New 14A kit owner

Took deliver last week of a new Qb fuselage and wings from Vans. Bought my new friend Dave Oakes? -tail cone assembled along with balance of the project needs and tools. Great guy btw!!! Anyway, after removing the fuselage from the crate, it caught my eye that the trigear slots were not missing. Contacted Vans thinking I got a -14 kit but learned they all ship that way and the owner does the mods to convert. Seems like it will not be easy to finesse the cutouts given the tight space. Searched forum and didn?t see any direct tips. Any recommendations on method/tool? Inventoried, organized and ready to plunge in.

Any recommendation on when to marry the tail and fuse?

I used a step drill bit to drill several holes, then nippers to remove the remaining material, and plenty of filing. You also have to drill the hole on the bottom for the brake line. It's best to check every step in the fuselage plans to make sure you don't miss anything.

Check the forward top canopy seal .. www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=167134

Thanks for tips. The QB has the same fuel tank sealant issue you pointed out. Likely would never have known about it until the eventual ?pop?.

drilling the corners of the gear slot and then using a dremel tool with cutting wheel between the drilled holes worked for me. Then filing things smooth.

The dremel tool with cable extension came in handy for several other cutting/sanding jobs in tight spaces.

"drilling the corners of the gear slot and then using a dremel tool with cutting wheel between the drilled holes worked for me.

I used the same process and it worked well.