Mar 31, 2024     getting a wing done - (10 hours)       Category: Wings

Getting close to the first wing. (the second is staged but I want to finish this one first). I still need to do the plumbing for the fuel tanks, it looks pretty clear.

  Mar 12, 2024     Strut doubler - (1 hour)       Category: Wings

Figured out the strut doubler. The photo guide was less than clear and I lost a part (well, I'm sure it's in a box somewhere). Pretty much like the rest, not hard once I figure out left from right, etc...

  Feb 14, 2024     Bottom Skins - (4 hours)       Category: Wings

Rolling now. Got all the bottom skins on the first wing today. Pretty easy. Gonna break for the day and think a lot before riveting.

  Feb 14, 2024     Nose rib - (12 hours)       Category: Wings

I got stuck right as i took my break and it took a while to get going again. Basically, I have the new wings, and the original plans. I got the new plans from Zenith and made a bunch of progress but got stumped on the last one. Calls and video exchange with Zenith finally got me back on track. And the bottom skin is done. Zenith support (Roger) is amazing.

  Feb 14, 2024     starting again Category: Thoughts....

So finally am going again. A long delay and then additional delay since my wife wanted to park in the garage at the new house. So we built a carriage house with a 2.5 car garage that's my new workshop. :) Wow, just checked the log, 3 years.... :(

Back on the roll...

  Sep 05, 2022     moved Category: Thoughts....

OK, finished the move, should see progress again shortly.

  Jul 01, 2022     ...and then we decided to move Category: Thoughts....

After building the garage, We decided to sell our company and chill for a while. And move... Just across town, but it seems like I'm starting over again.

6 months later, and just getting back to it.

  Mar 01, 2022     Garage is done! Category: Thoughts....

Finally done. Now to get organized and back on track....

  Dec 01, 2021     Garage update Category: Thoughts....

Garage is going to be nice, but supply chain drama is killing us. Garage door and windows are the last parts. Windows are not stopping things but the garage door is. After 15 weeks the door arrived...broken... They are trying to find repair panels, if not we'll need a new one, potentially another 15 weeks. Gurrrr....

  Oct 06, 2021     delay Category: Thoughts....

FWIW, long delay. Need space so we're adding a garage to our current house. Going from 2 to 3 car garage. It's gonna be great...but... construction of the garage caused a hard stop on the plane. Should be going again in Nov....

  Mar 28, 2021     Wing Skeltons - (18 hours)       Category: Wings

Put the wing skeletons together. First one was not too hard, second one as a breeze.

A lot of riveting planned after work this week, will start on the skins & internals next.

My pile of loose parts is shrinking :)

  Mar 07, 2021     reading is fundemental Category: Thoughts....

The old school mantra is measure twice, cut once.

An OK thought but incomplete. I realized most of my mistakes are reading the plans too fast, thinking I understand when I really don't.

My new Mantra "Read 3 times, measure twice, and cut once".

  Mar 07, 2021     Wing Skelton ribs & spars - (4.0 hours)       Category: Wings

So got organized and re-started on the wings. Getting organized was key, lots of parts with similar numbers and they are too big to just lay out on the bench. Not really difficult, but as the parts get bigger, more thought to organization is needed.

Kinda fun.

  Feb 13, 2021     Starting.... - (4 hours)       Category: Wings

Ummmmm.....

Got these done and couldn't find the ribs to attach them to. Called the mother ship and found I had the new wings and the old plans. :( Don't need these after all.

O well.....
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Cleaned up after the elevator build and got things going on the wings.

The first task was fabricating some rib attaching thingies. A lot of measuring and cutting for such small pieces, but mostly pretty easy and satisfying. A bit confusing in the build guide, the words say measure from the left and the pictures are on the right. It's just a different perspective. So I guess now it's read 3 times, measure twice, and cut once. It works.

Prior to starting I cleared out the shop thinking I'd be dealing with large parts, but actually it looks like it had more small parts. We'll see.

  Jan 27, 2021     Elevator done! - (3.5 hours)       Category: Horizontal Tail

Well the elevator is done. Took more thinking than the other parts, but not too bad. I didn't install the trim motor yet and I'm not going to mate it to the stabilator yet to make it easier to store. that comes later

Now the wings... :)

  Jan 24, 2021     Ready for rivets - (3 hours)       Category: Horizontal Tail

Nose skins in place, everything drilled and deburred. Next step is riveting it all together -- the fun part :)

  Jan 21, 2021     elevator nose skins - (2 hours)       Category: Horizontal Tail

wrangled the nose skins in place. A multi-person job to be sure.

  Jan 04, 2021     More progress on elevator - (8 hours)       Category: Horizontal Tail

*Poof* a month gone. So I got distracted waiting on the elevator hinge pins, they came in quickly but with the holidays I did nothing.... A month gone.

Finally used some down time to get back on track. Pretty much got the elevator done. Screwed up trimming the nose skins so I needed replacements. So I ordered them. The trim tab is done, all that remains is to correctly install the nose skins and put the pieces together.

A good weekend and we'll be ready for the wings. Took some time, build some shelves, and cleared out some space for the bigger parts.

  Nov 30, 2020     trim tab part 2 - (1.5 hours) Category: Horizontal Tail

Got most of the trim tab done. Running out of things to do until I get the hinge pins in.

  Nov 28, 2020     Trim Tab started - (1.5 hours) Category: Horizontal Tail

Can't find the hinge pins for the elevator. :(

Ordered new ones (2@10.25) and did what I could on the elevator to that point. Elevator almost done.

Started on the trim tab. Looks pretty easy....Jinx....

  Nov 21, 2020     Elevator skinned - (6 hours)       Category: Horizontal Tail

Good day. Got the wiring for the trim done and got the skin on and drilled out. Pretty smooth, no drama today. :)

  Nov 15, 2020     Stickers Category: Thoughts....

The Kit parts are very well organized and clearly labeled. But the stickers were glued to the parts by the devil himself. "Goof-off" to get most of it off and acetone for clean-up and lots of elbow grease is the only thing I've found that works. Surely there must be a better way...

  Nov 11, 2020     Started on the Elevator - (2 hours)       Category: Horizontal Tail

Got started on the elevator. Found all the parts, Zinc Chromate on the Spar & Ribs. Drilled out and cleco'ed the parts together. No drama so far....

  Nov 10, 2020     EAA benches... Category: Thoughts....

...really are as good as people say.

  Nov 10, 2020     Rivets & Holes Category: Thoughts....

People keep telling me not to worry too much about making a mistake on a rivet. You can just drill it out and fix it.

OK, when I made my first mistake I found out it actually was as easy as they said.

But my actual mistake was putting the hole in the wrong place. It's hard to repair a hole. I had to order a new doubler and start over. Fortunately Zenith is kind and it was less than $10 and a week, so I learned an easy lesson.

  Nov 10, 2020     A new category - Thoughts Category: Thoughts....

So I thought I'd create a place for my random thoughts...

  Nov 10, 2020     Stabilizer - (20 hours)       Category: Horizontal Tail

Finally got the stabilizer done. We had a few more problems than we expected. First we skinned the top as the plans say, it went well, but then we couldn't get the bottom skin over the front brackets. When I called ZA they suggested removing them from the skeleton and then re-attaching them through the skin. That seemed awkward to me since it would be a really confined space. So we removed the top skin and fit it over the brackets then reattached it. it took a while and some aligning but it worked. Then we just had to button up the bottom and all is well... :)

Now for the Elevator.

  Oct 02, 2020     Parts Category: Horizontal Tail

Had to buy a replacement lower front doubler and a bunch of extra 1/4 angle....

  Sep 26, 2020     Completed Stabilizer Skeleton - (8 hours)       Category: Horizontal Tail

Completed the stabilizer skeleton. Pretty straight forward.

  Sep 16, 2020     Rudder done! - (4 hours)       Category: Tail - Rudder

Rudder is done! The last part was very easy. The pneumatic rivet puller is an awesome tool... :)

Learned a lot, towards the end things more or less became clear. On-On.

  Sep 13, 2020     Rudder - (5 hours)       Category: Tail - Rudder

Got the replacement bent tab and fixed the top rib. Skinned the main rudder. Installed the nose skin, drilled it, removed and trimmed it. Next session I'll clean up the edges, debur, reinstall the nose skin and rivet it together. Rudder almost done.

  Sep 07, 2020     Spars and doublers - (3 hours) Category: Horizontal Tail

Attached the doublers to the rear spar and the upper doubler to the front spar. Lots of holes...

Pretty easy.

  Sep 06, 2020     Skinning the rudder - (2 hours) Category: Tail - Rudder

Started to put the skin on the rudder. Took a bit to get the ribs aligned with the holes but it came together until the top rib. Realized I misread the instructions and attached the bent tab to the wrong spot and the skin doesn't align. So.... Removing rivets is easy, removing holes in the wrong spot is not. So, ordering a new bent tab.

Easy and cheap lesson.

  Sep 05, 2020     Finished Rudder Skeleton - (2.5 hours)       Category: Tail - Rudder

Finished assembling the rudder skeleton. All riveted and ready for skin

  Aug 27, 2020     Rudder build - (4 hours)       Category: Tail - Rudder

Built the rudder skelton to cleco stage. Took a little long, measuring 5 times before cutting or drilling. Getting more comfortable reading plans & stuff.

  Jul 29, 2020     Delivery - (4 hours)       Category: Workshop

Got the Kit today. Showed up early without a call so me and the kids had to get it off the truck. The journey begins.

  Jun 06, 2020     EAA Chapter 100 workbench - (8 hours)       Category: Workshop

Each kid built an EAA chapter 100 workbench to get going