Apr 27, 2024     Day 89 - (20 hours)       Category: Controls

Several parts of the Veteran's Build Project saw progress this week. Plastic wingtips begun earlier were further fitted and clecoed in place. The plane was then moved in order to rearrange the chapter hangar so that the build table could be moved out and used for another project. When work resumed, the plastic rudder tip fairing was permanently riveted on. Rudder cables were also fabricated as well as new fairings for where the cables emerge from the fuselage. The fairings were an addition that the Zenith plans did not include. Both rudder cables were fitted, but the some strands of the right cable partially unwound as they tightened over the thimble on the rudder end. So that cable was cut off and a new cable will be installed next time.

  Apr 13, 2024     Day 88 - (15 hours)       Category: Controls

Today the main accomplishment was routing and mounting inside the tail cone the wires for the trim system. Other small parts were worked on as well and there was discussion of next steps.

  Mar 09, 2024     Day 87 - (30 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

It has been awhile since the last report on the Veterans Build 750. There are a couple of reasons for this. A Rans S-12XL was donated to the chapter and a lot of time has been devoted to getting it ready for sale including an extensive condition inspection. Meanwhile, project participants have been working on the 750 off and on as time and schedules allow. In that time a couple of things have seen significant progress. First, the exhaust system has been installed. Unfortunately, in the process of doing that it was discovered that the exhaust interfered with the newly installed gascolator. The gascolator will have to be moved. The other main focus was on the elevator controls and cables. It has taken quite a while to get it all rigged properly, but it is finally complete.

  Dec 30, 2023     Day 86 - (10 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Today work continued on the vertical stabilizer. As noted last time, making the forward fin removable requires the installation of platenuts and screws in place of rivets. This time-consuming project is nearing completion.

  Dec 23, 2023     Day 85 - (15 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

The tail and the fuel system saw more progress this week. It was decided that the forward section of the vertical fin would be secured with screws and nutplates instead of riveted on as shown in the plans. This will allow the removal of the forward fin for inspections, adjustments, and maintenance. So much of this session was spent adjusting the fin to fit and match drilling all of the holes for that assembly. Now that the elevator is balanced, some time was also spent on the the trim servo. Meanwhile work continued on the fuel system. Lines were fabricated and installed from the gascolator at the firewall back through the fuel selector.

  Dec 16, 2023     Day 84 - (12 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

Steady progress continued on the 750 this week. More work on the tail included fabricating mounting ribs for the horizontal stabilizer. Fuel lines that attach to the fuel selector were also fabricated and installed on the selector.

  Dec 09, 2023     Day 83 - (8 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

With a lot of other projects demanding attention, not much was done this week on the 750. The main focus was on installation of the elevator counter balance weights.

  Nov 18, 2023     Day 82 - (10 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Details…details. Two members of the team worked this week to finish fabricating and installing components for the cabin heat system. They also began some preliminary work and planning on the fuel system, specifically the fuel shutoff valve and its mount. Some time was also spent discussing elevator stops.

  Nov 13, 2023     Day 81 - (15 hours)       Category: Fuselage

A small group continued detail work on the Zenith this week. The forward fin on the vertical stabilizer was test fitted and slightly trimmed. There was discussion regarding the placement of components in the forward fuselage. And a hole was drilled in the glareshield to accommodate the defroster vent. The session was cut short to accommodate a Boy Scout Young Eagles rally.

  Nov 04, 2023     Day 80 - (15 hours)       Category: Fuselage

More details were accomplished on the 750 this week. A large hole was drilled in the firewall for the cabin heat inlet. The fittings on both sides of the firewall were then installed. Work was also done on the glareshield to make it fit better with the fuselage frames. Some detail work on the tail assembly was also done.

  Oct 28, 2023     Day 79 - (20 hours)       Category: Engine

Today was mainly spent working on the engine baffle kit. Some parts had to be trimmed and adjusted due to the Millennium cylinder valve covers having a slightly different shape than standard continental covers. The process also included a first test fitting of the cowling.

  Oct 22, 2023     Day 78 - (20 hours)       Category: Engine

It was a big day for the Veteran's Build 750. The overhauled Continental O-200 engine finally arrived! Thanks to those who donated parts and labor to reduce the cost of the rebuild. The day was basically devoted to carefully mounting it to the firewall. It looks great. With the engine in place more good progress will soon follow.

  Oct 07, 2023     Day 77 - (15 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

The saga of fitting the horizontal and vertical stabilizers resumed this week. One major sticking point is that the skins don't match up with the vertical stabilizer spar. After doing some research and looking at a few YouTube videos, it was concluded that it was necessary to fabricate and install a series of shims to correct the issue. The replacement for the bracket on top of the fuselage that caused earlier problems was also installed as well as the top elevator pulley. Once again, the stabilizers were test fitted and lots of measurements made. The end may be in sight for this difficult part of the project. The engine is due to arrive soon. Of course, we've heard that before…

  Sep 10, 2023     Day 76 - (15 hours)       Category: Fuselage

The rear fuselage attachments for the tail assembly continued to be the focus of work this week. A measuring/drilling error resulted in replacing and fabricating a couple of parts in order to ensure a precise fit. Again, a lot of time was spent measuring, fabricating, and fitting parts. In addition, the internal elevator pulley in the rear fuselage was installed. Near the end, the vertical stabilizer was added to the measuring and fitting process. Things are now looking very good.

  Aug 20, 2023     Day 75 - (25 hours)       Category: Controls

Measure, adjust, check level, measure, adjust, level, discuss, measure… And so it went this week. Getting the horizontal tail just right before installing it and rigging cables was the total focus of the group's efforts. Near the end there was some discussion of replacing a part in that assembly to make a more precise fit. Stay tuned.

  Aug 12, 2023     Day 74 - (15 hours)       Category: Controls

After a long hiatus due to other things going on, a small group met to organize and plan for a re-start of the build. Most of the time was devoted to discussion of next steps and a reassessment of the 750's current status. The engine has been delayed, but is supposedly nearing completion. Measurements were taken and the supports for the horizontal stabilizer were riveted to the fuselage. This was in preparation for a test rigging of tail surfaces and cables. Zenith's plans call for a small bungee cord rigged to separate the elevator cables. Not happy with that arrangement, plans are in the works to install a more permanent and dependable pulley instead. Plumbing for the fuel system was also discussed and parts located.

  May 28, 2023     Day 73 - (20 hours)       Category: Controls

Today's efforts were mainly focused on control cables. In the cabin the attachment ends of the rudder and elevator cables were fabricated, crimped, and installed. The cables were then run through the fuselage. Making up the control surface ends of the cables is a later step. The engine is nearing completion at the shop and should arrive for installation soon.

  May 20, 2023     Day 72 - (20 hours)       Category: Landing Gear

A big day for visible progress on the 750. The main gear was permanently installed. Wheels and brake assemblies were added. Then, for the first time, the plane was set on its own gear. One of our veterans even got in and could make airplane noises. Meanwhile, the reassembly of the vertical stablizer was completed and progress was made on mounting the gascolator to the firewall.

  May 13, 2023     Day 71 - (20 hours)       Category: Landing Gear

The landing gear parts finally returned from the paint shop, so work was begun on fitting the main gear and assembling the nose gear fork and wheel. This involved a lot of installing, removing, adjusting, and reinstalling. There is still work to do on that, but it is getting close to being finished. Meanwhile, due to the backwards hinge, the vertical stabilizer was disassembled, the hinge reversed, and riveted back together. It was a perfect opportunity for one of our young members and his dad to learn about riveting. They did a nice job.

  Apr 30, 2023     Day 70 - (29 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

The project for today was supposed to be installation of the landing gear. Unfortunately, the fellow at the paint shop where the main gear is located now has covid. So that project is on hold for the moment. So the group switched gears and decided to tackle the vertical stabilizer assembly. Oddly, the vertical stabilizer was included in the finish kit instead of with the empennage kit, so this airframe part still needed to be assembled. The parts were all identified, and interior surfaces scuffed, cleaned, then primed with Cortec. Holes were then drilled to the correct size and deburred. Assembly was then begun. By late afternoon the stabilizer was complete. The last step was to match it up with the rudder by mating the piano hinge and inserting the wire. Unfortunately, during this step it was discovered that the hinge on the stabilizer was on backwards which prevented the rudder from full travel side to side. The instructions regarding the installation of the hinge are not at all clear on this issue. So the next step will be to remove the hinge and reinstall it properly. That should conclude that project. Meanwhile some work was done on the shelves behind the instrument panel. For stability, a reinforcing plate was fabricated and attached with screws to connect the shelves to the console.

  Apr 22, 2023     Day 69 - (20 hours)       Category: Fuselage

A lot was accomplished on the Zenith today. More work was done on the nose gear assembly and engine mount. The main gear attach brackets are also where the strut attaches, so the strut attach hardware was test fitted and adjustments were made to the plastic parts that cushion the assembly. The main gear is still at the paint shop. Meanwhile, the cabin interior got a lot of attention. The center console was once again readjusted and screws were added to secure it to the floor. The adjustable seats were also final assembled and test fitted. Our A&P/IA advisor spent some time looking at and advising us regarding better alternatives to Zenith's method of keeping elevator cables separated with a little bungee cord.

  Apr 16, 2023     Day 68 - (15 hours)       Category: Landing Gear

The avionics installer finished using the instrument panel for measurements and layout and so he returned the panel and console. He will be making another heavier gauge overlay panel on which the instruments will be mounted. The nose gear assembly is closer to completion. Steering rods were added. The engine mount was also permanently installed. The main gear is still at the paint shop. Once that returns, the plane will soon be on its gear.

  Apr 08, 2023     Day 67 - (20 hours)       Category: Landing Gear

The goal of getting the 750 on its gear is getting closer to being achieved. Further work on the main gear has gotten it ready for paint. The nose gear strut and its shock absorbing system have been installed. Shelves were made for instrument components behind the instrument panel. The panel is now with the avionics installer who is preparing the panel so that it can be riveted to the rest of the surrounding structure. Holes were drilled and the engine mount was bolted to the firewall, but has not been permanently torqued down yet. With more things in place, it was also possible to permanently rivet more of the forward fuselage. The main gear is now off to the paint shop and will be ready to install once it returns.

  Mar 18, 2023     Day 66 - (25 hours)       Category: Landing Gear

Progress was made this week toward getting the airplane on its gear. A call to Zenith resolved the issue with the notches in the main gear not lining up. They told us to grind down the notch on one side just enough so that the gear will fit. No other fix is needed. This means the gear will be off center by a small fraction of an inch, but that apparently won't matter. The main gear was also sanded down with fine sandpaper to remove any rough edges and to prepare it for painting. The back edge of the gear leg ends also had to be ground down to accommodate the brake assemblies. Meanwhile, work continued on the nose gear. Proper hardware was installed on the upper brackets and further fitting and drilling for lower brackets begun. Preparations for dealing with the instrument panel were also begun. Shelves for instrument components will need to be fabricated between the panel and the firewall. Since the panel, shelves, firewall, cabin frame, and forward fuselage panels are all tied together, it is necessary at this point to get the panel to the instrument installer so that he can get the panel ready (less instruments) for assembly along with everything else. An appointment has been made for this to happen next Wednesday.

  Mar 11, 2023     Day 65 - (20 hours)       Category: Landing Gear

Getting the Zenith on its gear was again the focus of efforts today. The nose gear, complete with its shock absorbing assembly and firewall brackets was test-installed. Everything seems to fit perfectly. One odd discovery was that Zenith supplied fiber lock nuts for the bolts that hold together the upper brackets. Our understanding is that fiber lock nuts should not be used in the engine compartment because of heat. We substituted all-metal lock nuts instead. An attempt was made to fit the main landing gear to the fuselage. Unfortunately, the notches in the gear do not quite line up with the mounting brackets. The notches in the gear will need to ground to the the proper position and material added to fill any resulting gap.

  Mar 04, 2023     Day 64 - (20 hours)       Category: Landing Gear

Landing gear work continued today. Main wheels are now complete with tires, tubes, and brakes fully assembled. A lot of work was done on the nose gear fork assembly which is now complete. Parts for the main gear are also being fabricated. Meanwhile, the gascolator mount was finished and the gascolator mounted to the firewall. The location for it is different from the plans, but will be less exposed to the elements inside the cowling.

  Feb 19, 2023     Day 63 - (15 hours)       Category: Landing Gear

Work continued today in preparation for getting the 750 on its gear. The firewall was again reinstalled. Attempts were made to get tires and tubes installed on the newly assembled wheels and brakes. This turned out to be a challenge that has yet to be successfully completed. Work also continued on the gascolator project.

  Feb 12, 2023     Day 62 - (10 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Today a lot of folks who usually work on the Zenith were otherwise occupied with major work that needed to be done on the chapter's Cessna 150 project. Nonetheless, two important tasks moved forward. Terry continued the labor intensive project of putting together wheels and brakes. Meanwhile, Scott continued his project of fabricating the mount for the gascolator.

  Feb 05, 2023     Day 61 - (30 hours)       Category: Fuselage

A lot of today's efforts were in preparation for installing the landing gear. Brake lines and fittings at the master cylinders were installed. The edges of the engine mount were trimmed slightly to fit the firewall. The last of the rivets went into the firewall making it ready for installation of the nose gear assembly. Meanwhile, wheels and tires were put together. The seat pans that will have the adjustable option were also prepared for installation. We paused work to greet Steve Gross who stopped by with his newly completed and painted RV-10. Congratulations Steve!

  Jan 29, 2023     Day 60 - (20 hours)       Category: Fuselage

The main focus today was again on the forward fuselage. The firewall and cabin frame were temporarily reinstalled. Four brackets on the back of the firewall for the bolts that attach the engine mount were positioned and installed. Meanwhile, work was begun on putting together the components of the nose gear on the firewall. Some time was also devoted to the wrecked Cessna that donated its engine. To the degree possible, steel was removed from aluminum and the remains loaded onto a trailer for a final trip to the scrap yard.

  Jan 21, 2023     Day 59 - (30 hours)       Category: Engine

On Thursday, the wreckage of a Cessna 150H was delivered to the chapter hangar. The engine, a Continental O-200, will eventually power the Zenith 750. The aircraft was wrestled into a nearby hangar and on Saturday the engine was removed. It was loaded onto a pickup truck and will be taken to an engine rebuilder in Virginia who has volunteered to inspect and restore it. Since we don't yet have the logbooks, we don't know a lot about the engine. It has something over 400 hours since overhaul and the accident involved a prop strike. Beyond that, we'll have to see what the rebuilder finds. The Cessna airframe was scavenged for useful parts for the chapter's Cessna restoration project and steel parts were separated from aluminum for sale as scrap. The sad remains of the Cessna will soon be removed.

  Jan 14, 2023     Day 58 - (20 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Work continued today on the forward fuselage. Some brake lines were installed, although it was discovered that Zenith didn't provide fittings for the optional passenger side brakes so they need to be obtained. The center console, which had been fabricated earlier, was completed by adding nut plates and attaching hardware. It was then installed in the cabin and fit perfectly. Meanwhile, work was begun on putting together the wheels and tires. The idea is to soon put the plane on its gear. Time was also devoted to tearing down and removing the crate and box for the finishing and firewall forward kits to make more room in the chapter hangar.

  Jan 07, 2023     Day 57 - (24 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Work resumed on the rudder pedal assembly and forward fuselage. Brake pedals were riveted to the rudder pedals and brackets were match drilled through the floor. The entire assembly, including brake cylinders, was then riveted and bolted to the cabin floor. Reassembly of the forward fuselage sides was also begun. This included fitting and riveting the side stiffeners which had been fabricated earlier.

  Dec 17, 2022     Day 56 - (20 hours)       Category: Fuselage

When it rains, it pours. Right on the heals of the finish kit, the firewall forward kit arrived this week, so a large portion of Saturday was once again devoted to unpacking and inventorying everything. Meanwhile, work continued on the rudder pedal assembly. The main task, which took some time, was mating the brake pedals to the rudder pedals. All four were clecoed in place by the end of the session. Work will resume after the holidays.

  Dec 10, 2022     Day 55 - (12 hours)       Category: Fuselage

The finish kit arrived Thursday evening, so Saturday was mostly devoted to unpacking and inventorying the parts. It took some time, but in the end we were able to verify that all parts were present and accounted for. Some time was also devoted to looking at the rudder pedal assembly which is one of the next things to be done. We had been waiting on some parts from the finish kit to begin real work on that assembly. One reason for the delay was that we had ordered the optional brakes for the passenger side, a good thing to have if the plane is going to be used for instruction. The next session will be Saturday December 17th.

  Dec 03, 2022     Day 54 - (12 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Most of today's session involved preparing forward fuselage parts for final installation. All of the parts were scuffed, cleaned, and primed. Some planning discussion took place regarding the installation of the rudder pedal assembly, much of which may be installed while the bulk of the forward fuselage is out of the way. The finish kit and firewall forward kit are both on the way. The coming weeks will see a lot of activity related to the new parts. The session was cut somewhat short because members took time to move our recently acquired “barn find” Cessna 150 project fuselage into the Cub hangar. There's a lot going on at chapter 524!

  Nov 19, 2022     Day 53 - (25 hours)       Category: Fuselage

The forward fuselage continued to be the focus of work today. The stiffeners that reinforce the glare shield, which were fabricated last time, were match drilled to the glare shield. The glare shield was then carefully removed which required the disassembly of much of the forward fuselage. All of the parts were then de-burred. Meanwhile, the fuselage was turned on its side so that L stiffeners could be added under the outboard sides of the floor. All of the forward fuselage parts will need to be scuffed, cleaned and primed before reassembly next time.The next session will probably be Saturday, November 26th.

  Nov 05, 2022     Day 52 - (15 hours)       Category: Fuselage

The forward fuselage was the focus for a small group today. In preparation for the panel installation, which will be done by a technician in Virginia, some preliminary decisions were made regarding layout. These ideas were sketched out on the panel and console. The next task was to install the glare shield forward of the panel. The firewall had to be temporarily removed to fit it over the cage structure. The glare shield was then match drilled to the firewall and instrument panel. Meanwhile, Tim reworked parts of his scratch built console, widening it to better fit with parts of the cabin structure. Finally, stiffeners for the underside of the glare shield were fabricated. The next session will be Saturday, November 12th.

  Oct 18, 2022     Day 51 - (30 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Over the course of several days, a few members of the build came in to make some progress on the 750. The main focus was to pause the build and look carefully at how everything is integrated together in order to determine the best sequence for building going forward. One thing that was learned was that components of the control system need to be fitted and installed before some parts of the cabin area are completed. After spending hours reviewing instructions and plans, parts for the control system were located, and a list was made of what needed to be removed in the cabin area. The baggage compartment was then removed and the cabin area cleaned. Work then began on installing control components. Bearing points were drilled, deburred, and assembled. Bolts were installed with lock nuts and torqued. The horizontal control rod for the flaperons and bearings were removed. Paint was cleaned from contact surfaces and sharp edges were filed. The assembly was then greased and the mounting brackets reinstalled. The mounts were riveted and the hardware torqued. The cabin box frame was also removed, deburred and reinstalled with clecos. The main wing attach points were also riveted. Finally, the inside of the cabin was cleaned once again in preparation for future sessions. The next session will be Saturday, November 5th.

  Oct 08, 2022     Day 50 - (20 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Landing gear reinforcements and the integration of optional components were the focus of today's session. The flat plates inside the cabin that help tie in the cabin structure with the landing gear attachments saw more progress. This included the final installation of bolts. Meanwhile, work continued on the optional console as well as cabin structure to support the optional four point harness system. Work also resumed on the sliding seat option. The next session will be Saturday, October 15th.

  Oct 01, 2022     Day 49 - (20 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Several projects saw progress today. The day started with careful study of the plans and discussion of next steps. Flat plates in the cabin that reinforce the landing gear were final fabricated and the holes for them drilled through the cabin floor to match. Using templates created earlier, sheet metal was marked out for the optional console. It was earlier decided to install the optional four point shoulder harness system in the 750. Parts for that were prepped and rivets removed along the top skin above the cabin for installation. The next session will be Saturday, October 8th.

  Sep 24, 2022     Day 48 - (15 hours)       Category: Fuselage

In looking far ahead in the plans, it was discovered that several flat plates needed to be installed in the cabin area that reinforce part of the landing gear assembly. Unfortunately, a couple of the parts for the sliding seat option which had already been installed were in the way. So rivets had to be drilled out and the parts removed. The plates were fabricated and the landing gear attachments temporarily installed. Meanwhile, two L shaped brackets were measured, drilled, and temporarily installed on the cabin frame just forward of where the instrument panel will be. The session was cut short so that we could attend one of our builder's retirement party. Then next session will be Saturday, October 1st.

  Sep 17, 2022     Day 47 - (30 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Another day of good progress on the 750. A lot of the structure joining the cabin area to the rear fuselage was final riveted. The seat area in the cabin is getting special attention because optional adjustable seats are being added. A lot of measuring and the creation of a template were necessary to accurately locate where the seat rails will go. A template was also created for the optional console which will have to be fabricated. Work remains to be done on the cabin area, especially around the seats, but a lot of the main structure it is now riveted together. Our latest Ray Aviation scholar, Mia, put in a lot of those rivets. The next session will be Saturday, September 24th.

  Sep 03, 2022     Day 46 - (30 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Today was a big day for the project. The six side stiffeners fabricated during the last two sessions were cleaned and primed and are ready for installation. Meanwhile, after much discussion and preparation, the forward fuselage was carefully mated to the the rear fuselage. After making sure everything was properly aligned, the two sections were permanently riveted together and the tail lifted to bring the cabin level. Final riveting of the top skins was then completed while the tubular steel cabin frame was measured, adjusted and installed. The result is something that looks a whole lot more like an airplane. The next session will be Saturday, September 10th.

  Aug 20, 2022     Day 45 - (20 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Today was devoted almost entirely to the fabrication and installation of the six stiffeners that line the forward fuselage sides behind the firewall. These were begun last time and take a lot of work to produce. Some time was also spent reviewing plans and discussing what to do about adjustable seats. We purchased the hardware for adjustable seats from Zenith, but have discovered that they are pretty heavy. So there was some discussion of alternatives. The next session will be Saturday, September 3rd.

  Aug 20, 2022     Day 44 - (25 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Today much of the early part of the session was devoted to reviewing the plans and directions to determine next steps. The firewall was then clecoed to the forward fuselage. Just behind the firewall along the curved forward fuselage sides are several stiffeners that must be fabricated from stock. Although they will be installed later in the assembly process, it was decided that it would be wise to create and fit them now while it is still easy to access that part of the fuselage. Making the parts, shaping them to match the curvature of the forward fuselage, match drilling and clecoing them in place took the rest of the session. The next session will be Saturday, August 27th.

  Aug 13, 2022     Day 43 - (30 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Two steps forward, one step back. It was one of those days where things don't exactly go as planned. All of the parts for the firewall were prepped last session. So the first task today was to simply put it all back together and do the final riveting. The first step was to figure out once again how to assemble the puzzle. Then riveting began. It soon became apparent that many of the rivets were in such tight locations that they would have to be pulled by hand since the pneumatic riveter would not fit. So that slow process was begun. Many of the rivets had been pulled when someone realized that the wrong hand riveter had been used to pull them. Zenith rivet gun heads have a concave face that sets the rivet properly. We had picked up a hand riveter that had a flat face. So all of those rivets, in very tight spaces, had to be drilled out. The correct hand riveter was then used to replace the rivets and continue riveting the rest. That is when we discovered another issue. There were places where already installed rivets interfered with being able to install others. The lesson here is to slow down and figure out an order to riveting parts so that you don't paint yourself into a corner. It would be helpful if the directions would include a recommended order for riveting, but Zenith directions do not contain such detail. The highlight of the frustrating day was when a young eagle and her dad showed up looking for a flight. After lunch, Bob took her up for nice long ride in the Zodiac where she ended up doing most of the flying. The next session will be Saturday, August 20th.

  Aug 06, 2022     Day 42 - (25 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Work resumed on Saturday with a small group. The focus was entirely on the firewall. The assembly was checked again against the plans (there are differences between the plans and the instructions due to the nose gear having the newer donut shock system) and some more holes were drilled to their final size. Everything was then disassembled, de-burred, cleaned, and primed. It is now ready for final reassembly next time. The next session will be Saturday, August 13th.

  Jul 16, 2022     Day 41 - (20 hours)       Category: Fuselage

A small group today focused mainly on fitting the firewall to the forward fuselage. Early on, some time was taken to consult the plans and make sure we understood how the overall structure for the forward fuselage was going to go together. The parts for the firewall were clecoed together, then the firewall was carefully matched up to the forward fuselage at the correct angle. Holes were then match drilled and expanded to the final A5 rivet size. The next steps will involve disassembling everything, de-burring, priming, and reassembly. There will be no sessions for the next couple of weeks due to folks going away for Oshkosh. The next session will be Saturday, August 6th.

  Jul 09, 2022     Day 40 - (30 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Work continued on the forward fuselage today. The lower cabin area was assembled, dissassembled, de-burred, primed, and reassembled. Nothing is riveted yet. The parts for the firewall were also located and pre-assembled. A number of L brackets need to be fabricated for both the cabin and firewall. Work will continue Saturday, July 16th.

  Jul 02, 2022     Days 38 & 39 - (60 hours)       Category: Fuselage

A lot was accomplished on the forward fuselage during the last two sessions. Stiffeners were added to the baggage compartment panel which was then installed. Parts for the forward cabin area were prepped and assembled. A sliding seat option that had been ordered came in and required some added structural work. More of the forward fuselage was test fitted and clecoed in place than is shown in the photos. The entire assembly is nearly ready to be disassembled, de-burred, and prepped for final assembly. The next component will be the firewall. The next session will be Saturday, July 9th.

  Jun 18, 2022     Day 37 - (30 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Today the focus was on the rear cabin area and baggage compartment. In looking at the plans we discovered that this part of the fuselage has a lot of parts, many of which need L angle stiffeners. The stiffeners must be fabricated from stock angle pieces and match drilled to the cabin parts. Then everything must be test fitted together on the fuselage. Before this, all of the parts also needed to be de-burred. Even with a good turnout today, this took the entire session, so nothing was permanently riveted today. The next session will be Saturday, June 25th.

  Jun 11, 2022     Day 36 - (30 hours)       Category: Fuselage

A lot of visible progress was made on the fuselage today. Having already completed all four sides of the rear fuselage “box” last session, it was time to bring them together. With the help of wooden supports, the two sides were added first, along with rear bulkheads. Then the top was added. Meanwhile, parts that frame the cabin area were located, cleaned, and primed. They were then assembled and added to the front of the fuselage box. The cabin sides were then test fitted along with the rear baggage compartment panel. At this point everything is just clecoed together. Riveting all of this will begin next session which will be Saturday, June 18th.

  Jun 04, 2022     Day 35 - (30 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Today's session began with final riveting of the fuselage side skins. Realizing that we would soon need the top skin to assemble the fuselage “box” we gathered all of the related parts, de-burred, cleaned, and primed them all. The long box-like structural members that consist of several fairly heavy parts were then assembled and riveted together. Meanwhile, attachment of the “L” angles to the top skin was begun. That is when we ran into another case of, “If the holes don't match, you're doing something wrong.” We found the holes did not line up for one of the forward L angles (attaches to the rear baggage panel). All of the L angles have pre-drilled holes along one length and no holes on the other. The holes in the L angles line up with holes in the skin. Not true with this one. This took some time and measuring to figure out. It turns out this one L angle is different from all the rest. The pre-punched holes match the upper edge of the baggage compartment panel rather than the skin. To attach the angle to the skin requires match-drilling holes in the blank length of the angle though the skin. There is no mention of this in the instructions. Assembly of the fuselage “box” will begin next session which will be Saturday, June 11th.

  May 21, 2022     Day 34 - (30 hours)       Category: Fuselage

Today major work was completed on both fuselage sides. A lot of time was spent cleaning, de-burring, and priming framework parts. (The skins had been prepped earlier.) Framework pieces were then assembled to the skins and holes drilled to size. Everything was then disassembled and de-burred. Both sides were then reassembled once again and final riveting begun. Fuselage work will continue next time. There will be no session on May 28 due to the holiday weekend. The next session will be Saturday, June 4th.

  May 14, 2022     Day 33 - (30 hours)       Category: Fuselage

With the wings now mostly complete, work began in earnest on the fuselage today. A lot of prep work had been done last session, and a couple of members came in over Mother's Day weekend to do even more. So today assembly of the bottom fuselage panel went quickly. Parts were laid out and clecoed together. Nut plates for the bottom access panel were installed. Holes were match drilled. Everything was then disassembled and de-burred. Reassembly followed, and the entire bottom panel was permanently riveted together. The panel was then set aside and parts for the left side fuselage laid out for next time. The next session will be Saturday, May 21st.

  Apr 30, 2022     Day 32 - (30 hours)       Category: Wings

Today began with running tubing through the inside of the wing to the location of the pitot tube. Once that was installed and secured, attention was temporarily turned to the fuselage. Since the wing was ready to close up with final riveting, we wanted to identify and prep some of the fuselage parts so work could begin on that next time. Parts that will be used early in fuselage assembly were identified, cleaned, interiors scuffed with scotchbrite, and primed with Cortec primer. Near lunch time, work was interrupted by a visit from EAA Chapter 240. They flew in with half a dozen aircraft, toured our facility, and discussed our Veteran's Build project. We all then went to lunch. After lunch attention returned to the wing. In short order, the top and nose skins were riveted and the wing set aside in the wing cradle. There are still some things to do on the wings such as finishing the wingtips, but the main focus starting next session will be the fuselage. There will be no session next week due to Mother's Day weekend. The next session will be Saturday, May 14th.

  Apr 23, 2022     Day 31 - (30 hours)       Category: Wings

Work resumed today on the left wing. Straps were used to line up the the top and leading edge skins along the main spar and clecoed in place. Holes were then match drilled through the skins and spar. The holes were then further drilled to the correct size for A5 rivets. Meanwhile, work was begun on the plastic wingtips. They were further trimmed and metal reinforcements were fabricated. As with the right wingtip, the forward portion will be attached with nut plates and screws while the rear portion will be riveted. The curved inboard skins were fitted along with the separate flange to which they are attached. Holes were then match drilled through the skins and flange. Once all the holes were drilled to size through the spar the skins were removed and everything de-burred. With the wing open once more, wiring conduits were installed for the wingtip lights and the pitot tube. Work will continue next session which will be Saturday, April 30th.

  Apr 09, 2022     Day 29 & 30 - (40 hours)       Category: Wings

The last two sessions saw good progress on the left wing. On April 2nd some match drilling was completed and then the skins were removed and everything de-burred. The Chapter picnic was held that afternoon. On the 9th the bottom skins were clecoed in place once again, everything leveled and inspected, and final riveting begun. The strut fitting was bolted in place and the tie-down ring riveted. The strut fitting reinforcement plates were match drilled, shaped, riveted together, then riveted to the wing. The wing was then turned over and the flaperon brackets and reinforcements installed. The top skins were then clecoed in place. Riveting of the top skins is waiting on the pitot tube bracket installation which may take place next time. There will be no session on the 16th due to the Easter holiday. The next session will be Saturday April 23rd.

  Mar 26, 2022     Day 28 - (30 hours)       Category: Wings

Good progress was made on the left wing today. The framework was assembled but not riveted last time. Today the framework was first inspected then leveled and straightened to avoid any twist, and riveted together. All of the bolts were then torqued. The frame was then turned over, leveled and straightened again, and the bottom skins mated to the frame. It was during this process that it was discovered that we made the same error we made on the right wing. One of the ribs has a rear tab that goes behind a reinforcing plate on the rear spar. The tab had been put on top of the plate which kept the holes in the skin from lining up. Rivets were drilled out and the error corrected. The trailing edge and nose skins were then added and holes were drilled to the correct sizes. Everything was left clecoed together and ready for riveting next time. The next session will be Saturday, April 2nd, which is the same day as the picnic which takes place at 2:00 following the build session. An extra note: Following today's session we went to a home in Frederick to pick up an unfinished Varieze project that has been donated. Its fate is yet to be determined.

  Mar 12, 2022     Day 27 - (30 hours)       Category: Wings

Today early work continued on the left wing. All of the parts for the wing's skeleton framework were de-burred, scuffed, cleaned, and primed. The framework was then reassembled (it's still a puzzle, even the second time) and clecoed together. Holes were enlarged for A6 rivets on the wingtip extension and the AN3 bolt on the inboard end was installed and torqued. We stopped there for this session so that next time we could check everything carefully before actually riveting the frame together. There will be no session on the 19th. The next session will be March 26th.

  Mar 05, 2022     Day 26 - (30 hours)       Category: Wings

On Friday, Mark and Ernie came in to begin dealing with installing the plastic wingtips. The plastic has to be painstakingly trimmed and fitted to conform to the wing and fit with each other. It was decided last time that the rear half of the tip will be riveted in place as shown in the plans, but the forward half will get nut plates and screws to allow access later. The plastic is thin, so aluminum backing is being added where rivets and screws will secure the wingtip to the wing. Work continued on the wingtip Saturday. Meanwhile, parts for the left wing were located and test assembled. De-burring and priming will continue next session which will be Saturday March 12th.

  Feb 26, 2022     Day 25 - (30 hours)       Category: Wings

Riveting on the wing began today with the row of A6 rivets across the spar extension at the wingtip. From there, the final riveting of the rest of the wing was quickly completed. Attention then turned to the complex inboard skins and wingtip. Aluminum plates were fabricated to reinforce the plastic wingtip where the lights will be installed. A lot of time was then devoted to cutting and fitting the wingtip. The forward portion of the tip will ultimately be attached using plate nuts and screws to allow access to wiring. Wingtip fitting will continue next time. Meanwhile, the inboard skins required a lot of attention. The Zenith wing design includes a clever feature at the inboard leading edge where it meets the fuselage that allows for good visibility in turns. Unfortunately, it appears that bending the skins at this point to create this feature is nearly impossible without ending up with wrinkles and gaps. We've seen a number of attempted solutions to this problem. The one that looks the best to us right now is to create a thin fiberglass fairing over the leading edge to fill in and cover the gaps. More discussion and work on this next time. We spent the last part of the session cleaning up and moving the project out of the way for our Chapter meeting which will be this coming Thursday evening at 7:00. The next build session will be Saturday, March 5th.

  Feb 19, 2022     Day 24 - (30 hours)       Category: Wings

As planned, today began with match drilling the top and nose skins through the spar for A5 rivets. The skin and spar extension at the wingtip were drilled for A6 rivets to account for the holes not quite lining up on that part. After inspecting to make sure everything else was drilled to the correct size, the top skin was removed and the wing opened up for de-burring and cleaning. At this point the electrical conduit was reinstalled. It had been temporarily removed to avoid any chance of drilling into it when drilling through the spar. Once everything was de-burred and the inside of the wing cleaned out, the skins were reinstalled and clecoed in place. Everything matched up and fit perfectly. Meanwhile, stiffeners were riveted to the top skin for the left wing which was primed last time. Next time final riveting will probably being on the wing. That session will be Saturday, February 26th.

  Feb 12, 2022     Day 23 - (30 hours)       Category: Wings

Another good turnout produced some good progress on the wing today. The stiffeners were installed on the top skin that was prepped and primed last time. While we were at it, we went ahead and primed the skin for the left wing. It was then time to install the skin on the wing and wrap the leading edge skin over it in order to match drill everything, especially for the holes that go through both skins and the spar. This proved to be something of a challenge requiring some patience. On our first attempt everything went very well with the exception of the line of rivet holes where the two leading edge skins meet. They just wouldn't quite line up with the nose rib. So it was decided to undo everything and try again with just the nose skins starting from where they meet, then adding everything else from the center outward. This worked much better. We were able to cleco everything in place and then drill most of the holes to the proper rivet size. There are two exceptions. We haven't drilled the holes that go through the spar yet. Also, the spar extension at the wingtip has a row of holes that don't quite match up with the skin. The solution there may be to drill slightly larger holes and use A6 instead of A5 rivets. At the inboard end, a strip of aluminum was fluted and curved to match where the inboard skins slope down toward the fuselage. Once finished, it was match drilled and clecoed in place. In the next session we plan to finish the drilling, remove everything, de-burr, and then reassemble. That session will be Saturday, February 19th.

  Feb 05, 2022     Day 22 - (30 hours)       Category: Wings

Today the main focus was on the brackets that attach the flaperons to the wing. This proved to be a somewhat challenging task. The brackets are secured to ribs inside the wing along with L shaped reinforcements. The bottom row of rivets that go through the reinforcements, brackets, and ribs are very close to the bottom skin which makes it difficult to get any sort of drill square with the parts for match drilling. Various tools and techniques were discussed and tried. In the end the L shaped reinforcements were clamped in place, marked, removed, and drilled separately. (Kevin provided a special tool for accurately marking the parts.) By the end of the session all of the flaperon brackets were riveted in place. Meanwhile, the plastic wingtips were painstakingly trimmed and sanded. Some time was also devoted to test fitting and discussing the installation of the fuel tank. Toward the end of the session, the top wing skins were de-burred and primed. The next session will be Saturday February 12th.

  Jan 29, 2022     Day 21 - (40 hours)       Category: Wings

A good turnout today yielded great progress on the right wing. The day started with more drilling to open holes to the proper size for the A4 and A5 rivets. The reinforcement for the strut attach bracket was also completed. Then the skins were removed and de-burred. The ribs and spar were de-burred as well. Meanwhile, the inspection plates were de-burred, primed, and plate nuts riveted in. The skins were then clecoed back in place and the entire bottom of the wing riveted together. The next session will be Saturday, February 5th.

  Jan 22, 2022     Day 20 - (25 hours)       Category: Wings

More good progress today. First, the strut attach bracket had to be reamed out to properly fit an AN-7 bolt. The bracket was then bolted in place and torqued. The wing was then carefully leveled and firmly secured to the table so that it would remain straight without any twist as the bottom skins were fitted. The next task was to begin clecoing the bottom skins in place. Early on we ran into a problem. The holes in the outboard skin near the wing root did not match up with the holes in the rib. Zenith says that if the holes don't match, you've done something wrong, which proved to be true in this case. We finally discovered that the tab at the back of the rib needed to fit behind a reinforcing plate rather than on top of it. We had to drill out and replace some rivets to fix it. Once that was taken care of, the bottom skins and trailing edges were clecoed in place without any further problem. The next step was to drill out the holes to matching sizes. Then the leading edge skins were added, and holes drilled through the skins and the main spar. Finally, the reinforcement parts for the strut attach bracket were clecoed and clamped in place. Once that assembly is completed, it will be time to remove all the skins, de-burr, and reassemble. That will hopefully take place during the next session on Saturday, January 29th.

  Jan 15, 2022     Day 19 - (30 hours)       Category: Wings

Good progress was made on the right wing today. Conduit for the wingtip lights was installed. Small plastic cushions were first installed on the ribs to prevent chafing of the conduit. Once the conduit was in place the wiring was threaded through so it will already be in place once the wing is closed up. Meanwhile, a series of stiffeners was installed on the bottom skins for both wings. L shaped reinforcements for the flaperon brackets were also created. Near the end of the session the wing was turned over and prepared for the installation of the first bottom wing skin. Time was also spent reviewing plans and directions for future parts of the wing assembly to help ensure everything goes together in the right order. The next session will be Saturday, January 22nd.

  Jan 08, 2022     Day 18 - (25 hours)       Category: Wings

Work continued on the right wing today. The rear spar assembly was inspected and then riveted to the framework. Meanwhile, the last of the wing skins for both wings were de-burred, cleaned, and primed. Some time was also devoted to discussion of lights and wiring options. Mark presented two good lighting possibilities: wing tip lights that cover enough area to eliminate the need for a tail light, and landing/taxi lights that can be mounted on the bottom of the wing which would simplify installation. The next session will be Saturday, January 15th.

  Jan 01, 2022     Day 17 - (20 hours)       Category: Wings

A small group gathered this New Year's Day to do a little work on the project. We decided to focus our efforts mainly on preparing the right wing skins for assembly. We first located all the correct skins and then began de-burring, cleaning, and priming. We completed most of them, but there are still a few to do. Part of our time was also spent discussing wiring options that may need to go in before some of the skins go on. Mark G. is doing some research on that and will bring it up as a topic for discussion next session, which will be Saturday January 8th.

  Dec 18, 2021     Day 16 - (30 hours)       Category: Wings

The main focus today was on riveting the wing ribs to the main spar. This process required a considerable amount of time and effort. Many rivets were larger A5 or A6 sizes that had to be installed in relatively tight positions. It required a lot of hands and sometimes the use of a hand riveter. The other time consuming task was figuring out where two unidentified stiffeners were supposed to go. (It's not good to have left over parts.) The mystery was finally solved by digging through the detailed blueprints, since the part was not shown on the overall plans or mentioned in the instruction manual. The next session will be January 1, 2022.