The infamous Bob Archer sportcraft nav-antenna proviosionally fitted.

Making the inside reinforcement strips from aluminum. Near the tail, they have to be trimmed to fit along the inside rib flanges.

The antenna itself will mount with 3 screws, the nutplates and the reinforcement strip at the base and a fiberglass patch on the long end.

Everything clamped into place.

Adrian spent a few days of his vacation helping out at the workshop. Here he's doing some samples of chrome rattle can paint on gelcoated parts.

Instead of using some kind of foil or polished aluminum, we decided to spray paint the base for the wingtip lights. In case it doesn't hold up to the environment, we can always add foil or aluminum sheet later on.

Of course, the LED navlights boards had to be painted as well ;-) A couple of drinking straws, one on each LED did a nice job of masking.

Carefully masking the LED's.

Back to installing the nutplates. It looks like a small job, but actually it takes a lot of time! There are many many many holes to be drilled, deburred and then countersinked yet.

The faces weren't quite flush and ready for direct application of the chrome paint. So we sanded and fillered and sanded. We also used a rattle can filler, finished to 400grit, which provided an excellent base (no long term experience yet, though ;-)

Riveting the nutplates.

Down one wingtip, one more to go...

The holes for the light mounts had to be prepared as well ahead of painting.

Some plastic standoffs for the LED boards, getting a treatment as well.

Can't wait to see it all lighted.