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Europa #435 G-RODO Build Journal - 2022 11

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1 Brunel Engraving sends by e-mail a proof of the data plate which looks perfect, so approve it for production.
4 Registration letters delivered from NavBoys.

Update and improve the workflow in the "europa_435_mods.fmp12" database.
7 Abrade the unmasked edge of the inner face of the Perspex glazing for the starboard door, using the previously-prepared rebated sanding block. Check with reflected light that there are no shiny areas left, and re-work some areas freehand.

Start to abrade the starboard door glazing rebate, using a Perma-Grit short block. Need to use sandpaper both on a small block and freehand for curved sections, and to get into the corner of the rebate. Complete aft and bottom edges.		 3678.2
8 Data plate delivered from Brunel Engraving. Looks beautiful but I am surprised how heavy it is; it's 1.5mm thick and I didn't notice any thickness mentioned on the Brunel Engraving website. Also realise that it will not conform at all to a curved fuselage surface, so needs to be much smaller. Place a new order for a similar plate in their smallest standard size (50mm x 25mm).

Abrade forward and top edges of starboard door rebate. Check all around with a light to ensure no shiny areas are left and re-do in places.		 3678.7
9 Collect some pieces of blue foam from the box in the trailer for use as spacers under the webbing straps when bonding in the Perspex door glazing.
10 Roll fuselage out onto drive.

Re-position the webbing straps and secure the 2 orange ones aft of the cockpit with strips of masking tape. Secure the blue one to the windscreen surround with spring clamps. Degrease door rebate again with acetone-soaked tissue. Give unmasked edge of Perspex a quick light wipe over with a tissue soaked in isopropyl alcohol and quickly wipe dry with a clean tissue.

Remove accumulated stuff from cockpit and re-fit blue foam seat bases, foam-rubber blocks and cushions.

Find some 0.8mm transformer wire and bend 3 lengths of it into shape for spacers along the bottom of the door rebate. Secure them in place with duct tape. Break some of the foam from the trailer into small blocks and tape 3 of them on top of the fuselage just clear of the starboard door rebate. Similarly tape on 3 blocks below the door.

Check how much Redux (Araldite 420) was used for the last job (balsa ring to cowl). That was 28g. The balsa ring was about 820mm circumference and about 22.5mm wide. The total length of the door rebate is about 2800mm but only about 12.5mm wide in most places, so 3 times 28g should be plenty; there was a good quantity of Redux left over for bonding Tinnerman washers after the balsa ring. Mix 60g + 24g Redux and add about 5 doses of flox to stiffen it. Spread onto the door rebate all around with a mixing stick. Smooth off and scrape off excess Redux (quite a lot - could have done with a smaller mix). With acetone-soaked tissue, wipe off smears of Redux from around the door rebate.

Change to fresh clean gloves and lift Perspex into place, positioning the top edge first and then the sides and bottom, pressing on the centre to keep it from popping out. Release one of the orange straps from the masking tape and slide it forwards onto the central foam blocks, all the while keeping pressure on the centre of the Perspex. Tighten the ratchet enough to hold it in place. Unclamp the blue strap from the windscreen frame and slide it back onto the forward pair of foam blocks. Now Perspex seems secure enough to release hand pressure on the middle of it and check around the other side of fuselage for how the straps are aligned. Straighten them and re-tighten the rachets. Release the other orange strap from the masking tape and slide it forward onto the aft foam blocks. Add extra foam blocks under the forward and aft straps to hold down the top corners of the Perspex into the rebate.

Scrape and wipe off excess Redux that is oozing out of the rebate all round. Once outside is reasonably cleaned up, climb inside cockpit from port side and with a mixing stick scrape off excess around the inside, smoothing it into a nice fillet. There's not too much squeezed out on the inside, so not such a messy job as the outside. Climb out, check strap tensions and tighten ratchets again.

Pull fuselage back into garage and leave to cure at ambient temperature.

At bedtime check how things are going. Redux in mixing cup now hard to the touch. Pull out the 3 wires that were acting as spacers along the bottom edge of the door rebate.		 3682.4
11 Check how things are going in garage. The Redux in the mixing cup is quite hard now. Weigh it and with the cup tared off it is 42g, so could have done with about half of the 84g I mixed - the flox does not weigh much.
12 tickConsider that I will have to remove the starboard door when bonding in the port door Perspex, to be able to get into the cockpit and clean up any Redux squeezed out on the inner surface - don't think I could get in through the windscreen aperture!

The Redux in the mixing cup is well-hardened now and can be cracked off the cup. Mark it up with a diamond engraving tool in the Dremel and file it. Likewise mark and file the Redux sample form bonding the balsa ring to the cowl.

Although the Redux is not fully cured to full strength yet, it is clearly OK for handling and it should be safe to remove the clamping. I am keen not to leave the masking tape on any longer than usual because one of the rolls I used was marked "remove within a fortnight" or words to that effect. Loosen the webbing straps around the fuselage and remove the blue foam packing blocks. Remove watch! Peel off the masking tape and the polyethylene sheet from the outer surface of the Perspex. Open the door and remove the masking tape and polyethylene sheet from the inside surface. The Redux film is continuous all round, although slightly narrower than the full width of the rebate in a couple of small areas.

With a single-edge razor blade, scrape off the small lumps of Redux around where the spacer wires had been.

Must remember in future when squeezing past the fuselage in the garage not to allow anything abrasive or sharp to brush against the glazing!		 3683.2
14 Review availability of bilge and locker paints online. Settle on purchase of 2.5 litres of Teamac Grey Bilge Paint from Midland Chandlers. That should be plenty for a couple of coats of all the cockpit interior, and brushes can be cleaned with white spirit.
16 Teamac bilge paint delivered from Midland Chandlers. Discover that I did not check the spec sheet carefully enough - although white spirit can be used for cleanup, the Teamac bilge paint needs to be thinned with Teamac Thinner 14. Midland Chandlers do not appear to stock that, so look around online and order a litre of Thinner 14 from Rawlins Paints.
18 Teamac 14 thinner delivered from Rawlins Paints.
21 Small data plate delivered from Brunel Engraving. Actually 2 in the package, but I have only been invoiced for one. Also notice that the corners are square, although I stipulated and have been charged for rounded corners. Oh, well! They are only 0.88mm thick, so much lighter.

Start to think about sanding the interior ready for painting. The International Paints guide advises rubbing down GRP surfaces with 180-220 grit paper. Dig out the Titan detail sander as that seems the easiest method, but I don't seem to have much in the way of sanding pads for it. Look around online and order some 180 grit Norton detail-sander sheets from ScrewFix which are nominally 150mm x 100mm. When I collect them, they are actually 152mm x 102mm so somewhat bigger than the Titan ones at 140mm x 98mm; also, the extraction holes do not line up, but they seem to stick on and work OK on a quick test.

Looking around online for an oil breather catch bottle, expecting to get something in plastic, but find one that looks good in aluminium at a decent price so order one.
22 Roll fuselage out onto drive. Notice while moving stuff around that there are some packets of Norton detail sanding pads 95mm x 136mm for the Titan detail sander. Ho hum!

Get port Perspex glazing piece out of its polyethylene bag and try how it fits in the door. Looks like it needs a bit off all around. The manual recommends 80 grit paper for taking off the excess, so wonder if it would be safe to try the belt sander. Fit 80 grit belt and try it very carefully on slowest speed. Seems OK; although there is a slight smell, it doesn't appear to be melting the Perspex at all, which was my worry about abrasion at higher than manual speeds. Care needed to ensure the sander does not slip off the edge of the Perspex and scratch the face. Go all around with belt sander. Try fit again, this time holding the Perspex in place with 3 or 4 strips of masking tape at top and bottom edges. Now the Perspex mostly sits down in the door rebate, but is a tight fit in several places. Mark along those edges with a fine felt-tip pen then remove Perspex from door. Sand again with belt sander until the marked lines just disappear. Re-try the fit and now much better with only a few places needed trimming. Mark, sand, try again and now looks OK all round.

Remove Perspex. Add a few drops of washing-up liquid as wetting agent to a bowl of warm water. Flush off the sanding dust with plenty of water. Dry Perspex with a microfibre cloth and then a paper tissue to remove the last dampness. Re-fit again to the door with masking tape to hold it until I can fit the blue webbing strap over it. Tighten that in the middle of the window. Now find a couple more tight spots along the edges so mark them, remove Perspex, sand down and re-fit with the webbing strap. Now at least about 1mm gap all round.

Apply masking tape all around the edge of the Perspex, following the line of the inside edge of the door rebate. Remove Perspex from door. Affix one of the polyethylene sheet pieces used on the starboard door to the outside face, taping it down onto the masking tape.

Roll fuselage back into garage and tidy up.		 3686.6
23 Oil breather catch tank delivered. At 300ml it is a very suitable size; it looks nice and is well made, with fixing bracket, and adaptors for a range of hose sizes, but it is much heavier than I had expected (466g), being machined from solid rather than a thin section spun or hydroformed. Start looking around again online for a plastic bottle, ideally rectangular, and after fruitless exploration of outfits that only supply in hundreds, find and order a couple of potential candidates.
26 Apply masking tape to the inside of the port Perspex, following the line of the tape already applied on the outside. Add another width inside that to provide plenty of room for taping down the protective polyethylene sheet. Lay on the sheet previously used and am surprised to find it needs slight trimming to fit well. Trim as required and tape it down all around the edges.

Wonder if power abrading of the bonding area would work, so fit 80 grit paper to the oscillating tool sanding pad and try it. It is quite easy to keep to the line and is quicker and much less effort than manual sanding. Also gives a more even matted finish with any shiny areas easily seen and dealt with.

Remove the 3 cover plates from the starboard side of the cockpit (fuel tap & 2 off wing leveller servo). Matt them down with the 180 grit paper on the detail sander. Lay them on a piece of polyethylene sheet and degrease with acetone. Mix a small amount of the Bilge and Locker paint with some Thinner 14 in a small paint kettle. Apply to the cover plates with a 1" paintbrush. Quite a bit of thinned paint left, so store that in a plastic tub with a well-fitting lid. Wash out the brush and paint kettle with white spirit.		 3688.6
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