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February 22, 2001 Day 22, 172 hours The central keel is installed in the fuselage. In addition to structural support, the keel provides a place for the control system and hydraulic lines. The red handle is the landing gear dump valve, which releases hydraulic pressure to allow the landing gear to extend in the event of a hydraulic system failure. |
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February 23, 2001 Day 23, 181 hours The main wing spar is attached to the airframe. It is a composite structure of Kevlar, fiberglass, carbon fiber and epoxy. The landing gear has been installed, and the fuselage is now free-standing on the wheels. |
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March 31, 2001 Day 30, 236.5 hours The canard, or front wing, is being constructed here and the elevator attached. This part of the aircraft can be easily removed to work on the avionics and landing gear. |
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April 5, 2001 Day 35, 268.5 hours In this picture, the canard has been installed on the aircraft for fitting and adjustment. |