Aug 25, 2023     Radio antenna and strut fairings       Category: Misc

My flight testing has progressed a bit. I started with regular taxiing around on the apron, then high speed taxiing on the runway, then air taxiing (crow hopping) down the runway, and now I've been around the pattern quite a few times. My maiden flight was on July 27 and all went well. I've been using my handheld radio with the rubber antenna for communication but it's been quite noisy so I decided to install an external antenna out on the leading edge of the wing. Since I had to disconnect the front wing strut to install the antenna mounting bracket I decided to install my strut fairings while I was at it. I also installed the gear leg fairings. I have wheel pants that I will install later.

  Jun 22, 2023     Officially done!       Category: Misc

I think most builders probably say you are never done, and I tend to agree, but at this point I'm going to say I am officially finished with my build. I had a few ultralight friends from the local EAA chapter come over and give it a once over to make sure I didn't miss anything. I bought the EAA Flight Test Manual and will follow it as much as it applies to ultralights as I transition from building to flying. I took some training lessons from Bill Bardin in Lodi, CA and he gave me the basics to get started.

  Jun 21, 2023     Root rib modification - (1 hour)       Category: Wings

The front engine muffler mounting bolt was coming in contact with the upper wing surface so I had to modify the root rib to create some space. Dennis at Aerolite sent me a picture of what the modified rib should look like and I hand bent it to match. Once re-installed, it provided the necessary space.

  Jun 16, 2023     EAA registration number - (1 hour)       Category: Paint / Decals

I took advantage of EAA's ultralight registration process and received E022DD. I ordered 3" numbers from Aircraft Spruce and applied them on both sides of the lower front windshield area.

  Jun 12, 2023     More finishing touches - (2 hours)       Category: Misc

After I re-verified control surface throws, I install tie-wraps on the teleflex cable end fittings to prevent them from accidentally disconnecting. I installed safety wire on the rudder control cable turnbuckles. I used the double wrap spiral method according to the FAA acceptable methods advisory circular. I also measured and marked each gallon on the "fuel gauge" tube.

  Jun 08, 2023     Assorted finishing touches - (2 hours)       Category: Misc

I had a fuel leak from the original fuel line petcock so I replaced it. I installed the throttle stop. It includes using several washers to set peak rpm and allows for adjusting by adding or removing washers incase you make carburetor or prop pitch adjustments. I installed the wing gap cover which attaches to the upper wing surfaces by velcro. You need to tie-wrap the front so airflow during flight doesn't strip it off.

  Jun 01, 2023     Final assembly       Category: Misc

This week I got everything re-assembled. Labeled all wiring and switches. Re-attached wings and tail. Installed jury struts. Cotter pinned all castle nuts and tie wrapped the cables on tail boom. Almost ready for flight testing!

  May 24, 2023     Move to hangar       Category: Misc

Today I got everything moved to the hangar.

  May 08, 2023     Windscreen and nosecone install - (3 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Today I installed the windscreen and nosecone. It was a very tight fit and I had a hard time attaching the lower windscreen fairing to the windscreen. I had to use a lot of elbow grease and masking tape to hold things together. The lower fairing and nosecone are attached with double-sided tape and then riveted at strategic locations. Trim tape is added along the edges. Turned out pretty good after all of the effort.

  May 05, 2023     Hangar acquired!!!       Category: Misc

Sharing a t-hangar at the local airport. Previous tenant hasn't used the hangar for months so pretty dirty. He still has a bunch of stuff he's been storing there. I cleaned up a bit and cleared a corner where I put a table & chair, storage cabinet, and work surface.

  Mar 31, 2023     Hangar Space (maybe?) Category: Misc

I got a lead on possibly sharing a hangar at the local airport.

  Mar 01, 2023     Hangar space??? Category: Misc

I'm having trouble finding hangar space. I've been an EAA member for many years but I just recently joined the local EAA chapter. Besides knowing that I will enjoy working with the group to support their projects, I'm hoping they can help me find hangar space in the area.

  Jan 23, 2023     I give up on parachute! Category: Misc

A year was long enough to wait for my parachute so I cancelled my order and got my money back. Not sure if I'm going to fly without it or order one from BRS.

  Dec 04, 2022     Where's my parachute? Category: Misc

November came and went and still no parachute. In a word, discouraging.

  Oct 25, 2022     Still waiting on parachute Category: Misc

End of October and I'm still waiting on my ballistic parachute. I haven't done anything since I broke-in the engine. I'm supposed to receive my parachute sometime in November. Looks like I might not get to fly until after winter weather passes.

  Aug 06, 2022     Engine break-in Category: Engine

I started the engine break-in process today. I ran into some CHT and EGT issues. Probably due to mixture screw settings on the carburetor and the limited cooling airflow over the cylinders. The EGT's got hot enough to peel the paint on the muffler but a lot of that was due to the paint not being "high temp" paint. I also had a fuel leak near the fuel tank either from the inline fuel valve or maybe a loose fitting. I didn't like the fuel valve anyway so I ordered a better one and also plan to replace some of the fuel lines in that area.

  Jul 15, 2022     Fuel & 2-stroke oil       Category: Fuel System

Today I picked up a 5 gallon pail of Sunoco fuel that I will use to break in the engine. It is their Optima unleaded blend that is 95 octane (98 RON) and contains no ethanol. It is very expensive especially with the overall increase in fuel costs these days. But, it is pretty much impossible to find a gas station with gas that doesn't have ethanol here in California. Once I'm actually flying, I'll have to find a less costly alternative. I also bought some Amsoil synthetic 2-stroke oil.

  Jul 13, 2022     Fuel lines - (1 hour)       Category: Fuel System

Today I finalized the fuel line routing. The instructions call for shrouding the main fuel line from the fuel tank with an additional plastic tube. This required splitting this larger tube so that it can be placed around the fuel line. I then placed stand-offs where necessary and secured everything with tie wraps. I also routed the smaller fuel lines to the primer plunger a little bit different than I originally had them so that they stay clear of the flap actuator and bell crank.

  Jul 10, 2022     More wiring - (2 hours)       Category: Panel/Electrical

Today I finished connecting up all of the wiring and tidied things up a bit. I added shrink tubing to all the butt connectors. I also added some self adhesive tie wrap anchors on the root tube to keep the wiring organized. I put terminations on the CHT and EGT leads from the EIS unit and then connected them to the probes from the engine. I also connected the tachometer lead to one of the spark plug wires and the ground lead under an exhaust manifold bolt. I also tested the flap actuator to make sure the bell crank on top of the root tube didn't come in contact with any wires. I then connected the battery and tested the strobe light and turned on the EIS unit and set all of the parameters. Next I need to finish up the fuel lines and get them tidied up too. Then I will be able to start the engine and do the initial break in process.

  Jul 07, 2022     Wiring - (2 hours)       Category: Panel/Electrical

Today I ran the wiring from the instrument panel to the root tube. I enclosed the wiring in wire loom to keep things neat. I installed the velcro strips for the windscreen attachment before I tie wrapped the wiring to the front aluminum tube. I also attached my fuse box to the root tube and ran several wires to switches.

  Jul 02, 2022     Tiny Tach - (.5 hour)       Category: Panel/Electrical

Today I installed a Tiny Tach unit. I just found out that the tachometer feature in the EIS does not work with the MZ201 engine!!! They use the Tiny Tach instead which is included in the engine install kit. I knew it was there but figured I wouldn't need to use it because I had the EIS unit. I wish I would have known earlier because I would have been able to plan for it in my panel design. Since I'm not going to remove my panel and take it all apart to cut a new flush mount hole for the Tiny Tach I decided to surface mount it to the right of the EIS unit. There was just enough room. I also prepped the EIS wiring harness for installation. I labeled the wires to make installation easier. I had to insert the pinned wire from the warning light into the DB25 connector and then I heat shrinked the wires and assembled the connector.

  Jun 30, 2022     Instrument panel installation - (.5 hour)       Category: Panel/Electrical

Today I installed the instrument panel in the fuselage. The first step was to run the tie-wraps through the anchors on the back of the panel. A short piece of plastic tubing is used to provide a "stand off" when the panel is attached to the fuselage aluminum tubing. Next I installed the panel in the fuselage. The next step will be to wire the EIS.

  Jun 28, 2022     Instrument panel assembly - (1 hour)       Category: Panel/Electrical

Today I assembled the instrument panel. The panel itself will be attached to the fuselage tubes with tie-wraps so the first step is to attach the tie-wrap anchors to the edge of the panel. Besides the adhesive backing, the anchors are attached with rivets. Next I installed all of the instruments. The EIS came with screws and KEPS nuts so I attached the rest of the instruments with the same.

  Jun 26, 2022     Paint instrument panel - (1 hour)       Category: Panel/Electrical

Today I painted my instrument panel. I used Rust-oleum self etching primer and matte black paint. I roughed up the surface with 600 grit sandpaper and then applied three coats of each. It turned out pretty good. I'll let it cure for a few days and then I'll install the instruments and attach everything to the fuselage.

  Jun 16, 2022     Engine temperature probes - (.5 hour)       Category: Engine

While I'm waiting on paint to finish up the instrument panel I decided to install the temperature probes on the engine. This includes CHT (cylinder head temperature) and EGT (exhaust gas temperature) probes. The two CHT probes are the "gasket type" that have a circular thermocouple that is mounted under one of the spark plugs on each cylinder. The two EGT probes come with compression fittings that are inserted into threaded ports in the exhaust manifold. These probes will eventually be wired to the EIS (engine information system) on the panel.

  Jun 12, 2022     Panel cutouts - (3 hours)       Category: Panel/Electrical

Today I cut out all of the holes in the panel for the instruments. I started out by center punching all of the drilling locations and then removed the layout drawing. I then drilled the center pilot hole for the round instruments. I used my adjustable circle cutter to cut out the instrument holes. I then drilled the mounting screw holes for all of the instruments. Next I drilled a small hole in the corners of the square holes I needed to cut for the EIS and slip indicator. These holes will provide some stress relief to help prevent any cracking in the panel. I then drilled larger holes for the starting points so I could use my jigsaw table to cut out the square holes. After that I used a file and emery cloth to bevel the sharp edges and clean everything up. Now I'm waiting on some matte black paint from Brownell's so I can paint the panel.

  Jun 09, 2022     Panel layout - (2 hours)       Category: Panel/Electrical

I finished laying out my panel today. The Aerolite 103 panel is pretty small but you don't really need much for ultralights. I started out months ago with a mock-up using a sheet of coroplast and scaled pictures of all of the instruments I planned to use. Once I had all of the instruments in hand and had all of the mounting templates, I used my CAD program to draw everything up and position things where I want them. Now I have the drawing taped to the blank panel so I know exactly where all of the hole locations are.

  Jun 09, 2022     Grand Rapids EIS       Category: Panel/Electrical

I finally received my Grand Rapids Technologies EIS (engine information system). I've been waiting on this so I can build my panel and then break-in my engine. They were in short supply for quite awhile I think due to supply chain issues. This instrument will give me tachometer, CHT, EGT, engine hours, flight timer, altitude, vertical speed and a few other things. The other instruments I included on my panel are an analog airspeed indicator and altimeter and a slip indicator.

  Mar 29, 2022     Install exhaust - (2 hours)       Category: Engine

I finally received my exhaust so I installed it today. The exhaust ports are sealed with foil tape for shipping so the first step is to remove the bolts, gaskets, and the foil tape. Next is to bolt up the exhaust manifold. The bolts are torqued to 15ft/lbs. Then the muffler is mounted to the engine flat bars using rubber mounts just like the engine mounts. A ball type connection is used between the exhaust manifold and the muffler. This provides a flexible joint to combat vibration fatigue. Three springs hold the joint together. Once the springs are attached, safety wire is installed through them so that if a spring breaks during flight it won't go through the prop. A bead of high-temp RTV silicone is applied as an added precaution to hold everything together and to help dampen vibration in the spring and safety wire.

  Mar 13, 2022     Throttle return spring       Category: Misc

Today I installed a secondary throttle return spring. The original throttle return spring on the shaft isn't strong enough to pull the throttle cable back to idle so it is necessary to install a secondary spring. The stainless tang is mounted to the face of the fuel pump at one of the mounting screw positions using a bushing and a replacement screw. Next, a small hole is drilled through the throttle cable lever. Then the spring is installed between the stainless tang and the throttle lever. The parts were all supplied by Aerolite.

  Mar 10, 2022     Brake fluid & gear oil - (1 hour)       Category: Misc

Today I added the brake fluid to the hand brake system and gear oil to the reduction drive. The hydraulic disc brakes are Black Max made by Free Bird Innovations. They call for using ATF rather than brake fluid. The hand brake cylinder has a fill plug and the disc caliper has a bleed screw. Pretty standard process to fill and bleed the lines. The propeller speed reduction gearbox calls for using 85W-140 gear oil. The vent, drain, and two fill level plugs are setup for both upright and inverted engine installations. Vent plug on top, drain plug on bottom, and use the lower fill level plug. Simply remove the vent plug and the lower fill level plug and add gear oil until it starts seeping out the fill level hole.

  Mar 08, 2022     Adjust propeller blade pitch - (1.5 hours)       Category: Propeller

My Warp Drive propeller is ground adjustable so today I set the propeller blade pitch to 10.5 degrees which is the recommended starting point. I rotated each blade to the the left with the leading edge up and leveled it at the root before making the adjustment so that each blade pitch was measured at the same point in the prop arc. Prop pitch is measured in relation to the hub so first I measured the hub and then "zeroed" my gauge and then I adjusted the prop pitch at the tip of the blade to 10.5 degrees and snugged the clamping bolts to hold the blade in place before I rotated to the next blade. Once I had all three blades set I torqued the clamping bolts. This was done in 30 in/lbs increments on each blade until they were all torqued to 120 in/lbs. The prop shaft flange is threaded and the mounting bolts are torqued to 180 in/lbs in 30 in/lbs increments. There is a lock nut on the back side of the mounting bolts instead of needing safety wire on the bolt heads. I torqued the lock nuts to 120 in/lbs.

  Feb 21, 2022     Install fuel hoses and throttle cable - (2 hours)       Category: Fuel System

Today I installed the fuel hose from the the fuel tank to the carburetor and the fuel pump pulse line from the crankcase to the carburetor. I also installed the throttle cable. This required routing the cable housing tube from the carburetor to the the throttle lever and then cutting it to length and riveting a clamp to the seat. Then I inserted the cable in the housing and swaged it to the throttle lever.

  Feb 20, 2022     Propeller assembly - (1 hour)       Category: Propeller

Today I also assembled the propeller and attached it to engine. The prop is a ground adjustable 3-blade composite prop from Warp Drive. I'm not sure what the blade pitch should be so I will set that later.

  Feb 20, 2022     Primer plunger - (.5 hour)       Category: Fuel System

Another task I did today was plumbed the primer plunger to the carburetor.

  Feb 20, 2022     Switches - (1 hour)       Category: Engine

One task I finished today was connecting the engine wiring harness to the switches. First I had to build the connector assembly that plugs into the harness. This involved terminating one end of five wires with a female pin which is inserted into the plug and terminating the other end of the wires with a butt connector or ring connector. I then made the connections to the ignition switches and the engine master switch.

  Feb 15, 2022     More wiring - (2 hours)       Category: Engine

Today I continued with engine wiring. This included installation of the battery as well as wiring to the starter, starter relay, starter switch, master switch, capacitor, and regulator/rectifier..

  Feb 14, 2022     Installing engine ignition components and wiring harness - (2 hours)       Category: Engine

Today I installed several engine ignition components and the engine wiring harness. I started by building the CDI module. This included assembling the mount, attaching the CDI modules to the mount, and attaching the module to the right engine mounting plate. Next I attached the starter relay and the regulator/rectifier to the left engine mounting plate. I then temporarily tie-wrapped the wiring harness to the root tube and started connecting the appropriate leads together. The ground connection point is made by first drilling out a couple rivets on a root tube gusset plate and then installing a bolt and nut to connect the ground wires.

  Feb 12, 2022     Engine mounting - (2 hours)       Category: Engine

Today I mounted my Fiate MZ201 engine. The first step in mounting the engine to the airframe is to install the mounting plates which are set to a negative 4 degrees relative to the root tube. The mounting plate has a single pilot hole and you have to back drill three additional holes after you have the angle set. I clamped everything together with the flat bars to keep everything level. I then removed the engine from the shipping crate which took quite a bit of time. The engine is attached to a metal shipping frame and I almost had to disassemble the entire crate before I could get it out. I then installed the rubber shock mounts on the flat bars and attached them to the engine. Next I got my son to help me lift the engine on to the mounting plate and tightened all the nuts.

  Feb 10, 2022     Disassembly - (4 hours) Category: Misc

Next big step is installing the engine. This requires some drilling on the root tube so I have to remove the wings. Since I have to disassemble everything at some point to move the plane from my home shop to the hangar, I decided to go ahead and do it all today. I detached the horizontal stabs from the tail but kept the elevators attached. I then detached the entire tail assembly. Next I detached the ailerons and flaps from the wings. I then detached the lift struts and then the entire wing assemblies. I'll have to figure out how to safely store everything for a few weeks/months. Now I have the bare airframe without any obstructions which will simplify installing the engine and all of its wiring, controls and plumbing.

  Feb 09, 2022     Rigging ailerons and flaps - (1.5 hours)       Category: Controls

Today I adjusted the aileron and flap deflections. This requires a jig to lock the yolk in place. You can borrow a jig from the factory but I made my own. Once the yolk is locked, you adjust the ailerons so that they are 1 degree more than the root tube angle. Pretty easy to do with a digital angle gauge that lets you zero the root tube angle. Once the adjustment was correct I tightened the jam nuts on the cable ends. I followed the same process for the flaps which are 3 degrees more than the root tube angle.

  Feb 04, 2022     Attach ailerons and flaps - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings

Today I attached the ailerons and flaps to the rear spar. This was exactly the same process as attaching the elevators. I then connected the teleflex control cables. I also reconnected the upper tail boom tubes to the rear spar.

  Feb 03, 2022     Wing rigging - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

The first thing I did today was rivet the inboard end of the wing covers to the spars. This anchors the covers so that you can remove the temporary ratchet straps. I then installed the aileron and flap hinges on the rear spar. This was pretty much exactly like the tail surfaces. There is a velcro strip along the rear spar that provides a gap seal for the ailerons and flaps so I had to cutout a section for the hinges. I then riveted all eight hinges. I also installed the aileron teleflex control cables in the wings. They are already connected to the control yolk at the factory so all I had to do is run them through a pre-installed conduit in the wing out to the cable clamp. I had already installed the flap teleflex control cables in the wing before so I also connected them to their clamps.

  Feb 01, 2022     Wing covers (continued) - (2 hours) Category: Wings

Today I did the same tasks on the right wing that I did on the left wing yesterday (see below).

  Jan 31, 2022     Wing covers (continued) - (3 hours)       Category: Wings

Today I continued working on the wing covers. I installed all of the lower wing ribs in both wings. I then focused on the left wing. I finished the wing tip ribs which included safety wiring. I then cut the openings in the wing cover for the aileron, flap and rear jury strut attach points. Then I located all of the rivet and bolt locations in the front and rear spars and burned holes through the wing cover with a soldering iron. Next I cut the openings for the front and rear lift strut gusset plates and attached them.

  Jan 30, 2022     Wing covers - (3 hours)       Category: Wings

Today I installed the wing covers and inserted the upper ribs. First I had to disconnect the tail section upper boom tubes from the rear spars and detach the lift struts and remove the upper front and rear lift strut gusset plates so that I could slide the covers on the wings. You have to be careful not to let anything get snagged as you side the covers on from the wing tip to the root. There are straps at the root that connect the wing covers together. You have to raise and lower each wing several times as you tighten up the straps until the covers are tight and the gap in the middle is the correct width. Ratchet straps at the leading and trailing edges helps to pull things tight. I then installed the upper wing ribs. The ribs are passed through a slit on the bottom of the wing cover and slipped into rib pockets that are sewn on the inside of the wing covers. This was a very tedious process but the result was pretty good. Next I will finish installing the specialized wing tip ribs and the lower ribs.

  Jan 27, 2022     Replacement wing covers       Category: Wings

My replacement wing covers finally arrived so now I can continue the build. My engine also arrived. A Fiate MZ201 2-cylinder 2-stroke air cooled engine with geared reduction. Still waiting for the exhaust system, Grand Rapids EIS unit, and ballistic parachute.

  Nov 07, 2021     Rudder control cable - (2 hours)       Category: Controls

Today I connected the rudder control cables. I used a bracket I found sitting on a shelf leftover from some power tool to hold the rudder pedals parallel and a couple aluminum tent poles to hold the rudder in line with the vertical stabilizer. The cables are attached to the rudder pedals at the factory so the builder only has to attach the other end to the rudder. I attached the turnbuckles to the control horn and ran the cables through the eyelets and swaged two connectors on each cable. I finished up with heat shrink tube to seal everything and adjusted the turnbuckles to tension the cable. I'm not installing safety wire or cotter pins at this time because I will have to partially disassemble all of this when I move the plane to the airport.

  Nov 05, 2021     Elevator adjustment - (1 hour)       Category: Controls

Today I adjusted the elevators. I used a combination square as a fixture to set the control column 90 degrees to the cockpit boom tube. I then adjusted each elevator to be level with the horizontal stabilizers.

  Nov 04, 2021     Rudder and elevators - (1 hour)       Category: Tail Feathers

Today I attached the rudder to the vertical stabilizer and attached the elevators to the horizontal stabilizers. Besides the hinges, there is a velcro gap seal that attaches the control surfaces. I also connected the teleflex control cables to the elevators and made rough adjustments to get them in-line with each other. I also assembled the turnbuckles for the rudder control cables in preparation for setting that up next. Aerolite has fixtures available that builders can borrow to hold the control column and rudder pedals in a neutral position while making final adjustments to the control cables. I'll probably make my own fixtures rather than borrowing theirs and having to deal with shipping.

  Nov 03, 2021     Tail assembly - (3 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Aerolite says based on my weight and my engine selection that 5.0 degrees on my horizontal stabilizer will be ok so I continued setting up my tail assembly. After making sure the vertical stabilizer was "square" I riveted the sleeves to the upper tail booms and riveted the 1" support tubes to the u-brackets on the sleeves. I then attached the horizontal stabilizers to the vertical stabilizer and connected the support tubes. I adjusted the rod ends to make both the leading and trailing edges of the horizontal stabilizers level. I then installed the brackets attaching the horizontal stabilizers to the upper boom tubes. All of this creates a very rigid tail structure considering it is so light.

  Oct 30, 2021     Upper boom tube sleeves - (1 hour)       Category: Tail Feathers

Today I started with the tail assembly. Normally this is done after the wings are covered but since I'm waiting I thought I would try to make some progress. I attached the 1" u-brackets to the 6" sleeves and then began setting up to rivet the sleeves to the upper boom tubes. This setup requires verifying the horizontal stabilizer angle of attack as compared to the wing root tube. The tolerance is between 3.5 and 4.5 degrees. Mine was at 5.0 degrees. Now I have to figure out why that is and how to fix it???

  Oct 25, 2021     Strobe light       Category: Lighting

The only light I have is an LED strobe light from Kuntzleman. Ultralights do not require any lighting but adding a strobe makes you more visible to other aircraft. It also allows you to legally fly a half hour before sunrise and half hour after sunset.

  Oct 24, 2021     Miscellaneous stuff - (1 hour)       Category: Misc

I decided I didn't want to accept that the bottom surface of the wing covers was all black. I contacted Aerolite and they determined that it was ordered from the sail maker correctly and didn't know why they made it like they did. He said he would have them remake it correctly and it would take a few weeks. So, I slid the covers back off the wings and I'm pretty much on hold until I get the new covers. Today I started looking for some other small tasks I could do. I installed my LED strobe light, attached rod ends to the horizontal stabilizer supports, took a look at the engine installation package, and attached the ball ends on the control surface horns.

  Oct 22, 2021     Wing covering - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

Today I started the wing covering process. First step was to install the flap teleflex control cables clamping them down at the inboard end and temporarily tie wrapping at the outboard end. I then unrolled the covers that have still been in the box till now and was surprised that the underside was all black instead of dark green with black leading edge like the top side (not what I ordered). I detached the lift struts and removed the upper gusset plates and then slid the covers on the wing being careful not to let it get snagged on anything.

  Oct 21, 2021     Finalize lift struts assembly - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

Today I finished assembly of the lift struts. Last week I posted about installing the lift strut "rig jigs" which are a temporary connection that then allows you to adjust washout. Today I made the adjustments to washout (which is actually zero degrees) and then back drilled the remaining holes in the lift struts and bolted and riveted everything together. A lot of time spent back and forth rechecking the washout between each step to make sure it was just right.

  Oct 20, 2021     Replace spar and re-attach wing - (3 hours)       Category: Wings

Today I replaced the wing rear spar. I drilled out the rivet heads being careful not to enlarge the holes. Once I had the defective spar removed and the new one in position I inserted a long rod through the root tube attachment holes to keep them inline. I used ratchet straps to hold it all together. I then drilled all of the rivet holes in the new spar and used clecos to secure everything as I went. After insuring everything was good I riveted it all back together. I then re-attached the wing and the front and rear lift struts.

  Oct 19, 2021     Spar replacement - level the work surface - (1 hour)       Category: Wings

My replacement spar arrived yesterday so today I setup my work surfaces and made sure everything was level in all directions.

  Oct 17, 2021     Aileron cable clamps - (1 hour)       Category: Wings

Today I also installed the cable lock clamps for the aileron teleflex control cables on the wing assemblies.

  Oct 17, 2021     Elevator cable clamps - (1 hour)       Category: Tail Feathers

Today I installed the cable lock clamps for the elevator teleflex control cables on the horizontal stabilizers

  Oct 16, 2021     Wing lift strut "rig jig" - (1 hour)       Category: Wings

I received the upper sleeves for the rear lift struts that were back ordered so I completed the temporary connection of the lift struts to the wings. The upper connection points of the lift struts come from the factory with a hole only drilled on one side so that washout can be adjusted and everything can be set before you back drill the other side and install a through bolt and rivet the upper sleeves to the rear struts to finish the wing attachment. The factory supplies the short bolts, curved washers and castle nuts (they call it the lift strut rig jig) so you can make the temporary connection through the first hole.

  Oct 03, 2021     Vertical stabilizer - (3 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Today I started working on the tail assembly. I installed the horizontal stabilizer U-brackets and the upper tail boom U-brackets on the vertical stabilizer, attached the vertical stabilizer to the lower tail boom and connected the lower tail boom to the fuselage. I also attached the rear end of the upper tail boom tubes to the vertical stabilizer U-brackets and attached the rear end of the boom support tubes to the U-brackets on the rear attachment point of the vertical stabilizer. At this point I have to wait until I finish the wing assembly (which is waiting for the left wing rear spar replacement) and wing covering process before I can continue with the tail assembly.

  Sep 28, 2021     Wing lift struts - (4 hours)       Category: Wings

Today I attached the wings to the root tube and assembled the wing lift struts. I ran into a problem with the left wing rear spar. The holes the factory drilled for the rear spar upper lift strut gusset plate were not placed correctly. Re-drilling them correctly myself would be difficult and adding four additional holes in the spar at this critical attach point probably wouldn't be a good idea so the factory is sending me a replacement spar. I will have to drill out rivets to remove the old spar and install the new one once it arrives.

  Sep 26, 2021     Hinges and horns - (4 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Today I installed the hinges and control horns on the tail feathers and control surfaces.

  Sep 24, 2021     Vertical and horizontal stabilizers - (6 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Today and tomorrow I will cover the vertical and horizontal stabilizers.

  Sep 23, 2021     Assembly starts - (4 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Assembly starts with installing the sailcloth covers over the tail and control surfaces. Today I covered the elevators, rudder, ailerons, and flaps.

  Sep 22, 2021     Tools needed       Category: Tools

A few basic tools is pretty much all you need to assemble the kit. There are only a few specialty tools needed.

  Sep 21, 2021     Pre-built Fuselage       Category: Fuselage

The fuselage structure is pre-built at the factory. Landing gear, tires/wheels, disc brakes, fuel tank, seat, control yolk, rudder pedals, control cables, flap actuator, strobe light and switches are already installed.

  Sep 21, 2021     Kit arrives       Category: Shipping

My kit finally arrived. No engine yet since MZ201 must be in short supply. Parachute, instruments, and a few other items on "backorder" too.

The Aerolite 103 is sold as a fully built aircraft or as an assembly kit (aka quick build kit). As you can see in the pictures, the assembly kit comes with the fuselage, wing, empennage, and control surface structures already built by the factory. Final assembly includes covering the wing and tail surfaces with dacron sailcloth, attaching the sub assemblies to the fuselage, rigging the controls, installing the engine and propeller, installing the instruments, and a few other tasks.

  Aug 17, 2021     Finalized order       Category: Research & Order

I finalized the order and kit is about ready to ship. Sent check for the balance.

  Jul 01, 2021     Still waiting on shipping date. Category: Research & Order

U-fly-it has had a tremendous increase in interest in their ultralight. Demand is through the roof but that has really taxed their ability to produce kits. MZ engine delivery has been delayed and the sail cloth provider is behind in production.

  Apr 05, 2021     Ordered engine, prop, instruments and parachute Category: Research & Order

I ordered the engine, prop, instruments and parachute today to lock in price. Still waiting on a shipping date.

  Jan 16, 2021     Shop       Category: Workshop

Metal shop I built back in 2000. Built and stored a Cobra kit car that I finished in 2003 and then sold in 2015. Just waiting for the day to build an airplane.