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My father started our 4-place plans build in the 2000's - our plans number is between 620 and 630 (is it OK to say exactly what plans number you have?)
He built essentially all the parts but got stalled in assembly - then my daughter and I picked up the project in Fall 2024.
I did get an updated set of plans when it was time to make the hardware that goes in the ends of the wing support struts - the udpated design is SO much simpler.
But I have not gone through the plans page by page to see what's been updated.
I am wondering if I may be missing important engineering changes / updates.
I am going to look through the plans and compare version numbers / dates and try to explore this myself
But I wanted to ask if there are any particular areas that are safety critical or otherwise important to do the new/updated way.
My father's craftsmanship is top notch and I would be disinclined to re-make any of the parts he made, unless there was a really good reason to do so.
One update I am aware of that we haven't done is replacing our airfoil type main gear struts with the updated round ones.
I have read several of the old threads on this and I did one of the proposed fixes, which was to open up the airfoil tube and insert a 4130 round tube, which is rosette welded to the outer airfoil tube at intervals. I know some people were critical of this "fix" and my impression is that adding an extra tube on the inside probably doesn't add much strength - but I also had the impression that the failure mode of the original design required kind of a "perfect storm" situation and that this was not a must-do update.
One other update I just got reminded of - we do have the wood strips to add airfoil shape to the horizontal stabilizer.
He built essentially all the parts but got stalled in assembly - then my daughter and I picked up the project in Fall 2024.
I did get an updated set of plans when it was time to make the hardware that goes in the ends of the wing support struts - the udpated design is SO much simpler.
But I have not gone through the plans page by page to see what's been updated.
I am wondering if I may be missing important engineering changes / updates.
I am going to look through the plans and compare version numbers / dates and try to explore this myself
But I wanted to ask if there are any particular areas that are safety critical or otherwise important to do the new/updated way.
My father's craftsmanship is top notch and I would be disinclined to re-make any of the parts he made, unless there was a really good reason to do so.
One update I am aware of that we haven't done is replacing our airfoil type main gear struts with the updated round ones.
I have read several of the old threads on this and I did one of the proposed fixes, which was to open up the airfoil tube and insert a 4130 round tube, which is rosette welded to the outer airfoil tube at intervals. I know some people were critical of this "fix" and my impression is that adding an extra tube on the inside probably doesn't add much strength - but I also had the impression that the failure mode of the original design required kind of a "perfect storm" situation and that this was not a must-do update.
One other update I just got reminded of - we do have the wood strips to add airfoil shape to the horizontal stabilizer.
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