Oct 09, 2023     Covered flaps and ailerons - (20 hours)       Category: Wings

Prepped and covered flaps and ailerons with Oratex using Oratex instructions.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Oct 04, 2023     Wingtip fabrication - (6 hours)       Category: Wings

Finished fabricating wingtips using premilded carbon fiber tips. These were cut to the appropriate size and drilled to fit the fuselage. Fiberglass wing tip light eminences were made and the trailing edges sealed. Sanded and ready for paint

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Aug 20, 2023     Wing Control cable - (10 hours)       Category: Wings

Fabricated and ran control cables for ailerons and flaps using Nicopress tool. Control surfaces were hung temporarily and hooked up. Using thimbles and zinc nicopress sleeves for Galvanized 1/8” steel cable, ends were made up and secured with appropriate a hardware as shown in plans. Used Adel clamps to hole fairlead in wing struts at the wing end to prevent chafing of cables. Also had to elongate and reposition the cable exit holes in the wings since the measurements given in the manual were wrong
Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Aug 07, 2023     Sight Gauges - (8 hours)       Category: Wings

Fabricated sight gauges and installed. Used schedule 4 PVC, as outlined in the Bearhawk tips. 5052-o aluminum lines from the tank fittings, to flare unions at wing roots and formed 90 degree allows from aluminum tube. Tested with fuel in tanks.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Aug 06, 2023     Fuel flow test - (4 hours) Category: Wings

Completed fuel flow test, per FAA guidelines. Placed airplane at climb angle of 18 degrees. Added 2 gal fuel to each wing. Disconnected fuel line from carb and timed fuel flow with selector on BOTH for one minute of fuel flow into a bucket. Weighed fuel and calculated the GPH. Result was 30 gph. My engine max fuel requirement is 26.5 gph so 30 does not meet the 150% recommendation. I plan to upsize the fuel lines from the fuel selector to the carb to 1/2”. A new gascolator with capacity for 1/2” lines will also be installed.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Jul 29, 2023     Wing installation - (8 hours)       Category: Wings

Using the help of several people, we lifted the wings into place and installed all hardware and struts. Everything went into place nicely. The struts seemed easiest to do by installing the wing attach bolt first and then the bolt at the fuselage attach point. Connected fuel lines with short length of rubber fuel hose and hose clamps at wing roots. Made electrical connections. Remote magnetometer connected with dsub male/female. Lights connected with crimp butt splices. Pitot/AOA lines connected. Also ran the Aft aileron cables into the fuselage .

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Jul 27, 2023     Left wing finishing - (10 hours)       Category: Wings

Finished left wing pocket skins riveting, fuel tanks installed and plumbed. Pitot system connected and pitot mast installed.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Jul 24, 2023     Right wing finishing - (12 hours)       Category: Wings

Finished riveting aileron pocket skin. Installed fuel tanks after adding adhesive felt to tank straps and installing fuel lines in their holes. After tank secured, fuel lines were cut to final length and main lines bent. Tube bead was completed for main fuel lines for flex hose connection and the sight gauge lines were flared with nuts to receive a union for hard lines to connect sight gauge.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Jul 24, 2023     Installed cabin map pockets - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

K1000 nutplates installed to receive netted pockets for pilot and copilot.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Jul 24, 2023     Wings painted - preparing for install - (10 hours)       Category: Wings

Wings were painted professionally and were picked up today and brought to the hangar for final work. Pocket skins riveted into place with SS pop rivets in the blind areas and trailing edges riveted down with -3 driven rivets. Wingtips fitted and ready for final trim. Gas tanks not yet installed. Sight gauge lines need adjusting to fit the ports.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  May 08, 2023     Fuselage reassembly started - (12 hours)       Category: Wings

Fuselage paint complete and brought home to its hangar at JZI. Installed landing gear after filling struts with ATF fluid. Used thread seal on the filler plugs. Installed tail feathers and hooked up control cables. Installed instrument panel and began running wiring harness for headsets. Temporarily installed floor boards and cut carpet to rough pattern. Fireproof aviation dark grey carpet used. Ordered a handful of final bolt sizes for tail feathers which I will return to install when they arrive. Planned out arrangement of instrument electronic receivers behind panel.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  May 03, 2023     Wing inspection panel nutplates - (15 hours) Category: Wings

Drilled, debuted and Installed all nutplates in inspection panel doubler plates and the fuel tank bay cover flanges. K1000 nutplates riveted with NAS 1097 flush head rivets.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Apr 29, 2023     Riveted wing bottom skins closed - (24 hours)       Category: Wings

Spent two weekends riveting the bottom skins of the wings closed with flush head rivets, ms-20426ad-3 and 4 as called out in the plans in all locations.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Apr 28, 2023     Riveted pitot mast in place - (2 hours) Category: Wings

Used flush head NAS 1097 rivets to fix pitot mast flange in place. Additionally a 1/8” thick aluminum angle bracket was fabricated as per Dynon installation instructions and riveted to the pitot mast flange through the wing skin and then fastened to the adjacent rib with 3 AN-3 bolts.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Apr 01, 2023     Final bolt check wings - (10 hours)       Category: Wings

Torqued all nuts. Added all cotter pins to castle nuts. Checked systems. Ran wiring in conduit for wingtip lights. Peeled plastic to prepared for riveting wings closed. Checked fit of butt rib. This will be added after paint.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Apr 01, 2023     Inspection plates - (12 hours)       Category: Wings

Fabricated, and match drilled inspection hole doubler frames and cover plates. These will get nut-plates after they are on the wings. Dimpled for #6 machine screws.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Mar 11, 2023     Fuel tanks - (3 hours)       Category: Wings

Installed fittings in fuel tanks prior to installation of tanks in their bays. The female threads in the tanks are NPT threads and were a little rough so I retapped them. Then I installed finger strainers in the main line outputs and then 6d nipples in those. The outputs for sight gauges received 4d nipples. I will have to order and install 45 degree nipples for the aft fuel line exits to create a better location for rob penetration. Once these are in I will drill the ribs, install grommets and then final install of fuel lines will be after paint.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Mar 10, 2023     Secured wire conduit and ran lead string - (1 hour) Category: Wings

Secured wire conduit where it ran near flap and aileron systems, using adel clamps. Then I ran a string through and tied off at both ends so I can pull wires through later.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Mar 10, 2023     Final Drilled fuel tank bay cover right wing - (5 hours) Category: Wings

Match drilled bay cover to the wing and then drilled for nutplates with nutplate jig. Will counter sink the holes in the wing and then dimple the cover and then repeat for left wing.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Mar 10, 2023     Aileron forward control cables made up - (2 hours) Category: Wings

Used Nicopress tool to swage cable to the turnbuckle fitting at the aileron bell crank. These will be installed to the barrel at final cable install.
Checked cable runs for clearance and for no running on pulley cable guards.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Mar 10, 2023     Pitot mast and pluming - (5 hours) Category: Wings

Final fabrication of pitot mast rib bracket completed after receiving 1/8” thick 1.5” aluminum angle. Cut and drilled. Primed. Will install with AN3-4A bolts and fiber lock nuts on rob and rivet over the pitot mast base. Also drilled pitot probe to the mast and tapped the holes in the probe for #6 machine screws. Bent and flared aluminum pitot and AOA lines and ordered additional female pipe thread/push fittings that will join the flare/pipe thread fittings to the nylon tube. Pneumatic nylon tubes cut to final length and secured in place. These will be connected upon final install.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Mar 08, 2023     Mounted magnetometer - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

Mounted remote magnetometer (Dynon) on the bracket and riveted the bracket in place on the end rib with AD-3 rivets. I will river the bracket to the wing skin when the wings are being closed up. I ran the skyview network cable through the wire loom and used two Adel clamps to secure the pin connector male and female. Brass hardware was used to secure the magnetometer to its bracket.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Mar 07, 2023     Fabricated mount for remote magnetometer - (12 hours)       Category: Wings

After much research and deliberation over location, structure and design of a bracket. I made a mounting plate out of .05 aluminum sheet that will attach to the bottom wing skin and to the outboard rib. I fabricated a doubler for the wing skin with .032 aluminum and riveted in place after dimpling, with 3/32 flush rivets (MS20426AD3-4). Next I will rivet the bracket to the doubler/wing skin with 1/8” flush rivets.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Jan 28, 2023     Flap actuation system - (5 hours)       Category: Wings

Installed flap torque tube and actuation arms and push rods and drive linkage. Used rubber fuel line safety wires to torque tube to act as a bumper for the push rod “T,” as called out in the plans. Flap return springs installed but not permanently. I will have to remove the actuation arm from the torque tube to river wing skin over it and reinstall later. At that point I will install springs and final drill the actuation arms to the torque tube. I also drilled the bearing surfaces for grease gun insert.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Jan 27, 2023     Installed aileron control system - (6 hours)       Category: Wings

Installed pulley brackets, drive linkages, bell cranks, push rods and all bearings for aileron actuation system. Correct hardware determined after several trials and installed.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Jan 20, 2023     Installed aileron and flap hinge brackets - (2 hours) Category: Wings

Installed hinge brackets on wings with correct hardware and torqued in place. Torque seal applied. I will have to remove a couple of these to buck rivets that lie over them and reinstall after the wings are closed up.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Jan 17, 2023     Corrected aileron pulley guards - (4 hours) Category: Wings

The pulley guard anti rotation brackets for the aileron cable brackets were made incorrectly by the factory. They are still making them in the style of the older wing kit. So I altered mine to be correctly adapted to my wings in the right angle by simply adding a bend to the bracket. These will be stabilized with a hose clamp and safety wire.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder

  Jan 17, 2023     Quick build wing kits started - (22 hours) Category: Wings

Opened crates and set up workspace for wings.
Parts inventoried
Opened bottom wing skins and propped for access to internals
Checked hardware and replaced bolts with correct length and type for hinges and torque
tubes. Torqued bolts and marked with torque seal.
Temp. Install of pulleys and actuating arms for flap and aileron system to evaluate hardware requirements and cable routing requirements.
Drilled holes in flap torque tube bearings for lubrication, #30 drill, and marked area to drill access hole for this in wings skin on inboard bearing. Outboard has access panel.

Robert Tyler Williams, Builder