Weighty issues

Tuesday 19th August 2008. 1hr 30min

Match-drilled bottom left skins. Dissassembled wing. Began deburring and dimpling main ribs.

I was tired this evening but I still wanted to keep progress going so out to the workshop I went to see what I could get done.

Match-drilling the skins is relatively undemanding. I mark the cleco locations on the blue vinyl after the first phase of drilling as it can be confusing to remember in which direction the cleco was moved and which, therefore, is the yet-to-be-drilled hole in the second phase.

I took the wing apart and began the job of deburring and dimpling the main ribs. I only got three done before I just got too tired to continue.

I have a new project by the way. I intend to fit the full Classic Aero Designs interior kit, which of course weighs more than the typical Vans bare-bones interior ( I don't actually know how much because they don't publish that information. I have asked recently but no answer just yet). On the other hand, I intend to fit a very lightweight fully digital panel. However, I already weigh quite a bit myself (like 260lbs!!) and, as I don't want to be limited to flying on my own, I need to loose a lot of that weight. The project is to loose at least as much weight as the total weight of the interior and panel instruments (everything that sticks through the face of the panel) . Any shortfall will have to be met by leaving out bits of the interior kit or panel. That should be plenty of incentive!

I have been at this now for over six weeks and so far I have lost 13lbs, so I was 247 lbs at the last weekly weigh-in. I intend to publish my latest weight in the top line of each blog immediately following the latest weigh-in. Those of you who want to place bets on this should know that the form book records a previous successful attempt which began at an even higher 263 lbs in July'05 and bottomed out 47lbs lower at 216lbs in Feb'06 (shortly before the photo in my profile was taken). Regrettably, I put almost the whole lot back on in the space of only 30 months.