Fixing an old problem
Way back when I fitted the gear mounts into the fuselage, I didn’t make the opening quite big enough. After I had the mounts permanently installed and the plane on the gear, I realized that the gear mounts were actually rubbing on the bottom skin. It probably would have been fine, but in the back of my mind I had a nagging worry about it. I was concerned the bottom skin (and center section flange) would fret against the gear mount and cause problems down the road.
I decided to fix the problem right before fitting the wings. I made a sawhorse to support the fuselage and then jacked the fuselage up onto it. After removing all the bolts and screws, I was able to move the gear and mount far enough forward to get a little needle file into the gap. I spent probably half an hour filing away at the area that was too close. Half an hour might seem like a long time, but it’s better than removing the gear and fuel line and brake line and wiring to get the gear mount out.
Once the filing was done, I reinstalled the gear mount. This was quite a hassle, even more so than the last time since I now had wiring and plumbing in the way. Left side is done. I’m happy I went back and did it.
I also got the elevators permanently installed, the push tube connected, and the elevator trim wiring hooked up.
