Mar 13, 2024     Firewall - (3 hours)       Category: Workshop

Made pattern for firewall. Shape and position determine the profile of the fuselage so I spend way too much time on it.

  Mar 09, 2024     Firewall7 - (7 hours)       Category: Workshop

Built jig to get contour of cowling so the firewall will fit inside it. Will fit around the front of the longerons and have cardboard stapled/attached on which I can draw the curve of the cowling. Also got plans for a wing rack and started to gather materials for it. Got three of one type caster and an odd man out from the bin. Ah, just another trip to the candy store. They know me by name.

  Mar 01, 2024     Lofting Sketch - (5 hours)       Category: Research

Spent the evening trying to put the seat and the upper surface of the fuselage in their best orientation. Harder than it seems it would be. Very little guidance from the plans except that Ray Stits' seat height was 6" from the bottom of the tubing. Met him once at Oshkosh, he seemed like he was a little shorter than average. Hard to imaging altering the dimensions if I get it wrong. Wish I could figure out how I could sit in my AC and check.

Got some parts from Aircraft Spruce but spent fully half the cost of the parts getting them here. Going to have to find some local suppliers near Columbus.

  Feb 17, 2024     Canopy - (3 hours)       Category: Research

So many canopy designs! Want one that slides back for TO and landing but doesn't add months to build time. Also don't want to have to "blow" a shape because of visual distortion which may result. Sorta favorite so far is the FW-190 from WWII.

  Feb 16, 2024     Cockpit Dimensions - (1 hour)       Category: Research

Managed to score some typical cockpit dimensions from Tony Bingelis' book. Going to have to work out a way to sit in the space to get it right for my sized person but this will get me in the ball park I hope. Lots of moving parts. Maybe the seat support structure needs to adjust to let me get in and out comfortably.

  Feb 13, 2024     Rejection seat - (1.1 hours)       Category: Workshop

Finally, a seat I can live with! Still having problems with the vertical placement/structure that holds it up and hopefully adjusts a bit. Fat old man needs as much clearance as possible to get in

  Apr 23, 2023     Welding - (2 hours) Category: Workshop

Bought new Smiths AW1A torch, tips and light weight hose. The Henrob torch is heavy as a brick and my Victor torch has been in use for 45 years. Really need to get one of those practice tubing bundles from AC Spruce. Hope I can somehow manage to do an adequate weld on the fitting which attaches my LG.

  Apr 20, 2023     Jig - (2 hours)       Category: Workshop

Jig to form 30 degree angle for split-tube repair. Is not precise but i guess close enough

  Mar 30, 2023     Revelation - (2 hours)       Category: Workshop

Now have a magnet to check that the rods are steel.

  Mar 26, 2023     Stabilizer - (2 hours) Category: Workshop

Deciding, designing the stab jack screw arrangement. Have some Piper parts and did some research at Oshkosh. Whole angle of incidence thing seems overly complex, hope it's worth it. Other manufacturers have gone with it rather than a trim tab so I'll continue until the fabrication becomes too much. Plans have a tab on the left elevator.