Work has continued this month on the tailwheel doors and the process took a step ahead when we located an original Tomahawk door to copy. We have completed the inner skins and the formers and have made good progress with the operating gimbals and gimbal mount plates. We have had the doors on the hinges and on the fuselage and they close nicely.

The baggage door components have all been completed and the inner skin has been sent away for heat treatment. The door need final assy. and will be finished.

The rudder pedal hangers are missing so we have begun work on fabricating the components required for the assembly. Last month we modified the pedals and this month we have fabricated the adjuster spring keepers and mount brackets as well as the foot kick plates.

Work continues on the cowls and this month we have concentrated on the top cowl and intake trunk. We have manufactured the inner stiffeners for the top cowl side rails and shaped the assembly to fit the contour using the side cowls as a guide. We have dressed up the intake casting and finished fitting this to the top skin. The intake trunk fabrication continues and the basic components are now ready to be assembled together. The intake elbow lower panel section has received attention to improve the fit.

Work has begun modifying the supplied rudder to P40B/C standard. The early model aircraft had the trim tab actuator mounted on the rudder torque tube and this requires that we fabricate the actuator mount fittings to attach to the rudder. These parts have been fabricated and are ready to be welded in place. As part of this process we have to construct a new rudder trim tab with the early style tab operating crank and rods, and the components for this tab have been fabricated.

Work is nearing completion on the cockpit electrical junction boxes and switch boxes. The original very badly damaged boxes were hammered back into shape as much as possible and cardboard patterns made from these samples. Aluminum was then cut from the cardboard and assembled. The boxes are being welded together and will require finishing and lids when they return.

New operating shafts and flapper valves have been fabricated for the cockpit heat and vent valves and these are at the welders also.

Work continues on the rudder pedal assys. and the side adjuster plates have been delivered from the laser cutters where they were cut using our CAD program.

The tailwheel oleo parts are back from the platers and the oleo can now be assembled.