Jan 06, 2024     STOP THE PRESSES! Category: Empennage

For obvious reasons, the build is at a standstill. The empennage was about 90% complete when the laser cut issue started. About 300 hours have gone into the tail, but it's looking like I will be starting over from scratch. Hopefully, more info will be coming from the mothership soon and we can all get back to pounding rivets!

  Jan 06, 2023     First rivet to We have an airplane part! - (21 hours)       Category: Tail Feathers

After starting the rudder I ran into ANOTHER part that was on back order, so I had to halt the work on the rudder. I went on the Vans store and the part I needed for the HS was in stock, so I ordered it (less than $10 with shipping) and got busy on the first official step of the build. First rivet of the plane when in without a problem. The Synergy Air classes and the practice kits gave me a good start on how to rivet. However, I found that with the kits I was doing a whole row of just back riveting or just squeezing or just bucking. In the build, I find myself switching back and forth more often than I anticipated. Everything was pretty straight forward, but I will say that riveting the skins on does go faster if you have a partner. Since the rudder is still missing some backordered parts I guess I'll move on to the VS.

  Nov 09, 2022     Work Begins! - (47 hours)       Category: Wings

I ordered the -14 Tail and Wing kit on 2/7/22. The wing kit ended up arriving first on 9/29/22. I started on the spar just to have something to do while waiting for the tail kit. Drilling holes and countersinking both spars (pg 13-02 & 13-03) took almost 40 hours. It definitely goes faster with help! Nothing hard or exciting, but it was good to finally get to work on the airplane. The Tail kit arrived 11/1/22. One of the items on back order was the re-enforcement plate that you rivet on in step 1 of the build. So, I skipped ahead and have started on the rudder.