Parts arrive and I finally start the cage assembly

I got the remaining cage rail and inner landing gear parts via UPS on Thursday. I'm working 1/2 days at work for two weeks because of my neck, so I got started on assembly of the cage as soon as I got home. I had several problems with parts aligning and there were small machining burrs on some parts. A file quickly took care of them, but I wish the burrs would have been removed at the factory. I had to do some filing of the holes in the cage rails to allow the solid aluminum rear cage member to fit nicely. Worn cutting tools in manufacture would most likely be the cause of this. Several holes for bolts weren't exactly in the proper location, causing difficulty in attaching the upright attach plates, but with a little bit of forethought and the proper size drill, this was corrected. Once again, I would have preferred everything to fit together perfectly. After several hours work, I completed the assembly of the main cage rails, assembled and installed the rear axle and temporarily installed front fork and wheel. Below is a shot of the cage before attaching any uprights.


I was going to start to assemble the fuselage in my hangar this weekend with my son's help, but because of Hurricane Katrina making way towards the Alabama Gulf Coast, I decided to keep the parts at home until the hurricane passes.