Fuselage Construction 100% complete

	The fuselage is the most complex part of the aircraft, here is an overview of the construction.
	One of the most important systems in the aircraft is the control system which takes the control inputs from the pilot and causes the control surfaces to move.  Shown here is an overview of the control system.
	The control column translates the pilots stick movements into push/pull motions of control surface linkages.  This was a very difficult sub-assembly and took two tries to get perfect, the second try cost me another $400.  It is important the the control column be nearly frictionless and have no play whatsoever, it took some lathe work and lots of troubleshooting to make the column perfect.
	The control linkages take the pilots stick movements and bring them to the control surfaces.  A mechanical mixer combines the inputs of the flaps and ailerons to the single control surface, the flapperons.  Again, friction-free and play-free operation is required.  Doing the control linkages took a long time to get exactly right.
	Floorboards are thin plywood finished with epoxy varnish, they dont need to be strong - just enough to keep my feet from poking out the bottom of the plane.
	The console is between the pilot and passenger and holds various controls.  I dont really like the mechanical method of indicating the elevator trim position and am in the process of redesigning it with a digital indicator.
	The rudder pedals and cables and brakes are a pretty complex system.  Both pilot and co-pilot have rudder/brake pedals and they are linked together so either can operate them.  Construction went pretty smoothly here.
	As with the elevator and horizontal stabilizer, the vertical fin and rudder were given airfoil shapes by epoxying ribs into the steel tubing frame.  A fiberglass cuff on the back perfectly mates with the rounded fiberglass leading edge of the rudder.
	The seat pan is light-weight fiberglass, the seat belts are not installed in this photo.  I was concerned about the possibility of the seats sagging under high G forces and binding with the control pushrods directly under them so I reinforced both seats with strap slings.
	Stringers are installed down the middle of each side to get rid of the boxy look of the fuselage and make it look better.
	The doors are very light weight and are made of a aluminum tubing frame and fiberglass panels riveted to it.  A hydraulic piston keeps the door open or closed.  The plane can be flown with the doors on or off.
	Behind the seats is a large baggage compartment that can either be accessed from inside the cockpit or the turtledeck shown can be removed to allow top access.  Getting the black luggage sack installed properly was quite a 3-D puzzle.  The turtledeck is an amazing piece of engineering, it is quite light and strong.  I beams around the window opening reinforce the turtledeck and make it rigid.  As per suggestions from others, I sealed the window with caulk to eliminate water leakage.
	Lots of wiring is required in the fuselage, for the trim motor, for the trim indicator, for antennas and for my network.  All these wires had to be installed before the fuselage can be fabric covered.
	A mounting plate is built for the Emergency Locator Transmitter and it is installed.  The ELT must be very securely fastened and must face forward.  It must also be readily accessible for yearly battery changes.  Currently the ELT antenna is securely mounted to the same plate that the ELT is mounted on.

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