Rap on Painting: Primer --  I have decided SEM self etching primer does not adhere to aluminum well and will not be using it again.  I think a two part primer would have been a better choice.  SEM does adhere to steel very well, however.  The novice tries to paint --  The guys at the local auto paint shop set me up with PPG Acrylic enamel, cost $45 per quart with hardener and reducer.  Our color matching did not end up too close, thus the interior is very white instead of gray to match the powder coated parts.  First attempt was various parts -- I mixed paint, reducer and hardener in the paint gun itself, mistake one.  I always get excited and in a hurry when there is open paint, mistake two.  The result was some spilled paint and poor paint flow for the first 20 minutes of painting.  Some parts ended up with some interesting "orange peel" effect and the overspray from some parts did not flow to well into the parts nearby.  All and all, good enough for covers and brackets.  Second attempt was the interior -- The paint was mixed and I waited 20 minutes before painting and between each coat (3 coats).  This time the paint flowed better but my problem was non uniform coverage.  Some places look shiny and great, others are a bit flat.  It is easier to see the coverage inside under lights than outside.  Good enough, hope it lasts...  Observations --  1)  The paint is not very tough.  Whenever I tighten down a bolt onto a painted surface it chips. Washers everywhere maybe?  2)   There is lots of dust floating around outside.  Enough said.  3)  If I am brave enough to paint the outside,  I will lay all parts flat.  This allows enough paint for a shine without risking runs.  4) The paint stinks badly for five days.	The Freshly Painted Interior with the rapidly progressing Instrument Panel.  Also note the Aileron trim and Power Consoles.
Interior: The interior was done by purchasing high density foam at the local mattress store, cutting the foam with a band saw, and covering by a  local auto upholstery shop.  The total cost was about 1/2 the cost of the catalogue ordered version.  The cushions were attached with velcro strips to the floor and seat backs.  The strips are sewn to the cushion and large head pop rivets at the corners of the velcro keep the strips from pulling off the airframe.  What remains to be seen is if the foam is firm enough on the seat bottoms and the correct thickness. The backs are 2.5 inch thickness and the bottoms are 5 inch.  The front seat bottom tapers down to about 1.75 inches at the forward edge.  Update - 8/8/01 -- The seat bottoms are perfect in thickness and firmness. The front seat back could have been 1.5 thick inches instead of 2.5.  The extra thickness takes up precious space in the cockpit.	Front Seat
	Rear Seat

The paint was done professionally at the "Aircraft Paint & Prep Booth" in Corona, California  909-272-6830 (right next door to Aircraft Spruce).

I am happy with the results.

Ed, the paint shop owner,  has the builder disassemble and reassemble his own plane.  His shop scuffs, acid etches, alodines, primes and paints the plane.  They use DuPont's Imron and the associated primers.  Pictures show the plane in the disassembled stage and in the primer stage.

Pocket below passengers right knee

Pockets were added on the forward armrests and below the passengers knees.  The forward armrests were too low to be used in flight so the space was going to waste.  The area below the passengers knees seemed to be available without taking up any passenger space.  These were made by fabricating frames from aluminum strips about 1" wide and having the upholstery shop wrap fabric around the frame and put elastic across the top.