JANUARY 2005
Jan 1
All 6 bottom pieces in place (Shiney!)
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Jan 1
Chief and Peter aligning 4 pieces
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Jan 1
Rob "fine tuning" one of the end joints
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Jan 1
"There...How does THAT fit?"
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Jan 1
Hole through the transom for steering linkage
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Jan 1
Peter working on the finished edge of the bottom
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Jan 1
The finished notch where the side, non-trip and bottom meet
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Jan 1
Alan, Peter, Steve and Chief checking the margins after the bottom piece was complete
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Jan 16
Steve, Chief and Larry pilot drill for the bottom extension at the transom.
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Jan 16
Larry countersinking one of the 252 holes per sheet!
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Jan 16
Rob mixing glue
(One of these days we WILL clean up the bench!)
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Jan 16
One of the last photos before the bottom is permanently installed. Rob is filling the bolt holes with West Epoxy.
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Jan 16
Rudder Bracket in place - permanently!
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Jan 16
Rudder support
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Jan 16
Rudder bracket with support - top view
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Jan 22
Rob putting the final sanding on the battens
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Jan 22
Bottom piece with all the location marks
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Jan 22
Steve, Chief and Larry doing the final markings before the glue
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Jan 22
Larry Fuller, Larry Vanderhoef and Rob drilling over 600 pilot holes
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Jan 22
Our drills!
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Jan 22
Steve giving the bottom the final sanding before glue
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Jan 22
Chief applying epoxy to the keel
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Jan 22
Alan and Stuart giving the battens a coat of Weldwood
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Jan 22
The glue goes down!
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Jan 22
The screws go down!
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Jan 22
Glue on the SECOND sheet
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Jan 22
Weldwood on the other side battens
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Jan 22
TWO down - FOUR to go!
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Jan 29
Bolting the bottom to the extension angle
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Jan 29
Routing the excess off the bottom at the transom
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Jan 29
Screw pattern at the cross joint under the firewall
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Jan 29
Butt blocks in place
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Jan 29
Finished transom WITH our new Ron Brown refurbished rudder!
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FEBRUARY 2005
Feb 12
One down, one to go (TODAY!)
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Feb 12
Glue pattern on bottom by Chief, Stu and Dane
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Feb 12
Larry and Rob applying Weldwood to the battens
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Feb 12
Alan is fixing some of the high screw heads
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Feb 12
Last picture of the bottom of the Right fuel tank
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Feb 12
Second set of butt blocks
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Feb 12
4 down, 2 to go!
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Feb 12
This is the intersection of the bottom, side and the Left non-trip as viewed from the inside
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Feb 12
Top view of butt blocks in place
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Feb 12
Engine compartment with bottom in place
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MARCH 2005
March 5
Ron Jones Sr. with Rob talking about the bow shelf angle
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March 5
Steve routing the primary sponson area with jig while Ron makes sure nothing slips
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March 5
Close up view as to how much material was being removed
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March 5
Ron with his plans checking a dimension
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March 5
Finished primary at 3 degrees dihedrahl
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March 5
Another view
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March 5
"The nose"
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March 5
Bow Shelf doubler in place
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March 12
Ron & Larry discussing the chine intersection
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March 12
Ron doing his magic
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March 12
The final nose shape
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March 12
One more chine, battens and planking!
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March 12
From the back side
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March 19
Right Sponson
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March 19
Right sponson
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March 19
Angle where primary running surface will butt
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APRIL 2005
April 16
Battens on the Right sponson
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April 16
Right sponson transom...note the limber holes for water to get out
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April 16
Chief in his new team coveralls grinding screw tips that came through when the air trap double was installed
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April 16
Ron working on fairing the left sponson
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April 16
More on the left side
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April 16
Alan clamping up the chines on the left sponson
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April 16
We do MORE than just Hydroplanes!
Steve and Lloyd installing a round window into a door for Larry and Kathy Vanderhoef
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April 23
Ron Jones Sr. putting the finishing touches on the left sponson
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April 23
Steve & Larry working with a spoke shave to fit a sponson plank
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April 23
Ron and Alan looking over some info
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April 23
Rob attending to our lunch
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April 23
Alan showing some of the King crab he brought for lunch!
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April 23
Chief, Steve and Larry...fuss, fuss, fit, fit
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April 23
Larry and Steve on the Right Sponson, Rob and Ron on the Left
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April 23
Left sponson ready for battens
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April 23
Left sponson chines (DONE!)
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April 23
Air trap/nose/sponson plank
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April 23
Right Sponson jointery
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April 30
Alan, Lloyd and Stuart contemplating the main rib for the bow spoiler.
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April 30
All 7 pieces of the bow spoiler
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April 30
Left sponson batten in place
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April 30
Left Sponson Joint
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MAY 2005
May 14
Steve and Larry clamping the first lamination of the left sponson primary
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May 14
Chief working on glue cleanup
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May 14
Right sponson battens (primary)
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May 14
Rear cowling pieces - 1 left side, 3 right sides
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May 14
Larry, Alan and Chief stripping another left rear cowling piece from the mould
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May 14
Finished Product!
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May 14
Alan working on the spoiler
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May 14
It's starting to look like a sponson!
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May 21
Final fairing is done on the right side
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May 21
Left Sponson clamp farm!
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JUNE 2005
June 1
Magnetic sign for the sides of the trucks
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June 1
Only ONE more dash left to do!
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June 4
Bill working on the Thriftway
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June 4
Rob and Steve setting up the cowlings
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June 4
Bill in the cowlings
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June 4
Chief in the cowlings
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June 4
Larry in the cowlings
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June 4
Using the plywood to get a rough layout on the .080 aluminum skin
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June 4
Primary sponson step
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June 4
Lots of battens and chines
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June 4
The famous "Compton Block"
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June 4
Sponson Drain holes
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June 4
Right sponson
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June 4
Right Sponson intersection
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June 4
Right Sponson - side view
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June 18
Chief making the drain holes in the primary plywood piece.
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June 18
Larry and Stuart fitting the primary recovery plywood on the left sponson
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June 25
Reinforcement pieces fo the front spoiler
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June 25
"Softened" inside corner of left sponson.
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June 25
Transition area
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June 25
Right sponson primary running surface battens
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June 25
Full batten layout of the left sponson.
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JULY 2005
July 2
Lunch Time!
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July 2
Scarf joint at transition area - outside chine
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July 2
Left sponson skinned!
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July 2
Inside chamfer on left sponson extended to tip
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July 16
Steve and Larry cutting out the aluminum for the sponsons.
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July 16
Angle aluminum to reinforce the sponson transom
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July 16
Right sponson non-trip
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July 16
Right sponson non-trip
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July 16
Larry's getting an extension on his garage so Miss Thriftway can have a nice warm and dry winter home!
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July 23
Chief wants this joint PERFECT!
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July 23
File, file, file, file, file, file, file,file...
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July 23
One applied, one almost ready, many more to go!
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July 23
Chief and Alan doing the final check on the bow spoiler alignment
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SEPTEMBER 2005
September 3
Left sponson - secondary applied
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September 3
Left sponson joint
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September 10
Right air trap aluminum with reinforcing angle
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September 10
We'll finish this next week
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September 10
Right air trap aluminum with reinforcing angle (from the back)
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September 17
Aluminum on bow ...DONE!
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September 24
Tip detail of angle reinforcement piece
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September 24
Left side getting ready
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September 24
Rob putting the finishing touches on the secondary
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September 24
Chief "tuning" the right non-trip
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September 24
Steve working the countersink
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September 24
Larry pilot drilling the left side air trap pieces
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September 24
"Well...What do YOU think?"
(Rob, Stuart and Alan)
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September 24
DONE!!!
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September 24
Tip detail after installation
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OCTOBER 2005
October 1
Skid fin template in place
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October 1
Front view
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October 1
3/8" backing plate
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October 1
Inside looking out
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October 8
The left side is alomost ready!
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October 8
The layout grid for drilling
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October 8
Rob drilling the back area of the recovery
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October 8
Alan working on the front
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October 8
Recovery area - Side view
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October 8
Recovery area - Front view
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October 8
Recovery in place, Primary getting fitted
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October 8
Right Sponson Transom with primary aluminum
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October 29
Trailer hold down brackets
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October 29
Dumas Kit - Plan rack - Spoiler piece etc...
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October 29
Chief applying the final seal coat to the right primary before it gets covered.
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October 29
Primary aluminum ready for the 5200
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October 29
Steve & Stuart sealing the battens
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October 29
DONE!
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October 29
Larry block sanding the first fiish coat on the right side
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October 29
Rob & Chief (with supervisor ALan) block sanding the left side after the first coat of finish.
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NOVEMBER 2005
November 5
"Holey Skid Fin Chief!" Yup, many holes were drilled in order to anticipate what was needed for the skid fin
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November 5
Left side airtrap aluminum...DONE!
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November 5
Our newest "contributor", Layne "Stitch" McDonough (see explanation in the "Progress" section)
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November 12
Lloyd supervising Steve on drilling the pilot holes
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November 12
Left side inner non-trip ...DONE!
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November 12
Left Aluminum angle reinforcement at sponson transom...DONE!
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November 12
Right side after 3 coats of Varnish
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November 12
Spoiler parts final coat of Epoxy
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November 19
Inner non-trip on left sponson
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November 19
6 pieces of aluminum meeting at the front of the left sponson
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November 19
Closer view
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November 19
Almost there! (file, file, file, file....)
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November 19
Chief and Steve holding the spoiler ribs in place while Alan attaches them from below
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November 19
Spoiler ribs in place
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November 19
Alan with his spoiler ribs...next up, skin!
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DECEMBER 2005
December 3
Alan, Stuart and Rob perpping for the spoiler plywood
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December 3
Alan putting the final sanding on the ply
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December 3
This is an interesting view
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December 3
File, File, File, File, File, File, File, File (Finish filing on the Primaries!)
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December 3
Verrry thick Hysol to fill in the gaps!
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December 3
First piece on!
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December 3
Second piece
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December 3
Finished product ...(front view)
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December 3
Finished product ...(rear view)
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December 3
Inner non-trip finished detail
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December 10
Starting to install the bunks on the trailer
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December 17
Model by Mike Fitzsimmons (on Steve's desk)
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December 17
Rob fabricating the rear roll over fixture
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December 17
Rear roll over fixture
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December 17
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December 17
Chief working on the front roll over fixture prepping it for paint
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December 24
Sky Cam shot
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December 24
Front roll over fixture
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December 24
Forklift Fixture
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December 24
Lifting test
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December 31
Aluminum for spoiler ready!
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December 31
Chief and Steve discussing the roll around configuration
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December 31
Chief, Steve & Larry installing the aft fixture.
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December 31
Rob's shop
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December 31
Totally suspended!
Chief on pins and needles as we lower Miss Thriftway onto the roll around dollys
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December 31
Alan & Larry removing the last support frame.
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December 31
Miss Thriftway is ready to roll!
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