The Pedal Gee Bee

Time for some sheet metal work! The first thing I noticed was that the cutout for the windshield frame in the front cover didn’t allow the cover to be installed far enough back on the craft. Unmodified, it would end about a half inch short of the cockpit edge. So with much trepidation I began to drill, snip and file the cover into the shape I needed. Along the way I noticed that if I would use a taller rear cowl former, the entire piece would fit better. So I cut a new one on the band saw and installed it. Once I was comfortable with the fit, I marked were the cover meets the fuselage side. Here, I needed to (as per this instructions) bend down the cover to approximately 40 degrees so that the cover can transition from the rounded top of the fuselage to the straight side. Since I’m not in the gutter or siding business, I didn’t have access to a sheet metal break. So I improvised. I clamped the cover down to my workbench so that the line where the bend should be was directly over the edge of my workbench top. Then, proceeding VERY carefully, I tapped lightly from one side to the other with my rubber mallet. After about four or five passes I achieved a nice, sharp bend that matched perfectly to the fuselage.

I then cut out the notches where the wires will pass out the fuselage towards the wing. The dremel with an abrasive cutting disk worked the best. A little filing to de-burr, and the cover was re-installed. WOO HOO!!