Missed working and researching today. This is the first day I missed since I started on 4/15. And it is the last day of my commitment for phase 1. I was on the road from Denton to Kansas City most of the day. I am traveling to Oshkosh as my reward and to do research, make final decisions and buy parts.
Phase 1 thoughts:
It really was a good idea to include working every day in the commitment. It helped me build the habit of working on and thinking about the airplane daily. Some days I really didn't want to work. In many of the cases I was not sure how to solve a problem. If I had skipped a day, it would have been even easier to skip the next day. Also every time I went into the garage I knew what I had done the day before and usually knew what was next.
I spent a lot more time thinking about the RV that what I logged. I'd mull over problems or research them on VAF or search for tools. I also read VAF forums daily and read threads that were interesting even if they didn't apply to me right now. I also spent time planning the trip to Oshkosh. One thing I have to watch is not to let my planning and research go on so long that it turns into a way to procrastinate. Some research and planning is good, but it is best to try things and make progress even if I make some mistakes, because I will make mistakes anyway.
I worked through some of my biggest areas of concern (landing gear mounts, Rudder bar/brake pedal mounts, fuel pump selection and mount and lines, brake lines, and finishing the fuel tank service bulletins) but didn't finish most of it. I thought I would have made more progress by now. I really need to spend more hours in the garage (or assembling avionics) in phase 2 if I ever want to finish this airplane. I'm mulling over the next commitment. Continue to work every day or give myself some time off? Commit to at least x hours per week while in town? Other?