Apr 25, 2021     before storing in barn       Category: Fuselage

Today I attached the lawn mower wheels to the landing gear struts and then wrapped the fuselage in plastic before moving the fuselage into the barn for storage until wings are complete. I also started laying out the rudder pieces and cut the support blocks.

of course I had to sit in the fuselage and make "Vroom - Vroom" sounds.

  Apr 11, 2021     review and clean up       Category: Fuselage

Today I started going over the fuselage for things I had put off until later: The eye bolts in the tail; the gluing of the 1/4 ply doublers; and the interior 3"x7" cover pieces on the landing struts. The eye bolts I had only put off because I had not ordered them initially. The other pieces I had waited until the landing gear was in place the ensure I could easily get to the bolts holding the landing gear in place. Next I will fit the fuel tank support floor. Another piece I waited until the landing gear was in place.

  Oct 24, 2020     misc clean up       Category: Fuselage

Today did some clean up inside the fuselage. Installed the rudder pulley in the cockpit, the aft pitot static lines, added a 1/4 inch cut for the rudder bearing plate and the bolts to VP service Bulletin #1.
I also realized that I am not going to install the top skin until later. There are inside fuselage things that need to be done before I seal it in and I do not want to work through 3" inspection holes. I guess the biggest moment of realization was looking at the 1/4 inch by 5 inch cut in F15. A 5 inch triangular aluminum plate slides in this hole and a 5 inch plate will not go through a 3 inch hole. There is a 6" hole in the seat back but somehow sliding it all the way aft seemed counter productive.

And if you look closely at the pitot static opening in the sides of the fuselage - yes, they are covered in cut out pieces of a Coke can. This is as per the plans.

  Oct 17, 2020     skins for the fuselage       Category: Fuselage

  Oct 04, 2020     another missed brace       Category: Fuselage

I had an experienced builder tell me once: "The second aircraft you build will be easier." Today I was looking at the cut diagrams (for about the 100th time) to determine if I had enough 4x8 sheets after cutting out some more fuselage skins. This was on about page 56 + of the plans. I casually turned back a couple pages and looked at page 53... and noticed a 3/4" x 2" cross brace. My first thought was "Where the hell is this located?" and how did I miss this? So looking back to page 3 there are 2 miniscule lines noted at 8" on center from the stern post. The result is a painful reexamine of the frame and then gluing in place of the 2" Douglas fir brace for the rudder trim.

I also taped and varnished the undersides of the top skin and aft rear skin.

  Oct 03, 2020     VP 1 Service Bulletin #2       Category: Fuselage

Fortunately, looking at the VP service bulletins I found VP SB 1 and 2 that should be done before sealing in the fuselage. For SB #2, I ordered 1 1/4 inch 4130 steel from A/C Spruce and got some new hacksaw blades. They cut very easily and bent clean. For SB #1 I ordered the nuts bolts and washers but I'll do that install another time. Expenses listed for the nuts, bolts and 36" of 1 1/4" 4130 steel

  Sep 28, 2020     Top Skin       Category: Fuselage

In my SEP 12 entry I noted that I had to remove the top brace for the rudder. This past weekend after removing the top brace I (mostly) cut out the top 1/16th inch ply skin and spliced it to the 1/8th inch ply skin after of the main fuselage. Because this top skin will seal in the main fuselage I tacked it to the longerons and used my router to trim. I used masking tape on the underside of the skins so next week I can varnish it without varnishing the wood to wood places. I also cut the 1/8th inch aft section of the top skin and glued the two pieces together. It did take me some time to figure out how to trim 1/16th off the 1/8th ply to splice the two parts together. Finally, by carefully setting my table saw to 1/16 inch depth I cut a couple "guide" grooves then used a very sharp chisel and trimmed off the excess. The photos show the two skins being glued (spliced) together for one long top skin. Next I will remake the top rudder brace with the 2 1/2 inch rudder tube bushing hole and fit it all together. the expenses listed above are for a gallon of spar varnish and more nuts and bolts from A/C Spruce.

  Sep 12, 2020     Rudder support       Category: Fuselage

After varnishing the interior of the fuselage I started working on the top skin of the fuselage. When I was following the plans and the advice of prior builders I decided to skin the bottom of the fuselage before the top. This way when I applied the varnish it would run down and seal the gaps and cracks in the bottom vs the top. This makes sense as the condensation after build would also run down in the bottom of the fuselage. So when I progressed to the next step and built the rudder supports I put the top frame of the rudder in place and forgot the top skin was not installed. Today I removed the rudder support and next week I will rebuild.

  Aug 30, 2020     Varnish       Category: Fuselage

After trimming the bottom 1/16th inch ply to the bottom of the fuselage I applied a coat of varnish to the interior. I was a little surprised the bare wood soaked up a whole quart but it went on nicely. It did run through in a couple spots and I will have to sand a few places where I didn't think to put masking tape. As a side note: the T88 epoxy does not stick to polymer - what a surprise. I sent a question to the volksplane builder's forum and got a great response from Fritz Wagoner:
(ref: page 15) The gap between the bottom of the rudder and the top of the
1/4" ply plate is ~5/16". There's plenty of room for bolt heads, especially
if you use something like an AN525 machine screws. ...maybe put AN970
washers under the heads.
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/hapages/an525.php

You could also cut a shallow grove (or two) around the OD of the bushing
that will fill with epoxy and mechanically hold the bushing in even though
the epoxy won't stick to the bushing.

Don't loose sleep over it though, the top bushing can't fall out. The
bellcrank sticking through the slot in the F-15 bulkhead keeps the rudder
from moving up and down.

HTH
Fritz

  Aug 23, 2020     skins for the fuselage       Category: Fuselage

today glued the lower 1/16th ply fuselage skin on the plane. After the glue sets (next week) I will trim the skin flush to the sides. With a little extra T88 epoxy I glued two scraps of the rudder bushing material together - to see if I can epoxy the bushing to the fuselage later. After typing this I realized I need to glue this to wood to see it that is successful. I did that without photos and will see the test results next week.

  Jun 20, 2020     rudder tube support       Category: Fuselage

Worked on the bracing support structure for the rudder tube. This took a great deal of time to trim the �nch plywood to be level with the top of the fuselage. This according to the plans is a ”wedge” shape. The “wedge” is only on the sides where the plywood glues to the longerons. Lots of trimming later the lower “platform” pass through is level with the top of the fuselage. I can't find the photos with just the "wedge" in it so this is a later photo showing the rudder bearing in place.

  May 09, 2020     Cross stiffeners       Category: Fuselage

Installed the cross stiffeners with gussets. I also ordered the hardware kit package from Aircraft Spruce… they got $775.09 from me this time.

  May 04, 2020     Iron for control stick Category: Fuselage

Ordered the iron tubes and plate steel for the control stick assembly. ($142.16)

  May 03, 2020     sternpost       Category: Fuselage

a second sternpost I finished and now I can glue it in place. It does fit this time and the stabilator holes are on the left side of the

  Apr 18, 2020     Sternpost       Category: Fuselage

work on sternpost. Once again after gluing and trimming I set the sternpost in place before gluing. A few clamps and photos later… It doesn't fit very well (gaps around the longerons) and I am not satisfied . Just as well because now that I look at the photos I drilled the holes in opposite (left for right and right for left).

  Apr 18, 2020     sternpost Category: Fuselage

First I cut and glued F11 and the cockpit gussets in place.
April 18 2020 work on sternpost. Once again after gluing and trimming I set the sternpost in place before gluing. A few clamps and photos later… It doesn't fit very well and I am not satisfied . Just as well because now that I look at the photos I drilled the holes in opposite (left for right and right for left).

  Apr 12, 2020     cockpit floor Category: Fuselage

glued the cockpit floor in place
April 14 2020 I contacted the VP forum group and asked about the glue for the lower longerons. MISSED ANOTHER PLACE IN THE PLANS! The lower longerons were supposed to be glued in place back in February. Only the upper longerons were to be help off until later to ensure a good fit Now I need to use Popsicle sticks to slide glue between the longerons and the skins.

  Apr 05, 2020     firewall       Category: Fuselage

much easier day, today I glued the firewall in place. I also glued in the upper longerons. The plans do not indicate the lower longerons get glued in at this point so hopefully they will get glued in later.

  Apr 04, 2020     fuselage gluing Category: Fuselage

This was the hardest gluing job I did to date.
I glued both sides of the fuselage with the cockpit longeron doublers in place. I dropped the sides on the floor of the garage a couple times, got glue all over my hands, slipped the clamps a few time, and finally got everything in place with about every bar clamp I own.
As a former Naval Aviator I was told a thousand times – maybe- that engineers “over-engineer” their designs. I hope this is true of Bud Evans with his VP 1 design. I have extra glue in places where I will have to sand or chip off later and places where I have no idea if enough glue worked its way into the cracks. I did my best and searched for missed areas and carefully measured and “eyeballed” the mix of T88 glue to a 1:1 mix.

  Mar 29, 2020     fuselage set up       Category: Fuselage

After pasting these photos to the building log I noticed a very important detail I should have noticed before. The plans do not give a very good indication of “forward view” and “aft view”. I ending up drilling new holes in the bulkheads (F3 and F4) for the left side rudder cables.

  Mar 15, 2020     test positioning       Category: Fuselage

March 15 - 29, 2020 This week I set up a centerline down the length of the workbench. Positioning the bulkheads F3 and F4 on the table I saw that I never drilled the holes for the bushings. I thought I would get these by now from Fritz Wagoner. But either way I realized that next week I would have to drill these holes on the drill press. I set the bukheads up and positioned the left and right sides together with clamps.

  Mar 07, 2020     Gluing skins to the longerons       Category: Fuselage

I joined the left side skin to the longerons. Using the �nch a/c nails from Aircraft Spruce Co. The next day after drying I trimmed the skins to the longerons using the flush bits purchased from Amazon. DAMN! The ball bearing flew apart – thankfully wearing a full face shield as I trimmed – the broken bit dug a 1/8 inch dip into the longeron and skin. Not a big bite but unsightly. I will fill with wood epoxy when time to “finish” the fuselage.

  Feb 29, 2020     skins for the fuselage       Category: Fuselage

February 26 2020 my 3rd sheet of 1/8 okoume plywood arrives.
February 29 2020 attached the vertical “Stiffeners” to the longerons and the aft and fwd skins of the fuselage together with a 9 inch doubler.



Setting a spare section of 4'x4' �nch ply on top of the longerons I used a spare lawnmower battery as the “clamp” to glue together the left and right (fore and aft) skins at the 9 inch doublers.

Realizing that the 9” doubler makes the skin 1/8 inch thicker I had to plane the vertical stiffener under the doublers 1/8 inch thinner.

  Feb 21, 2020     dry skin on Fuselage       Category: Fuselage

I laid the �nch longerons on the workbench to get a sense of how the left and right “skins will fit” on the longerons. (photo also shows my “3-piece” worktable in detail)
AGAIN I SCREWED UP! THIS ONE COSTS ME $ THOUGH… I DID NOT CUT THE EARLIER 1/8 PIECES FROM THE “CUT PLAN” IN THE EVENS DRAWINGS. NOW I DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH CLEAR PIECES OF 1/8 INCH PLY TO COVER THE SKINS OF THE AIRCRAFT. I order another piece of 1/8 4x8 ply from Boulter plywood. ($130)

  Jan 12, 2020     Bulkheads Category: Fuselage

ordered 2nd quart of T88 epoxy. ($39)
The remaining weekends in January 2020 was spent building a second set of F3 and F4 bulkheads. I sent a note to Fritz and he told me that by the end of my building project I will feel as though I have remade enough VP parts to build a second airplane (I hope not)

  Jan 02, 2020     Bulkheads       Category: Fuselage

A new year and back into weekly VP progress. Carefully measured �ound circles in the F3 and F4 bulkheads. Cut them carefully on the bandsaw. SCREWED THE POOCH ON THIS ONE! I CUT THE �OUNDS IN THE BOTTOMS INSTEAD OF THE TOPS OF THE BULKHEADS! DAMN I MAY HAVE TO REBUILD THE F3 AND F4 BULKHEADS. The old saying of measure twice and cut once implies that you measure in the right place!
I also ordered �bs of a/c quality nails from AC spruce and specialty company – my first order and probably not my last from AC Spruce. I set up an account. ($5)

  Dec 29, 2019     Fuselage, beginnings       Category: Fuselage

Exchanged more emails with Fritz W. When I laid the longerons on the workbench I could see that connecting the cockpit bulkheard to the rear sternpost becomes a “narrowing” both bottom and sides. My question was is the bottom “curved or straight”? He replied that a gradual curve is preferable so not to make the VP into a “pregnant Guppy” shape.In these pictures I placed the right hand fuselage longerons on the workbench with blocks and the vertical risers approximately in place.After placing these in place "dry" (no glue) I realized I needed to use shorter blocks so the gussets and skin would be above the blocks.I replaced any oversize blocks with 1/2 inch thick blocks.

  Dec 26, 2019     Longerons       Category: Fuselage

I cut and planed the 16 foot longerons. WOW! What a job. The picture of the longerons shows a couple of interesting things about my workshop. 1) I had to assemble my workbench made of three sections. A 60” x 36” maple old teacher's desk top, connected to a 48” x 36” section of a plywood shipping box and lastly a hollow core wooden door (maybe seven foot by 30 inches). Overall I ended up with 15' 6” of workbench. 2) The entire workbench sits on four saw horses made from 2x4's and pallet wood. And 3) cutting and sending 16 foot boards was its own unique issue because my workspace is only about 16 feet (as is visible in the above photo). So (the weather was cool but sunny) I put my table saw on 2x4 pieces in the driveway and cut toward the table saw (which leveling both so the boards landed flat was another issue). The finished but not mounted cherry mantle is also on the workbench.

  Dec 21, 2019     Bulkheads       Category: Fuselage

F3 had to wait a month while I built a spice rack and a cherry mantle as Christmas Presents.

  Nov 24, 2019     Bulkheads       Category: Fuselage

Today I got back to gluing the F3 bulkhead. I glued both front and back at the same time and used the clamps I got at the NWA auction. As one person on the VP forum said “you can never have enough clamps”. The glue looks good all around with uniform seepage. The fit is a little over on the edges and I will have to trim using the router table and a “0” clearance flush bit. The bushings for F3 and F4 are machines from solid steel rods and Fritz Wagoneer and Albany Metal superstore have the ability to machine these for me. Fritz will do it for the cost of materials and postage so I will wait for him.

  Nov 23, 2019     Bulkheads Category: Fuselage

I sent a message to Fritz Wagoner asking his advice on a section of the plans. The measurements on F4 show 7" but the 1/4 scale looks more like 6".
Fritz Wagoner has built at least 2 VP airplanes and has probably the most informative web site on VP building. http://www.zianet.com/fwagoner/ Fritz also told me about the Volksplane builder's group page (https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/volksplane/info) with a lot of very good detailed photos. (Note: this page has been become obsolete because of Yahoo changes in policy a new VP builder's group has taken its place. https://groups.io/g/Volksplane. Unfortunately all of the Yahoo group photos were not captured and moved before the Yahoo group went under)
Fritz informed me that on the F4 plans the 7” measurement on the plans was a misprint and should be 6” to accommodate a 45? angle at the 2” measurement fits the cockpit seat better.

  Nov 10, 2019     Bulkheads       Category: Fuselage

clamped and glued the F3 & F4 plywood to fwd sides and top.

  Nov 03, 2019     Bulkheads       Category: Fuselage

removed the F3 from the frame and set up F4 into the frame. Bought more Douglas fir/Birch/ �arine ply. ($67). On November 10, 2019 took both F3 and F4 to our EAA meeting in Bennington – “show and tell”. Not a tremendous start to the airplane but something to show I started. In the picture the 3/4 marine ply is in the background.

  Oct 26, 2019     Bulkheads       Category: Fuselage

Cut the remaining pieces for F3.
Online I saw a few posts from other builders about building a frame for gluing both F3 and F4. I found a piece of flat plywood with reinforced backing from a plywood shipping crate and made a frame from scraps of wood.

I cut a couple replacement frame pieces for the F3 and F4 because the 90 degree cuts didn't fit closely enough. I put them in the frame (dry) to see how they fit. Not bad. So I put them back in after mixing the T88 epoxy glue. This was my first time with the glue mix and probably made more glue than I needed. I used small 4 oz. dixie cups and wood popsicle sticks to stir. The garage temperature is within the range recommended for the glue (50? +). I put the piece of the douglas fir and sitka spruce in the frame. I cut the �nch ply for the covering pieces on the bandsaw and perhaps will glue those tomorrow.

  Oct 23, 2019     Bulkheads Category: Fuselage

I did some basic calculations on building the VP1. Published forums indicate 700 to 1000 hours are needed to complete the project. If I only work on it for 2 or 3 hours a weekend then it will take 4 to 5 years. I think I should try to budget 10 hours per week.

  Oct 20, 2019     Bulkheads       Category: Fuselage

Put the new saw blade on the table saw and made the first cuts for F3 and F4. Douglas Fir and Sitka Spruce. Unfortunately I did not check the new blade to be sure it was 90?. I had to re-cut the boards. All boards had to be planed to �nches. I found that my table saw is about 3?off. Now cuts are at 90?. As a first step in my project I started on the cockpit bulkheads (F3 and F4 in the plans). This was also my first use of the T88 epoxy for joining wood. I put a couple pieces of scrap Sitka Spruce in the vise after it dried. This stuff is great the glue joint held and the wood splinters!

  Sep 28, 2019     Bought Douglas Fir Category: Fuselage

Bought Douglas Fir at Curtis Lumber ($20.34) I also ordered my first quart of T88 epoxy from Amazon ($39)

  Jul 10, 2019     Materials       Category: Fuselage

Took some time trying to find the best place to buy local materials and found Boulter Plywood in Massachusetts https://www.boulterplywood.com/. Chris at Boulter Plywood had just received an order of aircraft quality Sitka Spruce material for ship masts. Originally I was only going to buy the minimum amount of Spruce but I decided to buy all the spruce he had. The Okoume plywood came bound in 1/2 inch A/A quality birch and 1/4 inch ply.