Top Aft Skins and Baggage Area

We were busy most of the day at a cub scout event with my son, but I managed to put a couple of hours in this evening.  I got started by fluting all of the bulkheads and making sure their flanges would lie flush with the skins.  I then temporarily attached the rear top skin to mark a few holes that are not predrilled.

The bottom three holes on F-709 on each side are not drilled.  I marked their position through the holes on the skin so that I can determine where to flute.  You can see that this area will need some significant fluting.

I then trimmed and fit the stiffeners and then put on the forward skin.  One final rib is inserted on the top skin between F-706 and F-707 as well as a gusset plate (where the numbers 479 are visible).

Finally, I match drilled the skins to the bulkheads and stiffeners.

Now that the skins were in place, I needed to drill the bulkhead gussets to the longerons.  Instead of peeling back the skins, I just climbed back into the tailcone and drilled the gussets in place.  For the F-706 bulkhead, I clamped a straightedge across the opening to ensure the gussets hold the two sides of the bulkhead perfectly in line with each other.

Finally, I clecoed the baggage floor back in place.

…and then clecoed and clamped the lower back wall of the baggage compartment in place.

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