Now that we have bent the lower keel tube and installed it we can proceed with fitting the rest of the forward fuselage tubes. The keel pockets are located on the keel tube and clamped in place so that we can properly fit the Rudder Bar, Nose Skid Tube, Instrument Panel to Rudder Pedal Down Tube, and the Lower Instrument Panel to Rudder Pedal Down Tube prior to welding.
Instrument panel to rudder pedal connection.
Keel pockets located on lower keel tube.
Completed forward section of the fuselage frame.
Now with the lower keel back in place we drill through the keel pocket into the keel tube for correct alignment.
Clamping the instrument panel keel pocket to the upper keel tube for drilling.
Appears to be a perfect fit.
Drilling the forward keel pocket.
Nose skid tube tacked into place.
Rudder bar is clamped to keel pocket via standoff for welding.