Front seat

Here I cut the front seat bulkhead foam per plans using 0.8" thick H-45 Divinycell.




 




After tapering the top, I sanded it round.

 



After slurring the foam, I glassed the forward face of the front seat using 2 plies UND (1st ply at 45+ and the 2nd ply at 45-).


 




I then knife trimmed the edges and allowed 24 hrs for a full cure. I then used a dremel (with a cone tip) to sand out a groove to apply the flox.


 



I got this trick from watching my girlfriend bake. Instead of frosting, I put flox in a ziplock bag, cut off the corner and PRESTO... instant flox applicator! Worked like a charm!


 


Floxed corner all around - it's important to note that the flox MUST make contact with the fiberglass on both sides (the glass you are applying it to AND the glass that will butt up against it). The job of the flox corner is to provide a strong lip edge between two planes that come in contact. If the flox does not adhere to both sides, then it can't do its job.


 




Then the aft face got one layer of BID. (I should note that later on in Chapter 9, I added another layer of BID at 45 to make the seat back stronger - this is because the electric linear actuator that deploys the speed brake gets attached to the back of the pilot's seat - I would recommend you add this extra layer of BID now.)



After 4 hours, I knife trimmed everything and let cure.



Front seat complete!

::UPDATE::
After completing Chapter 5 (fuselage sides), it was time to make the necessary longeron cutouts and through-holes.

First I tried using the dremel - but for some reason, I couldn't get it stable.  So then I decided to use the vibrating multi-tool. I cut the outline of the rectangular cutouts. I then sliced the top and bottom edges of the rectangles at a 45 degree angle. I then flipped the front seat over and cut the sides of the rectangles. I have to admit, it was a pretty sloppy job. But since these holes are to simply let the control rods through and are later covered up by the side consoles, it didn't bother me much.

I then sliced the bottom tips and top longeron notches as indicated in the plans (and removing material as necessary in order to have a nice fit on the fuselage sides). This is why I waited until completing Chapter 5 to do this; so that I could test fit them to the fuselage sides and adjust accordingly.