Never missing a chance to start work on something new before finishing what I started yesterday, I started building the forward tunnel cover.  Oh yes, I know I haven't finished the fiberglass work on the wingtips yet, but why work on fiberglass when you don't have to?

Building the tunnel cover starts with cutting a piece of z-bar .125 aluminum in two pieces and further cutting specified angles and notches.  These serve as "stands" for the top cover.

The top cover is made from a piece a simple rectangular cut and bent up at one end.  I laid out the rivet holes in the top before match drilling to the z-bar.

The z-bar pieces are deburred and fit in place over the tunnel.

The z-bar is match drilled through the top plate in place before it is all removed for riveting.  The only potential problem area is the the fit between the long z-bar angle at the front (to the right below) and floor plate.  It took a little grinding to get the fit perfect.

The final product is a simple channel with legs that sits over the tunnel.  It was easier to build that I had expected...

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