in overhead console. Then sanded and clearcoated. Need to drill center brace holes and trim the front lip and it will be done until final mounting. Clear coated insturment panel again. Cut down headliner panels. This took a lot of iterations to get them to fit fully.  Still trimming.  Trimming completed  Headliner fabric installed! Wow looks great!. The white area around the doors will be painted black after the center console is glued in place (after the doors are fitted). |
Frustration
After having the center console and panel almost done, I applied one more "Clear" coat to it. Unfortunately for some reason (due point maybe) the clearcoat came out white instead of clear. 2 hours of sanding later I now have gotten them back to the carbon fiber and ready for some new clearcoat. |
Aerosport Panel, Center Console, and Overhead get started
Drilled holes to connect the carbonfiber panel to aluminum structure. Drilled holes to connect console to panel, and the 3 console pieces together.  Then put nutplates for all the attach screws.  Sanded and Clear coated all the parts of the insturment panel. This took 3-4 times of sanding and clear coating to get all of the pinholes out. I am clearcoating with a satin finish as I don't want to panel to be too reflective. There are a few places where the carbon fiber is not perfect, but I still think it will look good enough for me. The nice interior is for me, not for it being a showplane. I also cut up the Vans insturment panel into blanks to fit in the openings of this panel. They will not work for the final panel as the screw holes are in the wrong places, but good for a test fit panel. Cut vents into rear side panels, and andded extension arms to vents. (No pictures)  Test fit and aligned overhead console while cabin top was on the plane. Did this to get the end of it to match the rear bulkhead. I then drilled and clecoed on either side of the cabin top at the rear to be able to line it back up exactly with the cabin top off the plane.  With the rear bulkhead aligned, the step did not quite match the cabin top.  Cut out the step to get the top to sit flush.  Then match drilled 9 holes and celcoed on each side to hold it in place.  I cut holes for the overhead lights that I am going to put in, and started the holes for the air vents. I don't have the vents yet, so not sure exactly how big to make them. Will order vents this week. I used a 1" unibit to make the holes, and then used a dremile with cylander sandpaper to widen the hole to the cut lines. Aerosport directions for the center console are to trim the leading flange off and not put it under the forward console flang. I really wanted it to sit together well, so I cut all but 1 cm off the center console flange, and then sanded it at an angle. I sanded the forward console last 1 cm from the inside at an angle as well. This made the pieces go together great.  Flanges lined up.  Peices mated together. I then sanded the console extensively to get the epoxy line where the 2 mold halves meet to go away, and then clear coated. I probably sanded 5-6 times and clear coated that many to get the pinholes and the center seam to look good. (Pictures above are before that). Built a strap hole finder to find the underlieing screw holes and then match drilled them.  To build the hole finder I just riveted 2 pieces of 1" wide, about 4" long aluminum together, and then drill a #40 hole through both of them I then lightly squeezed a -4 rivet in one hole, getting it solid enough that it does not move, but leaving a long shop head to find holes with. Cut hole for Andair fuel valve (extension) and screws in forward section. I need to put one last coat of clearcoat on the panel and the center console and then both will be done. |
Aerosport Panel
 Cut the ends off of the Vans lower panel support and used them to fabricate the supports needed for the aerosport panel. Countersunk all the aluminum panel attach holes.  Trimed the carbon fiber panel for the inserts. I used a roto-zip with dimond blade. Cut was quick and easy. |
Aerosport arrives!
Well Goeff told me when I ordered it that it would probably ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks later it has arrived. Luckly I was not really waiting on it as I have plenty of things to work on. Only thing that was stopping me was picking out interior paint as I am planning on leaving the carbon fiber showing on all the carbon fiber pieces. So I needed a piece of carbon fiber to take to HD to find some paint to match.  Carbon fiber insturment panel and center console/armrest.  Molded plastic side panel. In all I ordered: Overhead console Insturment Panel Center Console and all side panels. Goeff makes some great looking stuff. I have not gotten much done in the last 3 weeks, because I have been doing lots of non-build activites. The family spent 8 days in Colorado skiing which was very fun. Then I have been fixing our sprinkler system all week. Then this weekend I did not do much building because Daniel S. a new RV-7 Builder is working on developing an Atlanta Builders Social Group. So he kicked it off with a BBQ at his house. There were 3 builders, 3 hopefully soon to be builders, and 1 RV flyer couples there. I figgured I would stop by for a couple hour BBQ and BS session and then get some building done. Somehow at midnight I realized I was not going to get much building done that night, and I was the first to leave. Dan can throw a good party. Brian & Brandi also came to the party. Their RV-10 is headed to the airport in the next couple of weeks. It was exciting to talk with them. It also led to me not building on Sunday, first because of the hangover, and then Dan and I decided to head over to Brandi & Brian's house and look it over. Thanks for showing off, it was helpfull to look over your electrical and the cabin top. |
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