Feb 17, 2024     Ailerons and Flaps       Category: LCP

I thought I had dodged a bullet on the Laser Cut Parts issue. I received an email from Van's saying that my wings were not affected, however they could not confirm that the the Ailerons and Flaps were in the clear. Well, on Thursday last week, I received another email saying that my Ailerons and Flaps were part of the LCP batch. So, the specific parts are the forward spar and bull nose ribs on both the Ailerons and Flaps. The problem being, how to replace just those parts? I have elected to purchase all the parts needed to just rebuild the Ailerons and Flaps from scratch.

  Feb 15, 2024     Rear Seat Air Vent       Category: Interior Finish

Some people seal the Rear Seat Air Vent, some don't... As of now I plan to use it. I purchased the Rear Seat Vent from SFSA but their air box is too small and didn't fit inside as described in the instructions. I decided to fabricate the air box to allow a better fit. I made a template out of some heavy stock paper and then cut the parts from some scrap aluminum. When it's finished it should look very nice. A fairly simple project which was kind of fun.

  Feb 09, 2024     Center Console GTN-650 Mount       Category: Avionics

Ken Markus gave me a nice big sheet of 3/8 in. high density foam so I wanted to start mounting the GTN-650 in the center console. I cut two pieces of the foam 2 1/2 in. x 9 in. and used some flox as an adhesive. I will probably have to add one more layer of foam before I sand it down and cover with glass fabric, to allow fitting of the GTN mounting bracket. I then cut out the hole for the GTN. Since I was working on the center console I wanted to install the Start Enable, Ignition and Fuel Pump switches. I had already cut the panel but needed to drill the switch holes. I then labeled the switches with my label maker. Perhaps at a later date I'll have it laser engraved.

  Feb 07, 2024     Door Frame Edges       Category: Doors

I needed to build up the door frame edges so I used the technique of filling some sacrificial McMaster Carr Door Seal material with a resin and flox mixture. After I clean up the edges, I'll have to see how much I can grind the outside edge to get the doors to fit.

  Feb 06, 2024     CanBus Wire       Category: Training

Getting ready for the avionics installation. I decided to dissect some Canbus Wire. There is even a YouTube video for the stripping instructions on the GigaFlight website. The construction of the wire is very interesting. There is an outer jacket and braided shield, like most shielded wires. Inside of that is a PTFE Tape Binder holding the two wires. There are two fillers of foamed FEP that provides the separation between the wires Also, there is a dual-wall insulation of the wires to maintain a 120 ohms-controlled impedance. The outer wall of the wires is 20AWG while the inner wall is 24AWG.

  Jan 21, 2024     Door Pins       Category: Doors

Installed the Door Pin Blocks and Guides. Also the Center Lock. Per the plans, I started by fabricating door pin pointers to help mark the location to drill the door pins. After marking the location with the pins, I measured with calipers and marked it with a sharpie. I drilled the forward and aft pin holes and installed the Delrin pin guides. Finally, I installed the center lock.

  Jan 04, 2024     Door Gas Struts       Category: Doors

While still adjusting the doors, I wanted to see if the Door Gas Struts would have any impact on how the doors lay up. I had ordered the Bansbach EasyLift B0N0F50-100-247/135lbs (600N). If they eventually give out I could possibly go up to 157 lbs 700N version, but that would be something to do down the road. Looking at the Van's instructions, it appears that the gas strut on the door side, with the shaft oriented up when extended. However, I checked with Bansbach and they said the shaft should be down. The instructions have you use the Van's WD-1023 Strut Attach Bracket as jig to help plan the location of the brackets. Since I'm using the aftermarket PlaneAround Strut Attach Bracket and had deleted the overhead bracket, I had to fabricate a jig to plan the holes on the cabin top. The PlaneAround bracket is nice because it allows for the McMaster-Carr door seals. The holes for the brackets on the door were fairly straight forward and simple to install per the plans. Since the BansBach Hinge Eye End Fittings were not the stock Van's width, I had to sand the width of the fitting to fit in the PlaneAround bracket and also adjust the bushing length to fit the eye and the bracket. Planearound suggests using a "glob" of resin to secure the cabin top backing plates. I used some JB Weld Marine epoxy adhesive which seemed to work quite well.

  Dec 09, 2023     Door Seals       Category: Doors

First attempt at the door seals. Thankfully, I have extra McMaster-Carr seal material. The left door seemed very close to being ready but the right door frame will need some extra work.

  Dec 02, 2023     Lower Air Scoop Support Bracket       Category: Engine Cowl

Was visiting Joe and helped him remove the lower engine cowling on his RV-10. I saw that the air scoop could be more easily removed by using a single screw into a nutplate for the support bracket rather than the six screws on the bottom. I could see that the nose gear and engine mount blocked mounting one after the fact. So, while I still had open access this was a good time to install one.

  Dec 02, 2023     Door Hing Reinforcement Plates       Category: Doors

Installed the AirWard RV-10 Door Reinforcement Plates. They are a very nice product but the installation instructions leave much to be desired and the photos are even worse. First I installed the four MS21071L3 nutplates with 426AD3-4 rivets, in each of the interior reinforcement plates. These nutplates are the single wing type and tend to be a real pain to install as they can bend quite easily. The cabin top plates are flat and the door plates are designed to nest on the hinge. Using AN3C6A Bolts and AN960C3L Washers I secured them through the top reinforcement plates, door, hinge and into the bottom reinforcement plate. Some of the nutplates didn't align too well so they needed some persuasion with a 10-32 tap.

  Dec 01, 2023     Door Hinges 2       Category: Doors

Continuing the door hinges. After positioning the cabin hinge halves in the pockets on the top of the cabin, the cabin top, inboard holes are match drilled. This allows the hinges to be pivoted to be square with the other hinge. A reference line is then drawn to help with keeping both hinges square. When aligned, the top outboard holes are drilled. I used a piece of scrap metal and two-sided tape to hold it to the hinge. This allowed me to clamp a ruler to both hinges to check alignment and freedom of the swing. The rest of the holes are then match drilled. Then was time to crawl inside the cabin and drill the door hinge halves from the inside - out. It was very gratifying to see the doors mounted and how smooth they open and close. I have elected to install the after market AirWard reinforcing plates. The installation of these plates also allows for much more easy removal of the doors if needed. That will be my next step.

  Nov 24, 2023     Door Hinges       Category: Doors

Starting on the hinges. From what I understand getting the hinges square is probably the most important part of this step. The instructions have me cut the threads off of four AN3-21A bolts to a length of 1.688 inches. I cut them with a cutoff wheel on my grinder then got the final length and chamfer on the bench sander. I can see that the angle of the hinges is specific to a position on the doors. This is because the top of the cabin is curved and the hinge orientation keeps the axis of the hinges straight. The instructions have you start on the left door and put the WD-1018-L in the left side forward pocket with the WD-1018-R in the left side aft pocket. The instructions don't mention that this will need to be reversed on the right side door because of the hinge angles. I guess that Left and Right means when looking at it from the respective side. They also have you cut a .125 in. scrap of aluminum to help set the edge distance of the hinges in the pocket. I found that the bolt for the hinge set in the left side forward pocket was interfering with the hinge setting square. I had to Dremel out around the head of the bolt so it would lay straight. The aft hinge didn't seem to need as much of this adjustment.

  Nov 24, 2023     More Doors       Category: Doors

Working on the left side door now. Trimming this door is going a lot faster. Still a lot of on-and-off to get the fit close. I found the scribe lines weren't very close and I would need to cut well inside of the lines. I made a scribing tool to help determine how much to trim off. Two thin scraps of aluminum riveted together. Drilled a hole for a marker pen and bent the other side to go in the door joggle. Same principle as a hole finder tool. Still had some gaps on the door edges that I'll have to fill later.

  Nov 05, 2023     Door Trimming       Category: Doors

Actually got back to work on the doors. Started to trim the edges. The angle grinder with a thin cutoff wheel got the majority. Then I switched to a flapper wheel to get a closer fit. Then finishing with the Perma-Grit sanding block and Dremel tool. Lot's of on-and-off. I have quite a bit more to do, but it was a good start to see how it will fit and how much I need to trim off. I cut some angle aluminum and drilled #40 holes in the doors to cleco the doors in place after I cut off the alignment tabs on the doors. Then I used a drum sanding attachment for the inside radius curves.

  Oct 19, 2023     Best Tugs Unboxing!       Category: Hangar

It was a long hot summer... Not much work on the plane got done. I did attend AirVenture in July. Retired from the Airline in August. Took a Cruise from Venice to Croatia and Greece in late September and a trip to Japan in early October. So, I guess it's time to get back to work. While at OSH, I purchased a Best Tugs A3 model. Today I unboxed it. It was fairly straight forward. But the instructions weren't up to date. The crate was fairly well constructed and did a good job of protecting the tug during shipping. However, they said there were screws. No screws, just nails. So, it wasn't as easy to unbox as described. Assembly of the tug was easy. Installed the kick stand and the tow arms. They also provided a charger that has a trickle charge feature. I'm a bit surprised at battery life. I drove it about 12 feet with no load and it was already at 76% from a fully charged battery. Hmmm. I might have to ask around about this. Well, here are the pictures.

  Jul 01, 2023     Door Bonding       Category: Doors

I finally finished installing the door mechanisms, so now is the time to bond the door halves together. First task was to sand, using 60 grit sandpaper, the areas of the halves where the doors mate. I then masked the Cabin Top and Fuselage, where excess epoxy might squish out the edges, with clear packing tape. There are two areas inside the door that need a structural filler called ParaBeam, the cranial cavity and the elbow cavity. ParaBeam is a 3D fiberglass woven “sandwich” fabric. The latch pocket area doesn't use the ParaBeam filler. I cut the ParaBeam in 5" x 9" sections and then prepared the resin. It was a warm day so I knew I needed to work quickly. To start, I "painted" resin on the contact areas of the outer shell. Then I "wetted out" the ParaBeam in a paint roller tray and applied it to the areas on the inner door shell. Next, I prepared some Cab-O-Sil for the flange areas on the inner door half. Once clecoed together I was able to mount the door in the door frame with clecos, clamps and Gorilla Tape. One door down! Ran out of resin... Door 2 another day.

  Jun 07, 2023     Door Handle Powder Coating       Category: Doors

I not a real fan of the white powder coating that Van's uses. So, last night my neighbor Tim Plasek was able to powder coat the inside door handles a nice satin black. His Home Based Company is Spring Powder Coating. Tim did the previous powder coating on the control sticks, exterior steps, tie down rings, and cabin center brace. Since he works out of his garage, he let me observe. He removed all the original powder coat the night before by sand blasting. The powder is a very fine material and adheres by an electrical charge. The positive charged powder is sprayed onto the negatively charged part. It is then baked to create a hard shell. Tim first applied a primer powder coat before the final color coating. I found it to be a very interesting process.

  May 31, 2023     Door Arm Rests       Category: Doors

Again, a copy of Joe's ideas, I am installing Arm Rests on the Doors. The Arm Rest Pads came from Amazon and are replacement Office Chair Arm Rest Pads. Using angle aluminum I cut it to fit the bottom of the arm rest cutout. I drilled mounting holes to match the center door pin, then drilled some lightening holes. I purchased the AeroSport RV-10 Interior Door Handle Kit, however the handle cover extends too far aft when the handle is in the open position, it will interfere with the arm rest. I'll use the cover plate for the gearbox area and have the OEM door handle powder coated black rather than the standard Van's white.

  May 31, 2023     Door Handle Mechanisim       Category: Doors

It's taking some time to understand how the Door Handle Mechanism goes together, but I'm finally getting the idea. Starting with the AeroSport instructions, they have you cut the WD-1022 Handle and C-1007 Pin to accommodate the new mechanism. Then follow the Van's instructions to install the C-1008 Handle Lever, which controls the door lock, and roll pin spring. Thanks to very long and skinny needle nose pliers to position the nutplate inside the Handle Lever and rivet it in place. The forward corners of the strike plate must be rounded to let it nest flat. The strike plate is used as a guide to make the holes in the door shells. Then match drill and rivet the handle plates which will attach to the new delrin spacer bock. Drilling the holes in the door shell was straight forward but a little nerve wracking as the space between the 0.25” holes and the new 0.90” lock hole is very thin. I'm using the ACS door locks and at first fit, i thought they were too short. I didn't notice that the 0.90" hole allows the lock to rest on the strike plate and once the cover plate is installed, the lock will be flush. This door handle is a very nice addition and I'm happy with the installation. Next step is to install the forward and aft door pins. The aft pin needed to be bent to parallel the bottom edge of the door shell. I just bent it by hand in the vice. The forward pin is much more short, so was a bit more difficult to bend. Finally, i painted the inside door shell with the same SEM Texture Coat then the final Lite Parchment Color Coat.

  May 27, 2023     Autopilot Servo Service Bulletin       Category: Avionics

I double checked the Service Bulletin for the GSA 28 Autopilot Servos. The affected Servos are 011-02927-00 serial number 2PG015462 through 2PG016170 and 011-02927-10/11 serial numbers 5G9017349 and 5G9019731 through 5G9021528. Fortunately my servos are not affected. Yay!

  May 27, 2023     Door Mechanisim and Door Handle Preparation       Category: Doors

Sanded and shaped the Door Pin Guide Blocks to nest in the pockets on the door. The Door Handle Gear Racks needed to be cut in half rather than per the Van's instructions. The top Rack Gear also needed to be beveled to allow full extension into the door at the elbow cavity. I used the bench sander to make the bevel. Then the AeroSport Door Handle Door Preparation started by setting the strike plate into position and marking guide lines for the holes to be cut and drilled for the door handles.

  May 12, 2023     GTN-650xi Bracket       Category: Avionics

Planning how to install the GTN-650xi bracket inside the SFSA Throttle Quad Center Console. I'm leaning toward cutting down and sanding some foam then glassing it in. This will give me something along the interior sides to screw the bracket to.

  May 12, 2023     Door Seals       Category: Doors

Working on the Doors continues. I wanted to see where the McMaster-Carr door seals would lay against the inner door shell. For the most part, the seals lay in place very well. Only two spots where the lip might be too thick and I will need to grind it down a bit. Many builders use Flox in a sacrificial door seal channel to build up the door frame edge in the thin spots. I don't think I'll need to do that. My next plan is to use SEM Texture Coat on the inside door shell before I paint the final color coat, but I want to mask off the area where the seal contacts the door so it would be against a smooth surface. I temporarily installed some sacrificial door seals then set the inner door shell in place. I traced a line around the edge of the seal to mark where I will mask it off. I'm also planning on adding an arm rest mounted to the door. I'll need to set the placement before I drill the mounting holes. I think it will make a nice addition.

  May 05, 2023     PlaneAround Door Mechanisim       Category: Doors

I'm working off several different plans at the same time. Van's original, PlaneAround for the latch mechanism and AeroSport for the door handle. On the list today from the PlaneAround instructions, was to cut the Gear Racks that Van's supplied in half, giving four 5 inch racks. This installation is a bit different than how Van's has it. Then remove the cover off the gear box and determine where to match drill and countersink the holes. To secure the structural fiberglass blocks, I used some packing tape and wrapped the gear box, then mixed some Cab-O-Sil and epoxied them into place. That was it for the day, as I wanted the epoxy to set up before I messed with it any more.

  May 04, 2023     Sorting it all out...       Category: Doors

Got some of the door parts together to get the interior mechanism started. I found the middle pushrods that are now included in the kit. This will make fabricating the aft pushrod much more easy as you no longer need to drill and notch the aft pushrod. Just cut it to the proper length and tap the cut end to accept the the new beveled end pieces. The first step was to mark a spot on the bottom edge of the door and drill a 1/2 inch hole for the gear box. The instructions have you cut a notch in the bottom edge of the door, but I believe that this is for retro installations. Since I haven't bonded the door halves together I plan to just drill the hole and go to the next step. I have seen other builders mention this. I can't see this part ever being removed as the pushrod ends attached to the rack gears isn't accessible when everything is in place.

  May 04, 2023     Section 43: Cabin Cover Part 4       Category: Cabin Cover

Finished match drilling the F-10107 backing strips. Then had to trim some of the overlap at the bottom aft corners. After that I set the cabin top back on the fuselage to get back to work on the doors.

  May 03, 2023     Section 43: Cabin Cover Part 3       Category: Doors

Match drilled the holes along the bottom edge and top aft part of the cabin top. Then counter sunk the holes. Also, match drill the reinforcing strip for the aft part of cabin top.

  May 02, 2023     Jacks       Category: Tools

I made some Jacks for the airplane today. I used an idea I saw at the EAA 302 Tool Crib. I got three, 3 Ton Heavy Duty Long Ram Hydraulic Flat Bottom Jacks from Harbor Freight and cut a triangle base from some plywood. I used some electrical conduit, crushed and bent the ends, then used a rubber plumbing connector and some hose clamps to attach it. I was advised to use a triangle base rather than a square, as a triangle has better stability on uneven ground surfaces.

  May 02, 2023     Chap 45-04 Gas Strut Doubler       Category: Doors

Continued work on the Doors Gas Strut Attach Doubler. First I mixed CAB-O-SIL into resin. My first time to mix resin and cab-o-sil. It's an extremely light powder used as a resin thickener. The plans said about 2 fluid ounces would be needed (I mixed 3 oz. and had plenty to spare). Then used 80 grit sandpaper to roughen the mating surfaces before spreading about 1/16th inch of resin mix onto the doubler and clecoing it into position. I used a small chip brush to spread it out. I'll let it cure before re-drilling the holes and doing the final riveting.
Update May 03, 2023: Cleaned and drilled the holes then did the final riveting.

  Apr 30, 2023     Autopilot Servo Wire Bundle       Category: Avionics

The Autopilot Servo Wire Bundle had a 15 pin D-Sub connector attached on the avionics end. This would make it difficult to route the bundle forward to the panel. I removed the pinouts from the connector and labeled them to allow me to run the wires. After I run the wires, I'll re-pin the connector.

  Apr 26, 2023     Chap 45-04 and Getting Organized...       Category: Doors

Finished drilling the set holes around the perimeter of the window frames today. I clamped the doors into position and rather than taping the top of the door down, I used some heavy metal weights on the top edge. Then removed the door and matched drilled and clecoed the door frame holes. Then it was time to organize the aftermarket door parts and sort out the separate plans. It took a while to locate all the parts. Specifically, the C-1011 and C-1012 Latch Pin Rods. Found them attached to the fiberglass landing gear leg fairing. I'm trying to use the plans as much as i can with the after market modifications I'm using. Then I beveled, trimmed and Match Drilled the Gas Strut Attache Doubler. They only needed slight flattening adjustments to fit the door shells inside radius. Next will be mixing some CAB-O-SIL and epoxy the doubler into position.

  Apr 25, 2023     Door Frame       Category: Doors

Finished sanding the Door Frame Flange. Trying to get the flange straightened out to be able to accept the McMaster- Carr Door Seals. I think I got it where I want it. I started with an Angle Grinder and a Cutoff Wheel. For the corner curves I used a Oscillating Saw and a Dremel and a Drum Sander on a drill motor. To finish I used the Angle Grinder with a 80 Grit Flapper Whee and my Perma-Grit Sandier. I also flattened the curved lip of the flange by sanding down the high part of the curve. This will help make the door seal lay correctly. It looks like the gap will be right when I trim the door edges to fit within the frame. The doors will be set inward about 1/8 inch from the current fitting position when it's time to do the final edge trimming and setting the door edge gap.

  Apr 24, 2023     Tailcone Forward Top Skin Access Panels Part 2       Category: Fuselage

Finally finished up the Access Panels on the Tailcone Forward Top Skin. Primed the inside of the skin and riveted the Reinforcing Plates into position. Then the riveted the nutplates. Finally used the supplied MS24693C48 Machine Screws for installation of the Panel.

  Apr 19, 2023     Doors - Part 1 - (4 hours)       Category: Doors

I'm starting to install the doors. A lot of people have warned me that the doors are a very complex task, so I've been studying quite a bit.
In addition to the "OEM" Van's instructions, there are 5 different after market modifications that I plan to incorporate into the doors:
* PlaneAround Third Latch Mechanism with the new internal mechanism that allows the door handle to turn 180 degrees.
* Aerosport Low Profile Exterior Door Handle and Interior Door Handle.
* AirWard for the Main Door Hinge Reinforcing Kit.
* McMaster-Carr Door Seals
* and heavier duty Bansbach EasyLift Door Struts.
The first steps are mostly to plan. Basically, trimming the excess fiberglass around the doors and windows. First, I made some markings round the door edges and the window frame to mark where to trim the cutouts. I used a Popsicle Stick and drilled some #40 holes at the prescribed lengths to make a drawing gauge and used a ultra fine point sharpie to make the marks. Then I marked drill points 1-1/2 inches apart around the middle window line perimeter. This will be for clecoing the halves together. Then I trimmed the door halves along the lines. There are index holes which are used to square the door in the frame. The left side forward and aft index holes seemed to line up with the holes on the fuselage side, but the holes on the right side didn't align quite as well and I had to re-drill the aft index hole on the inside shell. The exterior shell index holes in the window area didn't line up with the interior index holes. Van's has some guidance to find the holes along the bottom edge of the door but if you use a Hole Finder you can skip this step. I used a Hole Finder Drill Guide to drill the holes along the bottom edge of the doors which was by far the easy way. I then clecoed the doors in place. Next, I'll continue to drill the cleco holes around the perimeter of the windows and sand the contact points in preparation for bonding the halves together.

  Apr 07, 2023     SteinAir Panel Arrives!       Category: Avionics

The Panel and Avionics from SteinAir arrived today. I really like the box that it came in. The box top is laser engraved with the panel design. I plan to hang it on the hangar wall ! Then I did some preliminary unboxing. In the box was some "bling" (t-shirts, hat, pens and stickers), along with the wiring schematic and a thumb drive with the schematic and other Garmin manuals. I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I'm hoping the installation will go smoothly. So much to learn.

  Apr 01, 2023     Center Console       Category: Interior Finish

I worked on the aft section of the center console. I fabricated a plate for the rear seat headphone and mic jacks as well as a USB outlet. I then painted a "texture coat" on the console before applying the final color coat. I also installed some cup holder inserts into the molded cup holders. I feel that will give them more stability.

  Mar 31, 2023     Tire Instalation       Category: Landing Gear

I made a tool to help tire installation. I saw a photo of this on VAF. I cut a hole in a 24x24 piece of plywood using a Kline Tool Adjustable Hole Cutter. It's normally designed for cutting holes in sheet metal, like air conditioning ducts but worked well on the plywood.

  Mar 28, 2023     Overhead Console Wiring       Category: Interior Finish

Wanted to do some of the Overhead Console wiring today. Fortunately, the overhead console is pre-wired by SFSA. I added a speaker. and installed the vents and eyeball lights. I have the wiring schematic and plan to eliminate the forward overhead dome light, as I want to install the exterior light switches on the overhead. I just bypassed the forward dome light and changed the molex connector. Like the lower center consoles, I painted the overhead console with a texture coat then the final color coat.

  Mar 25, 2023     Interior Fiberglass Repairs       Category: Fiberglass

There was some small damage to the Aft Center Console and the Overhead Console during shipping. It was an easy repair so I elected not to make a big deal about it when it was shipped. I used SuperFil mixed to it's 2:1 ratio. Superfil is a lightweight epoxy filler for rough fill and contouring. More easy to mix than adding microballons to epoxy. It seems to spread quite nicely. They say it is easy to sand once cured. Crossing fingers...

  Mar 23, 2023     TO/GA Buttons Pt. 2       Category: Avionics

Finished wiring the TO/GA buttons on the throttle. I fed the wire pairs into the holes on the knobs that I drilled and set a piece of Heat Shrink over the Throttle Lever portion. Then I fed the wires into the heat shrink and along one edge. It was a fairly tight fit but it worked. The wires are hardly noticeable and I think it's a very nice feature.

  Mar 21, 2023     Infinity Stick Grip Wires       Category: Avionics

I spent some time tracing the wires in the Infinity Stick Grip. I made the mistake of taking the grip apart to look inside... Big Mistake. It took quite some time to get it back together without pinching any wires. Once back together I decided to use my multi-meter to find the switch to wire-pairs. There are 16 wires (actually 17, a black wire that is not used) and there does seem to be a somewhat organized system to the wire pairs. I got lucky on the very first two wires I selected and they were on the green "start" button. From there it was just a process of elimination. The black 17th wire is some kind of spare and not used.

  Mar 21, 2023     TO/GA Buttons Pt. 1       Category: Avionics

Started to install the TO/GA Switches on the Throttle. Got the idea from Joe. First I drilled a small hole in each side of the throttle. The button that I'm using is a momentary ON type and has a screw-on clamp terminal, so I used a small molex pin and cut the tip off to make a lug for the wire to tighten the the clamp on. Then I used some heat shrink tube to make chafe protection through the hole I drilled. Finally a quick continuity check to ensure that the connections were good.

  Mar 19, 2023     Flap Position Sensor       Category: Flight Controls

I wanted to assemble the Ray Allen POS-12 Flap Position Sensor. I cut a small section of piano hinge and riveted the Position Sensor to one wing of the hinge. The parts I used were a bent piece of aluminum, a 1" Cushion Clamp, AN526C632R8 pan head screw, and a MS21042-06 tiny lock nut. To allow a slight offset between the bent aluminum and the sensor arm, I 3D printed a small bushing. I still need to find the correct position to rivet the upper portion of the hinge to the rear spar bulkhead, but I think I am close. I'll need to connect a Molex connector or perhaps a small terminal block to the 3 wires on the sensor.

  Mar 18, 2023     Finished Fuel Selector       Category: Fuel System

Finished installing the Fuel Selector, finally. The new one piece bracket fits well now. I got the selector positioned so that it would fit in the hole on the center console, With the tunnel cover in place I used a rubber sheet as a cover seal. Once in the correct position, I was able to rivet the bracket in place.

  Mar 15, 2023     Back to the Fuel Selector Bracket       Category: Fuel System

I wanted to finish the tasks needed to close up the Tunnel. The Fuel Selector Bracket needed work. I got some 0.063 aluminum and cut out a new bracket using the original as a template. The Andair valve has holes for nutplates making installation easy. I'll have to make sure the valve is properly aligned and then rivet the bracket into position.

  Mar 14, 2023     Windows!       Category: Fuselage

The windows arrived today. I ordered the Cee Bailey's window set with the Solar Gray tint. They have a good reputation for better fit as well as the tint option. The box was a little beat up but the contents appear to have arrived undamaged.

  Mar 04, 2023     Rudder Cable Vinyl Tubing       Category: Fuselage

The Air Conditioner has quite a bit of hoses in the tunnel area that have a potential to cause chafing against the rudder cables. SFSA provided some vinyl tubing. It was just a little short for both sides. I got some extra but it wasn't pre-split. I made a Tube Splitter out of a 2x4 and a razor blade. I cut an angle off the 2x4, drilled a 1/2 inch hole and then split the 2x4 in half. I inserted a razor blade and clamped it together. Passing the tubing through the hole splits the tubing lengthwise and makes nice anti-chafe protection in the tunnel.

  Mar 03, 2023     Starter Solenoid       Category: Electrical

I wanted to test fit the Starter Solenoid and make the cable. I noticed that the Oil Cooler Box was in very close proximity to the Starter Solenoid location and was concerned that it would interfere. I'm told that the Starter Solenoid should be positioned upside down, so that any excess positive G Load would not affect the internal contact. I clecoed the box into position and assembled the terminals to the cable and attached to the through firewall post to the solenoid. It all seems to fit quite well.

  Mar 01, 2023     Some Wires       Category: Electrical

Did some basic wiring today around the Main Battery area. First I connected an External Power Plug to the Main Battery. Then installed a lead with a plug on the backside of the bulkhead area to make removal more easy. Then installed a Hot Battery Bus. I wired a #2 Ignition Lead from the Hot Battery Bus, forward toward the Instrument Panel. I also started a fused lead from the Hot Battery Bus for a Dome Light switch to be installed later.

  Feb 28, 2023     Stripping and Crimping RG-400 Coax Cable       Category: Training

I wanted better results on stripping and crimping Coax Cables and BNC Connectors. After a lot of reading and YouTube, I found good tool to strip RG-400 Coax Cable on Amazon. I got the ConnectoRF Cable Stripper RG-58/59/6, 3-Blade Model (HT-322) for about $13.00. It's designed for RG-58/59/6 cables and since it has 3 blades it cuts RG-400 very well out of the box. I set the cable in the jaws leaving about 1/16" extended from the edge. Clamp it down and spin it around a couple of times. I slide the Feral over the end before I crimp so the braided shield portion doesn't get messed up sliding over it. Then pull off the shielding. The Dielectric might require using pliers to pull off the core wire. Ensure 3/16" core wire is extending from the core and insert the Pin. Look for wire in the witness hole on the pin. Using the Pros'sKit CP-371 Crimper with Coax jaws, crimp the Pin using the .068 small crimp hole. Rest the shoulder of the pin on the outside edge of the jaw and squeeze. Be sure to give a "tug test" on the pin. slide the BNC connector over the Pin and Dielectric and rotate the connector flaring the Shield out a bit. Push on the BNC until it snaps. Slide the Feral over the Shield until it buts against the BNC base. Crimp the Feral using the .213 crimp. Finally do a continuity test to make sure the pin isn't shorted to the BNC housing.

  Feb 23, 2023     Panel Planning       Category: Avionics

Got some word from the folks at SteinAir. First was Josh Swensen who is helping design the panel. Using the plan I drew in PowerPoint he developed a final draft of what it would look like. Then Nick Wiedl who is working on the interconnect drawing. He had quite a list of questions like what discrete functions I wanted on the GEA-24 and GAD27. With the help of Joe, I came up with a list that Nick could use as a start. He also came up with the Equipment Layout plan. And just today Danny Jones, who does the Laser Engraving wanted to know what color lettering I was planning. I'm going with a dark brown color panel and I believe that white lettering will look the best. Really looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I must say the folks at SteinAir are tremendous to work with.

  Feb 21, 2023     ELT Antenna       Category: Avionics

Finally got the ELT Antenna installed today. I should have done this much earlier in the build as the location I used was very difficult to reach from the rear deck area. Struggled almost 2 hours but finally got it set.

  Dec 30, 2022     Propeller Unboxing       Category: Propeller

Today I received my Hartzell Propeller. I ordered it along with the engine back in July. The target for the engine delivery is January 2024. A year from now. I ordered the standard 80 in. Hartzell Aluminum 2-blade blended airfoil, model number HC-C2YR-1BFPX/F8068DX.

  Dec 20, 2022     Zip Tips - Unboxing       Category: Wings

Got my Zip Tips today. My early Christmas present! I ordered them at AirVenture in OSH. They were very well packaged and appear to be undamaged. Damien included a Posistrobe tail light as a show special. Now there is no need to cut a hole in the leading edge of the wings to mount landing lights. It's said that with the Zip Tip Premier version there is a slight increase in performance with the winglet style tips. Who knows... they might offset the drag induced by the AC Scoop on the bottom of the fuselage. :) I'm not to sure about that but who cares, they look really cool. These wingtips have a fully contained lighting module for the Landing Light, Taxi/WigWag, Navigation and Strobe. They also have a built-in Rear Position/Strobe. I'm hoping that this will simplify wiring.

  Dec 19, 2022     Another Try...       Category: Interior Finish

So, with a little help from YouTube, I decided to try and use a steamer to help smooth and stretch out the wrinkles around the shoulder area. It really did seem to help. I brought them inside my home office as the garage is a bit on the cool side today and it's raining and didn't want to drive up to the hangar. I'm much more happy with the results and feel that I'm getting closer. If they need a little more persuasion, I can do it again.

  Dec 09, 2022     Front Seat Uppholstry       Category: Interior Finish

I finished putting the front seat back covers on. The video instructions were fairly good. I feel they were better than the "storyboard" instructions. Start by measuring from the top edge of the seat back portion. Down 15cm and another 10cm. From the center 7cm and another 5cm each side of center. This will be for the tuft ties will go. Position and glue the foam seat back, head rest and lumbar support into position on the seat frame using 3M 1357 Contact Adhesive. Then cut into the seat back foam along the horizontal lines. With that, drill holes in the seat back to allow zip ties to pass through being careful not to drill the seat frame along the top. Two holes must be cut in the press board seat back to allow access to pull the zip ties. I added 1" edge foam as suggested in the video instructions to make it more full looking. Then it's time to "dress" the covers over the foam and frame. This is where I ran into some issues... I found the sewing not quite square to the frame. This caused a twist from the headrest to the seat back area. Eventually I got it fairly square. I may try stretch the leather or use a heat gun to help smooth the wrinkles. The right seat is more obvious than the left seat.

  Nov 30, 2022     Tailcone Forward Top Skin Access Panels       Category: Fuselage

Clecoed the F-1074 Tailcone Forward Top Skin into place to get ready for match drilling the Cabin Cover. I needed to dimple and final size drill the holes on the forward edge and put a slight bend in that edge as well. I was planning on installing the access panel flange but my rivet squeezer foot pedal is still causing problems. I contacted NumatX and they will send me a new one. With the Forward Top Skin in place I can see how much easier it will be to access the Air Conditioner for service in the future. Not to mention the ease of riveting the skin into place when the time comes.

  Nov 28, 2022     Section 43: Cabin Cover       Category: Cabin Cover

I think I finally got the Cabin Top trimmed to fit. Thanks to the Kayak Hoist, I was able to take it on and off easily to fine tune the fit. I know that I'll have some filling to do once it's ready for the final install, but it's pretty good right now. The plans have me clamping the rear edge of the door frame into place and prior to match drilling. My next job is to temporarily install the top skin aft of the cabin top before match drilling. Having the Cabin Top on really makes it look like an airplane!

  Nov 24, 2022     Front Seat Uppholstry       Category: Interior Finish

Short rainy day project I could do at home in the garage... I wanted to put the leather seat covers on the bottom portion of the front seats. The "Story Board" that SFSA provided was kind of lacking. However, SFSA does provide a link to an installation video that stars Eliane. She does a very good job of explaining the installation and makes it look easy. First you mark a line 20cm from the aft edge of the foam. Find the center and mark a line each side of center at 7cm and 12cm. Then, using a "needle" (I used a short piece of stainless pin, bent over to form a eye) thread the two strings through the inner 7cm line to the bottom of the cushion and tie if off using a small piece of leather as a backing. Then paint a light coat of 3M 1357 Contact Adhesive along the bottom aft seam lines. After that, tuck all the foam in and zip it up. They say that you can use a heat gun to help smooth out some of the wrinkles but I think mine turned out fine. I'm looking forward to doing the seat backs now.

  Nov 22, 2022     Fiberglass for RV and Sheet Metal Airplanes       Category: Training

The EAA has put a few of their SportAir Workshops on-line. I guess this was due to Covid but the advantage is that with the course being on-line I don't have to wait until a class is available nearby. This on-line version can be viewed at home on a computer or any mobile device and is available for an indefinite period. I took the Fiberglass for RV and Sheet Metal Airplanes course and it is over 6 hours of video training. It can be stopped, backed up and reviewed multiple times so for myself is the perfect resource for basic fiberglass techniques. It covers the different resins and fillers and has some nice projects to practice. I was concerned about the bottom windshield transition and this is one of the practice projects. The course also covers making molds and repairs.

  Nov 18, 2022     Section 43: Cabin Cover       Category: Cabin Cover

Getting closer... I got the width of the door well but need to trim some off the bottom so the top will sit far enough down so the joggle in the aft area is close. The diagonal on the forward post area probably needs work as well.

  Nov 10, 2022     Section 43: Cabin Cover       Category: Cabin Cover

Joe used a Kayak Hoist to lift and lower the Cabin Top while fitting on his RV-10, so I ordered one on Amazon for less than $30. I have a 12ft ladder that almost gets to the center beam of the hangar. The hoist is mounted on a 2x4 and I used C-Clamps to secure the hoist to the beam. Tomoko came out to give me a hand and spot me while I was up on the ladder. I'm not a fan of heights so the ladder is a necessary evil. But I must say that the hoist system works quite well. This is the first fitting and I can already see that I need to grind just a little more to get it to sit in the door well.

  Nov 06, 2022     Section 43: Cabin Cover       Category: Cabin Cover

More trimming of the Cabin Top today. Still more to go but the majority of the cutting and sanding is close to finished. The sides of the door wells are as thin as everyone says. I haven't trimmed the bottom of the door frame yet. I'm very close to the first fitting. I even tried fitting some of the McMaster-Carr Door Seal material to see how it would lay around the door edges.

  Nov 02, 2022     Section 43: Cabin Cover       Category: Cabin Cover

Continued work on the Cabin Top. Still doing the rough cuts. So far, I'm using the Angle Grinder with a Cutoff Wheel, a Die Grinder with Cutoff Wheel and a Oscillating Saw. The pneumatic die grinder uses a lot of air and the compressor runs constantly and it has a tendency to bog down. So, it's not my favorite. The long straight cuts the Angle Grinder works well. Also a belt sander helps. When I need more control the Oscillating Saw works better. I used a Dremel for the smaller radius cuts. I also got a 80 grit flap disc for the grinder which helps with some of the areas the belt sander can't reach. Measuring the door frame width, it looks like it's still about 1/4 inch too wide. So, another 1/8 inch on each edge needs to come off. For the inside radius of the windows and door the drum sanding wheel works well.

  Oct 28, 2022     Tailcone Forward Top Skin Access Panels Part 1       Category: Fuselage

Rich finally talked me into having access panels in the Tailcone Fwd Top Skin to allow access to the air-conditioner in the future. AirWard has a nice kit with two panels. One for each side. I did make one change. The nutplates supplied with the kit were MS21047L08 (K1000-08) and I substituted K1100-08's that allow space for a dimple in the skin. I plan to run a bead of Pro Seal around the doubler plate to help with water ingress. I did check the cost of a new skin before I made the first cut. The cutting went fairly well. I started with a nibler that attached to my drill motor, then a cutoff wheel on a pneumatic grinder and finally a 5 inch sander and a drum sanding wheel for the inside radius of the corners to give a nice finished edge. I also left a 1/16th inch paint gap around the edges.

  Oct 27, 2022     Section 43: Cabin Cover       Category: Cabin Cover

Started trimming the edges of the Cabin Top. These are just the first rough cuts that I'll have to sand down to the correct fit. I used a grinder with a cutoff wheel which worked quite well for these initial cuts. There is a very faint line scribed in the fiberglass that I marked with Sharpie. I cut outside of the marked line and will finish the edges later.

  Oct 27, 2022     SECTION 35: ACCESS COVERS AND FLOOR PANELS       Category: Fuselage

I noticed that the Bolt Access Cover Plate has quite a gap along the top edge. I was concerned that it was a place for dirt to get into over time. I made a modified version of the plate that has a small bend at the top that covers gap. It was a small and easy project.

  Oct 26, 2022     Forward Fuselage       Category: Fuselage

Joe suggested that I paint the underside of the forward fuselage white. This is to facilitate installation of the avionics with easy visibility and contrast.

  Oct 18, 2022     Brake Return Springs       Category: Flight Controls

Both Joe and Rich advised me to install return springs on the brake master cylinders. This will help prevent the possibility of dragging brakes. It consists of parts from McMaster-Carr:
Set Screw Shaft Collar - 9946K13
3/8" nylon sleeve - 6389K625
3" spring - 9657K435
3/4" nylon sleeve - 6294K441
nylon plastic washer - 90295A470

  Oct 04, 2022     Stic Grip Mounting       Category: Electrical

Started to mount the Infinity Stick Grips. This required the Sticks to be cut down so that once the grip is in place it doesn't hit the instrument panel. i purchased the swivel mount option for the grips. This allows a natural positioning of the grip relative to the offset. It simplifies clocking of the grip for different pilot seat positions by pivoting 90 degrees.

  Oct 03, 2022     EarthX Battery Tray Mod       Category: Electrical

I can't really take credit for this. I have been thinking of something like this for some time but couldn't figure a design that would work. I saw this design on the VAF. I'm not CAD savvy in any way, but Jon on VAF was able to send me the STL file that would enable me to print his design. I'm new to 3D printing so I'm learning a new skill. I researched and decided to purchase a nice but modestly priced printer. Once I obtained the STL file I needed to open it in a "slicer" application. The one that came with the printer was simple to understand and seemed to work well. The bottom part of the tray is printed in two parts which are then glued together. The top is in one piece. I have to say the printer worked quite well out of the box with no adjusting of settings required. The print took quite some time to complete. The top alone was over 20 hours, but I'm quite satisfied with the results. The bracket is designed to have the battery sit offset from center. This allows the cross bar to stay clear of the terminals. The top fit the battery very well but the bottom needed some sanding to trim the sides down a bit.

  Sep 18, 2022     Front Seat Installation pt. 3       Category: Interior Finish

Also finished installing the AeroSport Seat Levers. Very straight forward installation and a nice addition. One hole needed to be drilled in the side of the seat frame for the pivot bolt. 12 1/2” from the front of the seat frame and 1 7/16” up from the bottom of the seat frame. Had to hammer out the pin to remove the "T" handle. The pivot bolt is a 1/4” AN4-6 bolt and two washers. Then replaced the OEM handle with a 3/4” 5-40 fastener through the stock handle and the seat lever and fastened with washers and a lock nut.

  Sep 18, 2022     Front Seat Installation pt. 2       Category: Interior Finish

Today was finishing up installing the Mid Seat Rail Support. I used some stubby wrenches including a stubby flex head ratcheting wrench which was probably the most useful. I elected to install the bolts from the bottom as trying to start a nut and washer on the bottom would be most difficult. I even used a Popsicle stick with some two-sided tape to help position the bolts from the bottom. With the stubby wrenches it all went very smoothly.

  Sep 12, 2022     Front Seat Installation       Category: Interior Finish

I wanted to finish adjusting the rudder pedals. This required the front seats to be installed. Part of this included installing the Mid Seat Rail Support which is located under the front seat pan decks and is attached to the main gear support. These Mid Seat Rail Supports should really be installed prior to the main gear support being installed. The hardest part of this task by far is tightening the bolts. These brackets are in a very awkward location and it's difficult to get tools into the correct position. I got two out of the 4 bolts installed on one seat. I'm working on the other two... I'll need to get back to them with a fresh attitude. It looks like it requires stubby wrenches, box ends ground down in thickness. I also purchased the Aerosport Seat Lever which enhances the Seat Adjustment "T" handle. This is a very nice addition and a simple installation.

  Sep 11, 2022     QB Wings Arrival !!!       Category: Wings

My QB Wings arrived today! Stewart Transportation does many aircraft kit deliveries as well as Cobra Car kits for Factory Five Racing. Their truck has an impressive crane system inside the box that makes unloading much more easy than a lift gate. The Driver, Mark and his wife showed up about 1230 to my hangar and we unloaded the wings. There were two fairly light weight boxes that contained the Flaps and Ailerons, one wooden crate that had some miscellaneous parts and the bottom skins and of course the two wings. Everything showed up in excellent condition. No damage to anything. I had made the cradle and they told me that of the previous 3 wing deliveries I was the only one that had made a cradle. So the unboxing and inventory began. I got all the small stuff sorted. I'll finish the bigger stuff tomorrow.

  Sep 05, 2022     Wing Cradle       Category: Workshop

I got word that my wings will arrive this weekend. Yay! Only a two year wait... So, I needed to make a wing cradle to help store them and keep them safe in the hangar until I'm ready to work on them. I used a plan that I found on VAF and modified it slightly. I got the basic frame complete using 5 - 2x4x8s. Next made the gusset angle pieces out of 3 - 24x24 plywood. I got casters and a 4" tow strap from Harbor Freight. The straps will be used for the slings. The only waste is a 10" piece of 2x4 and the corner pieces of the plywood used for the gussets.

  Aug 10, 2022     Wheels and Brakes Unboxing       Category: Landing Gear

Yesterday I received the Matco Wheels and Brakes that I ordered at AirVenture. Very well packaged.

  Aug 05, 2022     Paint       Category: Paint

Working with Tyler at Evoke and I think we have come up with a design Tomoko and I like. Jonathan and his team are wonderful to work with. They are pricey but from what I have seen, it's worth it. I had a chance to meet them at AirVenture. There was a RV-10 on display in their area. I'm on the Evoke list for December 2024....

  Aug 04, 2022     AirVenture 2022       Category: Research

I attended AirVenture 2022. My first trip to OSH and it was all that I had hoped for. I flew to ORD then rented a car and drove to OSH. I was able to stay at a private home which was very close to the AirVenture Venue. Tom Massey was kind enough to bring up a small camping chair and umbrella for me to use at the airshow. My first day was on Sunday, before the show and I was able to see the EAA Museum at a leisurely pace. Monday I had a mission. I had a shopping list and wanted to get right on it. My first stop was Van's tent to see if I could make a deposit on my engine and prop any maybe get some kind of discount if not discounted shipping. Sorry to say no luck with this. They said to just order it on their website. I did get to see the RV-15 prototype and meet some YouTube folks, Christine The Plane Lady and her husband Tyler, as well as Jason Ellis. Next stop was Matco. I was able to order their RV-10 Wheel and Brake package. At least Matco gave me free shipping. Then I found Aveo Engineering and spoke to Damian. Here I was able to order my ZipTips. Other stops were to Evoke where I met Jonathan, Lycoming to talk to them about engine options, E-Mags where I learned that they may become a Lycoming option soon, Sporty's to check out hand held radio and Stein where I got $1000 T-shirt from Stein himself !! I also stopped by the ASA booth as I worked for ASA back in 1978. It was nice to see their success over the years. The night airshow was the pinnacle of the event. Over all it was a very successful trip and I look forward to doing it again. The good news is that when I got home, I ordered and made a deposit on my Engine and Propeller.

  Jul 14, 2022     New AC Wiring Schematic       Category: Air Conditioning

Luiz was kind enough to send an updated schematic for the AC. There are a few differences that helped me understand the system. Much of it is in Portuguese so I spent some time translating it and making notes. There are still a few wires and connections that aren't labeled or mislabeled that I had to identify and update.

  Jul 07, 2022     AC Wiring       Category: Air Conditioning

Starting to figure out the schematic coding for the various wires and connectors. I think... The wire bundles are fairly well laid out but locating the labeled wires and connectors in the schematics is a little difficult. I find that adding my own labels really helps. I think A - goes to the Console. B - goes to the back of the Evaporator/Blower. C - Power Supply. 67A and 67B are faston's to the Thermostat. From the schematics it looks like it doesn't matter what side of the Thermostat terminals are connected to. TA was to the Temperature Sensor. 67 and 67A use a unique plug connector to the Pressure Switch. The male side of the B plug needs work. The pinout in the B connector doesn't match the wiring diagram. The male side of the B connector has V1,V2, V3 and 0 coming out of the blower resistor inside the blower box. It also looks like a re-circulation servo on the rear bottom of the blower box with two wires labeled MR+ and MR-. I cannot locate these on the schematics. The female side of the B connector has V1,V2, V3 and 0 but has RA+ and RA-. I can't find these on the schematic either. I've reached out to Luiz at SFSA for guidance.

  Jun 30, 2022     SCAT Tubes and Hoses       Category: Air Conditioning

Connected the SCAT tubes for the Heater System and the AC Vents. New learning experience... Had to learn techniques of how to install SCAT tubes by cutting out a bit of the wire to allow it to fit over the vent flanges. I also need to ask about interference of the SCAT tubes and the rudder peddle center horns.

  Jun 29, 2022     FWD NACA Vents       Category: Air Conditioning

Started to work on the FWD NACA Vents. The SFSA NACA Vent template was a perfect match for the Van's vent. I'm going to use Chem Seal adhesive along with pulled rivets to attach the vents. Today I drilled the rivet holes and clecoed the vents in place. I need to make a face plate with a 2 1/8" hole for the eyeball vent. I painted them with SEM texture paint. It helps hide some imperfections in the plastic surface. I added an insect screen inside the vent. Using RV Vent Cover Screens and trimmed to fit inside the bowl of the vent worked very well.

  Jun 17, 2022     New Battery Terminals       Category: Electrical

Found some new Terminals for the EarthX EXT900-VNT Battery. It allows an additional terminal connection and is a lower profile attaching on the side rather than on top.

  Jun 17, 2022     More Relay Fun - Door Indicator Light       Category: Training

Had some more fun using relays. I wired up a practice circuit using the magnetic switch for the Door Open Indicator Light. Same idea as a simple light switch circuit but this time uses the 87A pin of the 5-pin relay which is Normally Closed. This would cause the light to be ON when the switch is Open. Closing the switch extinguishes the light.

  Jun 12, 2022     Practice Relay Circuit       Category: Training

Too hot to go to the hangar.... Had some fun making a practice circuit using a switch and a relay. I understand relays but have never wired one. So this was a nice little learning experience. Watched some YouTube videos and got a small LED light and a automotive relay on Amazon. Using switches that I planned for the airplane and some wire I had around the house, I started by making a simple one switch one light circuit. Then I made a one switch two light circuit. Using a DPDT ON-ON-ON switch allows an OFF position then 2 ON positions. This simulates OFF / Wig-Wag only / Wig-Wag + Landing Light positions. Nice afternoon indoor project on a hot day.

  May 23, 2022     A/C Continuted... NACA Vents       Category: Air Conditioning

Cut the holes for the NACA vents today. Drilled the corners and then used a Dremel to make the cuts. Finished with a file and deburring tool. It's just a little nerve wracking to cut a hole in the side of the airplane. After discussing with another builder how to attach the plastic NACA vent scoops, I decided to use Proseal adhesive and Pulled Rivets to secure the scoops in place. I used the template to mark and drill the rivet holes. Seemed to work fairly well. Waiting for the Proseal to arrive... Since I'm doing the Aft NACA vents I'll attach the Fwd Vents at the same time.

  May 21, 2022     Electrical System Design       Category: Electrical

I've spent quite a bit of time thinking and re-thinking the electrical system. I've read the AeroElectric Connection by Bob Nuckolls and Aircraft Wiring Guide by Marc Ausman. Both have been very helpful. I think I'm going to go with one Main Battery, two Alternators and a TCW IBBS plan based on the AeroElectric Z-12 design. I was thinking of a VPX-PRO design but I'm concerned about the added complexity. However, the VPX Installation and Operating manual has also been a good resource to find what is and isn't needed in the basic plan. I think I have a draft of the plan complete but will get it looked at before I get too deep. For ignition I've been reading about P-MAGs. Also drafting up a Instrument Panel design. Planning on three G3X GDUs for PFDs and MFD and a G5 as an ISFD with a GMC 307 Autopilot and GTN 635 Nav.

  May 19, 2022     A/C Continuted...       Category: Air Conditioning

Started to route the A/C hoses. Had to drill some holes in the fuselage bulkheads to allow the hose to pass through. Before connecting the hose I drilled the Battery Vent hole in the bottom of the fuselage and attached the drain nipple. I'm going to have to study the hose routing more in the tunnel area. I may have to reach out to Luiz again. I also hung the A/C Blower relays on the Blower Deck mount. looks like there are some molex connectors for the wire bundle.

  May 17, 2022     We Picked an N Number!       Category: Registration

With Tomoko's help we picked an N Number. We decided on N79GU. 1979 is the year that we were married and started our life on Guam. GU is for Guam as Guam has been so much a part of our life together.

  May 17, 2022     A/C Continuted...       Category: Flight Controls

Installed the A/C Drain Tubes. But prior to that I realized that I needed to connect the Autopilot Yaw Servo Cables to the Rudder Cables. This was more of a chore that I expected, since I had put the Center Aft Bulkhead Channel in yesterday and it kind of restricted my access to the Tail Cone. First I clamped the rudder in the neutral position, then pulled the rudder cables taught. I do wish I had three hands sometimes. Holding the servo cable clamps in position while tightening the nuts was the issue. The lightbulb went off and I used Cleco Clamps on the Cable Clamps to hold them in position while I adjusted them and tightened the nuts. The A/C Drain was simple and the Blower Box Drain lined up nicely with the fuselage drain. I may have to make a slight adjustment when I get the Battery Vent Drain in position. So, great... I get to crawl back up inside there to install that drain.

  May 16, 2022     A/C Continuted...       Category: Air Conditioning

Riveted the drain into place today. Used the CS4-4 pulled rivets that were supplied with the SFSA kit. I counter sunk the skin side of the drain and dimpled the fuselage skin to accept the flush rivets. Also riveted the top end of the F-1028 BAGGAGE BULKHEAD CHANNEL to the F-1006D FUSELAGE BULKHEAD. This is because a hose from the A/C will be routed through a lightening hole on the F-1028 Bulkhead Channel. I'm going to have to think about the bottom rivets on the channel piece. I may need some help... Then I trimmed the Tunnel Hose Templates to get ready to drill the holes for the A/C Hoses.

  May 14, 2022     A/C Blower Box Installation       Category: Air Conditioning

Installed the A/C Blower Box. Still waiting for word from SFSA on the Blower wiring, but as far as I can tell it's correct. The rack for the Blower Box rests on the longeron ridge and clamps down using a cross bar. The final position of the box can be adjusted fore and aft as well as up and down to align with the ducting. The dryer was also mounted and a drain hole in the bottom of the fuselage. Still using Google Translate to help identify parts.

  May 13, 2022     A/C Blower Installation       Category: Air Conditioning

I figured it was time to start the Air Conditioning installation. I downloaded the Blower Installation instructions from the SFSA Google Drive website and printed them. The first step is to remove the Blower from the Air Box to install the wires. I used Google Translate photo function to translate from Portuguese to English and identify the different wire harness bags. It really seems to help. It appears that I have the 4-speed motor. Unfortunately the photos in the instructions only illustrate the 3-speed blower. I reached out to SFSA asking for assistance and Luiz replied saying I had it correct. Yay!

  May 12, 2022     Sec. 40 Flap System       Category: Flight Controls

Got the Flap Motor installed today, finishing up Sec. 40. Really not much to it. Making the small bushings was straight forward. I cut them on the band saw and deburred them. I checked the motor for operation with a 9V battery and it worked as advertised. Next thing in this area is mounting the Ray Allen POS-12 Flap Position Sensor. I plan on using an Adel Clamp on the Flap Torque Tube. It seems the easiest for future accessibility and keeps it out of the Tunnel.

  May 09, 2022     Sec. 40 Flap System       Category: Flight Controls

Got all the F-1030 UHMW Bushings in place. The inboard ones weren't too much problem. The outboard ones were a bit more difficult. Per a suggestion, I used a Scotch-Brite pad to reduce the O.D. and some Boelube and pushed it through and into position. Very tight fit but it worked. Then found that I was one short of AN3-12A bolts used to bolt the Bushings into place. Arrggghhh... Scrounged one from a fellow builder and will pay him back when my order comes in from ACS. Next will be the Flap Motor installation. Will also need to plan on my POS-12 Flap Position Sensor installation.

  May 01, 2022     Section 40 - Flaps       Category: Flight Controls

Started Sec. 40 today. Had to match and final drill holes in the Flap Crank, Flap Horns and Torque Tubes. There is a Bellcrank Jig with a part number of W-730. For the life of me, I couldn't find it. So, I fabricated one. Using this jig sets the angle of the Flap Horns, relative to the Flap Crank. With a vice grip, clamp the Crank to the table and with the jig installed, measure the length of the tube and set the angle. Then drill holes for the Horns and Torque Tubes and Prime the Tubes. Next was trimming the UHMW Bushings. The required cut is to provide space for the torque tube cover in the floor area of the rear seats. The other trimming is optional. I printed 4 templates and used double sided tape to stick them to each block. It made the cuts very simple. I then bolted the 4 blocks together and sanded them to the same size. Pg 40-4 Step 5 has you slide a bushing down the torque tube over the powder coated area. I used some Scotchbrite to reduce the outside diameter of the powder coat, lubed with Boelube and slid a PVC pipe over the tube and hammered it down the tube. Okay so far but I can see this is going to be an issue getting both bushings into the correct position. Especially the ones on the outboard sides.

  Apr 29, 2022     Section 39       Category: Flight Controls

Finished Section 39 today. Squared up the Control Sticks and installed the Elevator Pushrod Assembly. Had to make a small jig to set the correct length of the forward Pushrod while in the neutral position and also using the Elevator Bellcrank jig. Also had to make sure the loop in the safety wire goes aroung the bearing, passing between the rod end housing and the WD-1010 Control Column clevis and is captured by the AN4 bolt

  Apr 27, 2022     Stick Grip Unboxing!       Category: Flight Controls

Received the Infinity Stick Grips today! A very nice product that I'm looking forward to installing. When speaking to JD he convinced me to add the Stick Grip Pivoting Spacer ( SGPS ) to the order. It allows the Stick Grip to pivot +/- 45 degrees from center for better forearm to wrist ergonomics. The Infinity Grips are very popular and according to JD have even been used in movie props. I'll have to keep an eye out for them.