Project: RickWeiss   -  
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Builder Name:Rick Weiss   -  
Project:   Vans - RV-14A   -   VIEW REPORTS
Total Hours:2059
Start/Last Date:Jul 21, 2020 - No Finish Date
 
Friendly URL: https://eaabuilderslog.org?s=RickWeiss

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May 14, 2024     Installation - (2.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
After a quick call to Advanced Flight I found out that there are a few wire colors on the drawings that do not coincide with the actual wire colors. There are labels that help sort this out, but one would think this is an easy issue to correct. Moving on. If you ordered an Aero Classic interior take note: they provide a new forward center floor panel with the hole, centered for the 12V Power Plug. They also provide a new mounting plate for the 12V Power plug that is now centered thus the cross piece (installed on the QB) from Van's needs to be replaced. So we drilled out the rivets holding the old mount to the ribs, riveted in the new mounting plate with the plug installed and also coiled up the music plug and wire for later removal as. there really isn't any need for it since the technology now uses bluetooth rather than a physical connection. Wiring this plug still remains to be done.


 
May 11, 2024     Research - (2.0 hours) Category: Avionics
After attempting to run a wire from the ACM front connector to the furel pump, I found out it was the wrong wire. So I decided to closely study the wiring from the ACM to the fuselage by performing continuity checks because a few wire colors didn't seem to work out just right. I completed the ACM front wiring connector pins/wires checks and found some unusual labeling and incorrect colors. I hope the other connectors are correct. Oh well, pressing onward.
 
May 10, 2024     installation - (1.0 hour)       Category: Avionics
Simple task, screw in the ground terminal for the 12VDC charger plug. Well, like everything else it wasn't easy. Poor accessibility required us to build a stubby phillips screwdriver attached to a vise grip and pushed into the screw head with a long bucking bar. Meanwhile, I took a 1/4" wrench and tightened the nasty little steel locknut. Once done with that we secured the excess wires with zip ties. I decided to place them into the tunnel rather than alongside the rudder cable. Of course they too were somewhat in accessible requiring a lot of gymnastics and bleeding hands to get to and tighten. But it's done and yes it took a freaking hour to accomplish! Geez!


 
May 08, 2024     Installation - (1.0 hour)       Category: Avionics
It seemed easy, but it wasn't due mostly to lack of accessibility. Finding a ground area for the IFD540 backup battery switch ground location was the issue. I had decided to use the one of the unused 3 drilled holes where the glovebox is. Finding a screw to fit in the crimped ring terminal was easy, but then to enlarge the holes and reach in behind to secure the ring terminal was not easy, mostly due to my fat hands and the need to get into confined areas. It got done and you can see Paul struggling to get to the screw while I reached behind with the locknut. I guess I could have found an easier location, but hey, let's make it a challenge.


 
May 06, 2024     Wiring - (1.5 hours)       Category: Avionics
Completed wiring the ADAHRS. The last wire, supposed to be orange, was green. Talked with AFS and they said that Vans probably shipped it and didn't have any more orange, so they used green. The green wire in hole 1 is paired with blue for hole 6. The other green is now in hole 5. Hope it works. Also completed the OAT sensor wiring and installed and secured it in the ADAHRS. Temporally checked the left bottom skin in place. While I had AFS on the phone I learned the TCW B/U battery for the IFD 540 has a white wire coming out of it. This wire, labeled enable, is installed on the Power Switch for the IFD. The black wire is ground and can connect to the airframe. Switched gears for another hour to work on my -7A conditional.


 
May 05, 2024     Installation - (1.5 hours)       Category: Avionics
After giving the G-5 pitot static installation more thought, I decide to reroute the tubing from the center stack behind the instrument panel to the far righthand come thru the glove compartment. This gives the tubes some additional space and it allows for easier removal of the G5, or panel removal, should the need arise. With is small mod complete I cut the pitot and static lines. I inserted the new tube capture fittings into the G5 and the tubes into the G5. On to the static line in the tunnel where we cut the line and installed a tee so we could go out to the wing in addition to the G5. I installed the OAT sensor into the hole on the left wing and inserted the power wires into the fitting.


 
May 04, 2024     Installation - (1.5 hours)       Category: Avionics
We spent the time running the Pitot and Static lines thru the forward fuselage up to the G5. The same Pitot line also went thru the tunnel then turned and went out to the left wing area. A new Static line was run from outside the left wing attach area and thru the mid- fuselage to the tunnel where I'll later connect the two together.


 
May 03, 2024     Installation - (1.0 hour)       Category: Avionics
We removed the lower left wing panel and installed the ADAHRS and the pitot, static and AoA tubes. The AoA tube was originally installed with the intent to attach to the EFIS, however the plans changed and with the ADAHRS in the wing, there is no connection to the EFIS. So I replaced the AoA line with one that goes directly from the pitot tube to the ADAHRS and no further, thus eliminating the Y fitting (and another possible leak point.


 
May 02, 2024     Installation - (2.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
Installed yet more wires and reran a few to help untangle the mess of wires behind the panels. With the exception of the G5 pitot/static lines and the dimmer switch wiring, the copilot side wiring appears (LoL) to be complete. Time will tell. Sorted out the wires on the pilot side in preparation for wiring switches and some other wires and tubing for the pitot static system. Lots more to do as there is no light at the end of the tunnel yet.


 
Apr 26, 2024     Installation - (1.5 hours)       Category: Avionics
Continued installing more wire bundles to the ACM, Comm2 radio and its tuning head. Temporarily installed the SIC's panel (with the MFD) and its wire bundle.


 
Apr 25, 2024     Installation - (.5 hour)       Category: Avionics
With a few minutes available I temporarily installed several connectors to the ACM and installed the connector to the EMS-220. The connectors will be readjusted to get rid of the criss crossing when the full complement are initially fitted.


 
Apr 24, 2024     Installation - (4.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
Now that the diplexer is on hand and schedules are coordinated with Dean we hooked everything up and attempted to install the Avidyne IFD540. But it wouldn't seat properly. Note the gap in photo 6365. After a lot of attempts and thinking everything thru we determined that on the first attempt we didn't drill the mount holes in the appropriate location - that is, based on the original cover plate. With the new cover plate in hand we then measured a few more times before drilling the new holes - and then went for it. This time everything went well and the unit fits properly and is finally installed as in photo 6367.


 
Apr 09, 2024     Installation - (1.0 hour)       Category: Avionics
With the Avidyne mount tray clecoed in place we drilled the #28 holes to secure the tray. Then we removed it and deburred the holes. Next we were ready to install the GPS, Comm, G/S and Nav cables to The back of the tray, but I was short the Nav cable. I ordered a RG400 with BNC's cable for the wing root to IFD. Amazon will have it here tomorrow.


 
Apr 06, 2024     Center Panels - (1.5 hours)       Category: Avionics
Installed some of the avionic boxes into the new upper and lower center panels. The new lower center panel now has the 60A ALT CB hole drilled in place, labelled and the CB installed. The old panel didn't have this. The ELT control is awaiting battery and screws before it's installed. The upper center panel was completely redone so the the A/P and Radio are on the sides with the Avidyne B/U battery switch and the canopy eject handle now centered on the panel.


 
Apr 01, 2024     Surgery - (1 hour) Category: Misc
Project temporarily on hold as I recover from cervical/spinal surgery.
 
Feb 08, 2024     Parts Installation - (1.0 hour)       Category: Avionics
Took a break from taxes and installed the manifold pressure fitting in the engine and then installed and secured the hose ends.


 
Feb 02, 2024     Parts Installation - (1.5 hours)       Category: Avionics
I continued the installation of zip ties to hold wires in place and I removed all the temporary ones (at least I think I got them all, there are a lot.) Also, I thought the left side was done but I found a few locations where more support was needed to safely secure everything. There is a place for adel clamps, and I guess I could have used more, but seriously the engine mount would have had dozens of those darn near impossible clamps to install and the engine mount isn't large enough to hold them all. I exaggerate, but I need to remember why I went in another direction. The right side is done - for now. There are more wires to come.


 
Jan 30, 2024     Parts Installation - (4.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
I shortened cylinders 1 & 3 CHTs & EGTs wires from the EMS and then installed new barrel connectors. Again, I wrapped all the individual connections in rescue tape. All wiring attachments to the engine mount on the right side were rerouted and refastened, but rather than using adel clamps I used zip ties with multiple wraps of rescue tape on the mount to ensure NO direct contact with the zip ties on the mount. I managed to start the same procedure on the left side, but ran out of time. Also, I continued the procedure of separating the ignition wires from each other. The right side is done, but there are a couple of more on the left side that need attention. This process is ongoing as I see how the entire wiring package comes to together as the build continues.


 
Jan 29, 2024     Parts Installation - (1.5 hours)       Category: Avionics
Building hint. Completely read the instructions. Turns out I planned to to do the oil pressure, fuel pressure and fuel flow at the same time since they were on the left side. Well, duh, the manifold pressure uses two of the same wires that others do, but it was on the right side and didn't get done at the same time. So I had to solder in another connector for power and use a different ground wire. No problem, but just a little more work to run the wires. Now the manifold pressure sensor wiring is complete.


 
Jan 28, 2024     Parts Installation - (3.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
Research complete and the solder 'ring' is okay as is. It doesn't need to disappear. Pull tested the wires and they're secure. I finished the fuel pressure and oil pressure wiring and secured the wires. On to the fuel flow measurement wiring. I had to feed those wires thru the firewall opening - missed them on the initial feed. They were very hard to get too, but it got done. Soldered and pull tested okay. I secured all of those wires then went on to securing cylinders two and four spark plug wires on the backside of the engine. Due to the expected shaking and engine vibration, I left a little extra slack in all the electrical wiring.


 
Jan 27, 2024     Parts Installation - (2.5 hours)       Category: Avionics
I completed the wiring of the EGTs and CHTs on cylinders 2 and 4. I did leave some extra slack in the harnesses so I could easily reach them and also just in case the wires should need rework in the future. The butt connectors are quite cumbersome and to protect them I opted to wrap them in rescue tape. Not pretty, but functional. I wired the oil temp sensor. Then I tried using a solder joint tube for the first time. The wires are soldered together but the solder ring isn't completely melted, I'll research that to ensure it's done correctly before I do more.


 
Jan 26, 2024     Parts Installation - (1.0 hour) Category: Avionics
I did some research and found the brown EMS wires can be cut without any problems so I began the CHT and EGT wiring work on cylinders 2 and 4 with the wires being cut for a better fit. I'll still leave room for an extra 6 or so inches of slack. I'll also go back and redo the wires for cylinders 1 and 4.
 
Jan 25, 2024     Parts Installation - (1.5 hours)       Category: Avionics
I completed the installation of cylinders 1 & 3 EGT & CHT probe wiring. I also decided to leave the EMS probe wires full length for now. I don't know if resistance is a factor or not because if it is, it's not a big deal as I can always cut them back later. Also, I feel I need to find some material to protect the connectors.


 
Jan 24, 2024     Parts Installation - (1.0 hour)       Category: Avionics
I added a new adel clamp to cylinder 3 rocker box cover mainly to hold the CHT and EGT wires and also added the #1 plug wire thru the clamp. The wires were then thread thru zip ties that attached to the adel clamps, but not the plug wire. The right side bundle of EGT and CHT wires were zip tied to the engine mount, with plenty of slack.


 
Jan 23, 2024     Parts Installation - (1.5 hours)       Category: Avionics
The engine sensor wires that were split into two bundles are now zipped tied, one for behind the firewall and the other forward of the firewall. The Dsub end was connected to the EMS unit and the wires threaded above all the other wires, tubing and the plethora of other important items, behind the rear instrument bulkhead. The forward wires were then jammed, I mean threaded, thru the upper firewall opening. This opening is now nearly at max capacity. I also physically installed the 12V plug in the center floorboard tab. Although the wires are connected to it, this remains to be wired to power.


 
Jan 20, 2024     Parts Fabrication - (1.5 hours)       Category: Avionics
Easy day as I finished using the multimeter to verify each wire for the EMS-220's sensor harness and then separated them into firewall forward and aft bundles. A lot of wires aren't used, but I hesitate to remove them from the connector as I don't want to possibly damage an adjacent wire. I plan to make them shorter and protect the ends with a piece of heat shrink. I also need to figure out what to do with the many ground wires. The instructions aren't clear as to whether they're unused or should be grounded. Probably unused or there would be a grounding symbol on the drawing. I'll verify with Advanced Flight.


 
Jan 19, 2024     Parts Installation - (3.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
This is unf'ing believable. Yes, it took three hours to finish installing one LEMO jack and one headset jack on the right side and get the floor painted - twice! It wasn't fun. Take note: The LEMO jack nut that fastens it to the floor is one of the weirdest, most user unfriendly design I've come across in quite a while. You can't just place a wrench on it. It has two small flats that are tiny and barely accessible to the average wrench. Add to that you have to shove your arm under the floor to hold the case from turning while attempting to tighten it. Good thing a friend stopped by to help. Oh yes, and the larger headset jack has a conical nylon washer with a protruding head that comes thru the floor, but it protrudes too much and the nut can't tighten down the jack before bottoming out. After sanding down the protruding head and adding two more washers on the bottom side, I finally got the jack secured. But only after screwing up my first repainting job. The second repaint was marginally acceptable, but I have had enough of this simple task. It must be me as I'm sure no one else has had this problem OR will admit to it! Anyway, the second paint job looks good from 10 feet away but will be partially hidden by the seat. All jacks are now installed and tightened.


 
Jan 18, 2024     Parts Installation - (1.5 hours)       Category: Avionics
I can't believe it took me an hour and half to do this, but it did. After locating and drilling the additional 9/16" hole for the LEMO plug, I installed the pilot and copilot headset jacks - and the LEMO plug. I did screw up the paint job on the copilot side, so I'll have to fix that later. Also, a note to self; the LEMO plugs haven't been tightened yet.


 
Jan 17, 2024     Research - (3.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
I decided to attempt to make sense of the EMS-220 (Engine Monitoring System) wiring. I had a couple of goals by doing this. First, since this was the only cable not labelled I wanted to be sure I had the correct wire bundle. (it is the right one.) Next, for routing purposes, I wanted to separate wires going forward thru the firewall and those that are aft of it. Then I wanted to identify each of the wires so that I could label them and get them to the right location. In doing so, I found many unidentifiable wires. Working with Advance Flight Systems, they were very patient and helpful, I was able to identify a few more. Due to time limitations, I'll have to call them back again. Also, there are many wires/pins that aren't used, so I guess I'll have to do continuity checks to see what's what.


 
Jan 16, 2024     Parts Installation - (3.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
Continued installing more wire bundles. The glove box audio panel wiring bundles containing the headset "plugs" were fed thru the fuselage tunnel then over to the seat area where they'll be installed and the audio panel connector to the ACM was installed. Comm 1 and comm 2 antenna wires were marked and installed to the antennae. The comm 2 wire was installed into comm 2. In my continuing saga of misaligned boxes I adjusted the ADS-B, but it still looks off - oh well, two tries and I'm done. I discovered the transponder unit connector wouldn't quite clear the EMS unit so I had to move it up and over slightly. I should have plugged the connectors in and checked for clearances first, so lesson learned. The ground wire nut plate has been installed. I plan to run another ground from there to the battery ground, just to be safe. I started working on the sensor connector, but there's a lot to do to identify where each wire goes, A job for tomorrow.


 
Jan 15, 2024     Parts Installation - (2.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
I installed oil temperature sensor, no issues here. Spent the majority of time routing and rerouting the cable bundles and temporarily installed the connectors to the ACM and other components. The reason for this is to keep the wire bundles from hanging too low, not rubbing against anything sharp, etc and to be sure the lengths are correct. So far it's fine. However, I did discover the ADS-B unit was about 3/4" of inch to high because when installed, the connector was just too close to where the canopy would close. I moved the unit down - problem solved. However, it's sitting at about .4 degrees off of vertical. It must be that the transponder is slightly off. Since it's purely aesthetic, I'll get to when I can. I know I'm being anal, but....


 
Jan 14, 2024     Parts Installation - (1.0 hour)       Category: Avionics
I installed the RAMI certified GPS antenna on the top of the fuselage aft and to the right of center of the rear window. With this done all the antennae are now 'mechanically' installed on the aircraft.


 
Jan 13, 2024     Parts Installation - (2.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
Today I installed the transponder antenna under the center of the fuselage and ran the RG400 cable to the transponder on the sub panel. Suggestion: It would be easier to install this antenna before the right side baggage floor is riveted in place as the antenna sits under the floor and access is tight. But not to worry, it's still doable if you already have the floor in. I began to install the RAMI GPS antenna on the top of the fuselage aft of the rear window, but I didn't have the necessary hardware to do it. I did run the RG400 antenna cable from the behind the baggage bulkhead thru the center tunnel and behind the center instrument panel. Now it's off to the aviation aisle at Lowes for the GPS installation hardware.


 
Jan 12, 2024     Parts Installation - (4.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
I installed the Engine monitor unit and the MFD B/U battery on the shelf, but I had to move the Comm slightly forward as I found on the test fit it was needed to avoid the MFD - which actually wasn't a big deal. Then I installed the ADS-B unit on the instrument Sub Panel, but rather than nut plates I decided to use two #10 sheet metal screws due to to tight access on the backside of the Sub Panel, not a biggie since the ADS-B unit weighs only a few ounces. I can always change it if it becomes necessary. Then, moving to the rear of the aircraft, I installed the Delta Pop ADS-B antenna and attached the RG-400 cable to both the antenna and ADS-B unit. I also installed the two Delta Pop Comm antennas in the locations specified by Vans.


 
Jan 11, 2024     Parts Assembly - (2.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
I decided to go to Plan B. I didn't know there was a Plan B until we inserted the glove compartment avionics assembly into the glove box and I discovered the Comm radio just didn't fit to my liking. It extended above the top edge of the glove box opening which wouldn't let me remove it. The work involved to lower it was just not worth it. I removed the assembly from the aircraft, then removed the radio and reinstalled it in place of the ADS-B box on the shelf in front of the glove box. I'll find a place for the ADS-B later. With that done, we reinstalled the assembly into the glove box and riveted it in place.


 
Jan 11, 2024     Rudder and Brake Pedals - (2.5 hours)       Category: Controls
My friend Paul and I readjusted the rudder and brake pedals from the mid point to another hole more aft as the current foot to pedal distance was too long.


 
Jan 10, 2024     Parts Installation - (5.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
Now that I've decided which parts will be on the shelf I finished installing the nut plates. I also final fitted the hinges and drilled the holes for forward hinge and riveted it to the sub-panel. Then I attached the shelf to the installed hinge with the hinge wire. Marked and drilled the shelf and hinge for riveting. With it now clecoed in place I swung the shelf under the instrument panel frame, drilled thru the frame and shelf and installed nut plates on the frame and inserted a couple of screws to hold the shelf up. Then I riveted the shelf to the hinge and just like that, it's done. Lastly, I drilled and then bolted the transponder holder to sub-panel and installed the transponder.


 
Jan 09, 2024     Parts Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
I temporarily took the SIC panel and measured to ensure the avioncs would fit with it installed. So far so good. Then to make the avionics fit a little better I decided to move the transponder off the hinged panel and replace it with the ADS-B. Then I did a final fit of the panel, cut some more off the corner for electrical wiring access and also slightly adjusted the corner fit. I began installing a few nut plates for the avionics on the 'shelf'.


 
Jan 07, 2024     Parts Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: Avionics
With the comm radio now in the glovebox there are still numerous components that have to be installed. Using cardboard I mocked up a design that will use a hinged panel to fit under the SIC panel and extend back to the sub panel. Then I went to a friend's hangar and had a piece of aluminum sheared to fit. Next I will have to mount the new SIC lower panel to ensure there is adequate clearance for the avionics that will populate the shelf. I'll save that for tomorrow-maybe.


 
Jan 07, 2024     Parts Assembly - (2.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
I decided to install the comm unit into the glovebox assembly after studying the available room for components. So I added 3 nut plates to the right glovebox rib and screwed the comm holding assembly in place and secured the radio.


 
Jan 06, 2024     Parts Assembly - (3.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
With the glovebox ribs removed I installed a lot of nut plates on each rib to accommodate the remote audio panel rack and one of the remote backup batteries. The tight fit of the of the attach holes for the audio panel necessitated 4 nut plates, each with 2 rivet holes in a row, due to the edge distance. For the battery I included 4 extra nut plates on the right side rib just in case there was any problem with installation on the left and I had to relocate the battery. I also removed the components of the center panel so I could return it to AFS to resize the access opening for the IFD540.


 
Jan 05, 2024     Research - (3.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
Another weird work day at the hangar. To say the least, trying to fit all the equipment in the area behind the instrument panel has been challenging. I installed the SIC panel to get an idea of the available space. There isn't a lot. So I decided on a drop down hinged panel below/behind the SIC panel so access would be easier in case a component had to be R&R'd. The AFS documentation has been okay, but the execution isn't easy. Pro tip: I thought installing the glove box ribs in advance would be good - wrong. To make it easy I decided to now remove them so as to install nut plates for the equipment going into the glove box area. The glued on thermal shield for the firewall was blocking access for the rib's rivets that had to be removed, but despite the great glue and stainless sheet I got it removed. On the bright side, they'll be easy to replace as will the new rivets.


 
Jan 03, 2024     Parts Installation - (3.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
We worked on the installation of the center panel including installing (or trying to) the Avidyne IFD540. The tray had to go in first then the center panel and after many tries - it didn't fit. Calls to AFS resulted in taking hacksaw to the sub panel sheet metal behind the tray. Turned out to be pretty easy to do and I believe actually strengthened the sub panel, once 3/8" lip was bent to allow the tray to fit properly. Great - not so fast. Once fitted in place the nomenclature on the switch panel is not legible from the pilot's perspective without bending down to be sure you touch the correct switch - can you say vertigo? Working on that issue later. Installed the ACM with no problem, but it did take more time than I thought it would since I used nut plates rather than bolts, just in case it needs to come off at some future time.


 
Jan 02, 2024     Research - (2.0 hours) Category: Avionics
Spent a couple off hours unpacking the avionics and trying to figure out what goes where and how to mount things. I guess I'll resort to reading the instructions:-)
 
Jan 01, 2024     Engine Instruments - (2.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
After a VERY HAPPY START TO THE NEW YEAR! -- I moved from mechanical installations onto electrical/measurement systems. I physically installed the EGT Sensors, CHT Sensors, Oil/Fuel Pressure Sensors and the Manifold Pressure firewall fitting.


 
Dec 31, 2023     Exhaust System - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Finished installing the pilot side heat scat tube and the heat muff to heat tee scat tube. Then I installed 3 heat deflectors to protect the red cube, the throttle and mixture cables and the fuel servo. I placed RTV along the scat tubes and where they contacted other parts of the aircraft. Pretty much most of OP62 is done.


 
Dec 30, 2023     Exhaust System - (2.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I completed the right side exhaust hangar and the secured the swivel adapter. All the exhaust pipes were torqued to 190"lbs. The passenger heat scat tube, the tube connecting the 1 and 3 heat muffs was installed, as was the inlet air scat tube. The scat tube between the two muffs has had the wire removed (per the plans) and looks kind of limp. I'll have to see how that works out.


 
Dec 28, 2023     Exhaust System - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Two hours! I can't believe it took me two hours to do what I thought was a 30 minute job. I installed a 3/4"spacer to maintain the exhaust pipe distance below the fuselage then tightened the spherical joint, spring loaded bolts, then the fun began. Getting the Adel clamp and hangar assemble installed at the right location to center the exhaust and that 3/4" distance below the fuselage. It's all my bad too because I installed that heater tee which blocked good access to the hangar assembly. I wasn't going to take that apart. After what seemed like three thousand tries with the called out hardware I decided to change the hardware out and use an AN10 bolt, make a spacer and get'er done. It worked. Right side exhaust is done.


 
Dec 27, 2023     Exhaust System - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Installed the 2nd heat muff, fabricated the right exhaust hangar and attached it to the exhaust pipe. Doesn't sound like a lot, but as typical of Van's kits that sounds easy. but isn't. But at least that part is done.


 
Dec 26, 2023     Exhaust System - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I decided to install the remaining 3 exhaust pipes. This is temporary until all the fittings and such are in place and the aft exhaust pipes are then secured. It took quite a few attempts at clamping the swivel joint spring loaded fasteners on, but I got it done. The rest of the installation went rather smoothly, but it would have helped if my fingers and arms were smaller , or I had three arms and hands ,so I could get to those bolts in the back of the engine where the pipes attach to the cylinders.


 
Dec 23, 2023     Exhaust System - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
I fabricated the left hangar for the exhaust pipe and installed it, temporarily, for a fit check of sorts. The exhaust system will have to be attached in order to get a proper fit. Lesson learned (yet again), the pressed end of the hanger tubes definitely shouldn't be more than 7/16" and the corners should be chamfered in order to easily get them into the hose.


 
Dec 22, 2023     Exhaust System - (1.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I went to work on the second set of Adel clamps for Heat Tee and decided to fabricate another aluminum tube spacer as on the first one. With that done came the compressing of the clamps and adjusting the Heat Tee for the final location fitment. This one was just as difficult as the first, no learning curve. Anyway, it's done. Second clamp and fitting of the Heat Tee is now done. I did another test fit of the hoses and they don't fit. I can readjust two the three, but I'll had to order new SCAT tubing for the final one. Lesson learned! Don't cut the SCAT tube until each one is fitted. The directions for the length of each hose aren't even close because the Heat Tee doesn't go on as depicted. Oh well. build on.


 
Dec 21, 2023     Exhaust System - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Yesterday, after closely reading OP62-20 I found that the part numbers for the heat muff end caps did not match the rev 1 drawing so I called Vans tech support to check it out. They said it was best not use the the ones I had and to use the new ones. They are sending those to me so all that work yesterday was just good practice. However, today I decided on the location for the heat Tee. It's not per the drawing but, so be it. I loosely tested the hoses and they seemed to fit, so hopefully no issues there, but getting those Adel clamps in place requires a lot of well placed safety wire and patience. One is done, one to go.


 
Dec 20, 2023     Exhaust System - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I loosely installed the #4 exhaust pipe. Take note: However, while I did expect there would be a little oil behind the temporary fitting, I did not expect the ensuing gusher after the second nut was released. I'll be better prepared for the other 3. After cleaning the mess, I proceeded to fabricate the heat muffs for the two of the other pipes. It appeared easy enough, but the clamping force required for the installation was quite high. The -43B muff was finally completed and I started the -43A but had to stop for the day. Clamp adjustment will wait until the parts are installed.


 
Dec 20, 2023     Research - (3.0 hours) Category: EXP-119
Studied a gizzilion ways to align the Heating Tee as the given instructions just don't seem to work on the plane. An experienced friend recommended that it would be best to install the exhaust first then the Tee. That's now the plan.
 
Dec 18, 2023     Exhaust System - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
With the engine controls complete I began work on the exhaust system. I realize this is slightly out of order, but I thought it best to get the controls in first without the exhaust pieces in the way. I'll see how this goes. I began by modifying the exhaust support tubes by rounding off the top edge, then attempting to 'squeeze" the tubes in a vise to flatten them out. My vice is a clamp on aluminum one that I have used on 2 builds, but it wouldn't make a scratch on these stainless tubes. That's good news in a strange way. A friend of mine stopped by and offered his steel vice. That worked fine. I then fabricated the scat hoses by cutting them to length and modifying the wires per the plans.


 
Dec 18, 2023     Engine Controls - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
I completed the installation of the Exit Cowl cable. It was rough to get to it, but at this point, I'm just happy to have it done. The problem was getting the cable through the adel clamps -then- getting the wire into the hole of the VP-219-2 fastener. Remember for next time: It would have been better (in hindsight of course) to push the wire thru the VP fitting as the cable was also being inserted through the Adel clamps. Regardless, that now completes the engine control section. (I hope)


 
Dec 17, 2023     Engine Controls - (3.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
The throttle and mixture firewall pass thru (CT-00102) insert was drilled out slightly to accommodate the plastic wrap around the mixture control. The pass thru is in a difficult to position to reach so I decided to tape the two pieces together to hold it in place while the cover was slid into place. We then fastened the cover plate of the CT-00102 and checked that bad boy off the list. The cowl flap cable was inserted thru the two adel clamps in the cowl flap cable support assembly. We had to stop there due to my friend Dean having to leave for the day. He's been a crucial part of this build especially since my fall last year. Many thanks, again, to him. Next I tightened the controls to the control cable bracket and added the remaining zip ties. Then I made another command decision to abandon the double adel clamps to support the mixture and throttle cables. Instead I used rescue tape to protect the cables and engine mount then secured the cables using zip ties around the rescue tape. No way I could reach in there and mess with adel clamps in that particular location.


 
Dec 16, 2023     Engine Controls - (4.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I thought this morning's tasks would only take an hour or two at most. Surprise, actually it's not a surprise, I should have known better. I made more progress toward completing the throttle and mixture controls with only the firewall pass-through to go and a pair of Adel clamps to install after the pass-through is completed. I also completed the prop control installation and the alternate air cable. The only remarkable issue was the installation of the dual Adel clamps for the cable. It was really tough to get them aligned and tightened. Another command decision. I changed the length of the screw to 1" instead of a 1/2" making it easier to get those darn clamps to close enough to get the nut installed.


 
Dec 15, 2023     Engine Controls - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
The left cabin heat control was installed in the cockpit as were the throttle, mixture, alt air and exit air controls. The throttle and mixture control controls were adjusted/rigged for the proper throw between idle cutoff and full rich and idle and full throttle. Still, some finish work remains for throttle and mixture. The alt air cable needs to be fit, cut and installed as does the exit air.


 
Dec 14, 2023     Engine Controls - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Today I pulled the Alt Air Control cable out the required 6" and yes, the ball bearing fell out as predicted. I measured and cut the cable the required length then spent about 10 minutes reinstalling it. Done - not as bad as I thought it would be. Moving on to the right side cabin heat control, my buddy Dean squeezed himself inside the floor area and we got the cable secured and fastened in. Finding the right tools to make this job easy was half the battle. Also, replacing the metal lock nut with a fiber locknut was necessary due to the accessibility of getting your body in a position to apply torque. Another command decision made. If it it's that hot in the cockpit that a metal locknut is necessary - well, I'm landing ASAP and getting out of there.


 
Dec 13, 2023     Engine Controls - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
Cut the left and right heat control cables to their 36" length. Called Van's regarding the Alt Air cable. The tag states to not pull the cable out beyond 3 3/8" or the ball bearing will fall out, yet the OP62 instructions states to pull the cable out 6" before making the 19" cut. Van's tech support told me to pull it out the 6" and don't lose the ball bearing. I'll try doing it tomorrow.


 
Dec 11, 2023     Engine Controls - (1.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Today I laid out the controls for the engine; throttle, prop, mixture, cowl exit door, and alternate air then took off all the hardware, seals, etc, in preparation for installation. The cabin heat controls are unwrapped and will be marked for cutting soon. Interesting dilemma: the CT A-700 control (cowl air door) has a label stating not to extend the pull of the cable beyond 3-3/8" or ball bearings will fall out rendering the cable useless. However, OP62-26 step 2 states to cut the cable and also states to pull the knob out 6" for the cut. I'm confused, so a call to tech support may be in order. I also installed the F-14107-1 plate (engine controls) in place on the instrument panel. I then loosely installed the prop control cable in place.


 
Dec 10, 2023     Engine Controls - (1.5 hours) Category: Research
I spent a little time gathering parts and studying the best way to install the engine controls and exhaust pieces. Looks like controls go in before exhaust pieces because of easier access. A little out of sequence, but so be it.
 
Dec 09, 2023     Parts Assembly - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
I bought the Blue RTV and secured the P-Mag blast tubes and also provided a 'bumper' for the vertical hinge pin.

The workday was cut short because today is our annual Spruce Creek Christmas Toy Parade. The weather was perfect with a few clouds, light winds and a temperature of 80. The event started with a fly-by formation of Van's and other experimental aircraft, warbirds (T-34 fighters) and even a resident owned P-51, 38 aircraft in all. Then there was the parade of residents who decorated their antique cars, tractors, a kids train and golf carts. There were also dance groups, a drill team (battery operated drills of course) and much more that paraded down Taxiway Cessna which was lined lined with a thousand or two of friends from the community. I've included a very small sample of pictures of the nearly two hour annual event. Note Captain Paul's (DAL/NWA 747 Captain-retired) and the fabulous 747 float that he built. It's a real 747 traveling engine cowl complete with smoke, fire, music, bubbles, an original spiral staircase from a 747, first class seats and a host other goodies for kids and adults. Today was truly a magical day. ENJOY!


 
Dec 08, 2023     Parts Assembly - (.5 hour)       Category: EXP-119
After sending hours cleaning up and putting away tools and parts from the cowl build, I installed the P-Mag cooling air blast tubes. Not a big deal but needed to be done. I still have to get some RTV to complete this task.


 
Dec 07, 2023     Cowling - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Sing-along: And now the end is near (-- or is it? Anyway,) I did it my way. Lower cowl: My maze of tape showing the outlines of the areas for epoxying of the pieces of heat insulation used for the bottom cowling. These individual pieces were necessary, IMHO, to minimize the wrinkles and the epoxy primer is to keep the ends of the heat shield down. Upper cowl: To seal the filler I also decided to epoxy the complete area around the ramps. A little blue pigment made the mess look a little better despite that it will not normally be seen. Now to let it dry and clean up the work area. Still remaining (at a future date that's TBD) - epoxy resin around the aft edges of the upper cowl to get a better fit.


 
Dec 06, 2023     Cowling - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Sanded the cowl ramps smooth then used a Bondo type filler to fill in a few low spots and smooth the edges. I countersunk the cowling oil door hinge holes and riveted the hinges to the cowling and the door. Placed the pin through the hinge, installed the oil door Skybolt fasteners, which needed a little adjustment and will probably need a little more later on after everything is painted. I kept the spring out for now.


 
Dec 05, 2023     Cowling - (2.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Sanded the first coat of Super-Fill to the upper cowl ramps, then added the second Super-Fill coat to the the upper cowl ramp areas. I filled the extra drilled holes in oil door and countersunk the holes in the oil door.


 
Dec 04, 2023     Cowling - (2.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I removed the top cowl from the aircraft to begin the ramp and oil filler door work. The oil door fasteners have been received and temporarily installed and the unused hinge holes in the door are taped off for filling later on. The clecoes were removed from the ramps and the required areas were roughed up to accept the super-fill. Due to the thickness of the filler that's needed I've decided to do this in two applications. The first application has been applied and somewhat smoothed and in the next day or so I'll finish applying the filler and begin sanding it smooth.


 
Nov 27, 2023     Cowling - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
With the oil filler door install on hold awaiting the door fasteners I switched gears to getting the left and right inlet ramps bonded in place. Both sides were fit to the inlets and side walls, outlined for resin application, the #40 attach holes were drilled and the edges to be bonded were sanded. I mixed the resin and flox, spread it around and attached the ramps to the cowl with clecos. With all that done I installed the cowls onto the aircraft so the parts could dry in place.


 
Nov 23, 2023     Cowling - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
I took a little break this Thanksgiving morning and laid out the hole patterns for the hidden hinge oil fill door and drilled the holes to #30 for extra support. The provided oil door hole pattern doesn't fit the aftermarket hinge (which is spring loaded open) so I laid out the new pattern and will fill the old holes later.


 
Nov 20, 2023     Cowling - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Lower cowl: 100% of the thermal barrier is now in place, the appropriate holes have been drilled thru the thermal material and the trimming is complete. Looks just like the instruction sheet. A few more odds and ends to do then the lower cowl can be set aside for now.


 
Nov 19, 2023     Cowling - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
Added more thermal protection to the lower cowling. Maybe 50% done with the thermal barrier material at this point.


 
Nov 18, 2023     Cowling - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I sanded the lower cowl's Superfilled areas to 220 grit just to get rid of the excess material. The finish work will be done in the future. Using blue tape, I outlined the cowl heat resistant material placement and applied the first piece. I thought I was going to do the whole bottom at once, hah! The jokes on me. That material is tough to work with on curved surfaces. I got about 20% done and sort of smoothed out. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be and it'll take more time too. Should have known better:-)


 
Nov 16, 2023     Cowling - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
Using a small batch of Superfill, I filled the countersunk rivet holes in the lower cowl and smoothed out the floxed holes in the upper cowl. Now I'll give it a day or so to dry before sanding smooth. I also repackaged the prop hub for some additional storage time.


 
Nov 15, 2023     Cowling - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
Most, but not all, of the cowling work (for now) was accomplished. Both upper and lower pieces were removed and finally, the MT Prop hub assembly used for fitting the cowling was removed. It'll be permanently reinstalled later on, but this time with the prop. A little bit of Superfill will be applied to the flox'ed areas and alignment holes in the next day or so.


 
Nov 13, 2023     Cowling - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Today, there is light at the end of the cowling tunnel. The top cowling was installed and all the Skybolt fasteners now securely fit. The fix I put in place yesterday cured and is holding solid. Just minor finish work is needed and this disaster will be in the history books. I proceeded to install the two nut plates on either side of the cowling nose. The fit is fine, however, it should be noted I decided to install a stiffener on the right side due to the fiberglass layup on that side being too thin (IMHO) to support the nut plates. I then deburred, dimpled the X-over cowl close close-out plate, then riveted 7 of the 8 nut plates to it. I was shorted one, so I'll have to order it.


 
Nov 12, 2023     Cowling - (2.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Yesterday's .5 hours of work is included in today's writeup. I epoxied a strip of fiberglass to the backside of the upper cowling Skybolt holes to support an epoxy/flox mixture. The holes were offset too much; ranging from about 1/8" to 1/4" and slightly oversized, causing the retainers to not be properly aligned. (All my fault for trying to get the gaps to perfection.) Today we drilled the remaining holes on the bottom of the lower cowl and fastened the retainers and nut plates to the appropriate flanges. With the lower cowl secured in place I installed the upper cowl and placed an epoxy/flox mixture into the holes to "shrink" the holes, as mentioned above, into the right position and right size. Time to let the flox set before I right size the holes.


 
Nov 10, 2023     Cowling - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Midcourse correction on the the lower Skybolt fasteners. Seems the inboard flanges hang over the exhaust mold curve just a little too much. Moving them more outboard defeats the purpose so I decided to use the existing nut plate feature for the inboards. The outboard flanges are riveted in place and the holes for the inboard and outboard attachments are now drilled into the cowling. My friend Dean gets most of the credit for realigning my thinking.


 
Nov 08, 2023     Cowling - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Work continued on the cowling, by removing the upper and lower cowlings. Decided to make a new hinge pin for the port side due to an extremely tight and somewhat bent fit. Polished and removed both and lubed them up. Better fit now. Began fabricating the lower Skybolt fittings. The left side is ready for countersinking and the right side is now ready for drilling. I also made an adapter plate for the right side of the lower nose cowl to accept the future nut plates. Seems I removed too much fiberglass during the trimming process.


 
Nov 06, 2023     Cowling - (4.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Ugh. Work continues on the upper cowling. All the fasteners to the lower cowl are complete, however the ones on the top, which air now oversized fit about 3 or 4 and the others are now too large. Minor repair work coming up. The holes for the cowl screws are now both #40 with the left side needing a slight adjustment because the lower tab was too short. Not a big deal, but more work.


 
Nov 05, 2023     Cowling - (4.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Today I marked the location of the upper cowling fasteners that I want to shift to make a better fit. I then gorilla taped the upper cowling into a better position and then drilled out all of the remaining upper and lower cowling Skybolt fastener holes (except the bottom ones that I'll get to later). Once done with the drilling I removed the upper cowling (yet again) and riveted the retainers to the flanges, except the ones in the corners which I need to revert to movable ones to allow for inaccuracies in measurements.


 
Nov 04, 2023     Cowling - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
Removed the cleoces and unlatched the top cowl. Removed the magnets and inserts that were match drilled yesterday and installed some of them on the remaining udrilled flanges. Then I drilled the #30 holes and then removed the upper cowl again and removed the inserts. The fit of the upper cowl is not to my liking so I'm going to give some thought on the best way to tweak it.


 
Nov 03, 2023     Cowling - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I Installed the temporary Skybolt quarter turn fasteners on the upper cowling. HINTS: I ran into a slow down as the cowling gets very thick from the middle to one end which made the installation very difficult. Each hole had to be ground down in the thick areas to allow the temporary O ring to be installed. This O ring keeps the fastener body installed until the permanent metal ring is put in place after painting. I managed to get some of the magnetically centered holes drilled and clecoed. I didn't have all the magnets I needed so I did what I could and the others will have to come later. Also, the engine is so close to the flanges in some areas, those holes will have to be enlarged with a small sanding disc and not the step drill. By the way, the color coded tape is to keep me from putting a drill thru a valve cover or cowl baffle. To make life easier, I also marked where I didn't have any centering magnets.


 
Nov 02, 2023     Cowling - (4.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Left side upper and lower cowl flanges were drilled, deburred, countersunk and riveted. This side came out much better than the right side. Practice, practice practice. I installed the centering receptacles and magnets on the majority of the flanges in preparation for finding the centers and clecoing the cowl to the flanges.


 
Nov 01, 2023     Cowling - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
The remaining right side flange is now riveted to the fuselage skin. The left side cowl flanges have been fitted and trimmed and are ready for drilling.


 
Oct 31, 2023     Cowling - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
The right side cowl flanges have been deburred and riveted. One last flange on the right side upper cowl remains to be riveted.


 
Oct 30, 2023     Cowling - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
The right side lower cowl flanges have now been drilled using the holes previously drilled. I added one hole/countersunk at each end and the alignment is much better. At least I think so. Oh yes, to be sure all is okay I had my assistant, Penny, do a quick cat scan. She meowed that all is well so I can move on to deburring and riveting.


 
Oct 28, 2023     Cowling - (4.0 hours) Category: EXP-119
After pondering the right side cowling flange spacing I had a semi sleepless night because I thought it would be okay to not have a fastener in the corner. The motor mount was in the way of perfect spacing as were the hinge pins. I was wrong. The engineer side of my brain said do it over and do it right and forgo the exact symmetry. So I removed all the right side flanges and redid the spacing so the corner had a fastener. So while the vertical portion of the cowling is not spaced, is very acceptable, misses the motor mount and allows for installation and removal of the side hinge pins. The horizontal row is spaced at about 3.50. I will use new flanges and drill through the existing holes on the right side of the cowl. The problem (in my head) solved. The left side hasn't been done yet, so it's just a remarking exercise.
 
Oct 27, 2023     Cowling - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I riveted each flange to the lower cowling (on the right side).


 
Oct 26, 2023     Cowlng - (3.0 hours) Category: EXP-119
I drilled each hole to attach the Skybolt flanges. I then removed the flanges and countersunk each hole.
 
Oct 24, 2023     Cowling - (4.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
After laying out the hole pattern I attached each flange with cleco clamps to get a good look at the layout.


 
Oct 23, 2023     Cowling - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Now that the lower cowling is in place I began the layout of the flanges that will attach the upper cowling to the lower. The layout included identifying where each flange needed to be trimmed to acquire the correct distance between the fasteners, developing the rivet pattern for attaching the flanges to the lower cowling and identifying the need for longer rivets were the flanges overlap. Not a big deal but necessary to do this correctly.


 
Oct 22, 2023     Cowling - (1.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
A little more trimming between the cowling halves to get the exact "credit card" thickness the painter would like - almost there. I also started the flange preparation by laying out the attach line, countersinking each hole for riveting on the lock devices and determining that a 3.1" separation for each Skybolt fastener may work. The final separation distance of the flanges will be determined after the upper cowling's lower flange distance is finalized.


 
Oct 21, 2023     Cowling - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Again progress is being made. The hinges were deburred, the holes in the fiberglass were countersunk and the hinges riveted to the cowing. The lower cowling was installed on the plane. There are two minor trouble spots needing attention: 1: the hinge pins are difficult to install and remove. I think a little polishing may allow for a better fit as well as some lubrication. 2: Of course the usual trimming continues. The fit between the upper and lower cowling pieces is excellent, but a slight paint gap is necessary. HINT: Trying to get the correct gap I'm still using a 'hotel room key card' thickness (.025") between them is a challenge. I found that taking a piece of 100 grit sandpiper and placing it on the card and going back and forth in between the cowlings halves works pretty good. A couple of minutes of doing that, then removing the sandpaper, then sliding the room key back and forth to check for the gap is a good way to get it correct. Your results may vary. Still some tweaking to do there. Of a lesser concern there is a slight excessive gap of about .050 on the right side upper cowling to forward skin. Some filler may have to be used to close that gap OR perhaps after final installation of the top cowl, that gap may sufficiently close. Either way, not a big deal.


 
Oct 20, 2023     Cowling - (4.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Progress! The lower cowl was slightly trimmed and the aft vertical hinges were connected to the airframe hinges and drilled. They are now awaiting countersinking and riveting. The upper cowl Skybolts are now installed.


 
Oct 19, 2023     Cowling - (4.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Slowly, and I mean slowly, work continues on the cowling. That being said, today was a good one for progress. The upper cowling had two Skybolt fasteners installed to sort of secure the cowling in place while the lower cowling was trimmed even more to now fit flush with the forward skins. The big trim was the upper/lower mating surface. The lower cowling was trimmed to be flush with the upper cowling and soon it will be trimmed to have an acceptable gap for painting.


 
Oct 18, 2023     Cowling - (4.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Over the past few days I've been slowly working on the lower cowling, trimming (sometimes as little as a 1/64" at a time), sanding, over and over and over again. At this point I now have an excellent fit between the front and back of the upper and lower cowlings although the lower cowl still needs to have the aft end trimmed to allow for the paint, about .025 inches. Once that's done the lower cowling (fore to aft) will need to be sanded to match the upper cowling for the Skybolt fasteners. Also, the aft hinges, lower Skybolts, the oil door as well as the 4 plate nuts on the nose pieces still remain. However. there is light at the end of the tunnel and it's not an oncoming speeding train.


 
Oct 11, 2023     Cowling - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Completed the drilling and clecoing for the inserts on the Skybolt flanges. I tried to align the lower cowling to the upper but without too much success. It appears I'll have to trim the upper edge of the lower cowl so that it's about a 1/4" from the "likely" true edge line since it appears the current flange distance is too great to get a reasonable fit and for scribing the top and aft edge lines for the "near" final trimming. Hopefully not a big deal.


 
Oct 10, 2023     Cowling - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I decided to drive to Skybolt in Leesburg (3hour round trip and worth it - what an awesome facility) and picked up some additional inserts and magnets. I had found that using a light under each one didn't work because the gelcoat was too opaque. So, after taping the inserts, with magnets installed, to each of the flanges, I then placed the cowling on the plane, aligned it and secured it in place with Gorilla tape. Good stuff. I took another magnet and placed it near the where I thought the insert would be. Those magnets are STRONG and found the lower magnet like a bat out of hell. The idea was to mark a few dots around the magnet, find the center and drill a #30 hole and cleco the cowling to the insert. But rather than estimate the center of the insert I took a template and drew a good circle by connecting the dots. I tested this location once or twice and each time the magnet returned to the same spot. Then I took the square template, centered it and marked a square around the circle. Then connecting the corners I drew a line from opposite corners and the intersection was the center where I drilled and added a cleco. Worked each time and then I moved on to the next flange. I ran out of time, so I'll continue this tomorrow.


 
Oct 09, 2023     Inventory - (1.0 hour)       Category: Avionics
I completed the inventory, to the extent possible. since I didn't want to tear into the many piece parts in the boxes. I'm confident it's all there and if there's something missing I know that AFS will make good on it. There are two pictures below. One, is the 70 pound box everything came in and the other a peek at the SIC panel with the AFS-6600, G5 and a few other items.


 
Oct 09, 2023     Cowling - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
Off to a great start then bam! I found I didn't receive the magnetic inserts to align the cowling and with the gel coat it's difficult to see light shining thru the small hole in the insert. I called them so tomorrow I'll drive over and get the correct ones. Skybolt was great so it's no big deal. While trying to get the perfect fit I found it necessary to slightly bend the flanges downward to get a good fit, so at least something was accomplished.


 
Oct 08, 2023     Cowling - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
The upper Skybolt flanges are now riveted to the forward skin, less the lower one on each side. All went well, but the left side spacer came loose and I used RTV to seal it in place and prevent the cockpit from possible water intrusion. Fortunately the right side sealant was fine.


 
Oct 07, 2023     Cowling - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
The left side Skybolt flanges are now drilled and clecoed to the fuselage. (Measure 10 times, drill once.) Additional measurements show the nominal distance between the flange holes is about 3.5", optimum for the RV-14 and just where I wanted it to be. The lower flange on both sides are not going to be drilled until the lower cowling is fit. Both left and right lower flanges are within .15" of each other. in terms of location on the side skin. They will be marked and removed so they can be installed later next week. Next on the agenda is to rivet the flanges in place and drill the upper cowl for the fasteners.


 
Oct 06, 2023     Cowling - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Today was right side flange installation day. The flanges have been countersunk so it was time to lay them out on the top skin and properly space them to allow for the lower flange to be adjusted so as to be in line with lower cowl Skybolts . The spacing proved to be just slightly less (about 3.3") than the suggested maximum of 3.5 inches. All the flanges were also spaced 1/4" forward of the forward edge of the skin. The flanges were clecoed as I drilled thru them and the scrap metal vacuumed to avoid contaminating the engine any more than necessary. The lowest flange (blue taped) is undrilled and trimmed to avoid the vertical hinge. Now to do the left side before aligning the lower cowl. I did notice that the lower cowl vertical hinge pin may have a problem being inserted behind the lower flange, but I'll have to wait and see how things work out. There are options - I hope. Riveting will come later.


 
Oct 05, 2023     Cowling - (3.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Long ago I decided that my upper cowling will have Skybolt Fasteners, like my RV-7A. They are simply the best!!! Also, I will have the top and bottom edges of the lower cowl also use the Skybolts, but not the aft surface. I drilled out the top hinges while clecoing the spacers to the skin. That was easy. The aft portion of the lower cowl will retain the hinge. Great decision; however upon closer inspection the lower aft hinge extends way past the split line so I had to remove many of the lower hinge rivets so the top 4 inches or so could be cutoff. Not easy, but I got it done by grabbing the top of the hinge with a needle nose, pulling it out away from the fuselage, then grabbing it with a vise grip plier while snipping it off with a metal snipper. That being done I ground the top surface flat as best as I could, sanded it smooth then reclecoed the hinge. I then cleaned up the metal shavings (which were everywhere, despite yards of tape to catch the debris) to get it ready to install the Skybolt flanges.


 
Oct 03, 2023     Instrument Panel - (1.5 hours)       Category: Avionics
I asked Keith P. a great person, aviator, mechanic, etc. to cut and weld my canopy release handle 90 degrees so as to be in the vertical position to accommodate my center panel design. He did an outstanding job!! It's much appreciated. With the delivery of my avionics from Advanced Flight Systems I began the inventorying of my complete instrument panel. This is going to take quite a while, but at least it's started.


 
Oct 03, 2023     Cowling - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Work continues as I trimmed the lower cowling's aft and upper trim lines. I also redid the cowling #40 holes in the front that are use for alignment. It's coming along as the aft trim now has the lower cowl butted up against the forward skin and the upper trim line (not yet trimmed to fit) fits more easily under the upper cowl. Still not ready for prime time but it's getting closer. I also squared the mating surfaces of the front of the upper and lower cowls - again. Sadly, much more trimming left to do:-(


 
Oct 01, 2023     Cowling - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
I started the lower cowling installation and after quite a few measurements I decided to reduce the lower cowling upper flange to get a better fit for measurements. I managed to cut into the first piece about 3 inches and the cutter disintegrated. I'm out of cutters so I wen on to fabricating the aft vertical hinges and hinge pins and the oil door for the upper cowling. It's off to the store tomorrow for new cutters. Shattering happens and it does hit the fan.


 
Sep 29, 2023     Skybolt Fasteners - (3.0 hours) Category: Research
I spent a couple hours reading the Skybolt install guide and the Van's cowling instructions as well as consulting with 2 of my favorite builders on how to layout the firewall and longitudinal fasteners. Or do I want to keep the firewall lower hinge versus installing the Skybolts all the way down? That is the question! Now I'll lie in bed all night trying to figure it out.
 
Sep 28, 2023     Cowling - (2.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Now that the upper cowling fits nicely on the hinges it's time to take the plunge and sand it down to .050 along the firewall skins. I found that 2 hotel room keys are not only good for smoothing and spreading Superfil but are exactly .050 in thickness (see the top of the home picture). It took quite a few sanding, being careful not to take too much off and still maintain the 3/16" prop spinner clearance, but it's done and close to being symmetrical. I'm surprised it took so long but doing the fit checks each time and then sanding a little at at a time, was worth it. Now I need to read up on the Skybolt installation for the upper cowling. Also, tomorrow (I hope) it'll be time to drill out the 42 rivets holding the upper firewall hinge in place.


 
Sep 27, 2023     Cowling - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Lots of sanding but I finally got the upper cowling to fit inside the forward skins and 3/16" from the spinner. It's an almost perfect fit and now I can draw the line on the cowl that will provide the ideal setback for the Skybolt system and paint allowance, then trim to that mark. It's not by the book, but I think it will work for my plane.


 
Sep 26, 2023     Cowling - (4.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Interesting day as I started the trimming process of the upper cowl. My friend Dean and I discussed some options and I decided to deviate from the plans as I'm using Skybolt fasteners instead of hinges. I am leaving the upper hinge in place to use as a resting place for the aft trim of the cowl until it has been fitted. Then I'll drill out the 42 rivets, remove the hinge and begin the replacement process with the Skybolt system. So for now I determined the center line of the aircraft and drilled and clecoed the angle to the cowl with a full size washer underneath the angle. (By the way, I chose to use the full washer because my experience has been that the engine will settle a little more than the directions suggest.) I placed 3, 3/16" bolts in between the spinner and the cowl. I'm using a MT prop so the directions aren't quite correct for me since my spinner extends aft past the bulkhead plate. I do have the luxury of having the spinner and hub assembly available without the blades. Also, the 3 blades add another 23 pounds so I have a back pack hanging from the assembly with the correct weights in it. I laid out a cut line on the forward skin and transferred that dimension to the aft portion of the cowl and did the first trim. My theory is to not be aggressive on this cut. It'll take another sanding or two to get it just right. So far so good.


 
Sep 25, 2023     Cowling - (2.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Continued trimming work on the upper and lower cowlings. As can be seen from the previous entry, I was disappointed in the fit of the cowlings. However, after following the directions (who needs them? - right!) I determined the upper cowl required about 3/8" trimming so I did that, pretty easy. The refitting showed another 1/16" was necessary to make it darn near perfect, so I did that (sorry, my OCD kicked in). With that done, I drilled the 2 #40 holes, separated the pieces and temporarily placed the top cowling on the plane just to enjoy the look:-). To end this work session I made the angle piece that will fit on the top of the cowl/spinner for spacing


 
Sep 23, 2023     Cowling - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Completed fabricating the left and right cowl inlet ramps. I'm sure there will be more to do getting them to properly fit, but that's for another day (or week.) It was somewhat fun and I think they turned out good. Then it was on to more cowling work as I prepped the lower and upper cowl by sanding the inside cowl lower cowl flange flat for future nut plate installation, measured the 'step' on each side and sanded the upper flange to accommodate the lower flange. I opted to keep the upper cowl area just a little bit thicker to provide more support for the eventual screws that will go there. The upper cowl inside flanges were 'squared' off so it would fit better on the lower cowl. Finally, I placed the cowls on 2x4's on the floor and clamped them together. Quite disappointing as they didn't fit as well as I had hoped for. Obviously more trimming and sanding to do. Oh well.


 
Sep 22, 2023     Cowling - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I continued attacking the upper cowling smoothing out the oil door opening, as well as cutting to both the upper and aft scribe lines. All work went fairly well and little details like getting the surfaces as flat as possible took quite a bit of time. Also, the curve coming around the front to the air inlets proved a little challenging. The instructions are correct as there will be a slight gap right in the front of both sides where cowling starts to go aft. I knew this when I started and tried to avoid it, but it's apparently a function of the geometry, so it's there, just as called out. With the remaining few minutes that I had left for today I decided to begin to trim the upper inlet ramps. I started on the left one and while I didn't finish I made some progress. I did use the bandsaw for the initial cuts so I didn't have to setup the vacuum, lighting and clamping of the part for the Dremel cutter, and then called it a day.


 
Sep 21, 2023     Cowling - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Today's goal was to now cut and sand to the scribe lines on the lower cowl. It took a while, and with no surprises the lower cowl has almost been cut to the scribe lines. Though there's still more to do, like taking care to get each area flat and right on the scribe lines which happens later in the construction. With this done I decided to get a start on the upper cowling by cutting the oil filler door opening. I drilled holes where the opening had sharp bends then did a rough cut out. Smoothing to be done later.


 
Sep 20, 2023     Cowling - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I removed the area forward of the 3.5" mark on the forward corners of the lower cowl. There was no need to smooth the vertical portion as it will be removed later. I still need to sand to the split of the scribed line on everything being done, that is once the cowling is clean enough to see it without magnification. Also, note to self: post better pictures of this area. With this done I cut out the nose gear area. It looked daunting but it went well. Sure did generate a ton of a dust. So, the most enjoyable(?) part? Making the cutout for the nose gear. I used a combination of nearly every sanding tool I had, including a little old fashioned sanding by hand to make the required curvature. I think it actually looks good. But I always remember the words of my 4th grade art teacher, Mr. Mustari. He said, and I quote "self appraisal stinks"! So I'll have to let fellow builders here in Spruce Creek be honest (they will) and critique the work.


 
Sep 18, 2023     Cowling - (1.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Began the process of trimming the air inlets and area around the spinner for both the upper and lower cowlings. I found some substantial 4x4's and heavy motor to stabilize the cowls and a vacuum to help suck the dust away. What a dirty, filthy job this is:-) I used a Dremel cutting wheel then a combination of Ryobi hand held belt sander and flat sander in addition to a sanding plate. It can be seen in the photos that there's a little more to go to split the scribed/felt tip marker lines. A little more to sand in a couple of areas, then I can move on to the upper and lower cowl scribe lines. Yep, the fun just never ends.


 
Sep 16, 2023     Cowling - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
The upper cowling scribe lines left me questioning whether or not mine were correct or perhaps some were missing. I went to friend's house and looked at his cowling and sure enough a couple of scribe lines are on his, but not mine. I went to my hangar and added these lines to my cowl. There are still one or two in question and his were no netter than mine. More research to do. I took my MT hub and spinner assembly and installed it on the aircraft, not torqued, but only snugged. You may notice some AN3 bolts between the hub and flywheel. These were temporarily used so that the final snugging of the attach bolts were done more symmetrically. I'll use the spinner assembly and a spacer for aligning the cowl pieces. I also located and marked the engine center line on the forward fuselage and secured a tape measure along the forward fuselage for future marking for the Skybolt fasteners.


 
Sep 15, 2023     Cowling - (1.5 hours)       Category: Finish Kit
Once again I outlined the scribed lines with a magic marker, this time on the upper cowl. Since it had been stored for a while it took quite a bit of cleaning to get the dust and dirt off it. For the most part things went smoothly, however it appears Van's did not complete scribing the lines on the forward part of the cowling. The entire front looks to have been filled and painted but looks fine. Maybe there are no scribed lines in this area? Also, section 45-05 doesn't explicitly show anything for the top front as it did for the lower front. Time for research.


 
Sep 14, 2023     Cowling - (1.5 hours)       Category: Finish Kit
A simple task - started on the lower cowl today. Step 1 - tracing those scribed lines! Although it looks simple, and I guess it is, BUT tracing those hard to see little lines with a fine tip magic marker is a real pain in the.... However, I can see where it's really necessary. The curved areas were a little difficult and in retrospect, I would suggest securing the cowling to make it a little more stable would have been helpful. Next time:-)


 
Sep 13, 2023     E Mag - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
After examining yesterday's work I decided to redo the attachment of the spark plug wires on the top of the cylinders by adding a piece of silicone to the attachment in order to provide more clearance from the engine hardware. I installed the adel clamps for the top plugs of cylinders 1 and 2. I also used the aft adel clamps on the back of the baffles (be careful that blind cylindrical retainer nut doesn't fall out:-) NOTE: The adel clamp call outs in the plans are not correct for E-Mag wires so I decided to up the size from the DG- 4 to a DG-5 due to the larger diameter of the spark plug wires.


 
Sep 12, 2023     E Mag - (3.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
After the research done on Sunday a lot more research time went into today's work. I also downloaded an additional E Mag document to better understand how to sort out the spark plug wiring scheme and get my head wrapped around which wires go where. After studying the installation and laying out the wires and labeling them I was ready to install the top spark plug wires. Easy task - NOT! Those little plastic wire holders that are screwed into the nut plates on the back of the rear baffles were a bear to install. NOTE: Turns out those plastic do-hickeys were sized for regular mag wires, not E mag wires. I finally had to drill them out to 5/16 to fit the wires. With that done, I became a contortionist trying to fit them in place, but after a lot of struggling, I got it done. It must be me and my fat hands. A normal person could have done it in a lot less time. Oh well, it is what it is and at least it's done!


 
Sep 09, 2023     Research - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Spent a lot of time trying to figure out the E Mag ignition wiring. There are no labels and the drawings weren't much help. With the engine installed I couldn't get a good picture of the back of the E Mags in order to figure out how to do this. I tried using mirrors and other tricky things with the camera, but no joy! The E Mag manual was somewhat helpful, but you have to be able to see the back of mags. SUGGESTION: Take a picture of the back of the engine before installing it and focus on the E Mags. Fortunately, after a while I found a drawing that someone on VAF had developed that I believe will solve the problem. I wish I had the builder's name handy to give him credit, if you search I'm sure it will pop up.


 
Sep 08, 2023     Cowl Baffles - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Again, with the glue now dry on the template for the left front air filter cover baffle I began the process of bending it to fit the baffle ramp. I modified a small piece of wood to give me a shallow angle rather than the typical 90 degrees. Using the hammer turned out to be adequate and the pliability of the material allowed my fingers to help form the correct shape. Checked it using the bend radius template. Pretty darn close. Once i was done it took quite a while to get the adhesive off - good stuff for sure. After getting it cleaned up I installed it, match drilled for the nut plate, took it apart, installed the nut plate with flush rivets then reinstalled everything with the new air filter.


 
Sep 07, 2023     Cowl Baffles - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Now that the glue has dried I started bending the CB-00034 right front ramp piece. Last night I couldn't get my head wrapped around the process to do the bending, but after getting to the hangar and placing it in the vise, it all came together. I used a digital protractor to check on my progress. (about 9-10 degrees for each bend number). Although not perfect it was a good guide as to how it was going. Once done I checked it against cowl baffle and ramp. A little tweak here and there and the fit showed to be excellent. Drilled, deburred, dimpled and riveted it in place and it was done.


 
Sep 06, 2023     Cowl Baffles - (.5 hour)       Category: EXP-119
I cut the templates for the left and right forward curved cowl pieces and glued them to the parts. It now time to let the glue dry before I bend the parts.


 
Sep 06, 2023     Snorkel Alternate Air - (.5 hour)       Category: EXP-119
The epoxy has cured and as expected, the errant hole is solidly in place. I cleaned up the surface of the alternate air inlet and it's nice and smooth although the picture makes it look awful. I went to the aviation aisle at Harbor Freight and purchased a socket set with a 7/32 socket to grab those crummy little steel locknuts. It worked, but it was still difficult to tighten, but I got 'er done. I did add two thin washers under the nut as the collar of the screw protruded a little too much for my comfort. With that done I added the washer and finger tight locknut on top of it, I screwed in the door until it had the correct 'tightness' or 'looseness' (your call). Regardless, it now operates smoothly, although it's not very pretty. Fortunately it's something that's routinely seen. Time to move on.


 
Sep 05, 2023     Snorkel Alternate Air - (1.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
With the alternate air inlet epoxied in place, I cleaned up the holes and surrounding areas and set the rivets. I was concerned that riveting this thin piece of metal into the thin fiberglass would be a problem, but fortunately things went well -- until the last rivet. Then it went to hell. The rivet gun sort of dented the plate around the hole and the rivet was a disaster. I should be happy 4 out of 5 went well, but I'm not. Also, the hole got too enlarged to use an AD4 rivet so I thought a large flat head screw with a steel lock nut would work well, but then I thought of something going really wrong and the nut could come loose and go into the fuel injector and then the engine. Scratch that idea! Then I decided to just re-epoxy the hole and the surrounding area, fill the dented area then sand it smooth. It's now curing. Problem solved. The chances of even actuating the Alt Air are slim so I'm comfortable with this decision.


 
Sep 04, 2023     Snorkel Alternate Air - (4.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Today I laid out the pattern for the alternate air opening in the snorkel and drilled out the main hole then smoothed the edges after fitting the alternate air inlet. A hole saw would have made this a tad easier, but you have to have one the right size. Oh well, I then drilled the attach holes into the snorkel for the air inlet, followed by bending the the door tab to fit the closure door. With that done, I dimpled the #30 and 40 holes, riveted the nut plate in place, installed the screw, opened the #40 hole to a #19 hole and finally the 1/4" hole to 'hold' the nut plate in place. After sanding and cleaning the area, I clecoed the assembly in place on the snorkel and stuffed epoxy filler into the appropriate areas including the alignment holes in the frame. Now it's sitting around curing. NOTE to OTHERS: The drawing depicts 3 #30 holes to the right of the upper tab and two to the left. I checked around and the actual part has 3 holes to the left of the tab and two the right. With Van's being closed for Labor Day I made a command decision that the drawing is wrong and my part, like many others, is correct. I'm building on, however your mileage may vary - check it out for yourself.


 
Sep 03, 2023     Snorkel Installation - (1.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
This morning I mixed up the flox mixture and sealed the areas around the frame and snorkel. Used Boelube to protect the clecoes from getting stuck in the frame. Now it's chill out time as it'll take all day to cure. It certainly went faster and better than expected.


 
Sep 02, 2023     Snorkel Installation - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
The snorkel installation is well underway. It's been fitted with very little, if any preload. The fuel control end has had the slots cut and the drain hole drilled. The attachment to the air filter frame has been completed with the drilling of the 8 alignment holes. (These get filled with epoxy later.) With the alignment holes drilled I marked the the top of the snorkel for trimming and trimmed away. It looks like it'll be a good fit. The surfaces of the frame and snorkel are roughed up and clean, waiting for the epoxy work to begin. I wish I was building a metal airplane.


 
Sep 01, 2023     Snorkel Installation - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
Following the instructions to remove the air filter frame turned out to be a little challenging after stripping a screw due to the prop governor being in the way. Once out though, everything went smoothly with the snorkel needing minimal trimming for the proper fit. That's as far as I got. Next on tap is cutting the slots trimming the top of the snorkel, etc.


 
Aug 31, 2023     Cowl Baffle Tension Rods - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Yep, 3 more frustrating hours of installing those &*#$ tension rods nuts. It looks so simple. Anyway, they're installed and secure. I did find a very, very small socket wrench that worked. Along with my friend Ron's helping hand, we got'er done - finally! I'm sure it was just me and others may not have this problem - at least I hope not. The pictures below show the underside of the installed tension rods.


 
Aug 30, 2023     Cowl Baffle Tension Rods - (3.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Fabricated the 4 baffle tension rods for the lower part of the baffles. Cutting the 6-32 threads into the stainless rods took more time and effort than I originally thought. I had to use plenty of oil to cut the threads and I found once a thread was started (which was somewhat difficult) cutting the next 1/2 inch of threads was easier. The rods were cut spot on and precisely bent per the plans and then the plastic was cut to fit. Those -3 size locking nuts and washers are tough to hang on too (they're so damn small) and unfortunately, the rods are a pretty tight fit so they kept popping off. In retrospect, I should have cut them slightly longer - HINT! I found it best to attach the hardware on on one end, slide the rod thru the hole in the baffle, then slide on the plastic tube and then 'try' to attach the washer and nut on the other end. I just couldn't do it today as I ran out of patience and time, so I'll try again tomorrow. I may have to purchase a teeny tiny socket set to fasten them. My current wrenches aren't up (or is it down) to the job and frankly neither am! If I only still had little kids around the house.


 
Aug 29, 2023     Cowl Baffles - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
This morning I installed the left and right forward baffles and ensured all fasteners were secure. Pretty straight forward process, but the CB8-31 'nut' on the right was difficult to install due to the slanted baffle preventing a good head on wrenching opportunity and a small clearance preventing a ratchet wrench on the bolt. Other than a superb, but tight fit, the baffles are now in place. After Hurricane Idalia passes us tomorrow, I'll get out to the hangar and press on.


 
Aug 28, 2023     Cowl Baffles - (4.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
The left and right forward cowl baffles are now 'complete' and ready for installation once the RTV has dried. Actually, there is more work to do on them, but the basic construction is done - for the time being,


 
Aug 28, 2023     Engine Oil Dipstick Tube - (.5 hour)       Category: EXP-119
Finally got my fat fingers into the right place and the safety wiring of the tube is complete. Not especially pretty, but it's done.


 
Aug 27, 2023     Engine Oil Dipstick Tube - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
After much consternation, cussing and a series of calls to Lycoming tech support the replacement tube from Lycoming arrived and was finally successfully inserted into the engine. Safety wiring it in place remains and will be done soon. Many hours have been spent trying to resolve this issue and thanks go to the techs at Lycoming for their help. If they could have only had the right fitment from the beginning there would have been less anguish. Oh well, it's done.


 
Aug 27, 2023     Cowl Baffles - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Started work on the forward left baffle. The fiberglass air filter frame was trimmed along the, barely visible, scribe lines. Using the band saw and Dremel cutter the part was perfectly trimmed. The nut plates were attached and the rest of the baffle parts were clecoed then riveted in place. Final trimming of the fiberglass frame was accomplished so the CB-001 baffle could be riveted in place. Rather uneventful, but rewarding morning.


 
Aug 26, 2023     Cowl Baffles - (2.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
This morning I decided to remove 2 small screws in the aft corners of the engine. These seemed to interfere with the installation of the adel clamps. I taped the bottom of the engine where it appears the CB8-31 cylinders were supposed to be installed. I believe they were already installed and the tape kept them in place during the installation. Both sides were completed and everything fit fine. I could not find these screws or fittings on any of the documentation, but hey, it worked. I moved the CB-0004 bracket to the left side of the engine (as I did on the aft bracket). I cut the called out tube about 7/8" long and installed it with the AN4-16A bolt and other hardware. It was a real bear getting everything in place with my fat hands, but it I got it done. So the left and right aft cowling pieces are completely installed - less of course the final RTVing. Check it off! I also began the deburring of nearly all the remaining baffle pieces.


 
Aug 25, 2023     Cowl Baffles - (4.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Deburred the forward and aft cowl attach parts (CB-0004 and CB-0016). Did the RTV application per the drawing to the left and right rear baffles and let it set up. Now learning the hard way - if you're doing this use caution, unless I read the drawings incorrectly (I can do this) the aft bracket is depicted going on the left side of the engine - WRONG! It attaches to the right side, else it won't fit properly when the left and right rear baffles are attached. Be careful out there. Please note: I included pictures that show the brackets attached on the left side (incorrectly), but I also included the pictures showing the correct installation. I attached the left cowl baffle side first, with little problem - so far. Then I attached the right side. However, I know the instructions say 'to make it easier remove the cylinder 3 oil line', but I chose not to. Turns out I guessed right (finally). With a little encouragement, everything fell into place. The aft screws to the center bracket were a little tough to align, but it did get done. The screws over cylinders 3 and 4 went in easy and the single screw just below the engine mount on the right went in okay. However there are two screws, one on each side in the lower engine area, that protrude out and prevent the CB8-31 part from being installed. I called it a day after that so I could do some research in that area. A little more to go and the aft portion should be complete, less RTV'ing - I hope!


 
Aug 24, 2023     Cowl Baffles - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Began the right aft baffle construction. A little more complicated than the left one. The excess material was removed and the main part deburred. All the parts needing dimples were dimpled either via the dimpler or machine dimpled. The CB-00010 was prepped and painted because it got 'scratched' up in order to machine dimple. The 'bridge' pieces were assembled and riveted to form an assembly and then the assembly was riveted to the main structure. Parts needing painting because they weren't alclad were prepped and painted with high temp black paint then assembled. The baffle for cylinder 3 was riveted in place. Right rear baffle nearly complete.


 
Aug 22, 2023     Cowl Baffles - (1.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Despite the difficulty of having to use the rivet gun, parts of my body, and the vise to hold things steady, I managed to get the riveting done without too many dings and no DNA marks on the aluminum. The cowl baffle over cylinder 4 was also attached to the rear baffle. Left rear nearly complete.


 
Aug 21, 2023     Cowl Baffles - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
Began fabrication of the left rear cowl baffles. I discovered that the CB-00023 baffle was one of the laser cut pieces. It had no blue film to peel off and terrible holes, somewhat jagged holes with turn marks. In order to keep doing work and since this was a low stress area, less the possible vibration issues, I decided to up size drill the holes to 1/8 inch and use AD4 rivets. There were no edge distance issues so it seems like this will work. I also took quite a few thousands off the edges during deburring. Again, no issues with that. I completed about the half the work on the left rear and wasn't happy about my crummy riveting on these flimsy parts, but I'll get over it - maybe!


 
Aug 19, 2023     Baffles - (2.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Began building the baffle system. The baffles on the outside of the cylinders were completed (not yet installed and the work on the left rear baffle began. The CB-00023 baffle was laser cut (2022) and appears to have the damages one would expect. However, I'll give it a good look and since it's not in a high stress area, I may upsize drill the holes and use larger rivets as well as trim an extra few .001 around the edges and see if I can bypass the work hardened areas. I fall else fails I'll call Van's and get a new part - if available. I don't think this is a critical area but.....


 
Aug 18, 2023     Oil Filler Tube Problem - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
The saga continues as to why the oil filler tube will not thread into the engine. This is now the second one that won't fit as Lycoming replaced the first one earlier this week. (Many folks have tried to install both tubes (unsuccessfully) which thankfully means it's not me.) The remaining options, in talking with Lycoming tech support, are 1, they have a bad batch of filler tubes (my hope is this is correct) or 2, they incorrectly sized the fitting in the engine in which case the engine will be have to be returned to Lycoming for correction. This would be torture to have to remove, uninstall everything, repackage it for shipping AND then have them repair the engine, send it back and reinstall it. Essentially starting the engine installation all over.


 
Aug 18, 2023     Parts Assembly - (.5 hour)       Category: EXP-119
Installed the oil hoses on the oil cooler AN fittings and secured them with tie wraps per the plans and one additional one on the VA-190 hose.


 
Aug 16, 2023     Parts Assembly - (4.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I completed the oil cooler tray by countersinking the #40 holes and riveting the nut plates and supports to the frame. The firewall protection I installed earlier proved to be a little too thick to let the assembly align properly so I had to cut off a piece of it to allow the tray assembly to fit properly. Once that was done it all came together. I ran a bead of RTV on the cooler inlet assembly and let it dry a little while. I placed the oil cooler on the tray then the assembly on top of that. Bolted it together, then RTV'd the slight openings in each corner. Now the system can sit and cure before attaching the inlet and outlet hoses.


 
Aug 15, 2023     Parts Assembly - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I attached the oil pressure hose at both ends and also ran the hose thru the adel clamp shared with the + battery terminal. Attached the oil supply and return hoses on the engine side. The left and right oil cooler seals were adhered to the cooler with clear silicone adhesive. The curvature of seal (due to packaging) made it difficult to keep them straight so I wrapped them to the cooler in blue tape. Ugly, but it seems to have worked. I'll know tomorrow:-) I sealed the eight corners of the cooler inlet assembly with Blue, Hi-Temp RTV. (The adhesive and RTV need 24 hours to fully cure.) Meanwhile I deburred and primed/painted the F-01405 support.


 
Aug 14, 2023     Parts Fabrication - (1.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
The duct flange was primed/painted to match the rest of the assembly and the oil cooler had the inlet and outlet elbow fittings attached at the precise angles called out on P. 49-07. Helpful hint: Be sure to check the P. 49-01 drawing to make sure the fittings match the drawing. IMHO the P.49-07 drawing isn't that clear. Out of an abundance of caution I didn't tighten the fittings as much as I thought they should be as they were getting much too tight. Now I think they're a little too loose, but we'll see when there's fluid going through the system.


 
Aug 13, 2023     Parts Assembly - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
Fabricated the cooler inlet assembly by riveting the duct flange to the oil cooler inlet assembly. I'll paint the duct as assembled, mainly because I missed the call out, duh, no big deal. The corners have been taped off for the application of RTV. The photos show the painted tubes and support flanges as well as the duct assembly.


 
Aug 12, 2023     Parts Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Completed the installation of the power cable for the alternator. Started on the oil system: The 4 oil spacer tubes were cut, deburred and prepped for painting as were the oil cooler tray supports. All the parts were pirimed/painted. Van's excellent parts service sent the missing sniffle valve exit tube so now it was cut and installed.


 
Aug 11, 2023     Parts Assembly - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Attached the alternator to the engine, but that's it. Complete installation will have to wait until the flywheel is attached. I also ran the power cable from the alternator to the interior of the cockpit. While it appears easy, it isn't. Those adel clamps are tough to work with with, especially in hard to reach places. Putting two together is not fun, but it is doable.


 
Aug 10, 2023     Parts Assembly - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Time to install the fuel servo. I opened the box and hit the jackpot. It was chock full of parts; - nuts, bolts, washers, electrical connectors, gaskets and a lot more, and oh yes, the servo. It's a good looking piece of hardware. However, there were no installation instructions, parts lists, etc. I did go online and found a lot of good info about the servo, but nothing really specific to the RV-14. Time to resort to the database in my head. I did get it installed using one gasket, 4 steel lock nuts and 4 washers. That's it. I taped up the inlet for the time being to keep out the dust and dirt until the snorkel is installed. I then installed a wire, per the plans from the start solenoid to the starter. The ring terminal on the starter side didn't fit so I enlarged the hole just slightly and that seem to work. I may revisit that later and install a larger ring terminal. Finally, I secured the wire to the start cable and engine mount. One last note to share. For the fourth or fifth time I took a crack at installing the oil/dip stick tube. No joy. Called Lycoming support - excellent service. They said others have had this problem so they will replace it under warranty. Seems the plastic threads don't always fit right.


 
Aug 09, 2023     Parts Assembly - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Completed the installation of the starter cable by attaching supporting adel clamps to the engine mount and then attaching the aft end of the cable to the start solenoid. I also secured the fuel transducer inlet line to the engine mount. I then attached the fuel inlet line from the firewall to the fuel pump. I learned of another good hint to pass along although I may be the last builder to know this. Rather then use safe wire to close the adel clamps for installation as called out in the plans, my friend John C. came by and suggested using small zip ties. Brilliant. Now I've stopped leaving my DNA on the plane, just saying!


 
Aug 08, 2023     Parts Assembly - (4.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I fabricated the sniffle valve tube and the short rubber attach elbow to the valve and installed it on the engine. Attached the starter end of the start cable to the starter then installed the adel clamp on the crankcase to support the cable (that was a real bear to install). Began the installation of the oil breather line by attaching the elbow to the engine outlet then installing the breather tube to the other end. The two adel clamps were also installed. Hint: Install the adel clamps on the firewall, then slide the tube thru them, then install the elbow on the engine. I found this much easier to do, your results may vary. The remainder of the installation, the rubber tube that goes over the exhaust, will have to wait until I get to the exhaust KAI.


 
Aug 07, 2023     Parts Assembly - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I installed the sniffle valve (the center fitting on the bottom of the sump comes out with a 3/16 hex wrench - see the picture) and began the installation the oil breather tube. Fabricating the angle and installing the clamps were easy. A real simple installation one would think, BUT the location of the 'down tube' behind the engine makes it 'nearly' impossible to install the adel clamps unless you have three hands:-) It might be better to loosely install the tube before mounting the engine. Just a thought. The upper clamp is now installed (using two hands, cuss words + patience.) Actually it wasn't that bad. The lower clamp is bit more challenging and I'll do it another time.


 
Aug 05, 2023     Parts Assembly - (2.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Fuel flow transducer location decided: Those rubber clamps didn't seem like a good method for installing the red cube. Since I had to remove the intake manifold and pipes and reinstall them (twice) because the first time, upon reflection and inspection the o-rings just didn't look good. I decided I had to remove the red cube to free up the intake pipes. Then it was a no brainer to make a new bracket and use the two holes in the crankcase as the attachment. In either case I was concerned about heat affecting the instrument, so I took some heat shield material and completely covered the aft side of the bracket. In the next few days I'll add a hose clamp to secure the fuel hose to the engine mount. If in the future I find that this method didn't work, the next option is to put the red cube on the engine mount and order new hoses to complete the installation.


 
Aug 02, 2023     Parts Assembly - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Back from a great time at Oshkosh. For those using the EXP version of the 390, I've learned some interesting information. As I mentioned before, I was installing the control bracket for the fuel injector and while I was torquing the right rear intake manifold bolt it sheared with the end of the bolt stuck in the engine block. I did have many restless nights, but after doing a lot of research and buying some good EZ outs, today we removed the intake manifold and pipes, filed the stuck portion of the bolt flat, center punched it, drilled it and hammered in the EZ out. One twist of the EZ out and the remnants of the bolt was easily removed by hand. I purchased new gaskets, o-rings, etc and reassembled the parts. Not happy with the left side pipe to manifold o ring seals, I'm going to redo it. I also decide to remove the fuel flow transducer to another, yet to be determined location. I'm just not happy with the way the plans call for it to be installed. More to follow another time. So, while at Oshkosh I learned that mine wasn't the only bolt that had sheared. Coincidence, I don't know, but just be cautious when installing those bolts. Lycoming Tech Support was very helpful while I 'suffered' thru this problem.


 
Jul 20, 2023     Parts Installation - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
The installation of the fuel flow sensor was interesting. The sensor, now with the in/out fuel lines installed, was attached to the mounting plate and the fuel pump outlet line was installed finger tight. With the sensor now sitting on the adel clamps it was quite the struggle to get the final bolt installed, but with my friend Dean's help and safety wire and adel clamp pliers and some cursing, we managed to get the nut started and then tightened up both sides. If you're reading this and haven't yet done this, relax and take your time doing it - with a friend. If you've done this. Congrats.

Next was the WD-10 plate installation, one of the easier things to do, except one of the bolts sheared. I had no idea I was that strong. The call is into Lycoming for the procedure to remove the remnants of the bolt. 2.5 hours on hold and I gave up and asked for a return call. Oh well, s**t happens.


 
Jul 19, 2023     Parts Installation - (2.0 hours) Category: EXP-119
Finished removing the desiccant from the engine and started on the installation of the fuel flow sensor.
 
Jul 18, 2023     Installation - (3.0 hours) Category: EXP-119
SImple - picking more desiccant crap out from between the cylinder fins. No pictures needed.
 
Jul 16, 2023     Installation - (6.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
I waited to provide this commentary. The engine box was opened this past week and during the reveal, when the top cover came off the box, I discovered that 2 of the desiccant packs were ripped and that crap was everywhere on the engine. The box was in great shape so this must have happened by the clumsy packers at Lycoming. Today, Ron and I continued to clean up the mess. Vacuum and pressure were only minimally useful as this stuff was lodged in-between the cylinder fins. I cant believe the incompetence for a multi-thousand dollar piece of equipment!!!! Yes, I'm PO'd. The picture of this stuff on the floor only shows about a third of what we got out of the engine, but doesn't due justice to show what happened.


 
Jul 15, 2023     Parts Assembly - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
I drilled, countersunk, cut and deburred the fuel flow mounting plate and located the numerous parts it's going to take to make that installation.


 
Jul 14, 2023     Installation - (3.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
It seemed so simple but it took 3 freaking hours and a lot of help to add the 2 washers and reinstall the engine, but it's done. I don't know why 3 hours, it didn't seem like it, but that's the way it was. So if you're doing this install, watch for those 2 lower washers that go against the engine and remember to put them in. By the way, the torque on those bolt/nuts is high. I went to a little over 40 ft-lbs which places it in the mid-range. IMHO, perfect!


 
Jul 13, 2023     Installation - (2.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
After a lot of adjusting and tweaking we got the four engine mounts on. However, the lower two mounts will have to be slightly redone to install a washer I told myself not to forget - duh! I still think it looks great. Still remaining - torquing of the -7 hardware after the reinstall.


 
Jul 12, 2023     Unpacking & Parts Assembly - (8.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Uncrated the engine this morning and lifted it out of the box and its foam and plastic packing mess. Sawed the box into smaller, yet still large pieces for the trash pickup. That urethane foam is awful. Ended up using saws and pryers. Then I moved the engine, via the hoist to the workbench and placed it gently on the top piece of foam but kept the hoist attached - just in case. Then, per the plans, I installed all the fittings on page 43-06. That was fairly straight forward but I'm still searching for the brass insert for the fuel vent line. The prop governor went on with no problem and I had painted the bracket pieces and riveted them together earlier. All parts are properly clocked and taped off for the time being. I tried to install the dipstick assembly but could get the threads started so I gave up on that for now. Of course everything that looks like it should take 15 minutes took about 45. Access and removing the plugs took more time only because I spent a lot of time looking for the right tools. But, now it's ready to be hung on the mount and darn if it doesn't look nice.


 
Jul 07, 2023     Shop Preparation - (3.0 hours) Category: EXP-119
Completely cleaned, reconfigured the work area and began gathering parts for the pre-installation portion of the engine work, which I hope to begin in the next day or so.
 
Jul 07, 2023     Parts Assembly - (.5 hour)       Category: Landing Gear
Completed the nose gear installation by verifying the (hand) torque on the castellated nuts and securing them with the cotter pins. Also, slightly peeled back the thermal insulation around the top of the firewall and taped it down in preparation for the installation of the the Skybolt fasteners.


 
Jul 06, 2023     Thermal Barrier - (2.0 hours)       Category: Firewall
Ron came over and helped complete the thermal barrier project as we worked on the interior of the cowl duct. It went much easier than expected and a quick test showed the door operated without interference from the thermal material.


 
Jul 05, 2023     Parts Assembly - (3.0 hours)       Category: Landing Gear
Big day today, but not without its weird trials and tribulations. Gathering the parts for the nose wheel, link and fork installation proved to be challenging. I found that Van's did not supply the correct part. I needed a MS21045-6 nut, but a -4 was in the parts bag. Fortunately my friend Dean stopped by and he had the correct one. Problem number 1 solved. Problem 2 was more intriguing. The MS21083-N6 axel nut was found, then disappeared. Paul, Ron and I searched for 15 minutes looking for the darn thing. Scoured the work bench, moved the workbench, moved the tool box, we essentially looked on top of and under everything. Then I went to scratch my head for a real itch and when I lifted my arm - there it was - the nut solidly attached to my magnetic watch band on my iWatch. That had to be the weirdest and funniest thing to happen on this build. With that nut found we three nuts went on to complete the installation of the fork on the nose gear leg and the wheel on the fork. Then came the big moment when Ron and Paul lifted the fuselage and I pulled the saw horses out from under the plane and now there it is sitting on all three wheels. Wahoo!!!


 
Jul 04, 2023     Parts Assembly - (2.5 hours)       Category: Landing Gear
Continued work on the nose gear. I installed the link assembly including the four elastomers. However, while the attach nuts are properly torqued, I've decided to wait before bending the cotter pins. The link assembly is not secured at the top as I was unable to compress the spring/elastomers enough to get the nut/washer/cap on - yet. Help will be there tomorrow:-) I also prepped (sanded, cleaned and taped the no primer areas) and primed the nose gear fork.


 
Jul 03, 2023     Deconstructed Crate - (3.5 hours)       Category: Finish Kit
The finish kit in the crate arrived Dec. 8, 2022 and the crate departed, as useful pieces, July 3, 2023. Everything in the crate but the cowling is now either on the plane or will be on it soon.


 
Jul 03, 2023     Parts Assembly - (1.0 hour)       Category: Landing Gear
After drilling out the powder coated holes I began assembling the nose gear strut. Went together really easy except Van's sent AN4-310 castle nuts when they should have been AN6's. I called to order new ones, but they're closed today, so I'll call them Wednesday. I went around the neighborhood and scrounged up 4 AN6-310's. It's great to live in a community like Spruce Creek. There are at least 50 RV's here (out of 600 total aircraft) and many more under construction. The strut is now on but not yet secured.


 
Jul 03, 2023     Parts Assembly - (4.0 hours) Category: Finish Kit
Time to get rid of the finish kit box. My friend Paul wanted the lumber from the box. Good idea? Yes. We spent about an hour yesterday prying apart a few small pieces of the stiffeners and pulling out the staples. What a pain in the a$$ that was There must be 5,000 staples in that box. Bottom line; we just disassembled the box and sawed off the ends of the boards and throwing the stapled pieces away. So today we spent the next 3 hours cutting apart the finish kit box saving almost all of the lumber which paul will use for one of his projects. Done, gone and I now have extra space to use for something, yea!
 
Jul 02, 2023     Parts Assembly - (.5 hour)       Category: Avionics
The ribs were riveted in place around the glove compartment of the instrument panel. I chose to use blind rivets so the starboard side holes had to be countersunk to accept the blind rivets I had in inventory - no problem.


 
Jul 02, 2023     Parts Assembly - (2.5 hours)       Category: Firewall
After more thermal shield trimming to allow firm seating of the engine mount, it was installed and torqued. Thanks again to Dean and Paul for their help. For the most part it went as planned. Only one battery cable needed to be removed. It'll be easy to put back in place later.


 
Jul 01, 2023     Parts Assembly - (5.0 hours)       Category: Firewall
Finished a few odds and ends on the firewall thermal panels then I began to assemble parts onto the firewall before the engine mount goes on thinking that would be easier. It's a little out of sequence so I hope this works out. In doing the master and battery solenoids here's a caution. When attaching the diode on the battery solenoid, note that that the length of the wire is just right - with no slack. Thus, you have to be really careful how you attach it to the mounting lug and the upper terminal, it's a tight fit. Also, I found the copper bar holes were too far apart and did not fit well. I had to bend it and enlarge the holes to get it to fit. I'm pretty sure it'll be okay. Everything else was straight forward.


 
Jun 30, 2023     Thermal Barrier - (4.0 hours)       Category: Firewall
I completed the left side firewall thermal barrier and then glued all 3 pieces in place. I left the bottom center unattached for the moment as this will extend into the cowl flap which I'll get to once the plane is on it's gear. Small strips of aluminum tape were placed along some the seams and around some of the holes. More will be added soon to give it a good seal. Overall I think it came out okay. The thermal material is certainly hard to cut. The backside of the aluminum is the barrier with the glue side against the firewall. This is the same material used on NASCAR's. (It helps to live in the Daytona area.)


 
Jun 29, 2023     Thermal Barrier - (2.5 hours)       Category: Firewall
On the upper thermal barrier I had to locate and cut the two holes which support the manifold pressure module. Using the template I cut the lower portion of the right side thermal barrier and did the usual fit check. It fits!


 
Jun 27, 2023     Thermal Barrier - (3.0 hours)       Category: Firewall
With the templates completed I also installed the fittings on the oil and fuel pressure manifold. I decided to cut the upper portion of both the left and right thermal barriers as one piece to make the installation a bit easier - I hope. So, I laid out the cut patterns on the thermal barrier and made the upper portion cut. I test fit the manifold with the thermal barrier temporaily installed and it's good.


 
Jun 26, 2023     Thermal Barrier - (2.0 hours)       Category: Firewall
I finished the left side template and also completed the right side template for the firewall thermal barrier.


 
Jun 25, 2023     Thermal Barrier - (2.0 hours)       Category: Firewall
I am going to install a thermal barrier on the forward side of the firewall. To do this I'll need to have a roughed out template that can provide approximate sizing around screw hoes and the various fittings installed on the firewall. I took a large piece of cardboard and began the process of cutting holes in it so it would lie flat on the firewall. I managed to get about 60% of the left side template completed this afternoon. Once I'm fully satisfied with the fit I'll cut the thermal shield, per the template, leaving some extra material to allow for my in-precise template measurements.


 
Jun 25, 2023     Glove Box Ribs - (.5 hour)       Category: Avionics
Dean center punched the holes into the firewall from the inside, then I re-punched them from the outside, and drilled them to #40. We did this for all 6 holes. Rivets to go in soon.


 
Jun 24, 2023     Research - (3.0 hours) Category: Avionics
Since I don't yet have the hardware I spent the afternoon making templates for the SV-COM, the TCW Battery and the PS Engineering remote audio panel. The reason for this is to see where I can place everything and still maintain access in the event I need to remove or replace one of the boxes. Dong fit checked is the best way I can think of do this sans the hardware. There are a few options available so with this now complete I can install the glove box ribs.
 
Jun 23, 2023     Parts Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: Landing Gear
Deburred and prepped the 4 wheel fairing brackets then primed them. Also spent time gathering the installation parts while the primer dried.


 
Jun 23, 2023     Research - (1.0 hour) Category: Landing Gear
Worked on then discussed brake hose alignment and placement with Steve at Aircraft Speciality. Outstanding support!
 
Jun 22, 2023     Right Main Gear - (2.0 hours)       Category: Landing Gear
The right main brake system was installed. I purchased stainless flexible lines to use from the fuselage to the brake assembly. Safety wiring of the brake and securing the hose to the main gear leg remains to be done. It should be noted that for some reason, despite the instructions, there was no need to reverse the bleed valve location. Too bad as I had to re-reverse it as I followed the instructions, oh well.


 
Jun 21, 2023     Left Main Gear - (1.0 hour)       Category: Landing Gear
The left main brake system was installed. I purchased a stainless flexible line to use from the fuselage to the brake assembly. Safety wiring of the brake and securing the hose to the main gear leg remains to be done.


 
Jun 19, 2023     Parts Assembly - (1.5 hours)       Category: Landing Gear
The main gear axel assemblies were installed on both main gear. The wood blocks were placed on the axels and a string taped in place on both blocks. The toe in angle was determined to be nearly spot on (nearly .25 degrees) which is in spec. The blocks were removed. Then the bushing, main wheel, another bushing and the nut to hold all together were installed. The nut was tightened enough so there is no sideway play and the wheel rotates freely. The cotter pin was placed in the hole, but not yet secured.


 
Jun 19, 2023     Parts Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: Avionics
The rivets holding the glove compartment ring in place were removed, as was the ring, per the Advanced Flight System documentation. We then attempted to install the new ribs but stopped short when we tried to figure out how the new components would be secured in place. A call to AFS found that the predrilled holes, which I was going to install nut plates on, may not fit the new generation hardware. AFS is going to send the new parts to me so I can figure out an installation scheme.


 
Jun 19, 2023     Parts Assembly - (1.0 hour)       Category: Firewall
I enlarged the hole slightly I drilled yesterday for the spherical grommet. Then I spread high temp RTV around the backside of the grommet, inserted it into the hole and with Dean on the inside, we installed the backplate. Once that was done, I loosely installed the spherical insert and the plate that holds in place.


 
Jun 17, 2023     Parts Assembly - (1.0 hour)       Category: Firewall
I removed the fuselage rotating attach hardware and stored it for the future. Using the template on OP62-03 I drilled thru the firewall in preparation for the installation of the CT-102 double spherical grommet. Drilling thru the stainless steel took quite some time and although the holes don't look symmetrical they fit the CT-102 perfectly.


 
Jun 17, 2023     Parts Assembly - (.5 hour) Category: Landing Gear
Final torqued all the main gear attach fittings bolts. Per Van's, the torque on the NAS bolts was quite a bit more than the same size AN bolts.
 
Jun 16, 2023     Parts Assembly - (7.0 hours)       Category: Landing Gear
Big day today! With the awesome help of Paul, Hart and John the fuselage was lifted, a sawhorse placed underneath to hold it high up and the rotating fixture removed. The left and right main gear gear legs were installed and although it looks simple enough, the close tolerances and tight workspaces made everything difficult (but still manageable) to install and properly torque. Some filing of the U-1402 support was necessary on both the left and right sides in order to get the gear legs up and into place. NOTE: Be sure to install and torque the U-1405 gear attach angle first before pushing the NAS1306-22 bolt all the way thru the U-1404 upper gear brace. Don't ask me how I figured this out, it's almost embarrassing! With everything installed it should also be noted, no shims were required.


 
Jun 15, 2023     Parts Assembly - (2.5 hours)       Category: Landing Gear
I installed the left and right upper gear braces. Here's how I decided to do it. Since I don't have small hands, I decided to temporarily placed the two AN6-15A bolts the brace to insure its proper alignment. Then I installed 3 AN3-6A bolts starting at the bottom first to allow good access as I moved up the brace. This took a lot of time due to access (because of my stupid fat hands). Hah, my buddy Hart came by and did the same job on the other side in 15 minutes - size matters?. With those installed and torqued, I tapped the AN6-43 bushings 'somewhat' in place. Aligning it took a while, using lights, a mirror and a tapered drift. Not difficult, just time consuming. I then installed the AN6-43 bolts and torqued all the AN6 bolts to 15-16 ft-lbs.


 
Jun 15, 2023     Wheel Assembly - (2.5 hours)       Category: Landing Gear
Completed putting the nose and main gear wheel assemblies together. The nose tire is set at 35 psi and the mains are set at 40 psi. All the wheel bolts are torqued to 90 in-lbs.


 
Jun 14, 2023     Wheel Assembly - (3.0 hours)       Category: Landing Gear
Began the process of assembling the nose and main gear wheels. It's a straight forward, but somewhat slow process as I wanted to get it right the first time. I also repacked all the wheel bearings with Aeroshell 22 Grease. So far no issues. You might note the nose wheel has a lot of white blotches. Maybe I used too much talcum powder:-)


 
Jun 13, 2023     Parts Fabrication - (2.5 hours)       Category: Landing Gear
Today I fabricated the left and right gear attachment angles. Originally, this was a fairly large angle of aluminum which has now been cut in half and then cut to shape to form a left and right piece. Then, along with other gear parts, were prepped and primed with self etching primer and set aside to dry.


 
Jun 13, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing       Category: Canopy+
I spent a few minutes cleaning up the fuselage and work area from the dirty job of sanding and filling which is now complete, until it comes time to paint the aircraft.


 
Jun 12, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Filled the few low spots and pinholes. Sanded them, reprimed the fairing. Any pinholes left (maybe one or two) will be taken care of when the plane is painted. Next is to remove most of the tape and all of the plastic protection, then move on. DONE!


 
Jun 11, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (1.5 hours)       Category: Canopy+
I sanded the last superfill application to a 220 grit finish. Then I masked off the area using paper taped around the fairing area and sprayed the Rust Oleum Filler Primer to the fairing area. It was a quick drying formulation so after about 5 minutes I removed the paper and masking tape. The finish wasn't perfect, darn it, as It did show a couple of areas needing a little more finish sanding and a few pinholes that will need attention. Other than that I'm pleased with the outcome. All the 'rough' spots and pinholes are easily manageable. The end is finally in sight.


 
Jun 10, 2023     Parts Inventory - (1.0 hour) Category: Landing Gear
With the canopy fairing near completion and the engine now delivered the next task is to get the fuselage on the landing gear and remove the rotating fixture. It's been a long while since the gear parts have been 'seen' so I began to collect them and get them ready for assembly.
 
Jun 10, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (1.0 hour)       Category: Canopy+
Now that the resin has dried, I sanded it down and found a few low spots that need more filler so I added superfill to those areas. For the record, that application of resin was excellent in highlighting the low spots. Although there were just a few of them, and it likely wouldn't have made a difference, now I expect the final result to be excellent with only pinholes to fill with the application of the filler primer. We'll see.


 
Jun 09, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (1.5 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Sanded the superfill from yesterday and used 220 grit to feather the forward edge - and the entire surface. Placed a sacrificial layer of masking tape all around the fairing and then applied a fairly heavy coat of resin. Once the resin was applied I waited a few minutes and removed the sacrificial layer of tape. Much to my surprise, everything is looking pretty good.


 
Jun 08, 2023     Engine Delivery       Category: Engine
Wahoo!! The engine has arrived! Why is it a YIO-390-EXP340 and not an EXP119?


 
Jun 08, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (1.0 hour)       Category: Canopy+
Nearing the end. More sanding and just little filling. I believe this should do it. Next, I hope, it'll be ready for the final coat of resin and then the sanding filler. The end is in sight. All contours and flats are excellent. It'll look better when painted.


 
Jun 07, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Yep, you guessed it. More sanding and filling. I also removed the top layer of tape on the aft/canopy side, thus allowing more sanding lower to the canopy line. So overall it's looking pretty decent at this point. Just a few low spots then this could be the last major sanding before a coat of resin, sanding filler and finish sanding. Gotta get after those pinholes.


 
Jun 06, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Progress! More sanding, more filling. The contours, transition areas and flat areas are coming along nicely. I pulled the forward tape off and began to 'feather' the forward areas. It's looking a lot better, but it takes hours of sanding. I no longer have fingerprints as they've been sanded off with the 80 grit I've been using:-)


 
Jun 05, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Yep, more sanding, but this time I've added filler to the low spots and to the areas where the weave need filling. Progress.


 
Jun 04, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (1.0 hour)       Category: Canopy+
More sanding. Doesn't look like much progress, but there is. The contour is shaping nicely and the flat sides are almost there.


 
Jun 03, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (1.5 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Today, I began some serious sanding. The sides are very close to perfectly flat, but still need work. Then I began work on the 4 inch curvature area. This took a lot of effort - and I hardly made a dent. The curvature has many low spots but overall, not too bad and hopefully superfill should fix those. My concern revolves around the aft tape line. There are a lot of areas where the weave of the fabric shows lots of strands especially on the aft edge, again although it looks terrible superfill, should fix that. My major concern is to be sure I have smooth, even finish on the aft portion of the curvature. Note: I think the pictures accentuate the weave issue. At least I hope that's the case. I must say, the excellent Van's videos on the fiberglassing make it look sooo easy. Reality from an amateur is that the real world is very different.


 
Jun 02, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (1.0 hour) Category: Canopy+
With the fiberglassing 'done', I pulled the peel ply from the fuselage. The fiberglass didn't look too bad so I began sanding. After a short while I used the template and sure enough the curvature was pretty close but the sides needed much more sanding to get to 'flat'. Enough for the moment. I took a couple of hours to cleanup the shop from the fiberglassing and then called it a day.
 
Jun 01, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (5.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
I was correct. Fiberglassing is an ugly nasty job! But it's done. Peel ply is on and waiting for the resin to cure. Except of course for the uglier nastier job of sanding and finishing. While it looks bad (my opinion) it does conform to the proper radius and flatness. At least I have that going for me. Can't wait to get back to metal working. Meanwhile, my engine has been completed by Thunderbolt and should arrive next week. Also, the final design of the panel was completed and I'm told it's being hot dipped this week. That means the airplane is 50% done with only 90% to go. Thought I would never get there.


 
May 22, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
A quick correction to the taping as the forward tape does not get a sacrificial piece of tape over it. I solved the "problem" that was causing me such grief with the fiberglassing. I bought a new Fiskar 60mm circular cutter and now all is well, go figure. All the fiberglass pieces and peel ply pieces are cut. Wahoo! No pictures of the cut fiberglass - yet.


 
May 21, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (1.0 hour)       Category: Canopy+
After some thought I decided to redo the taping for the canopy. Since I'm using a black tint for the initial fiberglass layups I thought it would be better to use white electrical tape for the second layer. It'll be better to see and sand the fiberglass when that time comes. So I removed the top strip of black electrical tape, replaced it with white and redid the sacrificial masking tape layer as well as the tape holding the protective plastic down. The pictures show the evolution from white tape to sacrificial tape application and then when it's complete. It should be noted there's an extra strip of black electrical tape forward of the forward measured piece. I guess I'm paranoid about getting the resin on the airframe. Did the same on the aft piece of tape. Really paranoid about getting anything on the canopy.


 
May 19, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Did I mention I STILL hate fiberglassing!!!! My new and improved rotary cutter arrived so tomorrow I'll attempt to cut the fiberglass - again. However, today, I masked everything off, double taped, sacrificial taped and plastic protection for the fuselage are now all on and ready for the big fiberglassing day. Geez, the videos make it look so easy. Watched them yet again.


 
May 12, 2023     Instrument Panel - (3.0 hours)       Category: Avionics
(Updated May 18th) The panel design is complete - again. It's still not perfect, but it has the essential elements of what I'm looking to do. There was a tweak here and there, but by the beginning of the week it'll be ready to move forward. Here's the latest design mod: After a little more human factors work I determined the two dimmer switches, originally at the top of the lower slanted panel, were not optimal. Actually, for me, the top half of the slanted panel is difficult to reach so I moved them above the G5 where they are more accessible. Your results may vary:-)


 
May 11, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (2.0 hours) Category: Canopy+
Yikes. After setting things up and trying to cut 1/4" strips of fiberglass, I gave up! I ended up going back to watching more videos on fiberglass basics - not Van's excellent videos that make it look too easy. It seems those little stripes want to unravel if you just look at them. Frustrating to say the the least. Stepping away and taking a short break seems to be the way to go for now.
 
May 10, 2023     Research - (1.0 hour) Category: Canopy+
I watched Part 3 of the video for fiberglass application on the canopy. Probably one more review and I'll do the deed tomorrow, I hope.
 
May 09, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (1.0 hour)       Category: Canopy+
Mixed up a new batch of epoxy resin and micro balloons and filled a few of the voids in the first application. I also applied more void filler to the sides to meet the rather straight contour requirement. After I watch the videos again and a little more sanding on the aluminum and I'll be ready for the fiberglass application.


 
May 04, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
I returned to the mess - I mean hangar, and it actually looked as bad as I thought it would. I started removing the excess filler with a razor blade then graduated to an electric sander and then a small sanding block. It actually came out sort of okay, but there were a few places that needed improvement. I repeated yesterday's debacle with about the same results - ugly mess. Hopefully sanding will fix it. At least I can sleep knowing this mess will never be seen again as it will be covered with a lot of fiberglass. I thought building a metal airplane would rid me of this exercise. - Hah!


 
May 03, 2023     Canopy Fiberglassing - (1.5 hours)       Category: Canopy+
With the canopy secured in place it was time for void filling. I mixed the resin, black tint and hardener then added the micro balloons (cabo-sil) until the mixture was putty like and didn't flow. I placed it in the plastic baggie, clipped the corner open and spread it around. At this point I must say I HATE this portion of the build. Unlike the video where everything was neat and clean, mine was a freaking mess. Did I mention I HATE this! I left and let it dry.


 
May 02, 2023     Canopy+ - (1.5 hours)       Category: Canopy+
I installed 5 clips to secure the windshield in place, although the fit was really good and three would have probably been okay. Better to be conservative here. I used a Dremel rotary cutter to 'sink' the clip to canopy level and not lie proud, but still had to slightly trim each clip to fit as close to level as possible.


 
May 02, 2023     Instrument Panel - (2.0 hours) Category: Avionics
More research on panel location of various devices and switches. Communications with AFS continues to be excellent. Consulted with van's tech support on the eject handle location and various options. I finally decided to leave it in place and to change the orientation to vertical by cutting and rewelding the lever. Still working on TO/GA switch location.
 
May 01, 2023     Instrument Panel - (2.0 hours) Category: Avionics
Continued working on the final design of the instrument panel, sub panel and throttle plate layout. The design is about 98% complete. Hopefully I can get the CAD drawing done soon and then it's metal cutting and module testing time.
 
Apr 29, 2023     Canopy+ - (1.5 hours) Category: Canopy+
The hinge covers were checked and only a small snippet of sealant was trimmed back for all of the hinge covers to fit perfectly in place. The canopy was installed and locked in place on the fuselage. The weights were taped in place and all Zone 2 screws and nuts were tightened forward to aft then the weights were removed. Upon inspection the canopy appears to be sitting smoothly on the fuselage with very little bulging. The canopy clips were cut apart and if I can find my 1/8" dimple set the world would be nice. I'll keep looking!!!:-(
 
Apr 27, 2023     Canopy+ - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Completed the notching of the canopy seal and stowed it away for future use. Replaced the called out screws going thru the side skins and canopy with a slightly longer screw and now it's a much better fit. All the aft canopy screws were slightly tightened and the Zone 1 screws were rugged up. The left and right wear strips were fabricated and riveted in place. I did use a -5 length vice the called out 4.5 and again, it's a much better fit. There's no part of the rivet sticking out beyond water strip.


 
Apr 25, 2023     Canopy+ - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Continued notching the canopy seal and loosely installed the seal retainers on the canopy. Ran around searching for 2 slightly longer screws to fit where the left and right side frame attach screws go. I think the called out screw size is a little too short. More on this later. I also found that I don't have a small enough wrench to tighten the nuts on the screws. Off to Lowe's for a 3/16 socket or wrench.


 
Apr 23, 2023     Canopy+ - (1.0 hour)       Category: Canopy+
After locating the 'missing' canopy seal I unwound it, clamped it down to the workbench with the C-01446 seal retainers on top and marked the hole locations. I test cut one of the notches and decided I better get a good exacto knife to do the rest of notching. Also, the attach screws were placed in all the remaining canopy holes and taped in place.


 
Apr 22, 2023     Canopy+ - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Today I arranged the canopy assembly to sit on 2 long boards so it could hang over the edge of the table so I could single handedly rivet the side skins and handles in place. Things went well until I aligned the pneumatic squeezer on the first rivet. It went to hell in about one second as the squeezer slipped off the rivet head while I was looking at the inside from underneath. In an instant I created a dent on the left side skin. So much for squeezing rivets on the side skins. It isn't that bad, but I should have known better. My friend Ron happened to stop by, took pity on me and volunteered to help. He's very mechanically inclined, but not airplane savvy, so I taught him how to handle the rivet gun while I bucked. It went well after that stupid initial mishap. So the side skins and handles are now riveted in place. A little body shop work later and that dent will be history. Stuff happens! Build on!!


 
Apr 21, 2023     Canopy+ - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
After preparing the canopy (pulling back the protective plastic) for placement on the frame, Brenda and I placed the canopy on the frame and adjusted it to sit properly. Once done I inserted the shims inbetween the frame and plexiglass. On the left side, I ran the canopy lock wire thru the holes in the frame and alongside the canopy for hookup later in the build. Then I placed the side skins on each side; inserted the screws, washers and nuts on just finger tight and clecoed the skins and canopy handles in place. The rear of the canopy was temporarily clecoed to the aft frame.


 
Apr 20, 2023     GPS - (1.5 hours)       Category: Avionics
After searching for and finally finding the proper screws for attaching the Dynon GPS-250 antenna I finally drilled the holes (perfectly centered) and fastened the antenna on the canopy frame. I used a 1/2" plastic grommet to protect the GPS' wires.


 
Apr 19, 2023     Canopy+ - (1.0 hour)       Category: Canopy+
Researched and gathered the parts for the canopy close switch and he defog fans. The fans were installed and the switch was loosely attached to the canopy frame but not wired at this time.


 
Apr 17, 2023     Canopy+ - (2.5 hours)       Category: Canopy+
I needed to repair a few paint spots on the canopy frame and paint the rear window trim around the edges where the sealant will be. After clecoing the rear window in place, I masked off an outline where the window goes under the skin and then sealed off, with wide tape, the areas where the 'plastic' was, or could be exposed to the paint. After scuffing and cleaning the plastic edge the paint was sprayed on and when it became tacky I removed the outlining tape from the rear window.


 
Apr 16, 2023     Canopy+ - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
I clecoed the side skins in place and my wife and I placed the canopy onto the frame. Once the weights were reattached I began doing the 80 grit sanding on the plexiglass and the fuselage. It took quite a bit of trimming and sanding to get the canopy to the right shape, and with no reflections, but it's done.


 
Apr 15, 2023     Canopy+ - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Completed double taping the forward trim/fairing and outboard lines on the canopy frame. I also cleaned the defog fan outlet holes of the paint build up from the spraying activity. Machine countersunk all the canopy attach holes. I believe all the canopy holes have been drilled - a big relief as I didn't cause any cracks in that high priced item.


 
Apr 14, 2023     Canopy+ - (3.5 hours)       Category: Canopy+
I sanded off the mess I made with my attempts at glare shield painting by working my way from 100 to 600 grit. Then, with the help of my friend Ethan and his assistant Branden, we (Ethan) sprayed the glare shield and put on 3 beautiful coats of Ultra Matte Black. There were zero issues with the spray, no bursts or bubbles. I give him full credit for a job well done. There are just one or two areas that need interior gray paint due to the tape pulling it up. I'll catch those later. After the paint had dried a little, I outlined the side templates on the fuselage.


 
Apr 13, 2023     Canopy+ - (1.0 hour)       Category: Canopy+
I moved the canopy frame outside and began painting the glare shield with Universal Advanced Formula Rust Oleum Flat Back. The first few swipes across the glare shield went well, but then the rattle can began spurting a few bubbles and leaking profusely all over my hand. I took the frame inside to let let it dry, went the store and bought a couple more cans of paint. I then sanded the glare shield, cleaned it, took outside again and began repainting. Things got worse and more 'massive spurting' of the paint began again. I know I suck as a painter, but this was supposed to be a simple spray job. A friend came by and said, "let me give it a try tomorrow with the paint I used on my motorcycle". Done! Sorry, while the pictures of the glare shield were too terrible to post I did post the errant can of paint. I hope someday my newly painted hands and black finger nail polish paint will come off. I got drenched in black.


 
Apr 12, 2023     Canopy+ - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
I began prepping the canopy for the fiberglass installation by peeling back the protective plastic, lightly etching a line on the canopy @ 7/8", taping it off with a couple layers of electrical tape, then marked the fuselage's forward fairing line 2 inches from the aft fairing line and taped that line for future fiberglass fairing installation. We then removed the canopy assembly from the fuselage. The canopy was 'de-clecoed' from the frame and set side. The inside skins on the frame and the shims were deburred. The glare shield was scuffed for flat black painting and the entire frame was wrapped in paper, plastic and tape to prevent over spraying the black onto the interior finish. When the wind dies down I'll get that baby outside and painted.


 
Apr 11, 2023     Canopy+ - (2.5 hours)       Category: Canopy+
I removed the canopy side skins and final-drilled the common canopy holes to #27, deburred them, re-clecoed them and final-drilled to #27 every hole common to the canopy and canopy frame assembly and also reclecoed them as I did this. There's was a lot of freaking clecoing going on today. Finally, I outlined the forward edge of the canopy as a guide for painting the glareshield. For what's it worth: I used a plexiglass #27 for drilling thru the canopy then I switched to regular #27 to drill thru the metal. I guess I could've used the plexiglass bit for everything, but I didn't want to ruin the bit for going thru plexiglass. If I missed a metal shaving that got stuck in the bit it could've ended up in the plexiglass and ripped the hole OR maybe it wouldn't have made a difference. I wasn't sure sure so I switched drills/bits each time.


 
Apr 10, 2023     Research - (1.0 hour) Category: Canopy+
Searched for the 24x36 template for the fiberglass fairing pieces. No joy. Called Van's and they're mailing one out.
 
Apr 08, 2023     Canopy+ - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Now that the canopy is in place, the side shims installed and verified properly in place (again), the aft frame properly clamped to the roll bar and the canopy weighted down, it's time to begin drilling. My buddy Dean was inside the aircraft drilling the top few holes on the canopy/aft frame and clecoing them in place. I then started drilling, as per the directions, alternating on the left and right side skins and the left and right sides of the aft frame. Dean backed the drilling with a wood block against the inside side skin. When we finished, there were no bubbles or canopy movement. Chalk this one up to DONE! Couple of hints: I used a plexiglass #40 bit until I touched the side canopy shim then switched to a regular #40 bit. Also, we used a light shining up the hole on the aft frame to help locate the center of the hole in the canopy. This worked like a charm.


 
Apr 07, 2023     Canopy+ - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Trimmed the canopy from point Oscar forward leaving 3/32" width on the canopy bottom. Then we placed the canopy on the frame, centered it and using the forward and aft centerlines plus the forward line on the drawing, we verified the canopy fit with the 1/32" forward of the window shim on the aft frame. We checked the bottom of the canopy and it rests just above the tangent point, however it needed the C-01423 shim on each side. Then we clecoed the outside skin on each side. With that done I taped the weights on the forward part of the canopy. All looks good. While it's a little high *about 1/6" at most, in a couple of areas, a little finger pressure on the high spots places the canopy in a good position and it easily touched the canopy skin.


 
Apr 06, 2023     Canopy+ - (2.5 hours)       Category: Canopy+
After trimming to the line, we placed the canopy on the frame, recentered it, retaped the aft edge and once again trimmed for the final fit. I had to take off another 1/32" or less and did so. The trimming is complete (I hope). I also marked the 3" line from point Oscar forward for trimming tomorrow.


 
Apr 05, 2023     Canopy+ - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
So far so good. Still trimming away on the aft side of the canopy, but the end is in sight as I near the blue line. About 1/16" - 1/32" to go.


 
Apr 04, 2023     Canopy+ - (1.0 hour)       Category: Canopy+
Trimming continues. Necessary, but boring. Regardless, progress is made as I get closer (slowly) to the finish line (pun intended.)


 
Apr 03, 2023     Canopy+ - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
With the canopy removed from the aircraft and placed on the worktable, the trimming began. Yep, it's going to take a few hours, using a paint scrapper, although others have suggested using an electric sander, I'm not comfortable using that type of device on this expensive piece of 'plastic.'


 
Apr 02, 2023     The Canopy - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Peeled back the plastic covering, about a 1/4" on the inside of the canopy. Then lifted it onto the canopy frame, adjusted it so that it was on the forward canopy line of the drawing taped to the canopy frame. Then it was time to center it, which we did withe blue snapped line and triangle. Two 4" lines, fore and aft were drawn on the plastic covering. I then taped the aft portion of the canopy for trimming at the the required 1/32" forward of the rear window shim.


 
Apr 01, 2023     Sun n Fun - (4.0 hours)       Category: Research
3/31/2023 - We spent the evening at the Skybolt Chalet as my buddies rehearsed for their PanAm history presentation for Saturday night. If you are reading this and considering building ANY airplane - Skybolt fasteners are the way to go for any application where access is needed. (Note, I do not work for them.)

4/1/2023 - Spent the day at SnF checking on my engine, instrument panel parts, headsets, and many other 'shopping' opportunities (all research time), including talking and visiting with the incredibly great staff like Kelsey and Greg and others at the Van's tent. Tried to put money down for a couple of RV-15's for a friend and myself:-) No joy, maybe at Oshkosh. We then visited with John Stahr and his wife Pattie who had the booth adjacent to Van's. John is the aircraft painter who does the incredible artwork you've seen on all sorts of planes, including my award winning RV-7A. We then watched the Blue Angels do their terrific show. Later we watched the Skybolt PanAm presentation led by our friend and Captain Bob Gandt, PanAm/Delta and also the writer of many outstanding aviation books and the TV show, Pensacola - Wings of Gold. Those folks knocked it out of the park. Ned Bowers, Skybolt's founder and owner, who also happened to be a PanAm/Delta Captain (among other airlines) arranged for the event so his family and friends could enjoy this great historical evening. I might add we took a break for the night airshow and an awesome fireworks display, which rivaled that at Oshkosh. What a great day and evening!!!! Thanks to all those great PanAm folks and to Ned!!!!!!


 
Mar 30, 2023     Rear Window - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Today I fabricated two separate #6 dimple die holders, one for the roll bar and stiffener skin hole and the other for the rear center hole. For the stiffener area hole the receiving die wouldn't fit so I made one out of hard wood that would fit between the skin and roll bar. The dimple die was placed into a piece of a wood and a 6" C clamp was used to squeeze the die together. With a little tweaking here and there the dimpled holes came out fine. For the rear center hole I used a 3" long piece of wood with a hole in it for the inside die while the other die was inserted into the wood piece I used for the stiffener area. Using the C Clamp, the dimple was formed. Job done. No rivets were hurt in this process:-)


 
Mar 29, 2023     Rear Window - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
I reinstalled the rear window by installing the appropriate screws and placed a few clecoes around the side skins for support while I tape marked the excess material for removal. I then removed the rear window and used a razor blade paint removal tool to scrape off the excess material. I then used the tool to trim a 1/64th bevel around all sides of the window, inside and out. Fine sandpaper was used to remove the very few scratch marks that were left. Finally I dimpled almost all the skin window holes with a #6 dimple die. 3 holes remain to complete the task, the top center and two forward side holes, to be done later.


 
Mar 27, 2023     Rear Window - (.5 hour) Category: Canopy+
I drilled and tapped the lower roll bar holes on each side and drilled #27 all the side window holes.
 
Mar 26, 2023     Rear Window - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Countersunk all the window holes for either the skin or attachment to the roll bar. I then 'broke' the edges of the skin where the window will attach. As discussed a couple of days ago, I couldn't break the edge where it's attached to the stiffener angle, but a long nose pliers did the job. Note to self: there is no good way to break the edge on the center skins. Just not enough clearance between the skin and center beam to get the tool in there. I either missed the callout to do this earlier or I'm missing tool the that could do the job. NOTE to builders who are actually reading this: The skin countersinks are not very deep, but the roll bar countersinks are quite deep. Also, use caution when countersinking on areas where the window bends sharply. It's easy to over do it. Hopefully better pictures later. This one shows how minor the countersinks are where they butt up to the skin.


 
Mar 25, 2023     Rear Window - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
100% of the #40 window holes are now drilled. All the roll bar holes are now drilled to #36 and have been tapped for a #6 screw. I have opted to not tap the plexiglass rear window roll bar holes. I believe this will allow the rear window to slightly expand and contract with the OAT without bending/bubbling/cracking. I'll take slight comfort knowing other have successfully done it this way. All window holes have also been opened up to #27. I used Frog Tape - 'delicate' (and somewhat expensive) to hold back the plastic covering. The reason for 'delicate' is that I expect the tape to be on the window for a somewhat extended time, not the two days as Van's has listed. I will be checking on it though. If it works, I'll also use this tape for edging when painting the plastic over the roll bar and around the lower edges of the windows.


 
Mar 23, 2023     Rear Window - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Much progress made, especially with the assistance of my good friend Dean. A little more trimming over the stiffener bracket and now 98% of the #40 holes are drilled (actually hole locations 1-8 on the drawing are complete) but I had to call it a day due to other priorities. The most time consuming portion is simply getting the drill properly aligned because of its criticality in order to lay the window flat. Thus, the window lies perfectly flat, especially over the roll bar. This a testament to taking time to align and trim everything per the instructions and also to Van's precise manufacturing. Love it when a plan comes together:-)


 
Mar 22, 2023     Instrument Panel - (2.0 hours) Category: Research
Responded to the new AFS letter where they explained certain issues with my desired panel layout. I also researched many items they had sent things like circuit breakers, sub panels and shunts that I hadn't initially seen. Again, things are moving forward nicely in this area. AFS continues to be outstanding.
 
Mar 22, 2023     Rear Window - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
After closely re-reading the directions I decided to hold off on the canopy installation and backup to the rear window installation. While not really necessary, I though it prudent to fit the rear window first so that as I progress on the canopy installation and come to the trimming of the aft portion, the rear window is in place since it appears the canopy relies on the forward portion of the rear window for a trim line. Thus, with Dean's help we did the initial trimming of the aft portion of the window where if butts up against the roll bar brace. There's also another area to trim on the lower forward and bottom edge of the window where it sits just above the rivet stiffener angles and side skin attach areas. NOTE: It's just my opinion, but I had not installed these earlier, this would have been much more difficult and I would have still had to trim the window. Here's an additional note, a couple of days later. Maybe installing later would have been okay. It's a trade off, but breaking the edge of the skin over the bracket is almost impossible once riveted in place - not big deal, but not up to drawing. Oh well, time to move on. Also, I would have thought this to be 30 minute task, not a 3 hour task. Go figure.


 
Mar 20, 2023     Instrument Panel - (2.0 hours) Category: Research
Reviewed the excellent and detailed response of my letter to Advanced Flight Systems. Progress is being made,
 
Mar 19, 2023     Instrument Panel - (5.0 hours)       Category: Research
I spent a lot of time today working on layout number 1 of my Advanced Flight Systems based instrument panel. Much too much info to document here, so that'll come later as the design develops. Teaser - it is AFS-6600 and Avidyne IFD based, I attached some stock photos.


 
Mar 17, 2023     Floor Panels - (1.0 hour)       Category: Fuselage
I completed installing nut plates on the remaining floor panels, power module side panels and also riveted the doubler to the aft tunnel cover. With this done, I stored the floor panels and power module panels for future installation.


 
Mar 17, 2023     canopy Frame - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
I adjusted the canopy frame so the sides were perpendicular to the side skins. It turned out the shims I had to make were fairly large size which was disconcerting, but everything is per the plans so.... The frames are now clamped in place and the drawing from page 38-39 are also taped in place.


 
Mar 16, 2023     Canopy Frame - (1.0 hour) Category: Fuselage
Added 8 rivets that somehow I overlooked - which is easy to do. Fortunately they were not difficult to get to and I had no problem getting 'er done. Got to read those plans more closely!
 
Mar 15, 2023     Canopy Frame - (1.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
After prepping the frame and with the help of my friends Ethan and Brandan we installed the canopy frame on the fuselage. I carefully checked the frame for the proper clearance before closing it and the fit was perfect. It was nice to see it on the plane for the first time.


 
Mar 14, 2023     Canopy Frame - (4.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
I riveted the aft frame to the canopy frame assembly, then riveted the switch brackets to the assembly and also screwed on the canopy pin blocks after countersinking the holes. I also cut the wooden frame alignment blocks and taped them in place. Since I don't yet have the instrument panel, I only temporarily installed the ejection handle and placed it in position to accept the canopy frame.


 
Mar 12, 2023     Interior Painting - (4.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Since I don't have a paint booth, waiting for the proper no/low wind AND from the correct direction, has caused many delays and endless frustration. This morning after deciding to not do it - the winds changed direction and I made the decision to go for it. With my friend Dean's help and later my friend Ron came by so Ron and I laid out the parts while Dean prepared his spray gun. Dean volunteered to shoot the paint while Ron and I set everything up. (There sure were a lot of floor and canopy parts parts left to be painted.) I decided to tape the parts to tongue depressors then onto cardboard and a painting table. The wooden tongue depressors kept the parts off the cardboard thereby avoiding blobs of paint adhering the parts to the cardboard. In the end that worked great. That done I 'tacked' them for the final cleaning and Dean started spraying. The aft frame was hung by safety wire so both sides could be easily be painted while the canopy frame was placed on the table, sprayed on one side, then flipped over so we could shoot the other side. Having masked off the top of the frame made it fairly easily to place it down and not smudge anything. The weather is supposed to be rainy and chilly for the next few days so with this complete I can have fun in the hangar by building an airplane!!!! Honestly, I'm not a painter and I'm lucky to have friends who are and love it. There's no way to thank Dean and Ron enough, but maybe dinner and few drinks are in order:-)


 
Mar 10, 2023     Preparation for Interior Painting - (1.0 hour)       Category: Fuselage
I masked the portions of the canopy frame structure that won't receive interior paint. Since I don't have a paint booth, I taped wooden sticks on the bottom of many of the individual floor parts so that they will not be lying flat on the cardboard where they will be lying while being painted. Those parts that are larger will be supported by pieces of wood. Before I paint I'll be wiping the areas to be painted with a tack cloth, just to be sure there are no contaminants on them. Unfortunately, it's too windy to paint today, so I'll try again tomorrow morning.


 
Mar 09, 2023     Preparation for Interior Painting - (3.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Did a second round of 'scuffing' the interior parts and canopy frame for painting and extensively cleaned of all them with acetone.


 
Mar 07, 2023     Preparation for Interior Painting - (2.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Began scotch brighting all the remaining floor pieces and the canopy frame in preparation for painting.


 
Mar 06, 2023     Canopy Frame - (.5 hour)       Category: Canopy+
With the outstanding help of my wonderful wife I completed riveting the canopy rails to the canopy assembly with the AN470-4-4 rivets.


 
Mar 05, 2023     Canopy Frame - (1.0 hour)       Category: Canopy+
Riveted the canopy rails and shims to the canopy assembly - except for the rivets where the mid frame canopy fixture is attached.


 
Mar 04, 2023     Canopy Frame - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
I spent the better part of the morning prepping portions of the frame for future painting, I then clecoed the aft frame parts to the forward frame in preparation for riveting.


 
Mar 03, 2023     Canopy Frame - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Riveted all the AN470AD3-4 rivets in the closeout frame. I tried using 3 different squeezers/frames with no luck due to the closeness of the skins and the splice rivets. Oh well, ended up bucking them all. Pretty close quarter on the ends, but they're all in and with no frame twist. Finished the day with installing the CS4-4 rivets on the end flange. Progress!


 
Mar 02, 2023     Canopy Frame - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Final drilled each of the #30 holes as called out for the frame close out plate and riveted them in place using the LP4-3 rivets as called out. I did the 'every 4 rivet check' for frame twist and fortunately thru skill (ha) and luck (yes) there was no twisting movement. I did have to modify a rivet squeezer to get to the rivets around the hinges, but other than that, everything went smoothly - albeit slowly.


 
Mar 01, 2023     Canopy Frame - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Completed riveting the left and right aft support frame to the canopy skin and the aft flanges to the intercostals. All three splice plates are now riveted in place. I adjusted the forward portion of the frame so the canopy fixture clecoes go in without any trouble. About 1/32" was all that was needed. The canopy frame closeout step 2 holes were final drilled to #30 and every hole remained clecoed after they were drilled. Then I checked for twist and the left and right frames remain within .1 degrees of each other. So far so good.


 
Feb 28, 2023     Canopy Frame - (1.5 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Completed riveting the left and right canopy rails to the canopy skin. Before and after pictures tell the tale. Obviously I need to polish the face of the rivet gun as it's leaving too many dirty marks that make it look like a nasty job:-)


 
Feb 27, 2023     Canopy Frame - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
My good friend Dean and I riveted the front two frames (left and right) and the left front rail to the canopy skin. Much better results than my failed back-riveting attempt yesterday.


 
Feb 26, 2023     Canopy Frame - (1.0 hour)       Category: Canopy+
Moving on from my disastrous experiment yesterday, I successfully drilled out the messed up rivets. Then I rearranged all the clecoes for normal riveting with a bucking bar.


 
Feb 25, 2023     Canopy Frame - (1.0 hour) Category: Canopy+
I had decided to back rivet the canopy skin to the frame. I set up everything to do this. My plan was to use an offset flat rivet set. Bad choice!!!! The flat rivet set has a tendency to push the rivet in a direction that is NOT straight down. I tried 4 or 5 times, changed the angle of the set each time and also changed how I held it hoping to change the forces' direction, but with no success. Personally, I don't recommend this technique, but I wish you luck and if you're successful - let others know how to do it. Update: After more thought (yes, it's bugging me), I believe this could be accomplished but it would require a flat offset head with very tight bends that would make the force go straight down. Where there's plenty of room for the bends to be accomplished it would work fine. This type of rivet set can be purchased. However, in tight spaces, like the canopy skin/frames, there's not much room to make the required bends. I haven't found a rivet set that would work - yet. Oh well.
 
Feb 24, 2023     Canopy Frame - (2.5 hours)       Category: Canopy+
I started the afternoon by dimpling the left and right canopy side skins before I dimpled all the raining holes in the canopy skin except those for the fans. I also radiused the 3 inches on the outboard side of the left and right notches. Without much instructional guidance I did the radius as close to off scale picture as I could. I then dimpled the left and right 1404 frames and countersunk the font splice. The 'frames' and forward rails were also clecoed together.


 
Feb 23, 2023     Canopy Frame - (4.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Completed riveting the aft frame handle to the aft canopy frame. Just couldn't squeeze the last two rivets holding the frame splice and had to resort to the pneumatic squeezer. I guess I need to work out more. Moved on to machine countersinking the left and right aft canopy rails for the .025 skin. I made a template so I could check the countersunk holes for accurate depth. I then countersunk the 3 aft holes on the rails for AD3 rivets. I then countersunk the canopy handles for AD3 rivets and also countersunk the left and right forward canopy rails for the skins. I probably had enough leftover metal to remake the vertical stab ribs:-)


 
Feb 22, 2023     Canopy Frame - (2.5 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Completely disassembled the forward canopy frame. Assembled and riveted together the canopy handle then clecoed, drilled and riveted the canopy handle to the aft canopy frame. Thanks to my friends Brad and Andrew who just happened to stop and offered to jump right in and help. Much appreciated!


 
Feb 21, 2023     Canopy Frame - (2.5 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Completed the right aft canopy frame assembly by riveting the aft canopy rail to the aft canopy rail angle and mated that assembly to the forward canopy frame. Also, the aft frame stiffener was clecoed to the assembly. I final drilled all the #40 holes that were called out. The aft and forward frames are all clecoed together at this point.


 
Feb 20, 2023     Canopy Frame - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Disassembled the left skin from the aft frame and attached the frame to the forward canopy frame. Finally got everything to fit properly and final drilled the correct holes. Aligned the aft right frame with the fuselage as described and it's also within the 1/32 inch tolerance with the fuselage. Then I set the rivets in the C-01409 rail. They came out perfectly flush, as expected.


 
Feb 19, 2023     Canopy Frame - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Clecoed the left canopy side skin to the left canopy aft frame thru every open hole. Clecoed the left canopy handle to the assembly, drilled the mounting holes then drilled the pilot hole. Then I removed each cleco, final drilled the hole and replaced the cleco.


 
Feb 19, 2023     Firewall Mods - (.5 hour)       Category: EXP-119
Removed the LP-4 rivets and installed the heat cover with new rivets LP4-4's and sealed the install with RTV.


 
Feb 18, 2023     Cowl Flap Fabrication - (2.5 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Call me crazy but I deviated from the plans, just a little. I wanted to get the cowl flap assembly installed so that it wouldn't get damaged just laying around. I didn't like the round head screws called out in the plans so I decided to countersink the holes and use flathead #8 stainless steel screws. I tested the countersinking on a scrap piece of aluminum and found that it would work if I was really careful and countersunk just short of perfectly flush. That would be acceptable to me. So I did that and it worked fine. One can barely tell that the screws are slightly proud - please don't tell anyone:-) With the tunnel screwed in place I rotated the fuselage upright and now work can continue on canopy frame.


 
Feb 17, 2023     Canopy Frame - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
I placed the left aft fuselage frame on the fuselage and fortunately it's within the 1/32 tolerance as stated in the plans - and with very minimal adjustment. The aft canopy flange rivets with the manufactured heads on top and the set of rivets in the countersunk holes on the bottom came out beautiful. I then completed riveting the left aft canopy frame assembly.


 
Feb 16, 2023     Canopy Frame - (1.5 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Drilled and countersunk more #40 holes on the aft canopy assembly. (Still needs deburring.)


 
Feb 15, 2023     Canopy Frame - (1.0 hour) Category: Canopy+
Worked on the aft canopy frame, countersinking some holes, preparing for more drilling and countersinking.
 
Feb 14, 2023     Canopy Frame - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Assembled the frame, clecoed the heck out of it, rolled and clecoed the frame closeout then drilled all the necessary holes per page 38-10. The frame rail base angles were measured multiple times and both were 6.8 degrees.


 
Feb 13, 2023     Canopy Frame - (2.5 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Work continued on P. 38-09 and although not called out in the plans until P. 38-17, the C-01408 L&R were appropriately countersunk then riveted to the forward and mid frame assemblies. The forward and mid canopy frame splices were matched drilled and riveted in place. Finally, for the day, the frame assemblies were clecoed to the mid and forward fixtures before the entire assembly was clecoed to the canopy skin and checked for fluting gaps. My friend Brad (see the pictures) stoped by and was invaluable as he's better than my clamps at holding things steady while I riveted:-)


 
Feb 12, 2023     Canopy Frame - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
I began disassembling the canopy frame to the point where I clecoed the left and right hinge assemblies to the forward canopy frame so I could rivet them. It looks easy, but like everything else, it's a little more complex than I thought. Once secured so I could begin riveting, I first tried the squeezer, no joy no problem so it's back to the rivet gun. No problem I thought! Wrong. Getting a bucking bar in the tight area was not fun with my fat hand, but it got done. Due to being clumsy the rivet gun slipped off two rivet heads, looks bad, but it's just cosmetic, damn, there goes my perfect riveting record;-) I also riveted the intercostals to the mid frame. Then it was time to cleco the hinge assemblies to the mid frame and the intercostals to the front frame - done. Now it's time to get ready for the Super Bowl!!


 
Feb 11, 2023     Canopy Frame - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
The canopy hinges and the forward canopy rail bases were scuffed and cleaned and primed with SEM self etching primer. After drying, the hinge intercostals were riveted to the hinges and clecoed to the forward and mid canopy frames.


 
Feb 10, 2023     Shoulder Belt - (.5 hour)       Category: Fuselage
Installed the cables that attach each of the shoulder straps to the fuselage.


 
Feb 10, 2023     Cowl Flap Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
Match drilled the 4 #19 holes in the cross piece of the tunnel opening. Then I drilled and countersunk the holes for the nut plates for each hole. Here's another helpful hint: the two outboard nut plates will nearly butt up against the tunnel, therefore you have to either trim the nut plate or install them on a slight angle. Either way seems fine. I trimmed the nut plates.


 
Feb 08, 2023     Cowl Flap Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
Completed fabricating the cowl exit door assembly by applying the UHMW tape and trimming it per the drawing. The next step was to bolt the exit door to the closeout assembly. Fortunately, I had a special tool that held the washers while inserting them into tight places which made the job easy. Once the bolts were inserted they were tested to ensure they would turn and they did, after little encouragement, like reaming the hole:-) I tested the opening and closing and there was a little binding which was resolved by filing the forward edges of both parts.


 
Feb 07, 2023     Cowl Flap Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
Completed back riveting the exit door assembly. Fastened the cable support assembly to the closeout assembly, installed the assembly to the tunnel and then marked and drilled the rivet attach points for the cable bracket to the stainless tunnel, then deburred the holes and removed the assembly from the aircraft.


 
Feb 06, 2023     Cowl Flap Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
Temporarily installed the closeout assembly, match drilled the #19 holes to the fuselage's F-1413 brace, removed the assembly and deburred the holes. Assembled the parts that are mounted to the closeout assembly and back riveted them in place. The F-1490-E was squeeze riveted to the side pieces.


 
Feb 05, 2023     Cowl Flap Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
I riveted the tunnel exit door to the exit door doubler the riveted cable door brackets to that assembly. Then installed the hardware per the plans. So here are a couple of tips for what should be an easy task. First, check that large bushing will fit into both holes, a little reaming of the holes seemed to help. Also, think about this; if you rivet the brackets to the assembly first like I did, the two AN470AD3-3 rivets will be difficult to set since a squeezer won't fit in (I prefer squeezing these small rivets). A long offset rivet set will be necessary to use with a pneumatic gun and bucking bar. If you squeeze the small rivets first then hopefully the 6 rivets will be lined up for installation. (The fit is excellent so this is likely, but check first.) In retrospect, it wasn't that difficult, but I felt I made it more complicated than it had to be.


 
Feb 04, 2023     Cowl Flap Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
All the cowl flap parts were scuffed with scotch bright, cleaned and painted silver. The paint used was a rattle can of high temperature resistant Krylon. I used silver rather than black, or other colors, so possible oil streaks would be easier to detect.


 
Feb 03, 2023     Cowl Flap Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: EXP-119
Countersunk all the #40 holes on the bottom of the closeout cover and the cable bracket.


 
Feb 02, 2023     Cowl Flap Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: EXP-119
The EXP-119 cowl flap parts were deburred, the exit door doubler's 37 machine countersinks were made and the closeout assembly's 6 #40 holes were matched drilled.


 
Jan 31, 2023     Canopy Lock Installation - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
With the arrival of the final parts, I was able to complete the installation of the canopy latch/lock system. However, I have concern over the hex drive, black finished 10-32 x 9/16 screw holding the long pushrod to the latch handle being a little too short - maybe a 1/4 to 3/8 longer would make me feel a little more comfortable. I will be on the lookout for a longer screw even though this is per the drawing.


 
Jan 30, 2023     Canopy Lock Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: Canopy+
I continued to build the canopy frame by clecoing the parts together. At this point, the previously fluted frames are clecoed to the canopy skin along with canopy rails, forward rail bases, canopy frame splices, the hinge assemblies and the intercostals. The canopy closeout frame has also been laid in. The forward and mid rail bases are also clecoed to the assembly. Next I'll have to add more clecoes so the assembly can be double checked for proper fluting, twisting and leveling.


 
Jan 30, 2023     Inventory - (1.0 hour) Category: Finish Kit
Hooray! All the backordered parts from my finish kit have arrived and the inventory is complete. That means all the parts for my plane are in the hangar less the engine and avionics which are due in before I'll need them. Let the fun times continue.
 
Jan 29, 2023     Canopy Lock Installation - (.5 hour)       Category: Canopy+
As the Beatles said: "I get by with a little help from my friends." My friend Dean came by and in quick order got all the cotter pins installed. Later, my friend Hart, a recently new RV-10 builder, came by and wanted to learn how to properly bend the cotter pins and bingo, the job was done.


 
Jan 28, 2023     Canopy Lock Installation - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
With the latch brackets and torque rod in place, the latch links were put in place with the MS20392-1C9 pins. I managed to get a few the cotter pins placed in the shafts, but working upside down and with mirrors made it too difficult. (I'm still unable to get inside the fuselage).


 
Jan 25, 2023     Canopy Lock Installation - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
The canopy lock system brackets and the torque tube were screwed in place. The tube had been primed on the inside and upon initial fit, it didn't. I had to grind off about 1/16" to remove any binding. It now moves smoothly with just the right amount of resistance, IMHO.


 
Jan 24, 2023     Parts Assembly - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
I completed the painting of the canopy lock parts and then prepped and painted the F-01474A left and right stiffener angles. Once dry, I riveted the stiffeners in place. While it may seem simple, and it was, the complexity of getting the rivet squeezer and pop rivet gun in place offered a few challenges. But I got it done and once the stiffener was riveted in place, it was time to rivet the skins in place. Very straight forward, but getting the bucking bar in position was a bit of challenge due to limited space and visibility, but again, it got done. I didn't fret over the scratches on the skin since they'll be gone when the skin is prepped for painting.


 
Jan 23, 2023     Canopy Lock Fabrication - (2.0 hours) Category: Canopy+
Prepped the canopy lock parts (sanding and cleaning) for painting and painted them flat black. Also, located all the parts for assembly.
 
Jan 22, 2023     Parts Fabrication - (4.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Continued work on the canopy frame. I marked the canopy rail angles and fluted them until they were flat. All the #40 attach holes were matched and final drilled as well as the two aft canopy rail angle holes. All the bottom holes (15 on each side) on the rail angles were also countersunk. The aft canopy rail flanges were also countersunk.


 
Jan 22, 2023     Interior Preps - (.5 hour)       Category: Fuselage
Installed the idler track assembly. Waiting on parts from Van's to install the pushrods.


 
Jan 20, 2023     Interior Preps - (3.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Installed the Left and Right Upper Panel Brackets. These are not easy to do despite what the instructions (which are excellent) lead you to believe:-) The real tough one is near the air vent. Patience is what it takes, lots of patience.


 
Jan 19, 2023     Interior Preps - (1.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Drilled the idle cover holes and enlarged pilot side inboard holes to 5/32. Drilled the divider holes on the left and right side. Drilled the bulkhead holes and installed the bulkhead rivnuts


 
Jan 18, 2023     Interior Preps - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Continued making progress on the interior. The idler cover 1/8" holes were drilled and appropriately upsized to 5/32", the 1/8" divider holes were drilled and upsized to 5/32"and the bulkhead rivnut holes were drilled to 17/64 after starting at 1/8".


 
Jan 17, 2023     interior Preps - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
The handle and latch assembly were reinstalled, this time with the screw that actually now fits into the handle and latch. The bracket these parts go into were sanded smooth. I was also able to install the thin washer on the top of the latch and handle to keep them from getting scratched, although this a little late since the anodized parts have been scratched due to the undersized holes. Regardless, the parts are now installed and the latch action is now excellent. Using the idler cover templates, I drilled the 1/8" holes on the left and right sides of the cockpit.


 
Jan 16, 2023     Interior Preps - (2.0 hours) Category: Fuselage
Worked on the handle and latch assembly. Turns out the reason for the tight action was the hole in the latch and handle were undersized. My success at getting the screw installed proved to be a small disaster as the handle and latch didn't work and wouldn't come out. The latch screw had to be 'dremeled' out, the hole drilled to the proper size, and cleaned up for reinstallion. I also did this to the handle.
 
Jan 15, 2023     Interior Preps - (1.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
The right side arm rest lower bracket needed to have the holes moved about 1/4 inch so I did that and installed the bracket assembly without further issue. I assembled the parts for the canopy latch assemblies. The latch was difficult to install with the added washer, but I got it done. However, it is very tight and does not respond to the spring action. I'm going to disassemble it and remove the additional washer and live with a few scratches should that happen. Same for the handle assembly.


 
Jan 14, 2023     Interior Preps - (1.0 hour)       Category: Fuselage
Continued installing interior parts. After priming the arm rest brackets, I installed the left side bracket. It seems the right one did not fit properly so I'll have to research that a little more.


 
Jan 13, 2023     Interior Preps - (1.0 hour)       Category: Fuselage
Per the Classic Aero instructions I began the installation of the interior. Using the armrest template, holes were drilled on the left and right armrest structure. The idler arm bracket was primed and riveted in place on the left side. The arm rest bracket (L&R) were primed on one side due to time constraints. The other side will be done tomorrow.


 
Jan 12, 2023     Parts Fabrication - (2.0 hours) Category: Fuselage
Continued separating and deburring many parts for the seat brackets as well deburring the rear bulkhead panel.
 
Jan 11, 2023     Parts Fabrication - (2.0 hours) Category: Fuselage
More deburring of many small and large parts.
 
Jan 10, 2023     Floor Panels - (1.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Dimpled the floor panels for nut plate installation as well as the Section 59 Power Module Install Parts, which were also deburred.


 
Jan 09, 2023     Floor Panels - (2.0 hours) Category: Fuselage
Deburred the remaining floor panels and a few misc parts.
 
Jan 08, 2023     Parts Fabrication - (1.0 hour) Category: Fuselage
Yep, more deburring. This time it's the control stick cover panel pieces and the flap housing panels AND there's many more pieces requiring deburring.
 
Jan 08, 2023     Parts Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: Canopy+
Yuk, more separating parts, deburring and general mundane tasks, BUT they need to be done.


 
Jan 07, 2023     Parts Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Continued separating parts, deburring and fitting in order to be sure I understand how all these parts makeup the canopy support frame. I hope this is the end of the canopy frame deburring, although I know there are lots of parts that have to have work done on them before painting and assembly. I also located all the flooring and parts covers for future deburring and preparation before painting.


 
Jan 06, 2023     EXP-119 Airframe Mods - (.5 hour)       Category: Fuselage
Removed 2 the muffler support brackets that aren't used for the EXP-119 engine version. They were in the former muffler tunnel in the center of the forward fuselage and in the way of the new cowl flap door. Rather than drill the rivets completely out I left enough material in the hole to block the flow of hot air beyond the tunnel. Later, I plan to cover the remaining rivet material with hi-temp RTV for additional protection.


 
Jan 05, 2023     Parts Fabrication - (2.0 hours) Category: Canopy+
Boring, but necessary deburring of parts. There sure are a lot of them.
 
Jan 04, 2023     Parts Fabrication - (1.5 hours) Category: Canopy+
Nothing exciting, just more deburring of parts for the canopy frame.
 
Jan 03, 2023     Parts Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: Canopy+
All the canopy flanges were checked and then fluted as appropriate to make the flanges lie flat. I clecoed the left and right hinge assemblies in preparation for riveting them together.


 
Jan 02, 2023     Parts Fabrication - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
The canopy skin, C-01418 was deburred and dimpled, the C-01402 L&R, C-01403 canopy support flanges were deburred, dimpled and the C-01404 L&R flanges were deburred and dimpled.


 
Jan 01, 2023     Parts Fabrication - (1.5 hours)       Category: Canopy+
2023 has arrived. Starting the New Year with more parts fabrication.


 
Dec 31, 2022     Parts Fabrication - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
I continued fabricating canopy parts. These particular pieces are larger and had to be cutout from large formed pieces of aluminum. No big deal but it does require a lot of work to saw them apart and file them smooth. Let me repeat - a lot of filing and smoothing!! Also, there were a few smaller pieces. Looking ahead there are still more pieces to do. Remember, all of these require a lot of deburring too. So much for 2022 and now we get to look forward to 2023!


 
Dec 30, 2022     Parts Fabrication - (3.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Continued fabricating parts for the canopy assembly. Some of these were fairly routine, the usual cutting them apart, deburring and such; however a few were rather unusual due to their size and shape and took quite a bit longer to separate and 'clean up'. All in all they were slightly challenging and a lot of fun (in an RV sort of way) to complete.


 
Dec 29, 2022     Parts Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: Canopy+
Now that the cold snap has eased it's back to the hangar to begin preparing parts for the canopy and window. A number of angle brackets and latch links were prepared, i.e., cut, deburred and edges smoothed out. There are many more small parts yet to do.


 
Dec 16, 2022     Inventory - (3.0 hours) Category: Finish Kit
Inventory COMPLETED! All parts are stored. There were a few unidentifiable parts and only a handful of missing items - no big deal, the folks at Van's will be sending them out. One item that worried me was the complete missing EXP119 Kit. After a call to Van's last evening, we figured out the EXP kit was erroneously marked 'Picked' and should have been marked back ordered. Then after a discussion with Tech Support - they are awesome - as Greg Hughes says they are, it turns out I had some old drawings that needed updating for proper part id's and thus some of the unidentifiable parts were identified. Now, finally I can get back to building an airplane.
 
Dec 14, 2022     Inventory - (2.5 hours) Category: Finish Kit
Yep, same old stuff.
 
Dec 11, 2022     Inventory - (3.0 hours) Category: Finish Kit
More of the same. No need to elaborate.
 
Dec 10, 2022     inventory - (3.0 hours) Category: Finish Kit
Pressing on with inventory. I had to do a major cleanup of the hangar to find places to store everything. Boring, but necessary work. No pictures - it's too embarrassing:-)
 
Dec 09, 2022     Inventory - (2.5 hours) Category: Finish Kit
Began the not so fun task of inventorying everything in the finish kit. It's amazing the amount of wrapping paper needed to protect everything.
 
Dec 08, 2022     Arrival - (.5 hour)       Category: Finish Kit
After a year and a half wait the finish kit has arrived. Stewart transport and driver Mark did an excellent job of delivering it. Thanks to my buddies who helped set it up in my hangar. Inventory is next, AFTER cleaning out the hangar to make room for all the parts.


 
Dec 03, 2022     AFS Fuselage Harnesses - (2.5 hours) Category: Electrical
Continued populating the interior center wiring for the various electrical systems. Today we laid in the trim system servo wiring from the advanced control module location to the roll (right wing) and pitch(aft fuselage actuators. We ran the static line forward from the aft fuselage to under the forward fuselage along with the 'phone line' for the ELT and RG400 cable for the transponder. Photos to come later.
 
Dec 02, 2022     AFS Fuselage Harnesses - (2.5 hours)       Category: Electrical
Laid in the AFS main harness that leads to both wings, the aft fuselage and the flap system. The harnesses were large and difficult to install in the openings, but we got it done. Work remains to ensure other wires get laid in before I install the SB750-10 protective bushings, some of which are in difficult places to reach. My thanks to Dean for his outstanding help.


 
Nov 20, 2022     Control Stick Wiring - (1.5 hours)       Category: Electrical
The wiring harness from the ACM to the control sticks were installed and the control stick wiring was plugged into the harness. While it may seem silly to take an hour and half to do this, I can say without hesitation that ain't so. The pre-made harness doesn't just fit it in the holes. The wires have to be 'bent' over and the connector/wires have to fit thru the holes sideways with the wires going thru a slot AND they're damn difficult to reach. Then the grommets have to be sliced to accept the wires and then be inserted. Also, the slot for joining the two sets of wires must be filed to fit. Thanks to Alex and Dean for their assistance, no way my fat hands could have reached in there.


 
Sep 27, 2022     Wing Tips - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Began the cutting/trimming of the left wing tip for the FlyLeds boards. I made the templates, transferred them to the tip then cut and sanded it. I also trimmed the forward facing board to fit the outboard facing board. The initial test fit looks good. Time to shut down the hangar in prep for hurricane Ian.


 
Sep 26, 2022     Archer Antenna - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Installed the Archer antenna in the right wing tip. I had to remove a number of previously installed nut plates. Using them as template, I drilled new nut plate holes and reinstalled them with the antenna sandwiched in between the nut plates and skin. I also drilled the two holes that hold the clamps and countersunk them and reinstalled the clamps using the new screws. I placed three fiberglass strips over the antenna to secure them (temporaroly weighted down with bucking bars) to the wingtip.


 
Sep 25, 2022     Wing Tips - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed drilling the right wing tip for the forward facing FlyLED and cutting it to fit the wingtip opening. Riveted the two lens nutplates in place. Installed the Archer Antenna RG-400 cable through the right wing out to the wing tip.


 
Sep 24, 2022     Wing Tips - (3.0 hours) Category: Wings
Sanded, resanded and continued to ensure the new openings allowed the board parts to be flush mounted without obstruction. Then I trimmed the boards to fit the wing tip and also ensured the angles were correct to allow the lens to sit properly. Still a little more to do, but it's looking good so far.
 
Sep 23, 2022     Wing Tips - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Adjusted and trimmed the lens to achieve an excellent fit and then opened the attach holes to a #27 and countersunk them to fit the #6 screw. Drilled the #40 holes and countersunk them for the future nut plate installation. Did the initial cutout for the FlyLeds boards.


 
Sep 22, 2022     Wing Tips - (2.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Even more trimming and finally a 'reasonable' fit. Drilled the attach holes to #40 then clecoed the lens in place. Removed the lens and began marking off the tip interior for the cutout to install the FlyLeds boards.


 
Sep 21, 2022     Wing Tips - (2.0 hours) Category: Wings
Yes, more trimming of the right lens.
 
Sep 19, 2022     Wing Tips - (2.0 hours) Category: Wings
More trimming of the right lens continues.
 
Sep 18, 2022     Wing Tips - (1.5 hours) Category: Wings
Continuing the trimming of the right tip lens. Slow process.
 
Sep 17, 2022     Wing Tips - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Began fitting the right lens cover to the wing tip. Lots of trimming and fitting and more to do, but getting closer to the perfect fit.


 
Sep 16, 2022     Wing Tips - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Right Wing Tip: All flange nut plates are now riveted in place as is the aft rib.


 
Sep 15, 2022     Wing Tips - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings
The lower right wing tip holes were opened up to #28, the #40 nut plate holes were drilled and all the holes were countersunk. All of the lower wing tip nut plates were riveted in place. As before, even with the countersinking accomplished some rivets were still proud. These were sanded flush.


 
Sep 14, 2022     Wing Tips - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
After the holes were countersunk, the left aft rib was riveted in place per the KAI. Now, onto the right wing tip, where the match drilled lower attach holes were opened up to #28 and the nut plate holes were drilled and countersunk in the right wing tip. The nut plates were then clecoed onto the tip flange in preparation for riveting.


 
Sep 13, 2022     Wing Tips - (4.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Work on the left wing tip continued as the remaining nut plate holes were drilled on the wing tip and the end rib had the hole pattern laid out, drilled and deburred. All the nut plates are now installed on the wing tip.


 
Sep 12, 2022     Wing Tips - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Left tip: Completed drilling holes and countersinking them for the nut plates that go along the fiberglass edge and attach to the wing. Also drilled the holes and countersink the ones for the wing tip lens. Prepped the damage on the inside of the wing tip and cut and applied 2 layers of BID fiberglass to reinforce the cracked area.


 
Sep 08, 2022     Wing Tips - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
I drilled both wing skins to #27 and then dimpled them to accept a number 6 screw. The left wing tip had the previously drilled #40 holes opened to a #27. Then each of the holes on the top side of the tip were drilled to accept a nut plate and then they were countersunk to accept the rivets and wing dimples.


 
Sep 07, 2022     Wing Tips - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
After a lot more trimming and fitting the left lens is done. I then drilled the #40 holes in the two corners, clecoed them and did a fit check. A little tweaking and then opened the holes to a #28 size and temporarily placed a couple of #6 screws in place to check the lens fit The fit was excellent. I removed the lens and reclecoed the tip to the wing for more hole drilling. I measured the opening from the aileron to the tip and it was 1/4 inch versus the called out 3/16. I'll give some thought to glassing the tip to close the gap to 3/16 OR not.


 
Sep 06, 2022     Wing Tips - (3.5 hours)       Category: Wings
After taking off Labor Day, I continued filing, sanding, trimming, and fitting the left wing tip lens to fit the tip. There's a little more left to do, but it's coming along nicely. When complete, I'll get the plastic shavings off using soapy (dawn) water so the lens doesn't get scratched.


 
Sep 04, 2022     Wing Tips - (.5 hour)       Category: Wings
Today I rough trimmed the left lens to somewhat fit the wing tip. Still a lot of filing & sanding to go.


 
Sep 03, 2022     Wing Tips - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings
I rough cut the wing tip lens in half and now have left and right lens. I decided to start work on the right lens first and rough trimmed it to a somewhat of a near fit:-) Lots of trimming/fitting ahead.


 
Sep 02, 2022     Wing Tips - (1.0 hour)       Category: Wings
The learning curve makes life good. Not to mention the left wingtip held its shape better, albeit the crack in it that needs to be repaired later. The fit was excellent and match drilling the wing tip holes worked out great. Lots of pictures showing the fit. Like the right side, the aileron gap is a little too large to suit me. It'll get fixed down the road.


 
Sep 02, 2022     Wing Tips - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Fitted and drilled the right wing tip to the right wing. Sometimes double and triple checking isn't enough. It appears (not totally sure) that the aft trim lines shouldn't have been as the drawings show, but done such that there's a 3/16" gap between the aileron and tip. Oh well, if I necessary I can fill it in. Also, with the tip being over 9 years old and probably laying around with stuff on it until I bought, it seems to be slightly deformed. I placed a temporary stiffener midway inside and I also taped the wing tip rib in place. With these pieces in place the rib held its shape was much better. With the alignment tool in place, I clamped the aileron to the tip and it was nearly perfect. I then began the drilling and clecoing. At this point, the tip looks pretty good, but there's a way to go to achieve the fit I desire.


 
Aug 31, 2022     Avionics - (3.0 hours) Category: Research
Research is winding down on the avionics, (it will always continue to find the best combinations), but the initial basic decision has been made, AFS will build the panel and it will have at least the following: AFS-6600 PFD, MFD, Avidyne IFD5400, a yet to be determined audio panel, Dynon Nav and Comm, and a G5 to use as a backup to the PFD. Switchology is still being researched as is the placement of the equipment on the panel.
 
Aug 31, 2022     Wing Tips - (2.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Until today, I thought I was building an aluminum airplane. Wrong, it's fiberglass - at least time wise:-) ! Laying out the cut lines on the wing tips is one thing, cutting and sanding to the line - totally different. Although uneventful, it came out as drawn and right on the money. I'm sure when I fit them to the wings more tweaking/sanding will be in order, but for now, this is done. HELPFUL HINTS: I started using my battery powered Dremel with a fiberglass cutoff wheel. This lasted about two minutes when the fiberglass wheel mets its demise. I found my long lost diamond cutoff wheel and it worked beautifully although my Dremel battery lasted only long enough to do 3/4 of one wing tip. I resorted to my plug-in Dremel and finished both wing tips. Sanding the edges straight and to the drawn lines, I used coarse sandpaper and it did a great job.


 
Aug 30, 2022     Wing Tips - (1.0 hour)       Category: Wings
I laid out the cut lines on both wing tip ends. Once the lines were drawn I decided to apply blue tape along them to enhance their visibility in case I accidentally erased the lines. I also discovered a pretty long cut (crack?) on the top of the left wing tip. It must have been there for many years, so there's no way to return it. I called the awesome Vans Tech Support and they agreed I could just add a few fiberglass tape layups inside and add filler on the outside. They said it's not likely to propagate so stop drilling would be optional.


 
Aug 27, 2022     Aileron Trim - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Installed the two aileron trim brackets on the aileron control tube. Although I would like to think I planned it, I drilled the first bracket slightly off center, with the spring end tilted up a few degrees. After examining it I decided I really lucked out as this slightly raised the spring away from the push rod. The next bracket was drilled in a similar fashion. With the bracket work complete I installed the 5 molex pins on the trim motor wires, installed them in the molex connector and placed a protective plastic sleeve over the wires.


 
Aug 26, 2022     Instrument Panel - (4.0 hours) Category: Research
I've spent a lot of time researching what instrumentation to buy and I've been working with Advanced Flight Systems for the build. As much as I enjoyed it, one instrument panel (my RV-7A) per lifetime is probably enough. I should have the rough design semi-finalized over the weekend, but we'll have to wait and see.
 
Aug 26, 2022     Aileron Trim - (.5 hour)       Category: Wings
I ran the trim motor to determine the center position of the actuator arm then temporarily installed the inspection plate/trim motor assembly to the right wing. I then marked off the 6 inch locations on either side in preparation for drilling the spring fittings for riveting. I did check with the awesome Van's tech support to be sure that with the right wing/ailerons resting in the cradle and the aileron neutral tool installed, that installing the spring fittings would be okay to rivet in place without the left aileron in play. It's good to go.


 
Aug 25, 2022     Aileron Trim - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
I laid out the lines on where to attach the aileron trim unit onto the inspection plate. The first fit check was worrisome as the clearance to the spar was too close. I remeasured and settled on a 1/16" higher than recommend on the drawing. With this complete I final drilled the #30 holes in the trim unit and inspection plate to #19 and dimpled the inspection plate for a #8 screw. I then attached the 4 nut plates to the trim actuator and screwed the assembly onto the inspection plate.


 
Aug 24, 2022     Aileron Trim - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Cut the parts, deburred them, primed then riveted and built the aileron electric trim unit.


 
Aug 23, 2022     Electrical - (1.0 hour)       Category: Wings
Wrapped many of the wire bundles that would contact the spar and others that needed some additional support. Closed up the wing by temporarily reinstalling the bottom wing skins.


 
Aug 22, 2022     Electrical - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Continued working on electrical wiring in the Right Wing. I added more routing holes for 'spare' wires. These holes allow for easier future 'threading' options. I also added additional wires for the leading edge taxi lights.


 
Aug 21, 2022     Inspection Plates - (1.0 hour)       Category: Wings
Re the Right Wing: I redimpled all the #6 screw holes for the inspection openings as they seemed to not be correctly dimpled the first time. With this detail out of the way I installed the 24 required nut plates on the 3 inspection plate openings. The pictures below show two of the inspection openings.


 
Aug 21, 2022     Electrical - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Re the Left Wing: I decided to reroute some of the wires for future easier installation of additional wires, should they ever be needed. I also installed a set of two spare wires from root to tip, ensured all wires were nowhere near the control system and secured them where necessary. I wrapped all wires so they weren't in direct contact with any moving wing controls. Finally, I completed laying in the three pitot heat wires for future installation to the controller. I temporarily removed the pitot tube and reinstalled the wing skins leaving the pitot mast inside the wing skins.


 
Aug 20, 2022     Inspection Plates - (.5 hour)       Category: Wings
Since I did not have enough K1100-08D nut plates to complete the right wing nut plate installation, but I did have extra K1100-08 nut plates, (I don't know why the kit was like that), I created the -08D's from -08's. Easy to do by using my pneumatic squeezer and the trimmed #40 dimple die set. Each one of the 24 that I dimpled came out just fine with no straightening required. This was due to the trimmed dimple die set that avoided hitting the center dimple on the nut plate. Note that the picture shows the nut plate slightly bent when being formed. It did spring back to straight when the pressure was relieved.


 
Aug 20, 2022     Pitot Tubing/Wiring - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Left wing work: I installed the Pitot Static line from the wing root to the ADAHRS area. This Static line will connect the ADAHRS to the fuselage/aft fuselage static line. I also installed the AOA and Pitot lines from the Pitot tube area to the ADAHRS area where they were teed so as to go to the ADAHRS and on to wing root and the future G5 I will be using. I also ran two of the three pitot heat wires (as far away from the ADAHRS as I could) plus two spare wires from the wing root to the tip. All of these installations required drilling many 3/8" holes in the ribs and inserting plastic bushings.


 
Aug 19, 2022     Inspection Plates - (1.0 hour)       Category: Wings
I installed all three of the left wing inspection cover nut plates.


 
Aug 19, 2022     Pitot Tube Heater Installation - (1.0 hour)       Category: Wings
I decided to install the Heat Controller on the inspection plate adjacent to the pitot tube. After laying out the center lines on the inspection plate I centered the unit, then drilled 4 #27 holes and dimpled them. Using 4 #6 SS countersunk screws I added oversize washers over the dimples then fastened the controller in place.


 
Aug 18, 2022     Pitot Tube to Mast - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
With the mast drilled for the wing the next step was to fit the pitot tube into it. Measured a few times and drilled #36 holes about 7/32 into the mast and pitot tube at the 4 locations where the pitot tube had the most mass. I then tapped each hole for a #6 screw. Using stainless steel screws, they had to be shortened so as not to go thru to the innards of the tube. Thanks to my friend Dean, he cut each of them to the calculated length. With screws ready to be installed, I countersunk each hole just enough without enlarging the holes in the mast. The screws fit fine, with the curvature of the assembly the screws remaining slightly proud. Some minor filing will fix that.. I then took the assembly to the wing, clecoed in it place and drilled the supporting angle to stiffen the assembly. I also allowed for the wing's curvature when placing the support angle on the rib. I also measured the pitot tube to be sure it remained at the proper angle - it did.


 
Aug 17, 2022     Pitot Tube to Mast - (1.0 hour) Category: Wings
Getting the pitot tube inserted in the mast turned out be more challenging than I planned. To say it was a tight fit would be understating it. Lots of grinding, sanding and filing was accomplished to make this happen. Finally, with a little lube and a lot of pushing I got in place. I know it needs to screwed in place, but honestly, it fits so tight it's never coming out without some real effort.
 
Aug 16, 2022     Pitot Tube Mast - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
The Pitot tube mast template was 'glued' to the bottom wing skin after the pitot tube shape was cutout from the template. The two end holes were drilled and the Dremel cutter was used to remove much of the materiel between the holes. I used a nibbler to get closer to the edges, then files until even closer, then sanded the opening until the fit was on spot. Before removing the template, I punched the centers of the all the template holes above the aft spar. Once the fit check was complete I clecoed the wing skin in place and slipped the mast thru the hole. I then drilled all the #40 holes that will hold the mast to the wing.


 
Aug 16, 2022     Access Covers - (1.0 hour) Category: Wings
The three left wing access cover #8 screw holes were dimpled and the #6 screw holes were countersunk.
 
Aug 15, 2022     Access Covers - (.5 hour)       Category: Wings
Final drilled and deburred the #28 and #19 holes in all 6 access covers.


 
Aug 13, 2022     Electrical - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Began wrapping the wires in the right wing, just to afford them a little more protection. I then temporarily placed the bottom skins on the wings to also keep them protected.


 
Aug 10, 2022     Strobe, Nav, Landing and Taxi - (6.0 hours)       Category: Lighting
My friend Roger, a RV-9 Builder, helped out as we built the FlyLeds Works (Nav, Strobe, Landing and Taxi Lights) plus the Combo Landing Light System. A lot of fun and I highly recommend doing it. Just when you think you're getting a break from riveting, they have rivets and plate nuts for you to install:-)


 
Aug 09, 2022     EXP119 Mods - (1.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
With the help of my friend Dean we drilled out the appropriate exhaust tunnel rivets, final drilled each hole to a #19 size to accept a #8 screw later in the build. Number 40 nut plate holes were drilled with the #19 holes as a guide, and the nut plates were riveted in place except for the aft most nut plate where I decided to use blind rivets due to limited access to buck solid rivets.


 
Aug 08, 2022     EXP119 Mods - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
While waiting for some parts to continue the wing build, I switched gears and began preparing the fuselage for the EXP119 version of the IO-0390 Engine. After talking with Lycoming, they were very accommodating and the engine I ordered in June 2021 will be delivered in about 90 days. So today, rather than replace the lower cowl attach pieces (of my QB Fuselage) with new modified ones per OP-62, I modified the Quick Built existing ones avoiding to have to reseal new pieces to the fuselage. I did this by using a Dremel cutting wheel to cut off a section of the existing bracket, then filed and sanded it smooth. It's now ready for the plate nut installation.


 
Aug 06, 2022     Aileron Actuation - (1.0 hour)       Category: Controls
After struggling with trying to figure out why my right aileron was not reaching the proper throw, I discovered the wing rack I was using (previously for my RV-7) did not allow one of the bell cranks to reach full travel. A slight readjustment of how the wing sits on the rack and the problem was solved. Also, what appeared to be an inference of the bell crank/servo pushrod with the mounting bracket disappeared and hopefully will not come back to haunt me.


 
Aug 02, 2022     Deburring and Dimpling - (4.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed the outboard skins. Dimpling is complete! Hallelujah!


 
Aug 01, 2022     Deburring and Dimpling - (4.0 hours)       Category: Wings
The dimpling continues:-( At this time the inboard skins are now complete along with a portion of one outboard skin.


 
Jul 31, 2022     The End       Category: AV2022
AV2022 is in the books.


 
Jul 31, 2022     One Week Wonder       Category: AV2022
The One Week Wonder is complete. Removed from the tent, engine started and taxiing.


 
Jul 29, 2022     Avionics       Category: AV2022
After visiting the convention hangars, attending seminars, talking to numerous vendors and friends I decided to have Advanced Flight Systems build out the panel. I'll be using the AFS-6600 (2), a Dynon suite of radios, transponder, autopilot and much more as well as the Avidyne IFD-540 IFR navigator. I also bought parts from Aircraft Spruce and many other vendors throughs the convention grounds. At the end of the week I had walked over 23 miles in search of parts for the -14A.


 
Jul 28, 2022     Homebuilder's Dinner - (2.5 hours)       Category: AV2022
Attended the Homebuilder's Dinner. Dick V was the guest speaker and my friend Vic Syracuse was selected to receive the 2022 Tony Bingelis Award for his years of service as a Technical Counselor for EAA.


 
Jul 26, 2022     RV Dinner - (2.5 hours) Category: AV2022
Attended the RV Dinner at the EAA Nature Center along with 300 RV builders/guests. There was a gentleman there who has participated in over 54 RV builds. Mind boggling!
 
Jul 25, 2022     Opening Day       Category: AV2022
We learned, that after a short illness, one of my mentors, a good friend and past President of EAA, Tom Poberezny had gone west this morning to be with his dad, Paul - founder of EAA. May they forever be in our heart! Blue skies and fair winds Tom.
That afternoon, a flight of 50 RVs started the airshow on opening day. That evening I attended the RV Bash and met many (very many) fellow builders/friends.


 
Jul 25, 2022     One Week Wonder - (10.0 hours)       Category: AV2022
AV2022 is underway and I have the honor of being one of the Emcees for the One Week Wonder, a Sonex Waiex-B that starts as a boxed kit on Monday morning and is to be completed by volunteers and will be complete and taxiing in one week! Volunteers (AirVenture attendees) will learn to do a pop rivet and then be able to rivet a part of the aircraft and be included in the electronic logbook of the aircraft. Pictured are the clock that keeps us on track, John Monett, founder of Sonex, Jack Pelton - President and CEO of EAA, and Mark Schaible, the new owner and President of Sonex Aircraft. Also pictured are the numerous and generous sponsors of the One Week Wonder. My entry of 10 hours is for the time spent during the week researching items for this RV-14A build - more on that later.


 
Jul 24, 2022     Dedication - (2.0 hours)       Category: AV2022
Arrived at AV2022 on Sunday and got things squared away for my work on the One Week Wonder which starts tomorrow at 0800 and lasts one week. I went to the dedication of the Homebuilt Camping Pavilion on the grounds of homebuilt camping at AV. When I was Chair of the Homebuilt Council and on the Board of Directors of EAA (along with Dick V and others), the Council developed a 5 year plan which had the pavilion built and is now named in honor of Dick VanGrunsven. The pictures shows Jack Pelton announcing the dedication and Dick and I under the banner.


 
Jul 23, 2022     lower Wing Skins - (.5 hour)       Category: Wings
Couldn't help myself. I found a short window of time and completed dimpling the right inboard lower skin. I clecoed it in place to keep it out of harm's way. Now it's time to get ready to go Oshkosh.


 
Jul 22, 2022     Lower Wing Skins - (4.0 hours) Category: Wings
The lower wing skin deburring was completed. The forward overlapping corners of the inboard and outboard skins were completed. The #19 holes were dimpled and work began on the 1 trillion (at least it seems like it) #40 holes that need dimpling. As a precaution the outer most #40 holes, for attaching the wing tips, were taped over to prevent dimpling them. The right inboard was started and is only about 1/3 complete as I needed to leave and prepare for leaving for Oshkosh. Let the fun begin.
 
Jul 21, 2022     ADAHRS Mount - (.5 hour)       Category: Wings
Completed riveting of the mount by riveting the Mount to the J stiffener and placing it in the left wing for safe keeping:-)


 
Jul 21, 2022     Lower Wing Skins - (4.0 hours) Category: Wings
Began deburring both of the lower and outer bottom wing skins. Not fun, but necessary.
 
Jul 19, 2022     Lower Wing Skins - (2.5 hours)       Category: Wings
The lower right and left inboard wing skins were clecoed to the wings. This required some filing of the flap bracket slot due to the flap bracket bearing protruding the required 1/32" on each end. Once the skin fit over the bracket it was clecoed to the wing and the end rib #40 holes for the plate nuts were matched drilled from the skins to the end rib. The holes were deburred and the parts set aside for future dimpling.


 
Jul 19, 2022     ADAHRS Mount - (.5 hour)       Category: Wings
The ADAHRS mount was riveted together along with riveting it to the Zee angle.


 
Jul 18, 2022     ADAHRS Mount - (1.0 hour)       Category: Wings
The Retainers were countersunk and fluted. Then the W-00012A ADAHRS Mounting Plate, W-00012B ADAHRS Mounting Spacer, W-00012C ADAHRS Retainer, W-00012D ADAHRS Latch, and W-00012E ADAHRS Mounting Zee were clecoed in preparation for riveting.


 
Jul 18, 2022     Aileron Actuation - (3.0 hours)       Category: Controls
The left and right ailerons were placed their neutral position and verified with the W-00026 and W-00030 alignment tools. The nuts and bolts of the wing portion of the aileron control system were then torqued and torque striped to ensure any rotation would be visible. The left wing aileron rod end bearing required no adjustment, while the right wing aileron rod end bearing required just 1/2 turn to bring it into alignment.


 
Jul 17, 2022     Aileron Actuation - (1.0 hour)       Category: Controls
The bell crank to aileron control push rods had their locknuts and rod end bearings fitted to 25 1/4 inches and clocked to the 90 degree position. They were then temporarily installed in place in the wings.


 
Jul 16, 2022     ADAHRS Mount - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
The ADAHRS mount and zee bracket were filed smooth and/or deburred. The parts were clecoed to the left inboard wing skin, matched drilled, disassembled, deburred and dimpled per the plans. The mounting spacer and retainers were separated and the edges deburred. The 5 rivet holes that attach the mount bracket to the attach zee were dimpled.


 
Jul 15, 2022     Aileron Actuation - (2.0 hours)       Category: Controls
When I drilled the rivet holes on the left and right aileron pushrods, I wasn't pleased with the results. The holes were not perfectly matched and I thought the long rivets were going to be difficult, if not almost impossible to perfectly set. So, I ordered two new ones, but due to supply chain problems I was told it would take three months before they would arrive. That was okay, however it's been three months and I just received a letter from Van's stating they were offering a different tube that could be used once modified. I opted to go another route using my existing bell crank to aileron pushrods, mainly due to a drawing depicting an alternate method of installation using welding that was included in the letter - thank you Van's. That method worked beautifully thanks to my friend Keith Phillips who welded them for me. Additionally, we slightly enlarged and tapped the rivet holes, inserted a steel screw thru each, and pounded the ends flat before also welding them in place. Of course this was in addition to welding the fitting to the pushrod. The welded area of pushrods were primed since the original powder coat had to be removed. It should be noted, the new Van's replacements aren't powder coated either, due to supply chain issues.


 
Jul 08, 2022     Parts Assembly - (1.0 hour)       Category: Controls
The left and right control sticks were secured to the control stick bases and the connecting aileron control rod was also secured.


 
Jul 07, 2022     Control Sticks - (.5 hour)       Category: Controls
The left and right control sticks were temporarily placed in the control stick bases and the distance between the sticks, at the top and bottom, were measured. Both measurements were exactly 20 5/8". The specification called for 20 5/8". Done!!!:-)


 
Jul 07, 2022     Forward Skin Stiffeners - (.5 hour)       Category: Fuselage
The two forward skin stiffeners were riveted in place among with the skin they were attached too.


 
Jul 07, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
The aft rivets on the rollover structure have been set and installation of this portion of the build is now complete.


 
Jul 06, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (2.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Riveting of the forward portion of the roll over structure brace is complete. With the help of my friend Dean, the four rivets attaching the forward empennage skin to the roll over brace have been riveted along with many misc. rivets that attach the forward empennage skin to the baggage bulkhead. There are still a few, difficult to reach rivets, remaining to be set.


 
Jul 05, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (2.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Began installation of the newly painted roll over structure parts; frame and doublers along with the bushings. The top center hole on each frame base was countersunk per the plans and the brace was clecoed in place. Also we discovered the F-01431D straps where installed on the wrong sides. Thus, 23 rivets on each side were drilled out, the parts swapped and then properly reinstalled. Be careful on this as the instructions were a little confusing when also looking at the pictures. Not a big deal but...


 
Jul 04, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Final painted the roll over bar assembly, the roll bar brace, bushing doublers and skin stiffeners.


 
Jul 03, 2022     Aileron Actuation - (1.0 hour)       Category: Controls
The control bases were installed in the actuation control rod. Also, I checked the travel of both of the CS-00006 Control Columns Stick Bases with a digital level. Both were found to be nearly identical and well within the limits identified both in the forward and aft positions, i.e.,14�nd 24�n both sides. I did find a small amount of rust on the inside of the stick bases and sticks. The rust was removed with scotch bright, cleaned and coated with a small amount of wheel bearing grease. (The price one pays for living near the beach in Florida.) Note to self: All of the nuts on the stick bases and control link still need to be tightened.


 
Jul 03, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
The holes at the base of the roll over structure, including the bushing doubler were matched drilled to #30 from the frame thru to the base angle. The structure was removed and the all holes were deburred. Flush rivet heads on the structure that protruded were sanded flat.


 
Jul 02, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Today, I riveted the aft roll bar frame to the forward frame and the window shims to the aft frame. I then clecoed the frame to the fuselage (It fit perfectly.) The roll over brace was also clecoed in place. So far the structure looks really good.


 
Jul 01, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (3.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
With the roll over structure disassembled and the machine countersinking completed on the forward roll bar frame, it's time to reassemble the forward roll bar frame with the F-01431B and F-01431C Roll Bar Straps installed. Having misunderstood the instructions I had also countersunk the inboard flange of the forward frame. Not a big deal and it actually looks really nice with flush rivets. Anyway, the riveting proceeded uneventfully and it came out well. Next, I machine countersunk the F-01431B Outboard Roll Bar Strap for the dimpled F-01432A Roll Bar Brace. Finally, I riveted the aft C-01432 Bushing Doublers to the Aft Roll Bar Frame Assembly, installed the Bushings, then riveted the C-01433 Bushing Covers in place.


 
Jun 30, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (4.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
All deburring of the entire structure is now complete. Countersinking of the inside and outside flanges of the forward part of the structure are complete.


 
Jun 29, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (1.5 hours) Category: Fuselage
Began the deburring of the roll over structure.
 
Jun 28, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (3.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
The 100+ rollover structure #40 holes were enlarged to #30. They were also deburred as I drilled them. Of course there were a number of holes that don't get oversized or drilled at this point. (They are taped or black X'ed so as to be sure not to touch them at this point.)


 
Jun 27, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (3.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
While installed on the fuselage, the aft roll over structure had 4 rivets set to the splice plate. Then the remaining splice plate rivets were set after being held by a vise. It's much easier to rivet that way. The entire roll over structure frame and straps were then clecoed together. Only a small out of 'bending' was necessary to get a good fit of the straps onto the frame. The holes that are not to be drilled were also marked as a reminder in case I get carried away with the drill:-)


 
Jun 26, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
The forward roll over structure was clecoed to the fuselage and the splice plate was also clecoed in place. The 2 outside rivets and the 2 top center rivets were set, the structure removed and placed in a vise. The remaining 20 rivets were set and the forward roll over structure was set aside until later. The aft roll over structure was clecoed in place and the splice plate was also clecoed to the left and right parts of the structure.


 
Jun 26, 2022     Control Sticks - (1.0 hour)       Category: Controls
After preparing the right control stick for drilling thru to the right control stick base, I drilled the 4 holes per the plans, section 36 pages 10 & 11. I also final drilled the control stick base lugs. As with the left side, the right side alignment is within 0.4 degrees of perfect at this point. Again, we'll see how it ends up once everything is bolted in place.


 
Jun 25, 2022     Control Sticks - (1.0 hour)       Category: Controls
After preparing the left control stick for drilling thru to the left control stick base, I drilled the 4 holes per the plans, section 36 pages 10 & 11. I also final drilled the control stick base lugs. The alignment is within 0.4 degrees of perfect at this point. We'll see how it ends up once everything is bolted in place.


 
Jun 25, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (.5 hour) Category: Fuselage
Reprimed a few of the edges of the roll over structure parts that needed a little more coverage.
 
Jun 22, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (1.0 hour)       Category: Fuselage
Today I primed various components of the roll over structure. This priming was for the face of the parts that will not have the finish coat color applied. I also test fit the plastic bushings that are to be installed along the tunnel. I cut a 1/4 inch piece of plastic from the bushings so they may be installed and wires cables etc., may be inserted in each one. Once all the wires are installed a simple turn of the bushing 180 degrees will lock the wires inside the bushing. This will allow wires to be slid into place rather than fed thru each bushing and hopefully connectors that are preinstalled, and too large to fit in the bushings, will thus be able to remain intact.


 
Jun 20, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (.5 hour)       Category: Fuselage
I finished cleaning and primed the splice plates. I also finished cleaning and then primed the CS-00004 Stick Link Pushrod. After the stick link pushrod dried I removed the tape protecting the rod end bearing. While the parts were drying I gathered the bolts, washers and nuts for assembly to the stick base.


 
Jun 20, 2022     Control Sticks - (.5 hour) Category: Controls
I unpacked the control sticks/grips and the control stick bases. Since I ordered the control sticks with the Tosten grips pre-installed, the 1/4 inch access hole was predrilled. I then clamped the left stick on the workbench, read the inclination (.04 degrees) and matched the base angle to the stick angle.
 
Jun 18, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (2.0 hours) Category: Fuselage
Spent a couple of hours acetone cleaning the rollover structure in preparation for painting later this week when the rain stops and the wind dies down or I get up early in the morning (that's likely not going to happen.)
 
Jun 18, 2022     Inventory - (2.0 hours) Category: Firewall
I completed the parts inventory today and noted that a few items were missing. I called Van's and they said they would immediately correct everything. I expect the missing parts to be here within a week. Not a problem as there's still quite a bit left to do.
 
Jun 16, 2022     Firewall Forward Inventory - (3.0 hours) Category: Firewall
I received my Firewall Forward Kit on June 14 and started the inventory on the 16th. Only one box (of three) arrived so it's no surprise that a substantial number of parts are on backorder parts. It's not Van's fault and it's not a big deal as Van's and I have adjusted to the new way life. I know Van's is doing the best they can given the circumstances in today's reality.
 
Jun 16, 2022     Flap Control Assembly - (3.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
I found a steel pushrod at the local hobby shop and rebent the steel rod using the same dimensions but waiting until it was installed before bending the slight angle to keep to from coming out of the hole. I installed the miniature molex pins on the wires of the sensor and then installed the sensor assembly onto the flap motor channel. Next I reinstalled the flap crank into the flap rod assembly and refastened all 4 bolts (one eighth turn at a time:-) Finally the pushrod was installed - with no issue! Up and down test were done and the system performed wonderfully!


 
Jun 15, 2022     Flap Control Assembly - (4.0 hours) Category: Fuselage
The flap position sensor is next on the list to install. Unfortunately, at least for me, the #30 hole required for the flap position pushrod was not drilled at the factory, likely due to it being such an early serial number. Rats! After numerous tries attempting to drill the hole in place, I had no success. Rats again! This meant removing the 4 bolts in the flap crank and pulling the flap crank out of the assembly. It's not as simple as it sounds as it required positioning the bolts so I could turn them about 1/8 turn at a time. Trust me, this took a lot of time. With the flap crank removed drilling the hole was easy. Deburring it was not as easy, but it got done. Installing the pushrod as per the plans proved futile. The angles were just not right. I called it a day and went searching for a new pushrod.
 
Jun 14, 2022     Flap Control Assembly - (2.5 hours)       Category: Controls
The top flange of the aft flap motor channel was riveted in place. This was followed by riveting the flap motor brackets in place followed by the lower flange of the aft flap motor channel. With this work done, the flap motor was installed in the brackets, safety wired as called out in the plans and functionally tested for proper movement - which was passed with flying colors. Thanks again to Dean who assisted in the installation. The extra hands made this much easier than if I had done it solo.


 
Jun 14, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (2.0 hours) Category: Fuselage
Scotch bright work on the roll over structure parts was finally completed this afternoon. Acetone cleanup of the parts begins soon, maybe:-)
 
Jun 11, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (1.5 hours) Category: Fuselage
More fun as I continued to work on the roll bar components. This time separating all of the bushing doublers and of course deburring all the edges. I also deburred the roll bar straps and window shims. I believe that takes care of deburring the roll over components. Next up; scotch brighting all the parts in preparation for painting.
 
Jun 10, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (4.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Completed deburring the much of, but not all of, the roll over structure components. Both the left and right upper flanges of the roll over brace brackets were dimpled. I then riveted the roll over brace brackets to the roll bar brace. Next, I fitted the roll bars to the supports on the fuselage, clecoed them in place and then took the roll bar splice plate and temporarily clecoed it to the left and right roll bar frames - just to see how it looked.


 
Jun 09, 2022     Roll Over Structure - (1.0 hour)       Category: Fuselage
I began deburring the roll over structure components. They're fairly large and the shear marks run deep, so sadly, this may take a while. Oh well, it's all part of the journey. Two down, lots to go.


 
Jun 09, 2022     Brake System - (.5 hour)       Category: Fuselage
Completed the tightening (in lieu of torquing) of the brake fitting nuts. I also installed the 4 zip ties as called out in the plans, however I feel more will be necessary once the nylaflex lines are placed in their final positions. It only took few minutes for my friend Dean to climb into the fuselage and place a few more zip ties on the lines. I'm thankful for his agility.


 
Jun 08, 2022     Brake System - (3.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
After gathering all the necessary parts for installing the hydraulic brake lines, I began by measuring (twice or more) the 'plastic' lines and cutting them to the appropriate lengths. Once complete, I drilled, #29, the ends of each tube that required the compression fittings (nut, sleeve and brass insert). Fortunately, (or maybe not) it was hot enough in my hangar that boiling water to complete the installation of the brass insert into the tubes wasn't necessary. All the lines were threaded through the bushings and, for now, were finger tightened in place. Both ends of the lines going into the firewall tee were pressed into place by at least 1/2 inch.


 
Jun 07, 2022     Brake System - (1.5 hours) Category: Fuel System
The brake reservoir which I previously primed was installed. The tee, inside of the fuselage, was screwed into the base of the reservoir. All the plastic bushings for the brake were installed including the four that required modification. I also installed the single nylon clamp.
 
Jun 07, 2022     Fuel Brackets - (1.0 hour) Category: Fuel System
Completed the installation of the lower brackets with the help of my friend Dean. Smaller fingers and a more agile body did the trick. Thus the fuselage fuel system is now complete.
 
May 28, 2022     Fuel Brackets - (1.5 hours)       Category: Fuel System
Began installing the fuselage fuel brackets. Sure looks easy enough until you try to reach those little bugers. Anyway, the upper nuts and screws are installed and tight. The lower ones have the screws installed and some nuts tightened.


 
May 27, 2022     Fuel Line Fabrication & Installation - (3.0 hours)       Category: Fuel System
The remaining fuel lines, fuel pump to firewall and right fuel tank to fuel valve were fabricated and installed. The firewall AN fitting had fuel sealant and was installed and properly clocked.


 
May 26, 2022     Fuel Brackets - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuel System
The nylon brackets holding the fuel lines from the fuel valve to each wing fitting were riveted in place.


 
May 25, 2022     Fuel Line Fabrication & Installation - (1.0 hour)       Category: Fuel System
Fabricated the complex bend left Fuselage to Fuel Valve tube. Note: Lots of visualization is helpful to get it correct.


 
May 24, 2022     Fuel Line Fabrication & Installation - (1.0 hour)       Category: Fuel System
The first of the four tubes to be installed, the line from the fuel valve to the fuel filter, was fabricated and temporarily installed. This was good practice for the complex tube bending that I'll soon be confronted with. Some tool modifications may be necessary due to the closeness of the bends, to each other. Great! Something else to think (worry) about:-)!


 
May 22, 2022     Rudder and Brake Pedalsr - (1.0 hour)       Category: Controls
Installed the rudder cable guide blocks on both sides of the center tunnel. Also installed cotter pins on the rudder pedal portion of the cable links (fwd). The aft cotter pins on the cable links will be installed after final adjustment of the pedals.


 
May 21, 2022     Rudder and Brake Pedals - (1.0 hour)       Category: Controls
Installed the PIC JDAir, Brake Pedal extensions. I highly recommend them & the company is first class. (I do not work for them:-). I also installed, temporarily at least, the cable links to the inboard rudder pedals.


 
May 20, 2022     Rudder Control Parts - (3.5 hours)       Category: Controls
After nearly 4 hours and 4 great and helpful friends led by Jeff and Dean, the polyethylene sleeves that protect the spar and rudder cables from rubbing against each other are done!! Don't let this simple task fool you. These 4 cushioned clamps and hardware are extremely difficult to access and get your hands and tools on. Obviously not impossible but hey, they are a little beyond difficult!!!! Anyway, I'll stop complaining and just move on. I'm sure there are more things like this ahead:-)


 
May 19, 2022     Rudder Control Parts - (1.0 hour) Category: Controls
I separated the rudder control links, smoothed the edges and removed the rust. I then applied a coat of Rust O'leum Rust Reformer to ensure that any specs of remaining rust are encapsulated. They'll be primed tomorrow.
 
May 19, 2022     Fuel Selector - (1.0 hour)       Category: Fuel System
My recently back ordered fuel selector valve has arrived. The selector knob was removed as was the forward fitting. The nut plates were installed and then the valve was reassembled using Locktite 648 (against my better judgement since it's likely that it will never come apart without sending it back to Andair.) Anyway, I countersunk the faceplate and installed it in the fuselage.


 
May 18, 2022     Rudder and Brake Pedals - (3.0 hours)       Category: Controls
The center rudder/brake assembly bearing block was cut in half. The brake pedal assembly ends have been sanded clean of powder coating, deburred and greased. The end bearing blocks were attached to the brake assembly then the entire system was installed in the forward fuselage as called for in the plans. The top center bearing block was placed between the assembly and the fuselage bracket. The bolts, washers and nuts were put in place, but at this point, only the center bearing block and the forward right bolts were secured. Something to do tomorrow:-) The brake reservoir was cleaned with acetone and properly masked then primer was applied.


 
May 17, 2022     Rudder and Brake Pedals - (2.0 hours)       Category: Controls
Completed the installation of the right brake hydraulic fittings on the master cylinders and their installation on the brake assembly. All three of the bearing blocks were drilled to #12 and then final drilled to #10. Drilling the center F-6115 Rudder Pedal Bearing Block to the F-14104 Support Angle correctly was a bit of a challenge on the QB fuselage since the support angle was already installed and fuselage has been rotated right side down and at this point it was more of a hassle to rotate it upright. Lots of tape and clamps were necessary, but doable.


 
May 16, 2022     Rudder and Brake Pedals - (4.0 hours)       Category: Controls
Today was spent attaching the left and right rudder pedals to the CS-00018-L & -R Left and Right Brake Pedal Assemblies. I also attached the right side master brake cylinders to the right side brake pedals.


 
May 15, 2022     Roll Servo Installation - (2.0 hours)       Category: Controls
Major decision point. I decided to not use the Dynon supplied over center protection device. I'll have to rely on the RV physical aileron stops. With that decision made the installation was straight forward. Physically, the roll servo is installed. The molex connector is next and when the back ordered aileron push rods comes in I'll be able to set up the aileron actuation system. So for now OP-57 can be set aside.


 
May 14, 2022     Roll Servo Installation - (2.0 hours)       Category: Controls
I began the roll servo installation by crimping the female molex connector pins on the seven or so wires coming out of the servo. t then took the actuator arm off the servo shaft to install the over center lock protector. Try as I might I could not get this to fit on the already installed brackets. There was no way this would work without major modification. Even with the additional washers the servo could not be lowered to the attach points on the bracket and I was also missing the additional bracket that gets installed to the wing spar bracket and servo. I gave up for the day. But wait, that evening it came to me that there was one place I hadn't checked. Sure enough, it was there. Now I can sleep tonight (maybe). TMI, sorry. (Sadly, a part will always be found in the last place you look - you can quote me on that bit of wisdom.


 
May 12, 2022     Aileron Actuation - (3.0 hours)       Category: Controls
A new day. I decided I'll have to remove such of the paint from inside the assemblies. The rust must have been more intrusive than I originally thought. So the inside of the parts were polished, without removing too much material (thousandths only) and then well greased. Two young, great guys (Ethan and Brendon) I helped at Atlantic high school came by and volunteered to help. So I figured I might as well put them work. We (they) struggled with the parts because I didn't want to remove more material. They really worked up a sweat working on it, but we got it done. After they left, I bolted the parts together and brush painted the outside of the collars as it was too risky to spray anything near my RV-7A. They look okay considering no one will likely see these parts. I also think the grease on the inside will provided better corrosion protection than the paint.


 
May 11, 2022     Aileron Actuation - (2.0 hours) Category: Controls
Began installation the aileron actuation system by 'trying' to fit the two halves of the torque tube subassemblies thru the spar web and then fitting them together before installing them into the end bearings. No luck! The small amount of paint that was used on the inside and outside of the tubes and fittings prevented the parts from fitting together. Just lightly polishing the parts didn't solve the problem and neither did greasing everything. Time to rethink this:-(
 
May 10, 2022     Aileron Actuation - (1.0 hour)       Category: Controls
Completed fitting and drilling the torque tube system. Parts for the left and right ailerons are ready for installation in the wings. Shown is the right system aligned and ready for drilling.


 
May 09, 2022     Aileron Actuation - (2.0 hours)       Category: Controls
The torque tube collars were primed over the rust reformer after properly preparing the surface. The left and right CS-00009 torque tube assemblies and the WD-1014 subassemblies had the pushrod ends riveted in place. After the primer dried, the left torque tube collar was inserted and bolted to the forward torque tube assembly. The entire left assembly was then inserted into the WD-1014, the proper length was mapped out and verified then the collar was matched drilled to the WD-1014. I had to stop at this point due to running out of sharp #12 drill bits. New ones will arrive this evening. Shown is the left side assembly.


 
May 08, 2022     Aileron Actuation - (3.0 hours)       Category: Controls
With all the aileron actuation parts now drilled, I marked everything then took it all apart to debur the holes. I then took the new abrasive pads and polished the inside of all the tubes to remove the corrosion. After extensively cleaning everything with acetone, I masked the parts and painted the interior of the tubes with the rust reformer. After they were dry to the touch I clecoed the pushrod ends in place using the markings I made earlier. Now I need to wait about 24 hours to let the rust reformer dry before doing anything else.


 
May 06, 2022     Aileron Actuation - (2.0 hours) Category: Controls
Moving on to the torque tube assembly and collar. Based on my experience with bell cranks I discovered corrosion inside these parts. This kit was originally purchased in 2013, so these steel parts are 9 years old and corrosion wouldn't be uncommon. I polished the parts enough to drill most of the required holes and call it a day. Next stop is to the Aviation Aisle at Lowe's, where I purchased some abrasive pads and Rust'oleum Rust Reformer.
 
May 05, 2022     Aileron Actuation - (2.5 hours)       Category: Controls
I worked on both aileron bell cranks. The nut plates were installed on both, the bushing size was checked and rechecked. However, both the AN4 bolts fit too tightly inside the bushings and the bushings also fit too tightly inside the bell crank and all the measurements were right on. Lots of polishing helped the fit, until I installed them in the plane and torqued the bolts. Then it was too tight again. My friend Dean came by and we determined there was corrosion inside the bell crank. More polishing ensued and with the help of Boelube the bell cranks fit fine and freely moved.



 
May 04, 2022     Aileron Actuation - (2.0 hours) Category: Controls
I started fabricating the bell crank to aileron pushrod. Confession time: After drilling the holes I found that the match drilling operation I did - did not, match that is. I definitely need to read the instructions a little closer and/or build a jig or two to stabilize the drilling operation for those holes that accept the -11 rivets. Anyway, I decided to reorder the parts to build these two pushrods. All the parts were inexpensive, but the powder coated pushrod is on backorder - for 3 to 4 months. Oh well, I need to change my schedule. Suggestion: Closely RTFI.
 
Apr 30, 2022     Baggage floor panels - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Today I installed the forward side panels and riveted both the left and right side panels into the side substructure and the floor. The side panels are now completely riveted in place and the few remaining rivets for the floor panels were also installed. The baggage area is now complete.


 
Apr 29, 2022     Baggage floor panels - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
My friend Dean came by and we riveted the floor and side panels to the baggage bulkhead.


 
Apr 28, 2022     Baggage floor panels - (2.0 hours) Category: Fuselage
My friend Paul came by and we continued riveting the baggage floor panels. Later that day, I completed installing the blind rivets into the floor panels. I then clecoed the left and right aft side panels in place.
 
Apr 27, 2022     Baggage floor panels - (2.0 hours) Category: Fuselage
Easy day, I continued riveting the baggage floor panels.
 
Apr 26, 2022     Baggage floor panels - (6.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
I began riveting the right and left floors onto the substructure. The squeezed rivets around the inside and front were done first. Most were easily accessible. There are couple of rivets that will require some thought as they're difficult to reach, at least with the equipment I currently have. Also, it appears many of the nut plates will require blind rivets as access is just too tight. I checked with Vans and there is a callout for CCR-264SS-3-2 rivets next to the usual AN426AD3-3.5 rivets. These CCR rivets may replace those rivets in non structural applications. Good to know. I then started to install the blind fasteners. Again, there are a few blind rivets that are difficult to access. Using the 'tool' we made for the tail, to squarely align the rivet it made the job much easier. The right floor is nearly complete and the left floor is about 50%.


 
Apr 25, 2022     Baggage floor panels - (1.0 hour) Category: Fuselage
Began riveting the baggage floor nut plates. In particular the inside line of nut plates on the left and right floors.
 
Apr 23, 2022     Baggage floor panels - (3.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
With the fuselage on it's side, I temporarily clecoed the floors in place for a fit check. All went well. Then the floors were fully clecoed in place. The forty or so plate nuts were clecoed in place. NOTE: Some of the sixteen plate nuts around the access panels were awkward to install. After dropping one that managed to find a lightening hole and dropped down to the bottom of the fuselage, I had to remove the floor, yet again, to find the errant plate nut in a crevice in the floor ribs at the bottom. Thus, I decided to tape over the lightning holes to prevent that stupid mistake again. Your results may vary. I then clecoed the seat hinges in place and did a final check to ensure all the plate nuts were ready for riveting.


 
Apr 18, 2022     Fuselage construction - (1.0 hour)       Category: Fuselage
The rudder cables were drawn thru the interior of the mid fuselage. The left and right baggage floors were clecoed in place in for a final check to be sure all the holes have been properly dimpled - or not before the riveting begins.


 
Apr 18, 2022     Flap Controls Fabrication - (3.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
The control tubes were sanded and greased and placed into the bushings inside the fuselage. The control arm was prepped by sanding the ends to fit between the left and right control tubes. The tubes were then pushed into the control arm, the attach holes were and lined up. All the parts were bolted and torqued together.


 
Apr 16, 2022     Flap Control Fabrication - (3.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Today, I did the same for the mirror imaged right side, as I did yesterday for the left side of the flap actuation system. NOTE: Before drilling be sure to do a logic check to ensure that when assembled, the parts, when put together, all face the proper direction. Once everything was assembled holes were drilled, then,as usual it was disassembled, deburred and filed as necessary. The parts were then taped up so that the interior of the tubes could be primed. With that done, I'm now letting the parts dry before installation.


 
Apr 15, 2022     Flap Control Fabrication - (3.5 hours) Category: Fuselage
After gathering the parts for fabricating the flap actuation assembly, I used a board to lay the parts out and measure the appropriate distance between the flap torque arm and the flap crank. I installed the flap alignment tool then clamped the parts together, double and tripled checked everything before clecoing and drilling the required holes.
 
Apr 14, 2022     Rudder and Brake Pedals - (4.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
A young friend of mine, Ethan, stopped by to chat and I asked him if he would like to help build parts of my -14. He jumped on that invitation. He had no experience riveting, but soon learned how. After some 'mechanical ground school' he soon learned first hand how to hand squeeze rivets (large ones at that) and do pop-riveting. Under careful supervision, he had completed almost all of the riveting necessary to produce the four pedals. He did a mighty fine job and the finished products speak for themselves.


 
Apr 12, 2022     Rudder and Brake Pedals - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Completed all deburring and clecoed together all 4 pedal parts. I decided not to prime paint or do anything to the rudder/brake pedals. I think they actually look fine the way they are.


 
Apr 07, 2022     Rudder and Brake Pedals - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Deburring is the order of the day, as is clecoing one of the rudder pedals together. With one complete as a model, I'll can build the other three. Once complete, I'll disassemble them as my current plan is to prime all the pieces (and maybe paint them) except for the actual pedal and leave that natural. Powder coating, anodizing or painting the pedal face will all get scratched and look awful after a few months of flying. All this subject to change once I wake up tomorrow morning:-)


 
Apr 03, 2022     Fuselage Fuel System - (1.0 hour)       Category: Fuselage
Attached the fuel filter to the fuel pump. Attached the ring terminal to the black wire, the blade receptacle to the red wire and attached the assembly to the fuselage. I also installed the plastic snap bushings for the rudder cables since I had time. Things are sure easier to reach with the fuselage lying on its side. With many parts still on back order I'm trying to do what I can accomplish to do even though things are really out of sequence. I hope that works out without having to disassemble too much. Time will tell.


 
Mar 31, 2022     Fuselage Parts Fabrication and Installation - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Completed the construction and installation of the flap rod bearings in the fuselage. (Only 3 are pictured)


 
Mar 28, 2022     Fuselage Rotator - (4.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Designed and built a rotation device to provide better access to the interior of the fuselage. I tried hard to avoid this, but the pain of reaching in was more than I wanted to deal with. It's tough getting old.


 
Mar 26, 2022     Pitch Torque Tubes - (6.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Over the past few days I have finally completed the installation of the mid and forward pitch control tubes. The reason for the disproportionate amount of time spent on this 'simple' project was strictly my inability to simply reach the bolts, washers and lock nuts either from inside the fuselage or from the side. Fat hands, my inability to twist (although shouting was a useful part of the solution) and to reach both sides of the nut and bolts all contributed to the length time for completion of this task. With many thanks to friends who stopped by and helped, it's now complete. Tools to align the pushrod bearings with the holes in the attach points are really useful here.


 
Mar 17, 2022     Fuselage construction - (2.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Withe the bottom row of rivets for connecting the aft bottom skin to the forward bottom skin and the two flooring edge ribs riveted to the bottom skin and the baggage bulkhead - the connection of the aft fuselage and the forward fuselage - is now a fuselage. Whaoo!!! Little victories.


 
Mar 16, 2022     Fuselage construction - (4.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Continued riveting the aft/forward fuselage per page 30-08. The side skins are now completely riveted. The bottom skin is nearly completely riveted to the inner structure. The bottom skin to bulkhead and the outboard ribs are all that are left to be completed. My experienced helper Dean, who has built a beautiful RV-14 just chuckles when I say "all that is left....":-)


 
Mar 13, 2022     Fuselage construction - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Riveted the six baggage floor ribs to the fuselage bottom skin as per the second half of Step 4, page 30-08.


 
Mar 03, 2022     Fuselage construction - (1.0 hour) Category: Fuselage
Riveted the baggage bulkhead sides to the lower baggage bulkhead.
 
Mar 01, 2022     Aft Fuselage Attachment - (2.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
With the help of Dean and Jeff, all of the upper aft fuselage skin rivets, per the plan, are now riveted in place.


 
Mar 01, 2022     Brake System - (1.0 hour) Category: Fuselage
Separated many of the brake parts and deburred them.
 
Feb 28, 2022     Aft Fuselage Attachment - (5.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
With outstanding help from Dean and Paul a total fuselage is born - the empennage was mated to the forward fuselage. It went per the book, even with the pitch servo and the control push rods already installed in the aft fuselage. The initial mating procedure was fairly quick, then came the routine work (clecoing and riveting,) which is still in progress. Some of those rivets are quite difficult to access to either hand or pneumatically squeeze or use a rivet gun and various bucking bar(s). No sheet metal or paint was harmed in the making of this fuselage:-)


 
Feb 26, 2022     Interior Painting - (4.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
I completely removed the firewall masking and I'm very pleased with the results.


 
Feb 25, 2022     Fuselage Parts Fabrication and Installation - (3.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
The NACA vents and their eyeball air devices were installed. I decided to use regular -06 self locking nuts rather than the the tiny -06 nuts as called out. Perhaps if future maintenance is needed, I might be able to get a grip on them. I also decided on using a carbon fiber styled pattern on the vent plates to match the future instrument panel. Using the pieces left over from my RV-7A build finally paid off. The assemblies were silicone sealed to the fuselage and screwed in place - just to be sure.


 
Feb 24, 2022     Interior Painting - (7.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
With the help of Dean and Paul we carried all the parts to be painted; the fuselage, tail cone, and interior parts - outside the hangar and we did this early in the morning when the winds were calm and temperatures were warm. Dean and I assembled the spray equipment, set the pattern and adjusted the air pressure. After testing the spray on a piece of cardboard everything was set and the painting began. Hours later all the parts were carried into the hangar and properly positioned for future work. When the paint had dried to the touch I began pulling off the tape and masking materiel. Next was the cleanup, fortunately there wasn't much mess, but the sprayer need a thorough cleaning, and it got it.


 
Feb 23, 2022     Preparation for Interior Painting - (3.0 hours) Category: Fuselage
Scotch 'brighted' the aluminum surfaces that are to be painted and cleaned them with acetone.
 
Feb 22, 2022     Preparation for Interior Painting - (2.0 hours) Category: Fuselage
Continued to tape and prep the interior and exterior of the tail cone. All the ares that will be painted have been prepped with scotch bright and cleaned with acetone.
 
Feb 21, 2022     Preparation for Interior Painting - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
I masked the tail cone in preparation for painting. Also, gathered some of the piece parts that will be painted separately before assembly.


 
Feb 19, 2022     Preparation for Interior Painting - (3.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
More masking for the interior paint. The Fuselage portion is now complete.


 
Feb 17, 2022     Preparation for Interior Painting - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Continued masking the interior floor and side panels.


 
Feb 16, 2022     Preparation for Interior Painting - (10.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Over the past week I have been preparing both the Empennage and the QB Fuselage for interior painting. (boring!!) Due to Van's new corrosion system that looks like Zinc Chromate, the green has to be go and be painted gray. So today was a minor milestone as my friend Donna crawled under the forward part of the fuselage and applied my templates to the firewall to mask the stainless parts from being painted as my personal feeling is that the firewall shouldn't be painted. With that done, the remaining parts of the fuselage that don't require paint can now be masked off. Then if the morning temperatures can be above 60 with no wind, I'll paint it and move on.


 
Feb 07, 2022     Fuselage Parts Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
I installed plate nuts on the left vent duct assembly. Then I taped the outlets in preparation for interior painting and screwed both vent ducts onto the fuselage. The fit for both are fine. I also taped over all the 'holes' on the firewall in preparation for interior painting.


 
Feb 04, 2022     Fuselage Parts Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: Landing Gear
Fitted the left and right air vent and duct to the fuselage. I decided to attach the assemblies to the fuselage using screws and nut plates then use straight caulk vice the adhesive sealant called out in the plans. This is so I could easily remove the assembly if a vent needed replacement. As always when veering from the plans something is created that is slightly out of the ordinary. In this case one of the new holes was out of reach of my squeezer that's used to dimple holes. My friend Dave took this as a challenge and modified a large C clamp to hold the dimple set and bingo, he had created a long reach dimpler. Problem solved. Kudo's to Dave for his ingenious design.


 
Jan 19, 2022     Lower Gear Braces - (1.5 hours)       Category: Landing Gear
(Sounds simple.) The gear braces were torqued (finally) as per the Torque Table for AN5 and 6 steel bolts. Let me start by stating this was no easy task as getting a torque wrench in the area was quite difficult. Also, I decided to purchase set of 6 point sockets as the 12 point set did not get a satisfactory grip on the bolts or nuts. That made all the difference in the world in being certain the bolts wouldn't become rounded due to the high torque values required. Again, due to very little access, I found a pneumatic socket driver was helpful in getting the bolts initially snugged.


 
Jan 16, 2022     Baggage Area Bulkheads - (.5 hour) Category: Empennage
After removing the three baggage bulkhead pieces I determined rounding of the flanges will not improve the fit. I did try to round one and all I could possibly do is ruin the fit that exists.
 
Jan 14, 2022     Empennage Assembly - (1.0 hour)       Category: Controls
The left, center and right baggage bulkheads were temporarily installed for a check fit. I found no flanging will be necessary, however I think some of the tabs on the upper half of the parts need to be slightly rounded to mold to the aft skin (I don't believe flanging would fix that.) I also installed the aft pitch torque tube on the bell crank to minimize the work necessary once the forward and aft fuselage assemblies are 'mated'.


 
Jan 13, 2022     Pitch Servo - (3.0 hours)       Category: Controls
I completed installing the Molex pins for the pitch servo motor wires and inserted them into the newly labeled connector. Once that was complete the servo was temporarily placed on its bracket so I could see if the supplied "limit stop" bracket would fit. It didn't, but Van's had two holes in the bracket so I enlarged them to #29. It did the trick. The limiting stop is in place. Then I bolted the servo in place followed by the pitch servo pushrod assembly. I thought both bolt shoulders protruded a little too much, preventing the the stop nut from locking tight, so I added another washer. There's still over 3 threads showing so things are good.


 
Jan 11, 2022     Pitch Servo - (2.0 hours)       Category: Controls
Probably a little out of sequence, but for easier access I attached the mid pitch torque tube to the bell crank, then installed the bell crank bracket (and the attached assembly) into the empennage. This means when I attach the empennage to the fuselage I'll have to deal with the mid pitch torque tube hanging out. That doesn't appear to be a problem, but time will tell. Next is to finish attaching the remaining parts into the empennage. Again, the whole purpose of doing it this way is for easier installation access.


 
Jan 09, 2022     Aileron and Elevator Torque Tubes - (3.0 hours)       Category: Controls
With all the appropriate parts primed, inside and out, it's was time to rivet the rod ends to the torque tubes. All 5 of the tubes were pop riveted, using cherrymax rivets, with no issues - except the first rivet. Let me explain in terms of a helpful hint. Evidently the pop rivet gun need adjusting to handle the cherrymax rivets. I didn't know this. If you take off the front round cover it will expose a spring load jaw assembly of some type. I found that if you take the nut and adjust it about a 1/4 inch or so forward from the aft end it will allow the jaws to release the cherrymax nail (stem). If you have the nut full aft, the rivet won't set and if by chance it does, the stem won't release. I suspect everyone in the Van's world, except me, knew this. Thus, I thought I would pass this along to any rookies who might be reading this. Once these were complete I installed the rod end bearings, carefully adhering to the length and depth requirements. No additional problems were encountered.


 
Jan 08, 2022     Pitch Torque Tubes - (2.0 hours)       Category: Controls
All three torque tubes were done in the same manner as the aileron torque tubes in the previous entry. The pitch torque tubes are the two small ones and the large tube on the other end.


 
Jan 08, 2022     Aileron Parts Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: Controls
The two aileron torque tubes were each drilled to #40, then each rod end was inserted into the tube and both were drilled to a #30 size. The rod end parts were identified so they could be matched up, hole for hole. They were then cleaned (using acetone) and primed inside and out. They're currently drying. In the pictures below (before and after priming), the aileron torque tubes are the middle two tubes that are the same length. Hint: Matching up the rod ends and tubes then marking them with a magic marker didn't work well with my SEM self etching primer as the solvents in the primer dissolved some of the markings. It's easy to realign the parts though so don't panic.


 
Jan 07, 2022     Aileron Parts Fabrication - (.5 hour) Category: Controls
I cut the two aileron torque tubes to proper length and deburred the ends. I also gathered the rod end parts in prep for drilling.
 
Jan 07, 2022     Flap Control Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: Controls
Dimpled the flap motor channel for the 20 rivets and 10 plates nuts that are now installed. Also, flush countersunk the four rivet holes for the plate nuts in the baggage splice and countersunk the two holes for the flush rivets to be installed later.


 
Jan 06, 2022     Pitch Servo - (1.5 hours)       Category: Controls
Drilled the #30 holes in the forward and mid pitch tubes and rod end bearings. Deburred and marked them for later assembly.


 
Jan 05, 2022     Pitch Torque Tubes - (2.5 hours)       Category: Controls
Competed the servo pushrods by attaching the rod ends and torquing the lock nuts. Onto the pitch pushrods. Deburred the ends and began drilling the #40 holes in all three of the pitch control tubes and deburred each of the #40 holes. Attached the bearing ends to the the rear pitch tube and drilled the #30 holes in each end. Deburred and marked the ends to reattach in the proper position.


 
Jan 04, 2022     Pitch Servo - (3.0 hours)       Category: Controls
Busy day. Cut the pitch servo push rod tubes to the proper length then tapped them with a 10-28 tap. Very time consuming, but rewarding as all four tapped ends fit perfectly. They are currently drying from the primer I sprayed on them. Then it was onto the Bellcrank. With all the parts drilled and primed I riveted the Bellcrank together and installed it on the angles (F-1037A) I had cut some time ago. The assembly was then placed on the bellcrank mount, properly torqued and set aside to await later installation.


 
Jan 03, 2022     Pitch Servo - (4.0 hours)       Category: Controls
I final drilled the appropriate holes in all the Bellcrank assembly parts then they were all primed in preparation for riveting. The pitch servo bracket was modified and a lightening hole was made although it wasn't the full 1 1/4 hole. I happen to have a very nice set of expensive hole saws that went up to 3/4 of an inch so I decided to stop there and not ruin a perfectly good part:-) I final drilled the bell crank angles holes to #12. Finally, I countersunk the 16 #40 holes for the plate nuts on the Bellcrank mount and squeezed the rivets to install the plate nuts.


 
Dec 31, 2021     Fuselage Parts Fabrication       Category: Fuselage
The left baggage floor is now semi-complete as is the right one with the appropriate plate nuts riveted in place and the left side seat hinges drilled and deburred.. I completed cutting and deburring a few elevator parts and called it a year. Happy New Year.


 
Dec 30, 2021     Baggage floor panels - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Deburred the right floor panel. Then dimpled the appropriate #30 and #40 holes. I moved onto the setback hinges. Laid out the appropriate lines for cutting the long hinge into the 6 pieces that are necessary for the seats. Then I removed the two middle eyelets for each of the 12 hinge pieces. Located and drilled the single #30 attach hole, clecoed each of the three hinges to the right floor and match drilled the remaining holes. All the holes were deburred and labeled with their matching pair then stored for later use.


 
Dec 29, 2021     Baggage Area Bulkheads - (1.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Completed riveting the plate nuts on to the L, R and Center bulkheads.


 
Dec 29, 2021     Parts Assembly - (.5 hour)       Category: Fuselage
Completed the shoulder harness lug and clip. Parts were deburred, countersunk and riveted.


 
Dec 27, 2021     Fuel Brackets - (.5 hour)       Category: Fuselage
Separated and smoothed the edges on all 8 fuel line brackets.


 
Dec 27, 2021     Baggage Area Bulkheads - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Completed dimpling all 3 parts that comprise the rear baggage bulkhead. Clecoed the nut plates in place on all 3 parts.


 
Dec 26, 2021     Air Vents - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Completed trimming and fitting the left and right vents. They're now ready for 'gluing' to the fuselage.


 
Dec 24, 2021     Air Vents - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Trimmed both of the air ducts, fitted then clamped the gaspers, angle bracket and vent ducts together. Drilled the three holes. Great fit so far.


 
Dec 22, 2021     QB Fuselage Assembly - (4.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
At this point the QB instructions state to install the landing gear braces. I did, but... then many pages later it says to install a nut plate that just happens to be under the braces. Duh! Perhaps a note to that effect in the instructions would have been helpful. On the other hand, if I were to have read ahead I might have figured it out. Lesson learned - read ahead and study the drawings. Anyway I digress. These darn braces are a very tight fit in a somewhat hard to reach area, especially for us fat fingered builders. Taking them seemed harder than putting them in. A lot of forceful encouragement was needed to remove those tight fitting bolts. Once removed, the two nut plates were riveted in place. Then the gear braces were reinstalled. What a cluster.

Moving on to the side vents. Both the vent brackets were separated and deburred. Since I had bought the upgraded SV-6 Vents I didn't need to enlarge the cutout in the bracket, whew! Both fresh air vent ducts were trimmed per plan. Fortunately, the aft faces of vents were flat and didn't need trimming/flattening.


 
Dec 21, 2021     QB Fuselage Assembly - (1.0 hour) Category: Fuselage
Installed a number of nut plates on the bottom of the fuselage.
 
Dec 20, 2021     Lower Gear Braces - (2.0 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Finished priming the lower gear braces. Installed the brake fittings on each (note the 6.9 degree angle of the fittings):-) then installed each of the gear braces onto the fuselage. The bolts/nuts were not tightened per the plans.


 
Dec 19, 2021     Gear Leg Openings - (3.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Completed making the rectangular holes for the gear legs. Primed the lower gear leg braces. Deburred the brake line holes and the rectangular openings.


 
Dec 18, 2021     Fuselage construction - (1.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
After reviewing the plans, QB construction got underway. The two brake line holes were drilled and enlarged. Without a building a fixture to rotate the fuselage I decided to not just drill the corner holes for the rectangular gear strut openings, but to drill a number of holes and use a small saw to cut the opening and then file the edges smooth. After building a couple of planes I had worn out a number of the cheap tools from Harbor Freight, so a trip back to the store to replace them was necessary. Still $$ ahead:-)


 
Dec 17, 2021     Inventory - (2.0 hours) Category: Fuselage
Completed the inventory. Only a bag of rivets were missing. There were however, a lot of backordered parts.
 
Dec 16, 2021     Inventory - (2.0 hours) Category: Fuselage
Continued the inventory.
 
Dec 15, 2021     Inventory - (2.0 hours) Category: Fuselage
Began the inventory and storage of parts.
 
Dec 13, 2021     Gap Stiffeners - (3.0 hours) Category: Wings
COMPLETED riveting of the gap stiffeners for both the flaps and ailerons on both wings. Note: There is one rivet on the inboard side of each aileron stiffener that calls for an AD470-4-4, however there is a bracket on the bottom side preventing the rivet from not only being bucked, but allowing the shop head to spread. I used an LP-4-4 and all went well. Most rivets can be squeezed but, wherever there's a hinge, the rivet will likely have to be bucked. No big deal.
 
Dec 12, 2021     Gap Stiffeners - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Riveted all four of the gap stiffeners to the left and right top wing skins.


 
Dec 10, 2021     Arrival       Category: Fuselage
The fuselage arrived today! Hooray! Cursory inspection shows no dents or dings. This weekend is inventory time! The truck was huge and 60 feet away, tucked inside of it, was this tiny little thing, no crate, or anything. Three of us easy handled it and placed it on a carpet inside the hangar. Time for the next Chapter to begin.


 
Dec 10, 2021     Aileron Parts Assembly - (2.0 hours)       Category: Ailerons
Riveted and trimmed the trailing edge on the left and right ailerons. They both came out perfectly straight and with virtually no twist (0.2 degrees). THEY ARE COMPLETE!!!


 
Dec 09, 2021     Aileron Parts Assembly - (3.5 hours)       Category: Ailerons
The left and right bottom skins were riveted to the spar. The trailing edges were clecoed in place. Then the main ribs were then riveted. The trailing edge was dissembled, cleaned, tape applied and set in place and clecoed. Both ailerons were set aside to let the tape cure. Sounds so simple, but....Actually, it wasn't too bad. No skins were harmed in this process, either the planes or me and the awesome assistants I have - Dean and Paul and yes, there is a lot of DNA floating around in the structure somewhere.


 
Dec 08, 2021     Aileron Parts Assembly - (2.5 hours) Category: Ailerons
Riveted the top skins and main ribs to the spar for both left and right ailerons. Note to Builders; The callout for the 3-3.5 skin rivets were slightly off. The better fit were the 3-4 size. Also, consider upping the size for the main ribs to spar rivets.
 
Dec 07, 2021     Gap Stiffeners - (3.5 hours)       Category: Wings
On this special day, may God bless all those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor - and during WWII.

Slight change of pace. I decided to install the aileron and flap gap fairings so as to have place to safely stow the ailerons and flaps when they're complete. So, as usual I deburred all the edges, dimpled as appropriate and fabricated the left and right gap stiffeners, including dimpling them. With the parts done, I clecoed them on each of the wings. Be aware: This where I discovered a slight interference with inboard aileron fairings. and a the hinge fitting A little trimming and the interference is now gone. I'm sure Van's has corrected this on later parts. Riveting them on comes soon:-)


 
Dec 06, 2021     Aileron Parts Assembly - (3.5 hours)       Category: Ailerons
Finished riveting the leading edge to the nose ribs. Laid in the spar and riveted it in place (left and right). Roughed up the underside of the trailing edges of all skins in preparation for the trailing edge installation. Cleaned everything with chemicals then clecoed both top skins to the spar and leading edges. The main ribs are also cleaned in place.


 
Dec 05, 2021     Aileron Parts Assembly - (5.0 hours)       Category: Ailerons
Ensured all parts have been deburred. Dimpled every #30 and #40 hole in both ailerons - and there were a hell of a lot of them. That included both leading edges, top, bottom skins, both spars, ribs and any other hole I could find. Clecoed the counterbalances and end ribs into the leading edge and began riveting the ribs to the leading edge.


 
Dec 04, 2021     Aileron Parts Assembly - (4.0 hours)       Category: Ailerons
Completed back riveting the remaining 2 ribs to the spar. Assembled both left and right ailerons and inserted the trailing edges between the top and bottom skins. Set the ailerons to level based upon the line between the trailing edge and apex of the trailing edge wedge. I then drilled all the trailing edge holes at the proper angle to the wedge. Marked both edges for cutting, then disassembled the trailing edges and countersunk both sides parallel to the centerline of the wedge, similar to the way I did the flap trailing edges.


 
Dec 03, 2021     Aileron Parts Assembly - (3.0 hours)       Category: Ailerons
Finished riveting the aileron skin stiffeners in place, with only two upper ribs left to go. Began installing the left upper skin in place on the spar and under the leading edge skin. Temporarily clecoed the left counterbalance and ribs in place.


 
Nov 29, 2021     Aileron Parts Assembly - (4.0 hours)       Category: Ailerons
The aileron skins were dimpled and deburred. The ribs for the left top and bottom skins were riveted in place. The right bottom skin has the rivets in place awaiting rib installation.


 
Nov 28, 2021     Aileron Parts Fabrication       Category: Ailerons
I began the day by attaching the counterweights to the nose ribs with the called out hardware. Then I reassembled the leading edges, drilled the holes #40 holes in the counterweights, then enlarged them to #30. Hint - make sure to use sharp drill bits, they may dull rather quickly after going thru that stainless tube. Also, BoeLube was really helpful as aid to the drilling process.


 
Nov 27, 2021     Aileron Parts Assembly - (5.5 hours)       Category: Ailerons
I'm trying to do the left and right aileron assembly at the same time, we'll see how that goes. I began the assembly by pulling off the 9 year old blue vinyl, did I mention it's boring to do this, but necessary. There, I vented off and feel better. Deburring the spar and leading edge skin came next. Then I clecoed the nose ribs and doubler to the spar. Helpful hint. Be sure to cleco the parts from the rear of the spar as you have to take the spar and leading edge skin off and on a few times. With that done I inserted the stainless steel counterweight tubes, which were perfectly cut by Van's. Match drilled the nose ribs to the counterweight thru the leading edge skin, removed the spar, then the bottom holes in the nose ribs to the counterweight were drilled. Then the upper rib holes were marked for drilling. I took the counterweights to the drill press and stepped up drilling the holes to final #27 size. Trust me, it helps to carefully mark all the holes in the counterweights so you drill the correct ones. Also mark which nose rib goes to which set of holes. No need to ask me why I recommend that. I deburred the steel tube holes and called it a day.


 
Nov 26, 2021     Flap Assembly - (3.5 hours)       Category: Flaps
With the temperatures forecast to be chilly (less than 50) I thought it best to double flush rivet both left and right flaps while the the temps were in the 70's. Following the procedure described in Section 5 of the manual, both trailing edges were completed with NO bending of the trailing edge and no adjustments were necessary. A big relief after my rudder experience. I then completed riveting the bottom skins to the ribs. Finally, the bushings were installed in the wing flap hinge brackets. With that complete, the flaps are DONE!!


 
Nov 25, 2021     Aileron Parts Fabrication - (1.5 hours)       Category: Ailerons
Short day while waiting for the flap trailing edge adhesive too cure. Riveted the hinge brackets, nut plates and doublers.


 
Nov 24, 2021     Flap Assembly - (1.0 hour)       Category: Flaps
Now that the temperature has warmed up, I applied the trailing edge 3M tape to left flap wedge and then installed it and clecoed the top and bottom trailing edge. The flap's bottom skin was then clecoed to each rib. With this complete, I stacked some weight on the flap to keep it level with the table as the tape cured - which I'll wait three days before removing it to be sure we get 100% adhesion.


 
Nov 22, 2021     Flap Assembly - (5.0 hours)       Category: Flaps
Completed checking the twist of right flap and after some adjusting it's now within .5 degrees of perfect. We then riveted the bottom right skin to the spar. The left and right skins were pop riveted to the nose ribs. The upper and lower trailing edges of both flaps, along with the 'wedges were roughed with scotch bright pads and thoroughly cleaned with Isopropyl alcohol. The 3M tape was applied to both sides of the right flap wedges, clecoed at one end and the paper covering the adhesive was pulled off. All the remaining trailing edge holes were then clecoed, all the bottom ribs were clecoed to the skin and then the flap was weighted down flat. I'll let the flap sit this way for about three days to let the adhesive cure.


 
Nov 20, 2021     Flap Assembly - (2.0 hours)       Category: Flaps
Back riveted the two aft most rivets on each rib to the left top skin. Completed checking the twist of left flap and after some minor adjusting "settled" for being within 0.15 degrees of perfect. We then riveted the bottom left skin to the spar. Note: The bottom skin to spar riveting, especially at the rib intersections, is a somewhat difficult task as it takes a person with a small, but strong forearm, using the long elevator bucking bar and then a smaller bucking bar for the final few hits, to reach inside and complete the riveting. It also helps if they know what they're doing:-) A rolled up towel helps spread the skins to enable the person to reach safely between the skins. Thank you to Dean for the perfect rivet bucking.


 
Nov 19, 2021     Flap Assembly - (5.0 hours)       Category: Flaps
Completed riveting the top left and right skins to the spar. Riveted the ribs to the skins on the right flap and all but the two aft most rivets on each rib to the left top skin.


 
Nov 17, 2021     Flap Assembly - (1.0 hour)       Category: Flaps
Clecoed the right flap leading edge to the substructure. Once it was attached, I clecoed the top skin to the leading edge and substructure. At this point the left and right flaps are at the same point of completion and ready for riveting.


 
Nov 16, 2021     Flap Assembly - (3.0 hours)       Category: Flaps
I continued assembling the right flap by riveting the plate nut in place then riveting all the doublers onto the nose ribs and flap hinge brackets. Next I assembled the flap hinge brackets with the future attach hardware before double flush riveting the hinge brackets. Next I assembled all the parts to the flap spar and riveted all parts in place. The right flap is now almost to the same point of completion as the left flap.


 
Nov 14, 2021     Flap Part Fabrication - (2.5 hours)       Category: Flaps
Making progress on the right flap. I countersunk both the inboard and outboard hinge brackets. The spar was deburred and all #40 holes were dimpled. I removed the blue vinyl on the leading edge skin, deburred the previously drilled nose rib holes and all edges. Then I dimpled all the holes.


 
Nov 12, 2021     Flap Part Fabrication - (1.5 hours)       Category: Flaps
Disassembled the right flap, but first labeled everything for reassembly. All the skin ribs and nose ribs were final drilled and dimpled. BTW, I can't say enough good things about the Cleaveland Tools rivet squeezer. It effortlessly dimples and rivets everything in my kit. One of the best tools I own and no, I don't work for them or own stock in the Company. It's an excellent tool and I thought I would mention it to all builders and future builders.


 
Nov 10, 2021     Flap Assembly - (1.0 hour)       Category: Flaps
Completed riveting of the left ribs to the flap spar. Installed the left leading edge over the nose ribs and clecoed it in place. With the assembly in place on the flap stand, I inserted the left upper skin between the leading edge and spar. Everything is now clecoed in place and ready for riveting. Note: I plan to 'lubricate' the blind fasteners before riveting them in place, but that's for another day.


 
Nov 09, 2021     Flap Assembly - (5.0 hours)       Category: Flaps
The 2 left flap hinge brackets were double flush riveted together while the connection hardware was temporarily installed. Once riveted, the connection hardware was removed and stowed until a later time. The left flap ribs, nose ribs and the flap hinge brackets were clecoed to the flap spar. This sounds so simple but trust me, to do it right it takes 3 or for hands to get things in alignment before you squeeze the rivets. Even then, there is a possibility a rivet or two will have to be drilled out and redone. At this point, all but one rib remains to be installed and one questionable rivet removed and replaced. Oh well. Good practice for the right flap.


 
Nov 06, 2021     Flap Part Fabrication - (1.5 hours)       Category: Flaps
Today I countersunk all four of the left and right trailing edge pieces for the flaps. Much time was taken to set the drill press up for the proper angles then it was just countersink and check recheck and repeat a hundred times or so. They're done and should fit nicely.


 
Nov 02, 2021     Flap Assembly - (2.5 hours)       Category: Flaps
The left side top and bottom skins were deburred and dimpled, The left inboard ribs/rib plates were riveted together, as was the nut plate for the flap control rod.


 
Oct 31, 2021     Flap Assembly - (1.0 hour)       Category: Flaps
Dimpled the left flap leading edge. Yep, it's a busy Sunday and that's about it.


 
Oct 30, 2021     Flap Part Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: Flaps
Countersunk the #40 holes in the left flap hinges as called out in the plans. Deburred all the recently drilled holes and the dimpled all the left ribs and the left flap spar.


 
Oct 29, 2021     Flap Assembly - (2.5 hours)       Category: Flaps
The flap trailing edge AEX's need to be drilled, but they must be perpendicular to the AEX centerline and not the flap skin. So I placed some pieces of wood under the flap skin then used a level and triangle to ensure the AEX was parallel to the table then drilled the trailing edge on the left and right flaps. Next I assembled the flap hinge bracket hardware onto the flap hinges then drilled the #40 holes on all four hinge assemblies. Once that was done both flaps were marked to ensure reassembly in the proper locations. So far I decided to move forward on the left flap first. Thus, the left flap was then disassembled in preparation for the next steps.


 
Oct 27, 2021     Flap Assembly - (1.5 hours)       Category: Flaps
Assembled the right flap and match drilled the #40 holes in the leading edge ribs. The learning curve kicked in and this one went way faster and easier the left flap. The first picture shows the alignment of the outboard rib assembly with the four holes needing to be drilled. The second shows the 2 new holes drilled and clecoed to align the rib for the next pair to be drilled. Repeat for all the ribs and you're done.


 
Oct 26, 2021     Flap Assembly - (2.0 hours)       Category: Flaps
Edge finished both leading edges. Assembled the left flap skins and substructure. Caution when doing this as the leading edge is a tough fit and must be carefully "encouraged". Helpful hint? Don't cleco the ribs to the bottom skin until the leading edge is clecoed. Finally, the two holes on each of the ribs were match drilled to #40.


 
Oct 24, 2021     Flap Assembly - (4.0 hours)       Category: Flaps
I removed the small tab on all FL-1005-L and FL-1005-R Main Ribs and filed them smooth. All #40 and #30 holes were final drilled. Finally, all the parts were deburred - holes and edges. The spar attach flange on the inboard rib of the left and right end were adjusted and marked as modified. All the puckers were adjusted out. Finally, all the ribs, hinge assemblies, etc were clecoed to the flap spars. The flap substructures were checked, then double checked to ensure everything is in the proper orientation. It'll be checked again prior to riveting.


 
Oct 23, 2021     Flap Part Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: Flaps
Final drilled all #30 holes in the left and right hinge pair subassemblies. Deburred all the parts.


 
Oct 22, 2021     Flap Part Fabrication - (1.0 hour) Category: Flaps
Final drilled the #30 holes in the L&R Outboard and Inboard rod end ribs and doublers and 2 each of L&R nose ribs. Deburred both L&R flap spars.
 
Oct 21, 2021     Flap Part Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: Flaps
The FL-1004-L&R Nose Rib Flanges were buffed and deburred. No fluting was required. The #40 holes were drilled and countersunk and the 1/4 holes were drilled. All parts were deburred. The F-1006 edges were deburred. The Inboard and outboard parts were clecoed from the inside.


 
Oct 21, 2021     Flap Part Fabrication - (2.0 hours) Category: Flaps
The FL-1004-L&R Nose Rib Flanges were buffed and deburred. No fluting was required. The #40 holes were drilled and countersunk and the 1/4 holes were drilled. All parts were deburred. The F-1006 edges were deburred. The Inboard and outboard parts were clecoed from the inside.
 
Oct 19, 2021     Flap Part Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: Flaps
I made the cradles to support the flaps as they're being built. Later, this cradle will be modified to construct the ones for the ailerons. I adjusted the flange of all the flap hinge brackets, then drilled the #40 holes as described in the plans, but only for the left brackets. All the nose and main ribs had the protective blue vinyl removed and were labeled.


 
Oct 17, 2021     Aileron Parts Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: Ailerons
Countersunk the holes on the right aileron A-1006-1B Outboard Hinge Bracket. Machine countersunk the #10 Screw holes in the right and left A-1007-1B Inboard Hinge Brackets. Dimpled 120 degree dimples on the A-1005B-1L left angle. However, the callouts on which holes to dimple appear to be in question so some research needs to be done before I do the right one. Both aileron spars were deburred.


 
Oct 16, 2021     Aileron Parts Fabrication - (2.5 hours)       Category: Ailerons
Completed rough cutting all of the 32 A-710 Stiffeners. I then sanded all 192, yes 192 edges to their final shape and deburred them. Fun? No. Necessary? yes. Just happy to have this behind me.


 
Oct 15, 2021     Aileron Parts Fabrication - (2.5 hours)       Category: Ailerons
Continued fabricating the A-710 stiffeners. Got about 50% of the rough cutting completed.


 
Oct 14, 2021     Aileron Parts Fabrication - (1.0 hour) Category: Ailerons
Began fabrication of the A-710 Stiffeners. Final drilled all the #40 holes and began laying out the cut lines and then began cutting a few of the stiffeners from the 8 angles provided.
 
Oct 13, 2021     Aileron Parts Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: Ailerons
Although only one hour was logged for tis task, it took a couple of hours to read, reread and understand the instructions and to locate the tools for this and upcoming tasks. Anyway, the left A-1006-1B and the A-1007-1B hinge brackets were machine countersunk. Appears I need some more tools and patience in this area. Good news - Captain Kirk made it into space and at 90 years old. There is still hope I can get there - if only I can cut a good advertising deal so I don't have to pay millions for a 10 minute ride.


 
Oct 12, 2021     Aileron Parts Fabrication - (3.5 hours)       Category: Ailerons
The Outboard and Inboard Hinge Brackets were separated and deburred. All of the A-1014/15 Nose Ribs were faceted, deburred and dimpled. All were checked for 90 Degrees and needed no adjustment. These parts were also final drilled and machine countersunk where applicable. the A-1005 main ribs were separated, deburred and dimpled.


 
Oct 11, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (1.0 hour)       Category: Empennage
Completed riveting the top skin to the empennage frame. This completes Section 10 - Empennage. Yea!!! I spent the next few hours breaking down one of the shipping containers into useful pieces, cleaning the hangar and rearranging the work area to start on another section of the build.


 
Oct 10, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (3.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
Completed riveting the top right skin to the empennage frame. Began riveting the top skin to the frame and broke for dinner and rest at about 95% complete. This wouldn't have been possible without the outstanding support of my buddy Dean Howard, the 'best bucker' around - seriously!


 
Oct 09, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (3.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Completed riveting the left top skin to the empennage frame. Began riveting the right top skin, about 30% complete. Completed riveting the F-14131 Upper Aft Fuse Rib, F-01475A Skin Doubler and F-01486F J-Stiffener to the F-01475 Top Skin.


 
Oct 08, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (1.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
Installed the 4 nut plates that, per the instructions, should be installed later. As discussed earlier, these are easy to do now, instead of later and no clear logic (other than the instructions:-), against doing so. Began riveting the upper left skin on, 90% complete (seriously) and 10% to go.


 
Oct 07, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (4.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Dean and I completed riveting the aft deck and all the angles and the bulkhead. I applied silicone to the wires going thru the aft bulkhead to protect them from any sharp edges in the hole they go thru. I connected the C409P connector in its slot on the aft deck, and ran the wires and phone cable thru their hole in the aft deck. A snap bushing was cut and inserted into the hole to protect the wires. The vertical stabilizer was temporarily secured in place and the 2 #12 holes were drilled perpendicular to the VS stab spar. The VS was removed and the holes deburred. The left skin was clecoed to the empennage and after much thought and discussion with my friend Dean, I intend to remove it and fasten the 4 nut plates to the longerons as well as the 2 top of the skin nut plates. It's much easier and a cleaner installation to do it at this point than it will be in section 12 of the instructions. I know it's a deviation from the usual great instructions from Van's, so we'll see how it goes. The entire bottom of the empennage was vacuumed and cleaned to protect the innocent.


 
Oct 06, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (5.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
After a lot of research I enlarged (only slightly) the wire hole in the aft bulkhead thus allowing all the wires for the tail strobe to be pulled thru. I also enlarged the matching hole in the vertical stabilizer. With this done I aligned the wires in the Empennage and secured all the tie wraps. With the help of Dean, I began riveting the F-01414 Aft Deck, F-01412C Deck Angle, F-01411E Deck Doubler, F-01411D Horizontal Stab Attach Bar Support Angle and F-01409 Frame to the Aft Fuselage. It's not as easy as I thought it would be. Fortunately, we have only a few more rivets to go.


 
Oct 05, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (2.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
This morning I clecoed the F-01414 Aft Deck, F-01412C Deck Angle, F-01411E Deck Doubler, F-01411D Horizontal Stab Attach Bar Support Angle and F-01409 Frame to the Aft Fuselage. I then match-drilled the #30 holes in the F-01411C Attach Bars to the F-01411D Horizontal Stab Attach Bar Support Angle, then match-Drilled #30 and #40 the holes in the F-01412 Bulkhead into the F-01412C Deck Angle. The gaps visible in the pictures will disappear when everything is fully clecoed (and tweaked). Things are ready to rivet, but I have to figure out the wiring harness routing and tighten them up while access to them is easy.


 
Oct 04, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (2.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
Finished dimpling the top side skins and top skin. All aft deck parts deburred, the faceted edges on F-01409 Frame were rounded and the frame dimpled. Dimpled the F-01414 Aft Deck, primed the F-01412C Deck Angle and F-01411D Horizontal Stab Attach Bar. Dimpled the holes in the upper flange of the F-14131 Upper Aft Fuse Rib, all the holes in the F-01475A Skin Doubler and dimpled all holes in the F-01486F J-Stiffener.


 
Oct 03, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (4.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
Deburred all of the top skins and dimpled the number 40 holes on the top side skins.


 
Oct 02, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (3.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Fabricated two spacers to assist in clamping the static ports to the skin. Scuffed the mating surfaces of the static ports and skin. JB Welded the static ports to the skin, clamped them in place and now I'm letting them setup for an hour or two. Now, with the static ports secure, I installed the tee on the left side and screwed it onto the bulkhead. Then the static system tubing was fitted and secured to the F-01407 Bulkhead. The left side static tubing was run forward along the left F-01429 rib and the remaining tubing was coiled up for later. CAUTION: The WH-00057 wire was pinched between the F-01408 bulkhead and it's mid fuselage J stiffener. It look a lot of work to free it up. This happened during the riveting of the left side skin and the bulkhead. It's difficult to see when riveting, so just a word of caution when riveting. It was compressed, but not cut. Will see how it works later during an end to end test.


 
Oct 01, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (1.0 hour)       Category: Empennage
Completed installing the left rudder cable guide. WARNING: Per Van, using a different rivet than called out was okay, as it's a low stress area. I also used a -5 length which made a lot more sense than the -4 that was called out. Be sure to think about that when you get to your guide.

I'm using the Safe-Air pitot static installation. I used it on my-7A and it's excellent. Passes the static system test every two years with no errors or leakage. I drilled the static ports out to the required .250 inch. I've got over 50 clamps but none that could clamp the static port to the skin. A trip to Harbor Freight fixed that. Got a free flashlight too, wahoo!


 
Sep 29, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (4.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Installed the empennage's aft right side skin plate nuts including those on the inspection cover opening. Then I riveted the F-01473A angle to the right side skin, ran the rudder cables through the empennage and installed the right side cable guides and tried to install the left side guides, but two of the AACQ4-4 rivets on the left side cable guide pulled through the washers and the mandrel broke before it came out of the rivet. I'll have to drill them out and retry again with two remaining rivets that I have. Tension mounts:-) The rudder cables were stowed behind the F-1406B Bulkhead.


 
Sep 28, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (7.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
The right skin was prepped with cleocs in every few holes. We turned the fuselage bottom up with me on the outside and Dean, who generously volunteered for inside bucking duty. Most areas were easy to get too, but there were a few tight places. The bottom the side skin was a little difficult as care was take on the curved surfaces. The aft end, although tight was completed with "relative" ease. While not yet complete, it's starting to look like an airplane part.


 
Sep 27, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (2.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
Odds and ends day. Completed the aft inspection cover dimpling. WARNING, my inspection plates weren't labelled Left or Right and there is a fitment difference. Be sure you check the fit before dimpling. Just saying:-) Anyway, after some adjustment all is well. The inspection cover nut plates were installed and the top two #27 holes were machine countersunk. The F-01473A angle was riveted in place. The right skin was 'broke' to fit the bottom and installed on the frame. I then fed all the J stiffeners and the longhorn on the back side of the skin and clecoed them in place. Lots more cloches to go but things are looking good. I also countersunk and fit checked the cable guides.


 
Sep 26, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (1.0 hour)       Category: Empennage
Completed riveting the left skin to the empennage frame and lower skin. Installed the 6 nut plates onto the aft left skin and longeron.


 
Sep 25, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (2.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
Dean and I finished riveting the lower row of aft side rivets on the left skin. We then riveted the aft portion of the bottom skin. My concern over the mating of the left skin to the aft bottom skin was put to rest as the left skin conformed nicely to curvature of the aft bottom skin. Arranging the the empennage to be able to rivet the bottom portion was interesting. The picture shows the awkwardness, but the most efficient way to get the job done. I didn't want to back rivet this for fear of denting the skin with the steel plate.


 
Sep 24, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (5.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
With the help of Dean Howard we riveted about 80% of the empennage's left side skin. Lots of tough ares to get at, but those areas are now done. Progress!


 
Sep 22, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (3.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
The aft skin pilot hole was riveted as well as the aft bulkhead to the aft skin. I tried back riveting but that didn't work out well as I couldn't get the rivet set perpendicular to the rivet. Fortunately my friend Jeff Rule stopped by and we riveted it the old fashioned way, but it wasn't easy. Also, the rivets that were called out were too short so we switched to a slightly longer rivet - problem solved. The left side skin was clecoed from the inside in the hope I can back rivet the side skin in place. Time will tell. I also installed the WH-000057 wiring fix kit which consisted of an extension of two wires. The C1036 and C1037 wires were crimped then heat shrink tubing was placed over the joint.


 
Sep 21, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (2.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Began installation of the ELT antenna cable, the UAT antenna cable and the FlyLeds tail strobe power/control line. The appropriate plastic bushings were slit to allow installation of the end fittings. I say began installing because before I tighten all of the tie wraps in place I want to be sure no more lines are necessary. Also, by leaving them "loose" it allows for cable movement to allow riveting the side skins.


 
Sep 20, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (3.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
I decided to use the internal rudder stop from Flyboy Accessories, an outstanding company to do business with. I used this on my RV-7A and they're great. That being said I had dimpled the 4 holes for the external rudder stop and 'plugged' them with the appropriate rivets. You may want to consider this as getting a rivet set onto the rivets of the external stop is very tricky if not near impossible to do. With that job complete I began the task of laying out the aft fuselage wiring. This started with installing plastic bushings in many holes of the ribs and bulkheads. It appears I will have to slit 3 of the bushings in order to pass the connectors thru - no big deal. I also installed the phone line for the ELT, again, this will require a slit in each of the two bell crank ribs and some trimming of the corners to fit thru the bushings. Be advised a lot of clecos will be removed and replaced as the wires are strung thru to the back of the aft fuselage along the channel of the J stiffeners. While I installed some tie wraps, there are many others left to do and redo. What appears to be an easy task is just a little more complex when you get into it.


 
Sep 19, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (1.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
Began assembly of the aft fuselage side panels.


 
Sep 18, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (2.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Service Bulletin 18-09-17 has been completed. All the required doublers, clips and spacers are in place. Riveting of the BellCrank Ribs and the difficult to reach bulkhead rivets are now done. The smudges on the doubler, from the rivet gun will be easily removed when the plane is prepared for painting.


 
Sep 17, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (3.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
I decided to back rivet the aft bottom skin to the stiffeners and bulkhead ribs. To do this, I reversed the clecos holding the stiffeners, etc to the bottom skin so it would lie flat (more or less) on the work bench. With this done it just a matter of rivet taping the rivets in place and then ensure they would lie flat on the steel plate. Easy peasy and all the rivets were perfectly set., except that I was unable to rivet the bulkhead ribs because the back rivet set and my offset flat head set would not fit over the rivets due the flange on the top of the ribs. Oh well, back to bucking rivets tomorrow.


 
Sep 16, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication       Category: Empennage
Machine countersunk the gazillion #40 holes in the F-01418B-L & -R Longerons so they would fit a dimpled skin. I also cleared the work table to prep for back riveting the aft fuselage bottom skin. A departure from the instructions so we'll see how it goes.


 
Sep 15, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (2.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Completed the dimpling of all stiffeners for the aft fuselage. Riveted the rear flanges of the Bellcrank rib assembly to the F-014017 Bulkhead. I also riveted the center rivet on the Bellcrank Bulkhead. I then began the process of assembling the aft fuselage by clecoing the aft skin stiffeners, bulkheads, bulkhead ribs, etc to the aft skin. All this was accomplished on the sawhorses recommend in the instructions.


 
Sep 14, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (2.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
Completed the side skin dimpling of all #40 and #30 holes including those for the rudder stop which are marked for dimpling. The reason for this is because I've chosen to use an internal rudder stop vice the angle bracket. I also completed fabricating the the aft bottom skin, cutting off the extended skins, deburring, filing smooth the edges, drilling the required holes and dimpling the skin. Repair of the dimpling table was finally needed to reinforce the holding frame and strengthen the legs. This table has supported multiple aircraft builds and has really taken a beating, so it earned a small makeover. The C Frame has also done an outstanding job of holding up to the pounding of the dimpler.


 
Sep 13, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Completed dimpling all of the #40 holes in the side skins. The curved portions of the skins were done with a reduced diameter die that I was lucky to find. Even with the reduced diameter die it was difficult to get the 'perfect' dimple. However the good news is that breaking of the skin on the curved portion straightened out nicely and looks much better.


 
Sep 12, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (1.5 hours) Category: Empennage
Before continuing the dimpling effort I broke the edges on both side skins and the bottom skin. This is one task I don't look forward too. No matter how hard I try, the break comes out looking rippled. I know when the rivets are in place it's straight as can be, but it just looks wrong. Oh well. I continued dimpling the left skin, including the the #27 holes for the flush screws, except the top two. I also did the #27's on the right skin and both F-01486A Stiffeners. I stopped short of finishing the left side skin curved areas. I'll need to reduce the diameter of the dies by about a 1/16 of an inch and maybe taper the edges so the skin doesn't get creased from the dies. Again no pictures at this point.
 
Sep 11, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (1.5 hours) Category: Empennage
Since my preowned kit is almost 8 years old I decided the blue plastic must totally come off of the parts as I get to them. This time it was the empennage side skins. They're large and the plastic really was stuck on. Almost the entire time was spent removing the plastic. The last few minutes were spent masking off holes that don't get dimpled and beginning the dimpling of the left skin. Not worth taking a photo yet.
 
Sep 10, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (1.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
I researched the details for installing the SB18-09-17 in an older kit that hasn't been dimpled or riveted. With that done I taped certain holes, to prevent inadvertent dimpling where the doubler will get installed on the lower skin. Then I dimpled the the bottom skin.


 
Sep 09, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (1.0 hour) Category: Empennage
I dimpled the #40 holes in the flange of the F-01486B-R, F-01486C-L & -R, and F-01486E & F J-Stiffeners. Interesting note for those with older kits. It appears the callout in the rev 1 drawing on page 10-13 for a J-stiffener F-01486G does not apply to older kits. The original drawing has a callout for two J-Stiffeners, F-01486 E&F. It took a while to figure this out since there was no 'G' part in my kit or in the parts list. I'll just go with the two stiffeners and call it a day. I dimpled both of them.
 
Sep 08, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (1.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
After being off a while due to heart surgery, it's time to start building again, at least slowly for a while. So I began by dimpling holes in the F-01486B-L J stiffener. I also need to incorporate the SB18-09-17 for the Aft Fuselage Cracks. I separated the F-14147-L&R clips and dimpled the holes in the base of the clips. The stiffener doublers, F-14148B&C were separated. Finally, the F-14148A Skin Doubler was beveled and countersunk. All parts were deburred, scotch brighted and primed.


 
Aug 21, 2021     Empennage Assembly - (2.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Installed all the nut plates on the F-01406B Bulkhead and almost riveted the F-01429-L & -R Bellcrank Ribs to the F-01406B Bulkhead. The center L & R rivets were just out of reach of my manual rivet squeezer. They'll need to be bucked next time return to the hangar.


 
Aug 17, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
With the battery angles primed and now dry, it's time to attach the nut plates and fasten them to the Bellctank Ribs. But first the ribs must be dimpled and now with the dimpling complete the parts were all assembled and appropriately riveted.


 
Aug 14, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (1.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
Final drilled the @40 holes in the F-1037-B&-C Battery Angles, deburred, countersunk the holes, then final drilled the #12 holes and deburred them. The parts were then scuffed, cleaned and primed in preparation for nut plate installation and attachment to the Bellcrank Ribs.


 
Aug 11, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: Empennage
Completed the F-01407 bulkhead riveting. That piece is done. The F-01408 bulkhead presented some issues. The part did not appear to be the same as in the drawing (rev 2). After a discussion with Van's AWESOME tech support, it was determined the new bulkhead is a -1 rev and the original 2013 is not. The new part was changed due to the aft fuselage cracking issue and the subsequent SB. The new drawing shows the new part, not the bulkhead pieces that came with my 2013 kit. Solution? Use the old drawings for that bulkhead and build on, then install the SB parts as if the plane was already flying with the old parts.


 
Aug 07, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (1.0 hour)       Category: Empennage
The F-0140 Bulkhead was completed (short of fluting) with installation of the 19 -8 universal head rivets that hold the F-01410C Horizontal Stab Attach Bar, F-01410A and F-01410B Bulkhead Doublers to the F-01410. At 90PSI the pneumatic squeezer just wouldn't cut. (I didn't want to up the pressure too much.) Seems the rivets are a little hard. My son was nearby and after his 15 mile bike ride he stopped by and manually squeezed them. They came out just fine.


 
Jul 31, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (4.0 hours) Category: Empennage
The fun persists as I continued deburring and preparing parts for assembly. I worked on the F-14115-1 bracket and spent time locating other parts that I haven't seen in a long time. I also separated the F-01429 Bellcrank Ribs and prepped them and the F-01406B Bulkhead for later assembly. While things are going slowly during this phase I hope to pickup the pace over the next month when the aft fuselage starts to look like a real airplane part. Also, I've spent hours researching items to purchase so they're onboard the hangar as the plane starts to come together.
 
Jul 28, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (3.0 hours) Category: Empennage
Continued the fabrication of the F-01410 Bulkhead. The AN470AD3-3.5 rivets weren't included in the kit and are not available at Aircraft Spruce. I'll be calling Van's later this week. I did manage to to borrow some AN470AD-4's and used them, but as expected a couple of them did not set well and had to be drilled out. One of them had to be replaced with an AN470AD4-4 because the hole got enlarged. No problem and just continued on by deburring and preparing the F-01407-L & -R and F-01408-L-1 bulkheads.
 
Jul 25, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (1 hour) Category: Empennage
I prepped the F-01410 Bulkhead, drilled the system hole and the 1/4 inch holes the horizontal stab bar. Primed the attach bars and clecoed the assembly together. Then I noticed the rev date on my drawing is 2014 and there is a later version so I may have to go back and adjust things. I'll have to do that for all pages in this section. It's always something.
 
Jul 24, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (9 hours)       Category: Empennage
Over the past week the F-01412A and F-01412B Bulkheads were prepared, match drilled, dimpled and the tie down bracket drilled, countersunk and primed. With these steps completed the parts were riveted together, but not without stupid issues. A #12 drill broke off in the vertical stab. I noticed I wasn't making any progress drilling, plus I was starting to ruin the hole. Then I took everything apart and saw the end of the bit lodged in the vertical stab. After removing it, I enlarged the hole (so as not to deal with a damaged hole) to accommodate an AN4 bolt and moved on. Also, after riveting the tie down bracket I noticed two adjacent dimpled holes. The instructions clearly indicated to dimple. My bad, I should have checked closer and fixed the issue. Oh well. (I may just order new parts and do this over.) With this mess behind me I moved on to the F-01411A and F-01411B Bulkheads and the attach bars. This went totally smooth and all the rivets were set without issue. I decide to wait until later to flute the lower flange. To end the day I final drilled to 1/4 inch, the F-01410C Horizontal Stab Attach Bars.


 
Jul 16, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
After much searching I located and separated the F-01497B Cable Guides. These nylon pieces were unmarked and in a non-descript bag. Also, take note; they are not in the empennage parts list (circa kit 103). I completed fabricating the F-01411D Horizontal Stab Attach Bar Support Angle and primed it. I decided to install the Flyboy accessories internal rudder stop, as I did on my RV-7A. An excellent product and thus no need to fabricate the F-14113-L & -R Rudder Stops. Moving on to the F-01412A and F-01412B Bulkheads, I smoothed the edge surfaces and went to do a test fit on the vertical stab but I found one of the locator holes was 'missing'. After researching it, I found the previous kit owner riveted something that should have had the rivet omitted. Thus, there wasn't any way to cleco the bulkheads to the vert stab. Time to perform a rivet extraction. I also need to round the bulkhead flange corners to allow for a good fit when compressed by the skins.


 
Jul 11, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Completed fabricating F-01418B-L & -R Aft Fuselage Longerons and primed the two F-01411C Horizontal Stabilizer Attachment Bars.


 
Jul 10, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (3.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Fabricated the F-1037B&C Battery Angles. modified the F-01486A & F-01486B J- Stiffeners, created the F-01410B Bulkhead Doublers and flattened the two F-01411C Horizontal Stabilizer Attachment Bars. All parts were deburred and smoothed. Non-aclad parts will be primed later.


 
Jun 08, 2021     Empennage Parts Fabrication - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Located all the parts needed to start the empennage. It's true, 60% of the shop time is allocated to just finding the parts. Yes, they're definitely here, somewhere! Once found, I fabricated the two stiffener angles F-01473A, J-Stiffeners 01486D, E and F, and two stiffeners F-1037A and also final drilled the 1/4 inch hole in each. All the parts were also deburred.


 
Jun 05, 2021     Wing System Routing - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Installed the right wing harnesses. Remember to read the instructions all the way through on the first page before you start the right wing. I usually do both wings at the same to=ime, but before you do the landing/nav light harness on the right, the autopilot harness goes first. Otherwise things are a little to tight to get through the bushings. No big deal, but duh! Read the instructions at least once through. I've decided to just lay the harnesses in and not connect things so I can get started on other things.


 
Jun 04, 2021     Wing System Routing - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
I began the wingtip and landing light wiring harnesses installation. Labelling the two main connectors and threading them through the wings. The wing tip end connector C401J does not fit the receptacle on the wing. I'll be checking with Van's regarding that anomaly.


 
Jun 03, 2021     Left Landing Light Lens - (.5 hour)       Category: Wings
The left lens was countersunk, the nut plate bracket was taped to the inside of the lens and assembly screwed into place. The left wing was placed back into the cradle. Both wings are now ready for additional work.


 
Jun 02, 2021     Left Landing Light Lens - (3.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Using the same process as I did for the right lens, the left lens took almost the same amount of time. So much for the learning curve effect. Actually, for some unknown reason the sanding time on the left lens was greater than on the right. All processes up to countersinking the lens and attaching the mounting brackets were completed.


 
Jun 01, 2021     Right Landing Light Lens - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Fabrication and installation of the right lens took place today. The process requires a lot of line drawing on the taped lens followed by drilling, dimpling and installation of the nut plates to hold the lens in place. Blue tape is essential along with lots of patience and sanding of the edges to ensure no future cracks. I used a Dremel tool with a cut-off wheel to make all the cuts. The trailing edge tape for the tail feathers was the perfect product to attach the nut plate strip to the the back of the lens. Also, the hangar temperature was perfect, at about 85 degrees, so making the cuts and drilling the holes in the lens turned out to be very easy.


 
May 30, 2021     Fuel Tank Installation on the Spar - (4.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Dr. Z came by and we leak checked both fuel tanks - for the third time - just to be sure I didn't have any leaks. Once that was completed we installed the left fuel tank on the spar. All the spar attach bolts were torqued and all 116 screws were installed on the spar and splice rib. Upon completion, we swapped wings in the cradle BUT it no longer fit. Turns out the extra attach bracket on the tank stuck out and the cradle had no opening for it. However, I couldn't find a jig saw to make the opening. I did find a die grinder that Roger used to make rectangular cutout (a darn good looking one, i might add) that saved the day. We then completed the fuel tank installation for the right wing, made another cutout for that wing and then called it a day. very productive and successful!


 
May 28, 2021     Leading Edge - (1.0 hour)       Category: Wings
My good friend, Ron Keilin came over and bucked the rivets for the right side, front leading edge. With those rivets installed, both leading edges are now complete, less the landing light lenses.


 
May 27, 2021     Leading Edge - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings
The remaining right ribs were riveted to the spar. The bottom side of the leading edge was completely flush riveted to the spar. The left wing assembly was removed from the cradle and placed on the table so access to the upper right leading edge is available for riveting.


 
May 26, 2021     Leading Edge - (.5 hour)       Category: Wings
The right shear rib was riveted to the spar. Another weird, semi non-work day.


 
May 25, 2021     Leading Edge - (.5 hour)       Category: Wings
The right outboard rib was riveted to the spar. Yep, that's all that happened.


 
May 20, 2021     Leading Edges - (2.5 hours)       Category: Wings
I completed riveting the bottom flush rivets to the wing spar. Next We removed the right wing assembly, placed it on the table and then completed the bucking of the top of the left leading edge skin to the wing spar while in the wing stand. The right tie down hole was drilled out to 3/8 inch and the right leading edge was temporarily clecoed to the wing spar.


 
May 19, 2021     Left Leading Edge Ribs Attach - (1.0 hour)       Category: Wings
Brian and I placed the left wing assembly in the stand after rearranging the carpet support. I completed pop riveting the left leading edge ribs to the spar.


 
May 18, 2021     Leading Edge - (0.5 hour)       Category: Wings
I fabricated a wedge tool so I could get the pop rivet tool to angle in and ensure the rivet was maintained flat to the spar/rib. I then riveted the outboard rib to the spar.


 
May 11, 2021     Leading Edge - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Clecoed the left leading edge to the top and bottom of the main spar. Clecoes were also installed on the main spar and leading edge ribs in preparation for riveting. It should be noted that I attempted to break the skins at the top and bottom, but there was, IMHO, not enough edge distance from the spar attache holes to do a decent break without damaging the dimples. I'll just go without that and perhaps sand as necessary if needed.


 
May 10, 2021     Leading Edge - (.5 hour)       Category: Wings
The tie down hole on the bottom of the left leading edge was final drilled to the proper size (3/8) and checked to ensure it's over the attach point. It was.


 
May 09, 2021     Left wing - (1.0 hour) Category: Wings
With help from my friend Dick N. we moved the wing from the cradle to the table in preparation for attaching the left leading edge. Getting the spar in the proper orientation with the leading edge took a little bit of time as I tried to figure the best way to cleco the parts together while lying horizontally. I might modify the wing cradle and install the assembly vertically for riveting. Time to sleep on it.
 
May 06, 2021     Leading Edge - (6.0 hours)       Category: Wings
With my son Brian unexpectedly being able to be in town for a short while, we managed to complete the riveting of the right leading edge.


 
May 04, 2021     Leading Edge - (1.0 hour)       Category: Wings
Began riveting the splice rib in place. If anything could go wrong on this rib, the hardest to get aligned, it did. At least it's underway.


 
May 03, 2021     Leading Edge - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
The right side ribs were clecoed into the right leading edge. Hint: Although it looks easy, the first rib or two are difficult to install and need some persuasion.


 
May 02, 2021     Left Leading Edge - (5.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Today we finished the left leading edge by completing the rib installation, the landing light support bracket and J channel. All were riveted in place with no issues.


 
May 01, 2021     Leading Edge - (1.5 hours) Category: Wings
I showed my son Brian how to use a rivet gun and bucking bar. After a little thought he chose to buck so we continued riveting the left leading edge. We're now about 15% complete with no bad rivets. We're having a great time doing this so we'lll continue the adventure tomorrow.
 
Apr 28, 2021     Leading Edge - (3.5 hours)       Category: Wings
I clecoed the left wing leading edge ribs, as well as the splice rib and its splice strip to the left leading edge skin assembly. When you start this, you just won't believe the ribs will actually fit, but they do - after a little encouragement and patience. NOTE 1: Since I won't be using the stall warning system, I will be using an AOA system instead, the stall warning system will be eliminated and holes in the leading edge of the left skin were dimpled and riveted to close them out. I did install the 2 nut plates on the splice rib, just in case a future need arises for a stall system. I began riveting the leading edge ribs in place. I also began riveting the splice strip, splice rib and skin together. NOTE 2: I decided to use a 3-4.5 rivet, vice the 3-4 that was called out, as It appeared to me to make for a better shop head.


 
Apr 27, 2021     Leading Edge - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed dimpling of the leading edges. Riveted the access hatch doubler in place.


 
Apr 24, 2021     Leading Edge - (1.0 hour) Category: Wings
Completed 3/4 of the dimpling on the right leading edge. Small Successes!
 
Apr 23, 2021     Leading Edge - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed 100% of the dimpling on the left leading edge.


 
Apr 22, 2021     Leading Edge - (1.0 hour)       Category: Wings
I removed the 8 year old protective film from the left leading edge skin. That stuff ought be used as as an adhesive, similar to super glue in its adhering ability. Anyway, I then taped off the holes not to be dimpled and began dimpling the skin, but only completed less than 1/4 of the holes.


 
Apr 21, 2021     Leading Edge - (1.0 hour) Category: Wings
Prepped and painted the 3 outer most ribs using VHT High Temperature black satin paint. Same for the front side of the landing light mounts
 
Apr 20, 2021     Leading Edge - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed the nut plate attachment for the splice strips, inspection plate cover and landing light retainers.


 
Apr 19, 2021     Leading Edge - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Dimpled the right side ribs and J Channel. Began installing the nut plates on the splice strip, inspection plate and landing light retainers. On the right side. Scuffed the wing area and ribs where the black paint will be sprayed to keep the area behind the landing light dark.


 
Apr 17, 2021     Leading Edge - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Worked on the right leading edge with the assistance of my son, Brian. The ribs were set in place as was the J channel. All appropriate holes were drilled. Ready now for disassembly, deburring and dimpling.


 
Apr 15, 2021     Leading Edge - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Both edge strips were final drilled and dimpled. The J Channel was also deburred and dimpled. The interior of the leading edge had the 3 most outboard bays scuffed and primed with black primer. The right leading edge was placed in the stands for tomorrows activities, unless the weather improves and I either fly or drive to Sun n Fun.


 
Apr 14, 2021     Leading Edge - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Busy time as I removed the 3 outboard ribs from the left leading edge, dimpled, deburred and painted them black so when looking into the landing light lens you can't see the structure. I also painted the landing light lens nut plate strips after dimpling them as well as the landing light holder. The outboard wing tip strip was appropriately dimpled as was the inspection plate and its doubler.


 
Apr 13, 2021     Leading Edge - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Just getting back into the swing of things after Brenda's knee surgery. I placed the left leading edge into the stands and inserted, clecoed and aligned the ribs. The J Channel (skin stiffener) was inserted into the slots and all the holes were drilled. I then drilled the aft most hole in each rib and yes, I deburred and dimpled them. On to fabricating 2 additional nut plate holders for the landing light. I then deburred and dimpled as usual. (My kit was short these items)


 
Apr 06, 2021     Leading Edge - (2.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed deburring and dimpling of all the leading edge ribs. Nearly completed the landing light mount brackets, but waiting for the number 6 and number 10 dimple dies to arrive.


 
Apr 03, 2021     Leading Edge - (2.0 hours) Category: Wings
Continued deburring the leading edge parts and prepared one J channel for layout inside the leading edge skin.
 
Apr 02, 2021     Leading Edge - (4.0 hours)       Category: Wings
While assembling the parts to build the leading edge I discovered a few were missing. Van's has the order and the parts will be shipped. Meanwhile, both leading edge skins are now deburred as well as the landing light cutouts and the one access panel. The landing light cutouts as you can see from the pictures must have been chiseled out. The before and after pictures show significant improvement of the edges after filing smooth. All the ribs have been checked or fluted, are flat and the edges are at right angles. All the number 30 and 40 holes have been final drilled and deburred, The two ribs per side that have corners cut out for clearance with main spar rivets have been checked, rechecked and checked again, then cut. All of the ribs are in the process of having the edges deburred.


 
Mar 31, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
The inside skin and nut plates were riveted as were the leading edge row of rivets and the outboard aileron bracket. This completes Chapter 16 in the quest for an RV-14A. Right wing top skins complete!


 
Mar 30, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (4.0 hours) Category: Wings
After a month off to help my wife while she recovers from knee replacement surgery and doing so well, it's time to get back to work on the project. My buddy Paul and I continued to complete the right wing top skin installation. The next to bottom row of rivets and some rib rivets were completed. Nothing's ever easy as we must have been more than a little rusty banging the perfect rivet. I go to be reacquainted with my skills at removing poorly riveted rivets. I have now once again achieved the title of expert. Anyway, we got most of them done, including the front J channels.
 
Feb 26, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (5.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Started riveting the right wing top skins. There are ONLY a few hundred rivets left to set along the main spar, the J channel box, inboard rib and the outboard aileron support bracket:-) Not much else to say - just pounding away at riveting with Paul! He's a trooper for sure.


 
Feb 25, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed the renovation of my wing stand from a 7 to a -14. Completed the nut plate installation on the left inboard top skin. This completes Section 16 of the instructions for the left wing. We placed the left wing, out of harms way, on the 'new' stand and began riveting the right top skins.


 
Feb 24, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (3.0 hours) Category: Wings
Rebuiding my 7A wing stand to accommodate the 14A's wings. The upper left long and short J Channels were riveted in place and the outboard aileron bracket was riveted in place.
 
Feb 23, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
We're closing in on the top skins being totally complete. The outboard top skin is done. The inboard top skin has the nut plates and 3 rivets tor the skins remaining. The J channels are next to be riveted in place, along with the outboard aileron bracket. Note: There are some skin locations where I felt a longer rivet would be better, such as on the doubler plates. The called out rivets are okay, but I felt the slightly longer rivets would be best. Pictures of the project to come later as we had to take time out for watch our buddy Dean Howard make the first flight in his RV-14. Success!!!


 
Feb 22, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (4.0 hours)       Category: Wings
A rivet fest has started. My buddy Paul came over and we riveted the inboard and out board top skins to the ribs and rear spar.


 
Feb 22, 2021     outboard Leading Edges - (1.0 hour) Category: Wings
Continued deburring the landing light cutout and a couple of the edges of the skin.
 
Feb 21, 2021     Outboard Leading Edges - (.5 hour)       Category: Wings
Deburred and smoothed the left leading edge landing light opening.


 
Feb 20, 2021     Outboard Leading Edges - (1.5 hours) Category: Wings
Added the duct tape to the cradles for the outboard leading skin. Removed the blue vinyl from the inside skin of the left leading edge. Also, I deburred the left and right, upper and lower J box stiffeners.
 
Feb 19, 2021     Outboard Leading Edges - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Using the top of the wing shipping box, I completed building the cradles to hold the leading edge skins. I removed the two, 2x4 stiffeners stapled to the plywood top and used them to make the stands. (Note: Those staples are difficult to remove and there are a lot of them.) Only thing left to do is line the edges with some duct tape to prevent scratches.


 
Feb 19, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (1.0 hour)       Category: Wings
Completed dimpling the left upper, lower, long and short J stringers.


 
Feb 18, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (1.0 hour)       Category: Wings
To prevent warpage, I temporarily secured and leveled the right spar assembly to the workbench. I then attached the right wing skins and step doublers to ribs and spar assembly. I also dimpled the four right, upper and lower J stringers.


 
Feb 17, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Finally completed the top wing skin dimpling. I reconfigured the shop area to allow for riveting of the wing, a major undertaking. The left wing spar was leveled, secured, the step doublers, the inboard and outboard skins were clecoed to the rib and spar structure.


 
Feb 16, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Began dimpling the top skins. To be sure, there are a lot of holes. Three down, one to go.


 
Feb 15, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
The left outboard top skin had the blue vinyl removed. Both left and right inboard and outboard skins were sanded to match the fuel tank skins. All four of the sanded corners were cleaned and primed. Upon closer inspection the left outboard skin required additional deburring. The forward portion of both top skins and the inboard portion of the outside skins received a slight inward break to ensure a good fit when finished. It's now time to begin dimpling the skins in preparation for riveting them to the ribs and spars.


 
Feb 14, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (2.5 hours) Category: Wings
The right wing walk doublers were removed as was the top right inboard skin. These were totally deburred, including all of the drilled holes. The blue vinyl on the bottom of the right inboard skin was also removed - again, with much difficulty. (It had been on for over 8 years.) The outboard top skin edges were deburred and the blue vinyl removed.
 
Feb 13, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed removing the covering over the top left wing skin rivet lines. The left wing walk doublers were removed as was the top left inboard skin. These were totally deburred, including all of the drilled holes. The blue vinyl on the bottom of the left inboard skin was removed - with much difficulty. It had been on for over 8 years.


 
Feb 12, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
The aft, inboard and outboard board edges of the top right wing skins were deburred and the blue covering cut to allow dimpling. The top left wing aft, inboard and outboard edges were deburred.


 
Feb 11, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
All appropriate holes were machine countersunk in the inboard upper skin.


 
Feb 10, 2021     Top Wing Skins - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Today, for both skins, the inboard wing skin nut plate holes were final drilled as were the screw holes. The aft most screw holes were dimpled and the inboard wing skins and wing walk doublers were final drilled. Preps were made for countersinking the top inboard wing skins.


 
Feb 09, 2021     Upper Wing Skins Installation - (1 hour)       Category: Wings
Both upper wing skins on both wings, along with the wing walk skin and doublers have been clecoed in place.


 
Feb 09, 2021     Service Bulletins - (1.0 hour)       Category: Wings
Service bulletin number SB 16-03-28-1014 has been incorporated into the build of the wing. While the rivets look weird, it's a dirty riveted set and paint that comes off. All rivets are properly set.


 
Feb 09, 2021     Rear Spar & Aileron Attach Brackets, Spar Doublers - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
The rear spars have been riveted to the rib assembly on both wings and are now totally complete.


 
Feb 08, 2021     Rear Spar & Aileron Attach Brackets, Spar Doublers - (4.0 hours) Category: Wings
Almost completed riveting both rear spars to the wing ribs. Using the tape to cover the holes that should not be drilled is excellent. Just be sure to include all the rib holes in the mix of things.
 
Feb 07, 2021     rear Spar & Aileron Attach Brackets, Spar Doublers - (3.5 hours)       Category: Wings
The right rear spar fork, all doublers and aileron attach brackets were clecoed in place. The "No" rivet holes were taped over to prevent accidental riveting. Completed the left and right riveting of the rear spar parts. Both spars were temporarily clecoed in place and the left wing walk skins were also temporarily clecoed in place.


 
Feb 06, 2021     Rear Spar & Aileron Attach Brackets, Spar Doublers - (2.5 hours)       Category: Wings
The left rear spar fork, all doublers and aileron attach brackets were clecoed inplace. The "No" rivet holes were taped over to prevent accidental riveting. This almost works, just don't miss taping the second rib attach brackets for the inboard and outboard flap hinge. (Again, it's good that one of my better acquired skills is removing set rivets.) Once taped I removed the rear spar, placed in a vise and riveted the spar fork and doubler.


 
Feb 05, 2021     Rear Spar & Aileron Attach Brackets, Spar Doublers - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Left rear spar is now fully dimpled. All aileron attach brackets are completely riveted


 
Feb 04, 2021     Rear Spar & Aileron Attach Brackets, Spar Doublers - (3.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Both the left and right Spar Fork and Spar Fork Doubler were final drilled, deburred and primed. The right aft spar, top and bottom, were dimpled where required and the top flange of the ribs were dimpled.


 
Feb 01, 2021     Rear Spar Attach - (6.0 hours)       Category: Wings
For both the left and right wing: The rear spar doubler plate was deburred and the hole drilled to 11/32. The Rear Spar Reinforcement Fork was straightened to be within specs. then deburred. All the doublers, the reinforcement fork and inboard aileron attachment were clecoed to the rear spar. The assembly was then clecoed to the ribs and all the #30 holes drilled and/or final drilled. The rear spar flanges were machine countersunk and the rear spar doubler plate was machined countersunk.


 
Jan 30, 2021     Rear Spar & Aileron Attach Brackets, Spar Doublers - (5.5 hours)       Category: Wings
The aileron attach brackets had the bearing pressed in place and then clecoed together. Final 'pressing' will be done just before riveting the pieces together. The rear spar doublers were clamped to the spar and match drilled (# 30 and 40 holes.) The aileron control rod opening in the left and right doublers were created with the use of a rotobroach and a Dremel tool. (Note the before and after pictures of making the push rod tube hole.) All of the doublers and both rear spars were deburred and were temporarily re-clecoed before final installation.


 
Jan 29, 2021     Rear Spar & Aileron Attach Brackets - (5.0 hours)       Category: Wings
The inboard aileron attach bracket priming was completed. The outboard aileron attach brackets were flattened, trimmed, deburred, match drilled, countersunk and primed. The aileron doublers were marked in preparation for match drilling and the rear spars were deburred along all edge surfaces.


 
Jan 28, 2021     Aft Spar - (3.0 hours) Category: Wings
Using the Service Bulletin SB16-03-28 with the new parts for the left and right aileron inboard hinge brackets; I cut, deburred, match drilled and countersunk the appropriate holes. The parts were primed and are drying as I type this.
 
Jan 26, 2021     Ribs and Spar - (5.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed riveting and bolting the right ribs to the right spar except for the outboard most rib which gets taken care of later. This completes Section 14 of the wing instructions.


 
Jan 25, 2021     Ribs and Spar - (5.0 hours)       Category: Wings
With all of the flap hinge brackets riveted to the ribs I riveted the torque tube support brackets to the left and right inner most rib. All of the left ribs were clecoed to the left spar and bolted and riveted in place, except for the outboard most rib which gets taken care of later.


 
Jan 24, 2021     Ribs - (1.0 hour) Category: Wings
Completed riveting the flap hinge brackets to the ribs.
 
Jan 22, 2021     Ribs - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed installing the snap bushings in all of the ribs. Began riveting the flap hinge brackets on the appropriate ribs.


 
Jan 21, 2021     Ribs and Spar - (5.0 hours) Category: Wings
Completed all the drilling of rib to spar holes then removed all the ribs and deburred them. Drilled the lug nut hole in each of the inboard ribs and began drilling the holes for, and installing, the snap bushings in the left wing.
 
Jan 20, 2021     Ribs and Spar - (1.0 hour) Category: Wings
Using a friend's #12 bit, I completed drilling all the flanges for the bolts. Also, the right spar #30 holes were final drilled along with the left and right top flange #40 holes being final drilled.
 
Jan 19, 2021     Ribs and Spar - (.5 hour) Category: Wings
Began drilling the #12 holes in the spar to forward flange of each rib but found that my only #12 drill was beyond the sharpening stage. New ones now on order. The left spar, #30 flange holes, were all final drilled. The flap hinge brackets were removed to allow the forward flange of the ribs to be final drilled.
 
Jan 18, 2021     Ribs and Spar - (4.0 hours)       Category: Wings
The "shop" was reconfigured to accept and allow the left and right ribs and their respective spar to be worked on simultaneously. The left and right ribs, less the ribs with flap hinges, were clecoed in place. To do this. the corresponding nuts, washers and bolts were removed from the spars, identified and placed in containers for reinstallation later.


 
Jan 17, 2021     Ribs - (2.0 hours) Category: Wings
Completed the flap hinge bracket to rib match drilling on the inboard left and right ribs. Completed the fitting and match drilling of the right aileron torque tube support subassembly onto the right inboard rib. Also, trimmed the aft flange, to the radii, of the most outboard left and right ribs.
 
Jan 16, 2021     Ribs - (4.0 hours)       Category: Wings
I completed deburring and dimpling all the right ribs. All ribs were fluted and/or adjusted as necessary. Note: Very little, if any adjustment, was needed. I fitted the left aileron torque tube assembly and matched drilled the attach holes. The left and right outboard flap hinge assemblies were fitted and the #30 holes were drilled/match drilled into the ribs. The inboard flap hinge ribs and brackets were prepped and primed.


 
Jan 15, 2021     Ribs - (4.0 hours) Category: Wings
Nothing too exciting, just continued deburring the right wing ribs.
 
Jan 14, 2021     Ribs - (5.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed angular measurement and adjusting (as necessary) of all the ribs to the 90 degree angle. (Only a few were off target.) The deburring of all the left wing ribs is complete as is the dimpling of all lower rib flanges.


 
Jan 13, 2021     Ribs - (5.0 hours)       Category: Wings
First and foremost, after applying Loctite 290 to the offending fuel tank rivets last Monday, Roger and I pressurized the right fuel tank - and no leaks were found!! Done and stored for the moment. The torque tube assembly was assembled, final drilled #40 and #30, dimpled and had the first coat of prime applied. The ribs were all final drilled, and the tedious task of deburring began. I also started work on the W-1025A flap hinge brackets. On to the clear plastic coating was extremely difficult to come off, but it did. The parts were checked for flatness and they were found to be perfectly flat. They were then deburred and primed.


 
Jan 12, 2021     Ribs - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
The wing inboard ribs were sorted and identified into order for the left and right wings. The flap hinge ribs, angles, spacers, and the torque tube support assembly were separated, deburred, final drilled as appropriate, then they were scuffed and primed for future installation. All the rib flanges were adjusted or verified to be at 90 degrees, then Paul and I began final drilling the #40 holes in the ribs.


 
Jan 11, 2021     Ribs - (1.0 hour) Category: Wings
Gathered and ordered the left and right inboard and outboard wing ribs, flap hinge brackets, aileron torque tube support parts, various angles and spacers.
 
Jan 11, 2021     Wing Spar - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed the wing spar section of the instructions, including; cleaning up some proud rivets, along with deburring, priming, and installing the aileron bell crank brackets.


 
Jan 09, 2021     Wing Spar - (2.5 hours) Category: Wings
The right spar flanges, top (again) and bottom, were re-countersunk with a new and better calibrated countersink and then they were reprimed. Yes, evidently countersinks can go dull.
 
Jan 08, 2021     Wing Spar - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
The right spar, top flange rib and skin, #40 holes were countersunk and re-primed. Both spars, spar to doubler rivets were installed.


 
Jan 07, 2021     wing Spar - (2.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed countersinking the skin and rib holes on the left spar. I also re-primed all countersunk holes.


 
Jan 04, 2021     Wing Spar - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Started countersinking the skin and rivet holes on the flange of the left spar.


 
Jan 03, 2021     Wing Spar - (4.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Today, with my friend Paul's help, we completed installing all the nutplates on both spars. All of the countersinks were primed before riveting and all the #30 countersinks for the fuel tank skin/spar screws were completed and primed. The inboard nutplates required special attention as the attach holes for the nutplates that are most outboard did not leave enough clearance as the microstop was too large and the countersink itself was not long enough to reach the hole because of the large diameter of the drill chuck diameter. I improvised and utilized a 90 degree attachment without the microstop and fortunately the screw size of the countersink and attachment were identical. Thus, not a big deal!


 
Jan 02, 2021     Fuel Tank Leak Checks - (1 hour)       Category: Wings
With my friend Roger's help, I rechecked the right tank and thankfully the end rib no longer leaks. However, there are 3 rivets on the top skin and one on the bottom that appear to have leaks. All else is leak tight. I'll research the possible solutions for these potential leakers.


 
Jan 02, 2021     Wing Spar - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
I continued installing nutplates on the top flange of the left spar and bottom flange of the right spar. However, before installing them I decided to re-countersink the nutplate holes on the spar as they seemed to be not quite deep enough. After redoing these countersinks, most of the rivets were flush, but a few remained proud by a few thousandths. I'll clean these up later. Also, every countersunk hole get re-primed.


 
Jan 01, 2021     Wing Spar - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
I began the task of installing the nut plates to the spar. This task also includes countersinking all the holes for the nut plate rivets and countersinking the spar flange to accept the fuel tank dimples for the screws that will attach the fuel tanks to the spar. The bottom the left spar was all I could get done today and that does not include the countersinking required for the wing access plates. Every countersink was re-primed for corrosion protection. While the primer doesn't look very pretty, it is effective. It isn't worth the extra weight or time to make sure it's a 'work of art' since it won't be seen. There's a time to make everything pristine and a time not to worry about it. My previous two builds that took 14 years and 8 years would attest to this. I'm hoping to do this build in less than 2 years.


 
Dec 31, 2020     Wing Spar - (3.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Both Spars-> The appropriate .094 holes in the spar flanges were final drilled to #40. All of the nut plate holes were countersunk and the then the bare metal was re-primed. To reduce confusion, since there are many styles of nut plates, I taped an actual nut plate to the instructions then laid them out on the spar in their approximate location. Finally, all of the #40 rib location holes were countersunk and re-primed.


 
Dec 30, 2020     Wing Spar - (3.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Continued drilling the J channels, this time on the right spar. Both lower J channels on each spar were rolled 180 degrees and drilled appropriately on the upper C channel. Deburring is in process. The right fuel tank continues to be a small challenge. Fixed one leak but discovered another. Fortunately the leak path is accessible from the inboard end of the forward rib. Now to let the Proseal cure for a few days before the next leak check. At least the temperatures are nice.


 
Dec 29, 2020     Wing Spar - (3.5 hours)       Category: Wings
The right and left J channels were placed on the C channel of each spar. The requisite 1/16 inch height was measured and the J channels clamped in place. The upper and lower J channels for the left wing were drilled, deburred and the edges smoothed. All matched drilled holes on the C channel were also deburred.


 
Dec 28, 2020     Wing Spar - (4.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Spent a lot of time repairing some minor, and some not so minor scratches, dings, etc on some areas of the spars and re-primed the affected areas. Fortunately, none of these areas should be of any concern for the long term. I then deburred the C channels on both spars and re-primed them. I also cut all eight of the J channels for both the left and right spars.


 
Dec 27, 2020     Fuel Tank Leak Checks - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Tested both fuel tanks. The left fuel tank passed 99%leak free. An adjustment to the fuel cap should take care of it and raise it to 100% leak free. The right tank had a leak on the forward-inboard rib upper bottom corner (I sort of expected that). The repair has been made and I'll recheck it after the Proseal cures. The fuel cap had the same minor issue. The right tank will have to be completely rechecked as the leaking rib and fuel tank filler cap prevented getting enough pressure in the tank to get a reliable check.


 
Dec 23, 2020     Christmas Gift - (.5 hour)       Category: Research
I've been busy with the plane, then last week hurt my back, so now I decided with one day left before Christmas I need to go gift shopping for my wife. I know, I'm a little late on this, but I decided on a nice, handcrafted, one of a kind, neckless because she's been SUPER supportive. I hope she likes it. It's a very special, one of kind, piece don't you think?


 
Dec 23, 2020     Rudder Trailing Edge Build - (1.0 hour)       Category: Tail Feathers
I wasn't pleased with the rudder trailing edge. While they're straight, the skins between the rivet 'pooched' out more than I liked giving the rudder an ugly look. The majority of this I think is due to the failure of the 3M tape to hold the pieces tightly together. As much as I don't like Proseal I decided to take the adhesive and force it between the skins and trailing edge piece. I also took an aluminum angle laid it over the top and bottom edge and clamped the skins together. So far, it looks okay and if it holds the skins together it'll be a success, If it doesn't work, I guess I'll go with plan C, JB Weld:-) Just kidding, or am I?


 
Dec 18, 2020     Elevator Trim Tab - (1.0 hour)       Category: Tail Feathers
With the new pushrod now ready for installation, I lined up the trim motor end with the trim tab end. Getting the pushrod onto the trim motor and the parts installed wasn't as easy as it looked. Getting the clevis and washer thru the hole in the motor tab wasn't bad, but getting the washer and the clevis pin on the other end wasn't very easy. There is a minimum amount of space available for the pin. After 3 or 4 tries and 2 butchered pins, I finally got one on. The trim tab end worked out fine per the instructions. I bent the pins in place and secured the area.


 
Dec 17, 2020     Elevator Trim Tab - (1 hour)       Category: Tail Feathers
The new pushrod from Van's arrived this afternoon. (The old pushrod was too short) I took the three pieces, double flush riveted them together filed it smooth, primed it and began the installation onto the trim motor. I also connected the control wires to the motor. I'll complete the installation tomorrow.


 
Dec 16, 2020     Rudder Leading - (2.0 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers
Rolling the rudder leading edge will complete the first phase of the rudder build. The edge of the left skin was bent or broken to insure a good fit. Then using a 1 inch diameter steel pipe, we inserted the pipe between the 2 skins, taped it in place, with, you guessed it, duct tape and rolled the upper third of the lower or right skin. Then we did the same to the next two segments. We then flipped the rudder over and rolled the upper or left skin. Once in place we tweaked each section so they would easily cleco together and lie flat against each with no gaps. We checked them with the plans template. We removed the clecos one by one and replaced them with rivets. Turned out picture perfect.


 
Dec 15, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (1.0 hour)       Category: Wings
During the baffle installation, the plans call for every tenth rivet hole to be left open between the baffle and skin. After curing, you return to the tank and countersink the hole and install the missing rivet. I did this and filled each hole with Proseal before final riveting. Easy task, and now the tanks, after a little more curing, will be ready for the pressure test.


 
Dec 15, 2020     Rudder Trailing Edge Build - (3.0 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers
The trailing edge of the rudder has a strip of 3M adhesive under and over the wedge on the trailing edge. One strip of adhesive is placed on the wedge and then on to the rudder. This is then clecoed while the adhesive cures. After curing, the paper protecting the remaining side is pulled off. Simple in theory. But what if the adhesive and paper backing won't separate? That was dilemma. I tried slipping in a new strip of adhesive. No joy. The distance between the left and right skins was too narrow and the strip caught on the dimples. My fallback was to remove the strip of tape and use Proseal. Yuk! Messy! Nasty! But, just before I did that, I tried another way. I cut two strips of the tape the length of the rudder, placed the adhesive side of each them together and used the clean paper backing sides to slip between the wedge and the skin. Then I pulled off both backing stripes. That did it. After that I began the double flush riveting. The rivets set nicely (per the instructions) but I don't think I did that great of a job, however, I'm not going to build a new rudder. I give it an 8 out of 10. The riveting was made a little more challenging by the edge bend being in the way. The rivets are solid and set nicely but, the skin looks a little beat up. It's only cosmetic and can be covered up, but I think I could have done better. Next time! I also made leading edge templates for the necessary bends of the leading edge.


 
Dec 14, 2020     Rudder Build - (3.0 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers
Completed the rudder skin to spar riveting and installed and riveted the top rib in place. Attempted to begin the trailing edge riveting but ran into a problem removing the backing of the trailing edge tape. I'll probably resort to Proseal rather than try to insert a new strip of tape into the edge. Three friends also tried to remove the backing, but to no avail. Oh well.


 
Dec 13, 2020     Rudder Build - (2.0 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers
The rudder counterbalance was installed and the right skin was riveted to the spar.


 
Dec 11, 2020     Rudder Build - (3.0 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers
The horn installation was completed however, since the rudder was partially built by a previous owner, I did not take into account that the famous four holes I so dutifully riveted, now covered three of the blind rivets that needed to be set. These rivets secured the 'upper and lower' rib to make in essence a single rib. Now I got to use one of my better skills to drill out a lot of rivets. That's not a skill to really be proud of, but it is useful. The horn was drilled out and the 3 'hidden' rivets were set, as were all the other ones drilled out to make this reinstallation possible. Finally, the counter weight rib was riveted to both left and right skins,


 
Dec 10, 2020     Rudder Build - (1.5 hours) Category: Tail Feathers
The spar assembly was riveted to the stiffener flanges and the left attach bracket was riveted to the bottom rib and skin. The horn assembly riveting was started by setting the four rivet holes on the bottom rib that were left unfilled through the build process.
 
Dec 09, 2020     Rudder Build - (5.0 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers
The morning was spent removing the lower right rib and attach strip and moving the attach strip over the rib, then re-riveting the assembly. The build then continued as the right rudder had the shear clips riveted to the stiffeners. The trailing edge had the super tape applied to right skin trailing edge. The trailing edge wedge was placed over the tape. The left skin was then placed top of the right skin. To build the rudder, starting at the bottom and working up, the stiffeners were riveted together at the intersection where each stiffener meets. About in the middle of the rudder. The forward portion of the left stiffeners received two rivets. The intersection rivets were a bear to do. The skin had to be pulled up at every intersection to get the blind fastener installed. Not much room was left to get your hand in there and actually squeeze. It took a lot of reserve (ok, unused) muscle power and grunting to get that LP4-3 blind rivet seated. As we moved up the rudder each stiffener, in sequence, got a little easier. We were relieved that when it was done It looked darn good. The spar framework was then inserted into the rudder and clecoed in place. Finally, I clecoed the trailing edge in place so the adhesive tape could cure.


 
Dec 08, 2020     Rudder Build - (3.0 hours) Category: Tail Feathers
Today the right skin was dimpled and the previously completed stiffeners were riveted on. The spar framework was clecoed to the left and right skin. All the necessary holes were match drilled to the framework as well as to the holes on the aft edge, the counterweight and top ribs.
 
Dec 07, 2020     Rudder Build - (2.5 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers
Completed the clecoed build of the rudder. Match drilled the appropriate holes and dimpled the stiffeners and other parts, except the new right skin in preparation for assembly.


 
Dec 06, 2020     Rudder Build - (2.0 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers
First a refresher of the previous owner's work on the rudder was in order. While the left rudder construction was acceptable, the right side was not. I ordered a new right skin and internal parts. The new skin, sent by Van's, was the incorrect one. They did resend the correct one later. I resequenced the work area for rudder completion. I referenced the plans for assuring the prior work was done properly. The new right skin and the left skin were deburred. Per the plans, I trimmed the top of the right rudder and dimpled the aft most upper hole for a future blind rivet. I then clecoed the top rib, the shear clips and the right stiffeners to the spar.


 
Dec 05, 2020     Elevator Build - (3.0 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers
Today I added the counterbalance weights to both of the elevators. On the first elevator we took a lot time fine tuning trimming those lead weights to the right size, thus it took 2.5 hours. The second elevator took only 30 minutes because we were more aggressive in cutting and sanding the lead weights. Both came out just fine. A bowl of water to cool the weight down after I let the heat build up each time while sanding it down was a big aid in not getting burned finger tips. The elevators are now done for a while until they're mounted on the empennage, except for the trim system as I await the new push rod parts.


 
Dec 04, 2020     Elevator Build - (4.0 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers
The elevators had their forward edges rounded. Mike K gave Roger and I a tutorial demo on the best way to do this. For a good fit, we figured the biggest take away that make the parts fit the best is to be sure the top edge break is a lot more than one would think. Rolling the edges with a steel rod, duct taped to the each edge was easy. Getting the top edge to mate nicely over the lower edge was the challenge. We discovered the key was to be sure the break on the forward edge was more dramatic than we thought it should be. Once you get that right, it came together very nice. Another takeaway, is to be sure the lower edge tucks in nice under the top edge. Riveting hints: 1- turns out you can push too hard o be careful doing that. 2 - Make sure the head of the riveter is kept in contact with the rivet and not allowed to break away and slide up the skin - don't ask how I know this. 3 - if using a pneumatic pull rivet tool, squeeze slowly and control the head of the tool. Also, despite the instructions comments that it's difficult to drill the rivets out, I found it's fairly easy - again no need to ask how I know.


 
Dec 03, 2020     Elevators and Trim Tab - (2.0 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers
Silicone was applied to the trim motor external Molex connectors. The wires coming from the trim motor were secured to their Molex connector and labelled. In attempt to secure the motor and wiring into the elevator I discovered the elevator trim pushrod was too short. I called Van's and they said the early pitch trim pushrods were too short. Mine measured 4.2 from hole center to hole center. The correct length should be 4.437. The correct one will be mailed to me. Note: disregard the page under the wiring, it just happened to be there when I took the picture.


 
Nov 30, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (3.0 hours) Category: Wings
Major cleanup of tank exteriors along with installation of fuel caps and drain plugs. Super major cleanup of tools, clecos and work area. Believe me, Proseal, Flamemaster, what ever you use, it is stinky and messy. Cleaning up with acetone and MEK are also stinky. The hangar reached, but should be better tomorrow. Glad this portion of the build is almost history. There's still a little bit to do and then in a week or two, the leak checks.
 
Nov 29, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (10.0 hours)       Category: Wings
The left and right tank baffles were installed on the tanks. Prior to this, the tank were given one last final inspection for potential leaks and then a final cleaning. Sealant was applied to the skins and baffles and the baffles were placed into the fuel tanks, From here the Z brackets were clecoed in place along with the skins. Essentially everything was accomplished per the plans. One exception as the countersinks in the skins had to be made slightly deeper than originally intended. No problem doing this, but it did slow the process down - a lot. A big thank you to Roger and Phil who greatly assisted during this effort.


 
Nov 28, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (5.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Due to a weather change in the next few days (dropping temperatures) I decided to finish the tank while the temps were above 70. I have until Monday night. So I prepared both tank baffles for installation. All contact areas were scuffed and baffles edges were deburred. Both tanks were reinspected for sealant closure and some areas were resealed. The tanks were cleaned and areas of 'over' adhesive into the baffle areas were cleaned up.


 
Nov 27, 2020     Trim Servo - (1.0 hour)       Category: Tail Feathers
Prepared the pitch trim servo for installation. Trimmed the connector and built the servo platform.


 
Nov 25, 2020     Elevators and Trim Tab - (4.0 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers
Completed riveting the both elevators. The bottom skins were the toughest, i.e. getting the special bucking bar under the skin without doing any damage. The outboard and inboard rib ends/skin were very easily completed. I'll hold off fully completing them until the empennage portion is done and the elevators can be attached for counterbalancing weights and tips. The left elevator is in the same condition except now awaiting the trim servo work. The trim tab is attached via the hinge pin. Special note: The trailing edge rivet tool made the trailing edge completion very easy. An excellent buy from Aircraft Tool Supply.


 
Nov 24, 2020     Elevators and Trim Tab - (2.0 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers
While the fuel tank adhesive cures it's time to return to the empennage and complete some of that work. I double riveted the trailing edge of the trim tab and riveted the closeout tabs. Note the absence of waviness on the trailing edge. I also completed some more of the elevators construction by final riveting the outboard skins to the end rib. Still more to do, but closing in on completing them soon.


 
Nov 23, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (4.0 hours)       Category: Wings
The end is insight. The fuel level sensors for the tanks were installed, sealed and the check for continuity was easily passed. The inboard tank nut plates were installed on both tanks. The tank will now sit for a couple of weeks while the adhesive cures, then the baffle and tank attach Z's will be installed and the tanks will be ready for the leak test. Finally!! This has not been my favorite part of the build process, but it obviously must be done.


 
Nov 22, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (2 hours)       Category: Wings
Easy day as I completed the bending and fitting of the fuel senders. The time consumer was trying to visualize the right wire bending plan. The drawing was for the left sender wire and the instructions were that the right was identical, just do it the other way. Definitely easier written than visualized. Helpful hint for us old challenged guys. Just take a piece of safety wire and use it as a guide. It twists and turns really easy, then you have a mockup with the wire bent in the correct direction. It did take a lot of tweaking and adjusting to get the 1/16 clearance from the skins, no big deal though. The resistance reading were identical at 31 ohms empty and 248 ohms when full.


 
Nov 21, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (5.0 hours)       Category: Wings
I repeated yesterday's work on the right tank for today's work on the left tank. Everything went a lot smoother today, due to the Z man's expert assistance. We installed the attach bracket and aft rib then sealed the end rib and attach bracket. We resealed the right side components.


 
Nov 20, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (5.0 hours) Category: Wings
Cleaned and taped all of the fuel tank skins for adhesive application for the attach bracket and aft inboard rib. Spread the adhesive and clecoed the right side attach bracket in place then riveted the attach bracket onto the fuel tank skin. Sounds easy enough and it was. However, the inboard aft inboard rib is another story. Even after a couple of fit checks without adhesive, with adhesive it was another story. Difficult to fit, but got it done. The 6 rivets attaching the ribs and attach bracket together were enough to make you never want to do it again. Adhesive everywhere, difficult to align and doing the riveting was bear! After an hour of trying to squeeze, manual and pneumatic, I eventually ended up using an offset rivet attachment to the rivet gun. One rivet along side the skin would not play nice and took forever to install. Eventually I flipped it180 degrees and then it worked fine. Am I the only one who's been up to their elbows in pro seal? It took bending in many different ways, a couple of hours, but it's now installed. I just need to seal all the rivet heads and flanges (most of which you can't see) and the right tank will be ready for the fuel level sender, the Z brackets and baffle installation.
 
Nov 19, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
On the right and left tanks; I test fit the angle bracket and inboard aft rib. Then adjusted the fuel vent lines to fit them to the newly installed AN fittings while setting the vent lines to a 1/4 clearance from the outboard rib. Bent the left tank fuel tank float sender wire.


 
Nov 18, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (4.5 hours) Category: Wings
The left tank rib flanges and both tank J stiffeners were sealed. Performed yet another inspection of all the sealant on the rivets. The suspects were sealed. It helps to have assistance on this and thanks to Roger Z for his outstanding help.
 
Nov 17, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (4.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Today was left tank day. All rivets are now sealed. Still need to seal each each rib's flange. Also, I think I'll seal the underside of the J stiffeners as you can't be too sure. I also did a fit check of the fuel vent line and all looks good for future finalization.


 
Nov 16, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (4.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Every rivet in the right tank, installed thus far, has been individually sealed with the adhesive. The left tank outboard rib and rivets have also been sealed. While this is a lot of extra work, I believe it's worth to minimize the possibility of a fuel leak. Once that baffle goes on it's over. No wishing I could've or should've.


 
Nov 15, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (6 hours)       Category: Wings
With the exception of the inboard aft ribs, all ribs on both tanks are installed. The J stiffeners on both tanks had adhesive applied and have been riveted in place. Beads of adhesive were applied on the right ribs and aft portion of the J stiffeners. The rest will be done tomorrow. The right tank was cleaned up and was prepped for the last rib and attach bracket to be installed, but the fuel vent line and other things need to be done first. Here's a hint on J stiffener riveting: Use a cleco in each hole as the J is really thin and will distort ("pooch" out between rivets) if this isn't done.


 
Nov 14, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (6.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed installation of all inner and outboard ribs on both fuel tanks.


 
Nov 13, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (4.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Progress! The right fuel tank is coming along nicely as 4 ribs were installed. Doesn't sound like a lot, but know there's a lot of work to get them done. Not difficult stuff, but detailed and the riveting should be second nature before attempting this. Also, you should like working with the FlameMaster adhesive aka. Proseal. I don't, but, there's no choice (unless you want to get a QB wing.) Many thanks to my friend Roger for his assistance. The man knows his stuff.


 
Nov 12, 2020     Fuel Tanks Construction - (3 hours)       Category: Wings
The wing attach brackets had their wing skin attach holes countersunk to receive the wing skin dimples. Both tank inboard ribs were installed with adhesive. Many thanks to fellow RV-14 builder, Dean H. who happened to stop by at the right (or wrong) time and got drafted into helping encourage getting the ribs aligned, clecoed and eventually riveted into place. Maybe someday the adhesive will wear off his hands.


 
Nov 11, 2020     Fuel tank stiffeners and Initial rib fitment - (5.0 hours)       Category: Wings
With the expert help of my friend Roger, we did the final application of adhesive to all the stiffeners and fuel drains. We then installed almost all of the ribs for a final fit check. We'll install them with adhesive soon. It was quite the ordeal to fit them. With Roger having done this on his RV-9A tanks, we transferred his methodology to the -14 tanks. We will be calling this method the 'Zema Zipper.' It worked beautifully and I'll explain it in a later post.


 
Nov 10, 2020     Fuel Tank Stiffeners - (1. hour) Category: Wings
Completed masking the left tank stiffeners.
 
Nov 09, 2020     Fuel Tank Skins and Stiffeners - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings
All the #19 holes in both the left and right fuel tank skins were dimpled with the exception of the two each identified in the skin layout. I taped the areas around the right skin stiffeners in preparation for adhesive being applied to provide fillets around each stiffener and on top of each rivet.


 
Nov 08, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Installed the left and right fuel cap flanges and the left fuel drain flange. They look awful but are well sealed and no one will ever see them. There's a time to be a perfectionist and time to get the job done.


 
Nov 07, 2020     Fuel Vent Lines - (1. hour)       Category: Wings
Began fabrication of the two fuel vent lines.


 
Nov 06, 2020     Fuel Tanks - (1 hour) Category: Wings
Nothing exciting today, Worked on cleaning the excess adhesive off of the ribs and other parts. Also, working on the brakes of my RV-7A.
 
Nov 05, 2020     Fuel Tank Stiffeners - (4 hours)       Category: Wings
The left fuel tank stiffeners were installed with Flame Master adhesive and riveted to the wing. Lesson learned yesterday from the right wing - be more diligent with masking the areas with tape and next time, get the QB wing:-) This adhesive stinks, really, it smells awful and is a pain to deal with. I'm sure with time the odor will dissipate, although the memories will linger. Also, someday I hope the adhesive wears off my hands and under my nails. Nitrile gloves do tear and the adhesive knows exactly where the tear is.


 
Nov 04, 2020     Fuel Tank Stiffeners - (5 hours)       Category: Wings
Riveted and sealed the right fuel tank stiffeners as well as the right drain flange. Sealed the left and right end rib toting holes,


 
Nov 03, 2020     Fuel Tank Parts Prep - (4 hours)       Category: Wings
Worked the inboard left and right ribs. The fuel flanges and anti-rotation plates were prepped, adhesive laid in, rivets put in place, then squeezed. Then more adhesive was applied around all manufactured rivet heads, shop heads and edges. It's not pretty, but I don't think they'll leak. The area inside the hex of the anti-rotation plate was 'sort of' cleaned out for the bulkhead fittings. n It'll get final cleaning later.


 
Nov 02, 2020     Fuel Tank Parts Prep - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
The left and right, forward and aft, inside ribs were prepped then the AN470-AD6-5 pounded, and I mean pounded, into place then sealed with the Flameaster adhesive. Geez, that adhesive is awful to deal with.


 
Oct 31, 2020     Fuel Tank Skins - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Final drilled and deburred all #19 holes in left fuel tank skin. Using the special fuel tank dimple set we dimpled all #40 holes in the right fuel tank skin and countersunk both left and right fuel cap flanges.


 
Oct 30, 2020     Fuel Tank Skins - (2.5 hours) Category: Wings
Completed deburring of the left and right tank skin edges. Final drilled and deburred all of the #19 holes on the right skin.
 
Oct 29, 2020     Fuel Tank Skins - (2.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Dimpled the left fuel tank skin rivet holes.


 
Oct 28, 2020     Fuel Tank Skins - (2.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Countersunk the left tank skin to baffle holes.


 
Oct 27, 2020     Fuel Tank Parts Prep - (4.5 hours)       Category: Wings
All of the tank T-00005 and T-00004 stiffeners were dimpled with the fuel tank dimple set. The blue vinyl protective film was removed from the outside of each tank skin. The right tank baffle, top and bottom, was clecoed to the skin. A #40 machine countersink was set for the .032 skin and all top and bottom holes on the right tank skin were countersunk - and that's a lot holes:-)


 
Oct 26, 2020     Fuel Tank Parts Prep - (3.0 hours)       Category: Wings
The tank attach brackets were machine countersunk to accept the shims. The shims and nut plates were attached/riveted and the flange bearing riveted in place. Note: I found it easier to attach the two nut plates on the T-1005B shim (the right side when looking at Figure 2 Page18-04) before attaching the assembly to the attach bracket.


 
Oct 25, 2020     Fuel Tank Parts Prep - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Worked the T-00005B&C shims. They were matched drilled, primed and dimpled. Be careful to not only get the dimples correct on the L&R shims, but ensure they are flush with the inboard end of the tank attach bracket. I also riveted the 5, "non-sealant required", nut plates on each of the aft inboard tank rib assemblies.


 
Oct 24, 2020     Fuel Tank Parts Prep - (3.0 hours) Category: Wings
Dimpled all the rib flanges including the ones in the tight corner of the inboard forward rib by using the pop rivet dimpled. I also dimpled the inboard rib's nut plate circle.
 
Oct 22, 2020     Fuel Tank Parts Prep - (2.5 hours)       Category: Wings
All of the Zee brackets were prepped for application of primer then two coats of primer were applied. The two inboard ribs were also prepped and primed on the portions that will not be inside the fuel tanks. The tank attach brackets were also prepped and primed. Both of the J stringers were dimpled using a set of fuel tank dimplers. The stringer's bow was negligible and should fit in place with no issue.


 
Oct 21, 2020     Fuel Tank Skins - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed taping of the right tank and scuffing of both in preparation for assembling the tanks.


 
Oct 20, 2020     Fuel Tank Parts Prep - (3.5 hours)       Category: Wings
Today was spent preparing the interior of the left fuel tank for assembly by outlining the areas that will need to be scuffed, that is all the parts that come in contact with sealant. The right tank will hopefully be done tomorrow. Once this scuffing is complete both tanks can begin to be dimpled and reach the final assembly stage. One additional benefit in doing it this way is that it becomes a fit check for all the parts. I did find the rib fitment is very tight. It's going to take a lot of effort to get this fit correct:-)


 
Oct 18, 2020     Fuel Tank Parts Prep - (2.5 hours)       Category: Wings
The tank skins had the inside vinyl coating removed and the J stiffeners fitted on both wings. After installing the one outboard cleco, the center lines on the J stiffeners were lined up with the wing skin holes which were used to match drill into the J's. The L and R tank baffles were then clecoed in place.


 
Oct 17, 2020     Fuel Tank Parts Prep - (2.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed installing the nutplates on the Tank Attach Zee. Made 2 J Stiifiners, drilled and deburred each.


 
Oct 16, 2020     fuel Tank Parts Prep - (2 hours)       Category: Wings
T-1012 Zee Brackets have now been final drilled, countersunk and deburred.


 
Oct 15, 2020     Fuel Tank Parts Prep - (4.0 hours)       Category: Wings
All fuel tank ribs have had their flanges and holes final sizes and deburred. All of the rib's forward edges have been smoothed to prevent faceting. All ribs have been scuffed where they contact the furl tank skin. The four finger strainer, flanges VA-141, have been final drilled and trimmed to stay within the rib foot print. The two Anti Rotation Plates were deburred,


 
Oct 13, 2020     Fuel Tank Parts Prep - (2.0 hours) Category: Wings
Final drilled the #30 and #40 holes on all of the left fuel tank ribs.
 
Oct 12, 2020     Fuel Tank Parts Prep - (4.0 hours)       Category: Wings
Completed the T-00004 fabrication (20+ parts) including trimming, deburring, and roughing up the bottom of the parts where ithey contact the tank. Drilled the Vent line clips, T-00005B-L and -R 7/16 holes. That was a bust as I totally ruined the parts with a drill bit, so I had to fabricate two new parts. This time I used a step drill with much better results. They're now deburred and ready to go. I checked all the flanges of tank ribs for 90 degrees and had to adjust only one or two. Thanks Van! I finished off the session by deburring the large tank attach brackets.


 
Oct 10, 2020     Fuel Tank Parts Prep - (4.0 hours)       Category: Wings
First off, I noted that the Flamemaster adhesive required application temperatures above 70 degrees. So I decided to expedite the build on the fuel tanks to take advantage of the current warm weather. so as to not delay the build process any longer than necessary. I gathered the multitude of parts required for both the left and right fuel tank parts. Then I started to create the individual T-00005A, -L, -R, and T-00004 fuel tank stiffeners from the full length parts. I did the same for the "J' and "Z" stiffeners. The deburring process is complete for the Z and J stiffeners and will soon be underway for the rest of the parts.


 
Oct 09, 2020     Wing Stands - (6 hours)       Category: Wings
After purchasing a 2x4 and the storage bins, it's time to put the parts away. Craftsman, now at Lowes, seem to have the best storage cabinet, so all the parts were labelled and stuffed into the drawers. The top of the wing box had templates for the wing stands. I decided I would build both wings at once, so 4 stands were needed. To make the best use of the wood, I redid the templates so I could get 2 out of each end of the top cover. Then I used a jig saw to cut them out. I took the 8 foot 2x4 and made 7 pieces, each 13 inches long. I had another small 2x4 and made the 8th one. After cutting them out and smoothing the edges I screwed the templates to the 2x4's so they would stand up. Having 2 2x4 base on the bottom pf each vertical piece made the stands much more stable.


 
Oct 08, 2020     Inventory - (1.5 hours) Category: Wings
Time to inventory the wing kit. With the exception of the missing counterbalance weights which I'll have t order, everything is there. Now to go to the Aviation Aisle at Lowes and get a storage bin for the thousands of small parts.
 
Oct 07, 2020     Elevator Construction - (2 hours)       Category: Empennage
After 50 strokes on the Flamemaster Adhesive cartridge (thanks to Paul for doing over half of these strokes and for his assistance in slopping the stuff on the ribs-messy day) , both elevators and the trim tab had the aft foam ribs bonded to the upper and lower skins. The trim tab also had the aft hinge and upper skin riveted to the front spar. All three parts are now weighted down and will cure until Saturday.

(Currently, the system will not allow photos to be uploaded.)


 
Oct 06, 2020     Elevator Construction - (2.0 hours) Category: Empennage
The left, right and trim tab trailing edges were scuffed and cleaned as were the trailing edges. The 3M tape was applied to both sides. The lower side of each trailing edge was placed on their respective lower skin. A cleco was placed at each end to hold the trailing edge in place and the paper covering the adhesive was removed. Cleco's were then placed in each lower skin trailing edge only thru to the trailing edge piece. The parts are now sitting overnight to allow the adhesive to cure.
 
Oct 05, 2020     Elevator Construction - (3 hours)       Category: Empennage
Riveted the left elevator upper and lower skins to the left forward spar. Also, completed all necessary elevator riveting prior to bonding the foam ribs in place on all surfaces.


 
Oct 04, 2020     Elevator Construction - (2.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Riveted the right upper and lower elevator skins to the forward spar. A number of other components were riveted in place including the MK-319-BS rivets in the counterbalance skins on both the left and right sides.


 
Oct 02, 2020     Elevator Construction - (3.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
The right elevator front spar, end root ribs and gusset were riveted into the structure and rear spar. The left forward spar and end root ribs were riveted to the gusset and shear clip. The reinforcement doubler was riveted into the structure in multiple places. The lower rivets were very difficult to set. The rivets in the left gusset to rear spar and rear spar to root rib were just not agreeable to being riveted at all, flush set or not. To ensure a good, solid fit, I used the LP4-3 blind rivets in their place. The E-905 root rib was riveted to the upper and lower skins. The 3 end rivets, previously left open were now riveted into place.


 
Oct 01, 2020     Elevator Construction - (3.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
The elevator upper and lower ribs were pop riveted together. The left elevator front spar assembly was clecoed in place and the front spar was clecoed to the ribs for rivet installation as were the gusset and shear tab. The manual is correct as reaching in to rivet the rear portions of the ribs together was difficult, but obviously it can be done, with much patience. No elevator skins were injured in this process:-)


 
Sep 30, 2020     Elevator Construction - (3.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
The elevator skins were placed top over bottom and the ribs were clecoed together (not too easy, but doable). Then the left and right skins were clecoed to their respective rear spar and riveted together. This is where the special RV-14 bucking bar comes into play. First, a little practice (6 rivets) on the bottom left skin, then the top right skin. Actually, this was much easier than what was thought. Finally I made the pull rivet assist tool. A big thanks to Paul and Roger. It wouldn't have been as easy without their excellent help.


 
Sep 29, 2020     Reinforcement Doubler Riveting - (1 hour)       Category: Empennage
Riveted the trim access reinforcement doubler and its brace to the left bottom elevator skin. Riveted the brace to the doubler with the single LP-4-3 blind rivet. The doubler's nut plates were also riveted.


 
Sep 28, 2020     Riveting the Ribs - (4.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
Completed riveting both aft spars to the left top skin and bottom right skin. Riveted the ribs to all four elevator skins skins. Riveted the trim reinforcement plate to the left bottom skin.


 
Sep 26, 2020     Assembling the Elevator - (6.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Completed the riveting of the elevator horns. Riveted the gusset and shear clips to the rear spars. Riveted the E-1008B ribs to the rear spars. Clecoed the spar/rib assembly to the appropriate elevator skins. Began riveting the left skin to the spar and the forward trim tab hinge.


 
Sep 25, 2020     Elevator Frame Riveting - (2.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Completed the first phase of riveting the counterbalance skins to the outboard ribs. Nearly completed the installation/riveting of the left and right elevator horns.


 
Sep 24, 2020     Elevator Skin Dimpling - (1.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
Completed dimpling the four elevator skins with my college roommate Paul.


 
Sep 23, 2020     Elevator Construction - (4.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
A day for completions - even minor ones, Completed the preparation of the top elevator skins for the bonding of the foam ribs. Completed the countersinking of the trailing edges. Completed the dimpling of one of the elevator skins.


 
Sep 22, 2020     Elevator Construction - (2.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Completed the first set of riveting of the elevator structure and redid the left and right elevator trailing edges to improve the transition to the elevator fairings..


 
Sep 21, 2020     Elevator Construction - (4.0 hours) Category: Empennage
The left and right elevator's tip ribs, root ribs, and gusset were riveted to each other and/or the forward spar. The 4 hinge reinforcement plates were scuffed, primed and clecoed in place for later riveting.
 
Sep 20, 2020     Updating of Plans - (2.0 hours) Category: Research
I purchased a 2013 wing and empennage kit. Since then there have been numerous updates to the plans, making it very difficult, to update each individual page of the plan. I purchased an up to date thumb drive with updated plans and I have printed the entire updated empennage and wing kit documentation.
 
Sep 20, 2020     Elevator Build - (1 hour)       Category: Empennage
Deburred the four hinge reinforcement plates. Assembled the basic structure of the left and right elevators in preparation for riveting the parts together.


 
Sep 19, 2020     Elevator Prep for Foam Ribs - (3 hours)       Category: Empennage
The left and right lower skins scuff area for the foam ribs were located, masked, scuffed and cleaned. The aft spars were also scuffed in the area of the foam ribs.


 
Sep 18, 2020     Pitch Trim Tab - (4.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
The pitch trim foam ribs were laid out precisely where they will be bonded to the lower and upper skins as were the spar and trailing edge. The areas on the skin were marked, taped off then scuffed with 150 grit paper then cleaned with acetone. The top and bottom skins were then dimpled and the trailing edge holes dimpled with the modified #40 dimpled. The spar and pitch trim horn were clecoed in place on the lower skin and subsequently riveted together.


 
Sep 17, 2020     Pitch Trim Tab - (2.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
The pitch trim spar was countersunk for the upper skin. It was also dimpled for both the upper and lower skins. The trailing edge was ever so precisely countersunk per the instructions on the top and bottom sides so the countersinks were perpendicular to to the surface.


 
Sep 16, 2020     Elevator Trim Tab - (2.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
The trim tab skins were deburred and the rear edges received their break toward the inside. The trim tab was completely assembled with the foam ribs taped in place and the trailing edge trimmed to fit. The closeout tabs were dimpled and drilled out to a size #33. The trim tab was disassembled in preparation for countersinking the trailing edge.


 
Sep 15, 2020     Elevator - (2.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
The trim access doubler received the nut plate installation and the trim pushrod was machined countersunk and double flush riveted. The trim tab horns were cut/trimmed, dimpled and of course all parts deburred. The right top skin was also deburred. I also ensured the spars had not deformed during the dimpling process.


 
Sep 14, 2020     Dimpling and Countersinking - (3.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
The forward spar, trim tab hinge spar and aft spar were all countersunk and/or dimpled in accordance with the plans. Many more of the smaller parts were also dimpled such as the trim access reinforcement doubler, and it's brace. As I mentioned yesterday, things break. In this case my microstop's nylon base separated from the metal base. JB Weld to the rescue. I polished the the metal base, then scuffed it and applied epoxy and set it aside for an overnight curing. I continued on with another microstop and finished the task at hand.


 
Sep 13, 2020     Printing the Plans - (1 hour) Category: Research
Helpful Hint: This kit was from 2013 and thus, so are the plans. I purchased a new set of plans on a thumb drive from Van's. When building, I have to check the computer and then the plans. Van's doesn't annotate what changed, you have to figure that part out. Lots of wasted time there. I happened to have just bought a new printer that does tabloid size paper, which is what the plans are. I decided to completely print out the new, up to date plans. It definitely is easier and faster.
 
Sep 13, 2020     Fun with tools - (1 hour) Category: Tools
I dimpled a few holes and then went to cut something on the bandsaw. Loud noise followed by no noise and darn, a dead bandsaw. It should be noted that things like this happen, all the time. As tools age things weaken, such as the handle on my drill press. It just broke off. The new handle is a cheap vise grip and it works fine. Next the band saw motor made a terrible noise and locked up. I thought it bit the dust, but a buddy of mine decided to check it out, (thanks Roger) so we removed it and sure enough it worked. Reinstalled it and it's now fine. We figured a bolt loosened and the motor cocked and locked up. Stuff like that just slows things down, but that's life. I guess I learned that things get old and break. You can do a cheap, but adequate fix or buy a new one. ($$$)
 
Sep 12, 2020     Tool Needs/Determination - (2.0 hours) Category: Research
Just when you thought you had them all, tools that is, you find out you don't. So I researched what tools are necessary for the next few weeks/month's work. What I found is that clever folks have made RV-14 unique tools that really appear to make the job easier. Normally I would skip these, but after talking to a number of builders, they may make the build easier. They are now ordered. I'll identify these as I go along and assess whether they're a good buy or not.
 
Sep 10, 2020     Elevator Build - (3 hours)       Category: Empennage
Today was spent final drilling a number of holes, then disassembling the right elevator, marking the appropriate pieces for reassembly, deburring, and dimpling of various external and internal parts. The left elevator, already apart had parts dimpled and all parts (up to this point) now deburred.


 
Sep 09, 2020     Elevator Build - (5.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
I started the day clecoing the top skin and tip ribs to the left and right elevators. Then the trailing edges were fit and trimmed. A time consuming task as there were a significant number of trim fits, sanding and cleco moving to ensure a good fit. Once that was done it was on to temporarily installing a foam trailing rib to get a good fit for drilling the holes for the closeout tab along with attaching the top skin.. The closeout tab bends I did were magnificent as the upper and lower tabs fit perfectly with each other. Unfortunately they sucked at meeting with the the shear clip. An eighth inch gap was there and shouldn't have been. A fix, coordinated with Vans tech staff, had me move the shear clip over to meet the perfect tab. Two new holes were drilled for the shear clip into the spar. No big deal. The gap between the trim tab and elevator looks perfectly fine. Next, both elevator horns were drilled in place. Finally, I disassembled the left elevator so all the parts that hadn't been deburred, could be deburred and the drilled holes cleaned up. Tomorrow, the right elevator will get disassembled.


 
Sep 08, 2020     Elevator Build - (4 hours)       Category: Empennage
Continued building the elevator by fitting the hinge for the trim tab. With the hinge separated, the forward hinge was attached to the spar with the pilot hole.lined up parallel to the skin and the holes drilled thru the spar into the forward hinge. Similarly, the aft portion of the hinge was drilled. Then the excess hinge material was cut, fitted and, of course, the parts deburred. Next the trailing edges. All three were fitted. Next the gusts and shear clips were installed and drilled.


 
Sep 07, 2020     Elevator Construction - (4.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
After the usual cutting, trimming, and deburring almost all of the elevator parts are ready for the initial fit check. The left and right elevators were constructed with the parts required per the drawings. This went well and now the preparation of the trim tab and aft foam ribs can begin to take place. Lots more to do on the elevator before riveting and glueing, but it's coming along nicely.


 
Sep 06, 2020     Elevator - (3.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
The left top and bottom elevator skin closeout tabs were each hand bent to 90 degrees. Be very careful here to identify and mark the bottom of each of the skins before you bend the closeout tabs. The trailing edges of the skins when secured to the workbench should slope upward and this will identify the top of the skins. The closeout tabs will then be bent downwards and that will be the bottom of the skin. The right rear spar was bevel trimmed per the drawing and the trim tab hinge had the fore and aft pieces identified and drilled per the drawing to number 40. The forward left spar had the identified #30 holes enlarged to 5/8 and 3/8 with a step drill bit. Finally, the front spars were deburred and clecoed to their respective skins.


 
Sep 05, 2020     Elevator Trim Tab - (2.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Fabricated the eight foam trailing edge elevator ribs and three foam trim tab ribs by applying spray adhesive to the face of the foam and placing copies of the trim lines on each of them. I set them aside to dry. While waiting for the adhesive to dry I removed the hatched areas on the close out tabs of the trim skins. I used cutters since the bandsaw wouldn't work in this area. Then I smoothed and deburred all the edges of the skins with the scotch bright wheel. Back to the trailing edge ribs. Now that the adhesive is dry I rough cut them to the trim lines on the bandsaw and then sanded them flush to the trim lines.


 
Sep 04, 2020     Elevator - (3.0 hours) Category: Empennage
Easy day working to separate the shear clips and deburring them. Then onto the tip ribs assembly and counterweight skins, where there were lots of deburring to do and opening up of the #30 and #40 holes. Luckily no fluting was required. I think deburring alone would account for 99% of the 51% rule:-)
 
Sep 03, 2020     Building the Elevator - (3.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
A busy time gathering all the parts then separating the ribs, deburring, and clecoing them together. All went smoothly, but getting everything deburred does take a lot of time to do it properly. All the edge surfaces required a variety of filing, sanding or scotch bright work. Some required all three. Not difficult, but tedious. This picture was taken a rush, but I'll have better ones later.


 
Sep 02, 2020     Vertical Stabilizer and Rudder - (2 hours) Category: Empennage
Since my kit was previously owned and owner built the vertical stab, I thought it prudent to inspect it. It took nearly and hour before I completed the inspection and gave it a thumbs up. The previous owner also started the rudder. He did rivet the stiffeners to the skins. The left one was okay and as noted previously I needed to do a new right rudder. The parts from Van's had arrived so I took them out of the box, inventoried them and began the build. I trimmed the stiffeners and then deburred them. I went to get the new right skin which was still taped to the box. I removed it from the box and started right in removing the tab at the top and trimming 3/32 inch off the top of the flange per the drawings. It went perfectly until I noticed skin looked just like the left one. Long story short, Van's had sent a left skin instead of the right one. I called them and they were great, the new part is already on it's way. The only trouble is they're on the west coast and I'm on the right. It's a long drive so it will be at least a week before I see it. So, I moved all the ruder parts to a storage location and decided to start on the elevator.
 
Aug 31, 2020     HS Complete, less fiberglas tips. - (3.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
The riveting of the HS skins is complete. The geometry of the rear spar and the skins prevented me from using the pneumatic squeezer, but the good old manual squeezer did just fine. A few ibuprofens and this builder will be fine. Next up, the right rudder.


 
Aug 30, 2020     Horizontal Stabilizer - Nearing completion! - (1.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
Squeeze riveted the inspar modified ribs and the end ribs to the rear spar. Pop riveted the remaining ribs to the rear spar. Also, solved the shop air issue. Last time, I left off with no shop air to the pneumatic tools. I found a worn out coupling. Replaced it with one purchased from the aviation aisle at Lowes. The coupler they sell is awesome, push to lock, click to unlock, looks great, easy to use, but as best as I can tell it doesn't cleanly accept varieties of male inserts. Thus when I installed it, I still wasn't getting air past the coupling. I replaced the fancy one with an old fashioned one and it worked fine. I also installed a second air line so I could use the pneumatic cleco tool in conjunction with the pneumatic squeezer. Evidently all male inserts aren't the same. If I could start with a clean sheet, I would use all Lowes parts. That would have solved the problem. Next time:-)


 
Aug 28, 2020     Right Rudder Parts - (2.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
After receiving the new right rudder parts, I've now separated the stiffeners, attach strips, shim, trim horn brace and the bottom rib. They have now been trimmed and deburred.


 
Aug 28, 2020     Rear Spar - (1.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
After clecoing the rear spar on the HS, I removed it so I could remove some tape I inadvertently left on the doubler to prevent aluminum filings from getting between the doubler and web. Then I reattached the rear spar on the HS assembly. The HS is ready for riveting however, I now have a problem with my air supply to the air tools. I believe one of the hose couplers is stuck in the closed position. We'll see.


 
Aug 27, 2020     Completed riveting the HS skin to the ribs and front spar. - (4 hours)       Category: Empennage
Paul and I completed riveting the HS skin to all the ribs, stringers and the front spar. We then placed the rear spar on top the assembly (notch at the bottom) and placed a few checks in it to hold it in place until we resume tomorrow. Honestly, it wasn't the best riveting job I've done, but it is safe and all rivets meet the specs for shop head size. There are a few small dings in the skin. Nothing bad, and nothing that a little Superfil won't fix.


 
Aug 26, 2020     More riveting of the HS. - (2.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Continued riveting on the riveting the spars and ribs to the HS skin


 
Aug 25, 2020     Right Rudder Build - (.5 hour) Category: Empennage
Since this was a previously owned kit I decided the included right rudder wasn't quite up to my standards so I began the build of the new right rudder. Today, I cut and deburred the rib clips.
 
Aug 25, 2020     More HS riveting - (2.5 hours) Category: Empennage
Continued to rivet the HS skin to the front spar and ribs. It's taking quite a bit of time to rivet this area due to it's inaccessibility, but it's getting done and is looking might fine.
 
Aug 24, 2020     Empennage Construction Techniques - (2.0 hours) Category: Empennage
Decided to see how others have built their empennage. Lots of different methods out there.
 
Aug 24, 2020     Riveting the HS-905 end ribs - (.5 hour) Category: Empennage
Had only a few minutes today but I managed to get the two end ribs riveted. Small steps, but at least it's moving forward.
 
Aug 23, 2020     Riveting the modified nose ribs and inspar ribs together - (.5 hour)       Category: Empennage
There are 10 fairly large rivets fastening the HS-904 and the HS-905 modified ribs together and to the front spar. Due to the angles that are inherent in the design, they are difficult to get to. The rivet squeezers, manual and pneumatic, would require a lot of modification in order to get in there, thus I was left with one choice and that was the good old rivet gun and bucking bar. Using an offset rivet set and the reliable tungsten bucking bar, we (my good friend Jeff R and I) managed to get the job done in quick order. Proving once again that good luck can offset bad skills One rivet is not too pretty, but its structurally sound. The other 9 are really good. Dodged a bullet here as drilling these bad boys out would have been difficult. So the shortest task gets the largest write up - go figure.


 
Aug 22, 2020     More HS riveting - (1.5 hours) Category: Empennage
Continued to rivet. Slow going due to tight quarters. But progress made nonetheless. The bottom forward spar to skin rivets are complete.
 
Aug 21, 2020     HS riveting - (1.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
Continuing to rivet the HS skin to the HS front spar


 
Aug 20, 2020     HS skin riveting - (4 hours) Category: Empennage
Paul and I continued clecoing and began riveting together, the HS skin and front spar assembly. This also included clecoing the center in-spar nose rib to the forward spar, HS skins and the in-spar ribs. There is very little space to get the job done as our arms are to almost to big to fit between the skins, but we got it started and it's going smoothly, but slowly.
 
Aug 19, 2020     Riveting the nose ribs to the HS skins - (2 hours)       Category: Empennage
With the help of my good friend Bob K we managed to get the nose ribs installed within the HS skins. Despite the tight access it was done smoothly and efficiently - okay, it was done with a lot of screaming and yelling and bloodletting. But it's done!


 
Aug 18, 2020     Ordered the Fuselage Kit - (3.0 hours) Category: Research
Reviewed the options and specs for what i wanted in the Fuselage. Decided on the Quick Build - 7 months lead time should allow me to finish the empennage and wing kits. Now to decided what to include and delete from the kit.
 
Aug 15, 2020     Riveting the Inspar Ribs - (4.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Riveted the in-spar ribs to the spar, except the two middle ones which get attached later. I also riveted the two end nose ribs to the forward spar. Fitted the HS skins into the cradles and clecod the nose ribs in place.


 
Aug 14, 2020     Riveting the stringers and ribs - (3.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
The 2 spar stringers and 2 inspar ribs were riveted to the stringer web. The assembly was then clecod to the forward spar with all the other inspar ribs and the two outboard ribs- which were also riveted to the spar.


 
Aug 13, 2020     Primed the stringers. - (.5 hour) Category: Empennage
Decision made; I'll prime only non al-clad parts as priming the already protected surfaces just adds weight and cost. Of course there will be exceptions and that's fine. So, my SEM primer arrived today and I gave the stringers a couple of coats. I'll let them dry overnight although the label says less than an hour.
 
Aug 12, 2020     Countersinking and re-dimpling the ribs - (1. hour) Category: Empennage
Short day- yet again. Completed countersinking the spars. Re-dimpled all the HS ribs with a subsurface dimple set. The subsurface dimplers create a slightly deeper dimple for the skins to rest in. A friend gave me the dimple set to test out and we'll see how it goes. I may have to order another tool:-)
 
Aug 11, 2020     Countersinking the HS Rear Spar - (1 hour)       Category: Empennage
Countersinking continues on the rear spar. Short day due to other committments.


 
Aug 10, 2020     HS Dimpling and Countersinking - (5.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Completed dimpling of the HS skins and completed countersinking of the forward spar leaving the rear spar to go. Note of caution: When using the C-Frame it is possible the die on the mandrel can come loose and adversely affect the subject skin leaving an unwanted dent. I suggest anyone using this setup consider taping the die to the mandrel to prevent this. The preferred tape of course would be duct tape. No need to ask how I know this:)


 
Aug 09, 2020     Dimpling & Countersinking - repeat thousands of times - (4.0 hours)       Category: Empennage
Began the dimpling of the HS skins and countersinking the HS front and rear spars. As usual, I ran into a few problems. After about a hundred countersinks my CS bit, bit the dust. So did my #40 dimple dies, apparent retainer ring failures as the dies fly off the C-Frame. I guess they're only good for about one aircraft. Anyway, new ones ordered from Aircraft Spruce. Meanwhile I'll have to borrow these from friends to keep the build going. I'm also teaching my friend Paul how these things are done. All in all, a good day getting things done and teaching new skills to my old buddy!


 
Aug 07, 2020     Deburring and Dimpling - (3.5 hours) Category: Empennage
I reexamined the ribs and decided it was best to flute the ribs. They were basically okay, but with little fluting they are now in perfect alignment. Now with fluting and deburring out of the way it's on to dimpling. All the HS inspar, front and HS ribs were marked to ID which rib holes to not dimple. The front ribs required a dimpling vise grip type tool to get into the front holes due to the limited clearance. The rest were easy, but time consuming to accomplish. With this complete, it was on to deburring the HS skins. Unlike my RV-7A build I decided to remove the blue film on the skins early in the process. Since this was initially a preowned kit, the blue film had been on for 7 years. Time to remove it! I then identified the holes to not dimple and clearly marked them. Also, I triple checked them to be certain they were correct. This is not the time to make an expensive mistake.
 
Aug 06, 2020     Completed Front Spar components deburring. - (6.0 hours) Category: Empennage
Finally, maybe, I think. I've completed the deburring of all the components for the front spar.
 
Aug 04, 2020     Completed front spar doubler and spar cap riveting. - (6 hours)       Category: Empennage
Completed riveting the spar caps to the spar as well as the doubler to the spar. After completing this riveting, I took to deburring all the HS inspar and front ribs. Modified two of the front and inspar ribs per the instructions.


 
Aug 03, 2020     HS Front Spar - (2.0 hours) Category: Empennage
Completed riveting of the front spar doubler to the front spar.
 
Aug 01, 2020     HS Front Spar - (2.0 hours) Category: Empennage
Began riveting the front spar doubler to the front spar. Taking a short hurricane break starting tomorrow so the remainder of the riveting will have to wait.
 
Jul 31, 2020     "Near" final drilling of front spar components - (2.0 hours) Category: Empennage
Completed final drilling, and countersinking of some front spar components. Primed the front spar doubler. Continued deburring front spar components.
 
Jul 30, 2020     Front spar caps - (4.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
Drilled and deburred both front spar caps. A couple of hundred precisely drilled and perfectly aligned holes. Only 10,000 more to go.


 
Jul 29, 2020     Horizontal Stabilizer Front Spar - (3 hours) Category: Empennage
Cut and deburred front spar caps and deburred the front spar and doubler.
 
Jul 27, 2020     Horizontal Stabilizer - (5 hours)       Category: Empennage
Completed the rear horizontal stabilizer spar, except for torquing the center bearing bolts.


 
Jul 26, 2020     Rudder inspection and Horizontal Stabilizer start - (5.5 hours)       Category: Empennage
July 24, finally getting underway! Since this was a 'pre-owned kit', a close and detailed inspection of the completed parts was accomplished. The vertical stab looked okay as did the left rudder. The right rudder however, was not up to my standards. I ordered the new parts from Van's and switched gears to start on the horizontal stabilizer. July 25/26 The doubler was deburred and then primed. The horizontal spar deburring took a little longer to do but it was completed just as the paint dried on the doubler. Clecoed them together and drilled the remaining holes. Then temporarily installed the hinge brackets for final drilling.


 
Jul 21, 2020     Found, purchased and picked up the kit. Thank you Rob and VAF! - (12 hours)       Category: Research
Found an empennage and wing kit for sale on VAF on 7/17. Bought it and picked it up on the 18th. The empennage was barely started with about 50 hours of build time on the vertical stab and rudder. My hangar is now being cleaned and prepped for the build, which should start in earnest after the EAA Together week!


 


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