Outer fuselage skinning

[Meatballs]

I'm approaching the day when I will have to skin the outer fuselage, and I will have to do the job solo (no help).

I've been told of how long this layup can become, and I was wondering whether I could just do half of it, peel-ply the seams, then resume at a different time, should I run out of time, or steam.

Has anyone stopped half way through this layup, then resumed it later?

[Rick Hall]

Marco:

Is the Long layup schedule both sides and the bottom all at once?

1) You can cool your shop a bit, and use a slower epoxy.
2) Or you can do like the Cozy: Do the bottom first, stagger the ply's an inch, peel ply the edges, then do the sides later. Mask the sides in case you get drips on the raw foam. I didn't 

I did the bottom and then one side of my Cozy by myself, I think it took ~6 hours (each) by the time I finished up. I had help for the last side, it was nice having someone help mix and apply glass

On the Cozy, be prepared to snip the cloth at the speed brake depression, it can be difficult to get it to form into the depression without cutting, though some have had no problem... Not me though :-/

Rick

[dorr]

Get in touch - there are EZ guys around you there.  Surely one will help...

Beagle
or David Orr

[dorr]

oops - in case I miss your reply - e-mail me for contact information on people around you.

Beagle

[srothert]

Marco,
You can do half of the exterior layup as you indicated and that is exactly what I did. I believe there is a drawing in the plans (page 7-2) that show the fuselage upside down and at a 45 degree angle.  I construted a support similar to that but it was about 3-4 feet off the ground, so I would not have to bend over.  When you think about it, you are going to cut most of the center section of the bottom skin (and do additional layups) when you install the nose wheel strut recess, speed brake depression and also if you install the recessed NACA duct.

Steve Rothert
Long-Ez N49SR
Albuquerque, NM

[Meatballs]

Thanks to all who replied.

I plan on doing the first half early one morning, and see how long it takes, and how tired I get.

Then I'll either peel ply it and call it a day, or press on to the other side in the best case scenario.

Marco.