Botched Firewall

I couldn't make the firewall work the way I wanted it to. I didn't want to change the firewall or the two rear bulkheads but that is going to happen now. As I sat in my cardboard airplane, winging over the Sierra Estrellas, I realized my feet were binding on the rudder bar. The lower side rail was pushing my feet together and squishing them up against the fuel feed line.

And if that wasn't bad enough my toes kept pushing against the cut out I had to make to accomodate the rear mounted mag. The thermals were gettting a little uncomfortable and my rudder work was making me wish for a bigger firewall.

I sat back, reached outside and picked my beer gingerly off the wing root. Cardboard airplanes make a lot of sense. I need to stretch that firewall 2 inches wider to conform with the 2 inch stretch at the cabin seatback. This will make my size 12 boats a little less claustrophobic and less likely to put me into an unwanted rudder throw.

I sure wish I hadn't cut the plywood form blocks for the plans-sized firewall though! I was premature on that but I can use the wood for something else, nothing goes to waste here. The good news is that the side rails won't have to bend as much because the firewall will be scaled up appropriately.