Engine Prep on 5Y-CMA

Coming into the new year, things are a bit slower here at the hangar in regards to "sceduled" fleet maintenance.  This leads to having time to work on projects...including the biggest project of them all, 5Y-CMA.  We're hoping to have a few weeks now where we can really get some good progress on the airplane.  What we're working for now is getting the fuselage and some other parts ready for painting, mainly the pieces that require both white and blue.  We're hoping to get enough progress that we will be able to do some painting very soon, perhaps next week.  For now, enjoy the pictures below of our progress so far this week. 

 Tavasi doing the cowling mod for the new engine. The oil filler door gets moved backwards and outboard just a bit to match the difference in the IO-550-N from the IO-520-F. 

 The old saying from carpentry most definitely applies in sheetmetal work; "Measure twice, cut once!"

 I really don't know where he got those safety glasses...I think they could stop a log from entering his eyes.

 Finishing it up by riveting a patch where the old door was located. 

 Who wouldn't be happy doing sheetmetal?! :)  I confess, it is one of my favorite things to do...maybe not everyone else's though.

 Here I am building up the baffles and other things on the engine before it goes onto the airframe. 

 What was I doing?  Changing a bracket around that came installed upside down.  Whoops. 

 Getting it all lined up with clecos to match drill some holes. 

 Ready to go...top view. 

...and bottom view.  Don't those exhaust from LEES look great!