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Quick trial fit of the prop today. End of the week might be ready to fire it up. Sorry start it up. Don't say fire. Trying to get my avionics sorted. Everything seems to be working but the GPS. Spent a bit of time with GRT tech support (excellent). Looks like a bad GPS.
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Got the firewall formed using the methods laid out in Eric Newton's manual. It went pretty well, I may need to tweak the flanges a bit to get them to align with the cowling. Also need to enlarge the holes around the engine mount bushings so that they will clear the weld beads and the firewall will sit flush against the tubing.
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The standard window latch is nice and simple but I didn't like that the J hook inside tends to rotate down on it's own. If you are not careful you can slam it into the door skin. It seemed like just a bit of friction would hold it in place. A spring and a washer did the trick and now it stays in whatever position you leave it in.
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I had the leading edge of the wings, spar to spar wrapped today in vinyl. 1 hour of labor for 3 guys and beautiful. Also got the prop installed but not torqued, after reluctantly, reading the instuctions.
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Got some sanding and priming of parts over the weekend, made flap cables on Monday, got some outboard bungs and some grounding tabs welded into/on the fuel tanks.
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SInce moving into a hangar I share with a very small project I wanted to make and paint a few parts. A mechanic recommended a 20" box fan and 20" furnace filter duck taped to it. It is shockingly effective, including grinding fiberglass on a belt sander, and painting. Great cheap and temporary paint booth. I am not sure you couldn't paint a wing with 4-6 of these. -
Stay with that set up for your small parts if you are sucking the contaminated air through the filter. Do not apply what I'm about to describe If your filtering air incoming to the booth.
The filters get clogged up fast when filtering air through a filtered box fan that is sucking bad air out of a booth when painting big parts. Then the air stops moving in the middle of painting and then my glasses get specks and then I clean my glasses..... then I think of the filter on my mask.
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Added tabs for the elevator push tube bulkhead. Hey 4th of July...gotta make some sparks
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With the flaps at final prime and rivet stage, I moved on to the ailerons. Job One was the leading edge bending jig to give a smooth 5/16" radius (Patrol) where it is needed. I had a scrap section of the ply I used for the spar bench handy, and wanted to provide guidance for the 'blade' on what was a guillotine-style jig. I wanted a two-step bend process so that I could fine-tune the angle, but in retrospect, the springbuck on 020 is such that I could have gone with the sandwiched 2x4 method and gotten very close.
The first bend was set up to give a 90 deg bend, so I split a cleaned-up, clear 44" section of 2x4 at 22.5 deg and tacked that to the base. The objective of the base was to provide a blade guide and to prevent any spreading of the channel into which the blade was to go... I found I lacked enough scrap 2x4 to just add an outside double on each side of the V channel, so cut and glued in a bunch of channel depth 18mm ply gussets. Did some test bends and determine that parallel sides in the channel would get me to about 135 deg, so made up an insert that could sit atop the V channel. Also determined that getting the jig off the bench would allow some Bessey clamps to get the bend started in the 180 deg bend channel (a little Pledge and waxing the channel helps as well. I ended up trimming the sides a bit to go that on the long bends. Def overkill, but after 30 years in uniform, massive overkill is too often barely enough.
Bending Jig Base.jpg Bending Jig w Blade.jpg Bending Jig Insert.jpg Aileron LE Sections.jpg
Got the LE stuff bent and then fabricated the combination strong back and spar face brackets. These brackets align and clamp the spar to the bench to set the ribs and TE for drilling, then are used to build a strong back to ensure the LE skins go on dead straight and true. Having a strong back prevents any spar twist or bow that can occur if ratchet straps were used to pull the skins into place and worked well on the flap buildup. Once I wrap up my guitar stuff today, I'll get going got those ailerons. Will spread those brackets a bit wider to get more leverage, but photos give an idea of use with everything referenced to the bottom flange of the spar. The last shot shows the flap strong back in use, which helped get two very straight and true panels
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Carlo is wrapping up his wings in the next week - wiring up the left wing (much simpler than the right with some avionics and autopilot stuff that needed to be sited and wired). We already ordered the fuselage/LG/tail tubing last week - will start building g up the fuse jig later this month. While I am still working through my sheet metal boot camp using the flaps and ribs, Carlo will be wings-complete in 10.5 months from receiving plans (less wing tips, which will be built up when we do the custom composite cowlings) - crazy progress for a scratch-builder. Should have the leading edge skin bending jig in hand in a day or two - this was based on the Bearhawk Factory LE bending jig seen in the factory videos, and was much faster and easier than vacuum bending for Carlo's skins. Will have shots and some measurements when it comes down to be stored here awaiting next use.Last edited by SpruceForest; 07-06-2024, 10:23 AM.Comment
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Re-made my site gauges. This is what it looks like when you over tighten a pipe thread fitting in PVC tubing. Interestingly, the internal cracks only appeared after a few months (maybe effected by heating/cooling cycles?)
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I started putting together my rudder. when that's done I will start the elevators. Then the stabs. (scratch build)
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I should have started up my engine a few days ago. I stripped out an exhaust stud (rebuilt cylinders). Did fuel flow testing yesterday and today. I have a gravity fed small header tank (2L) right under the front right seat, and EFI pumps scavenging fuel out of that to a 45 psi fuel rail. I did gravity flow test to the header tank, and pumped testing (1.25X max fuel flow)
My gravity flows were a bit higher than most only because a nose high attitude changes the vertical distance very little, as compared to checking flows at a carb/fuel pump 4-6 feet forward, which rotates up when you position the aircraft nose up.
L only 34 gal/h
R only 33
Both >40, I stopped early so as not to make a mess
Pumped @45psi. EFI with a return line. Pumps put out less volume at higher pressure. I pressured the fuel rail, and measured the flow by the return line out the back end of the fuel pressure regulator. Again >40 gal/h.
Waiting for a heli-coil (tomorrow) cylinder is drilled and tapped for it. I have spark, fuel pressure, all the EFI sensors are functioning normally. Hopefully starts right up.
The only "issue" is I don't appear to be smart enough to program my EIS (GRT). Still trying to sort out a few sensors (ammeter and fuel pressure sender).Comment
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I'm right behind you, John. Last week I installed my CHT, oil Press, Fuel Press, Manifold Press and Oil Temp sensors. I'm mocking up my plug wire route then will commit to the routing of my my EGT sensor wiring before I drill the exhaust to accept them. I think that leaves the Fuel Flow sensor.
My last update was Cowl Building. jsut the cowl, not the scoop, baffling, etc. I'm happy with it, and like the Piper Cowl Latches.
Since then I've completed my cowl scoop, Baffling, Baffle seals and oil cooler installation. I'm not a natural or experienced fabricator, need instructions and uncertainty often prevails in the environment of my mind as I work alone. It takes some time for me to figure things out.
That resulted in me having both a Vans Airbox & Cowl Scoop and a Bearhawk Airbox. The Bearhawk Box is stout and simple. I like that. But I went with the Vans box because I could see how and could develop a plan others had used to install it. I also was able to increased horizontally the exit area by about 1.5 inches, feel it will flow a bit better, and like the appearance. I hope I'll have good cooling.
Vans Cowl Scoop modification:
This is how it starts before I cut anything.
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It hurt to cut out that much of my lower cowl. The next show has the scoop resting in place with its flange up inside. I love the mess I make. The fillet is shaped of an epoxy - Microballoon - cotton flox mix. I then apply the glass cloth over the fillet to form the flange. Its just a mess, isn't it!
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We pop it off then trim it to size, sand and fill. I made the scoop removeable. Its installed with #6 machine screws and nut plates.
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Brooks Cone
Southeast Michigan
Patrol #303, Kit buildComment
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The cowl scoop induction air intake....
My goal was a tight seal between the atmosphere and the airbox's airfilter to prevent leaks from pressurizing the lower cowl plenum below the engine. I also want the lower cowl to be easy to remove. Disconnecting the induction air intake from the cowl was a trick.
To do this I fabricated an inlet connection using SCEET hose. SCEET hose has a structural wire inside like a slinky that is encapulated between two layers of high temp hose material. When compressed it springs back and allow for misalignment. The hose fits into a tapered tube fabricated into the airbox intake. To install I press and twist the SCEET into the reciever and then secure the shell to the scoop with machine screws....they might be tinnermans...I forget. The second photo shows features the Shell and SCEET. The hose is received by airbox intake which has a slight taper so I get a tight fit.
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Brooks Cone
Southeast Michigan
Patrol #303, Kit buildComment
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I'm not the smartest dude. Sometimes I get focused and loose the big picture. I wanted a plenum instead of Baffle Seals to seal the top engine plenum. I spent 10 days of shop time fabricating this plenum. Then I realized that the top cowl would have to be entirely removed in order to remove the plenum lid. That did not meet my design goal of easy maintenance. I just shake my head at myself....laugh at myself. Last year at this time I thought I would by flying by Oshkosh. No way!!
I like the method I dreamed up to fabricate it though. I covered the area with fabric, shrunk it to get the shape, then applied epoxy impregnated glass cloth over that fabric. I mean it was all trimed and attachment was done, fixed problem areas before I grasped the big picture.
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Southeast Michigan
Patrol #303, Kit buildComment
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A goal is a tight upper plenum, so I first spent a lot of time sealing up the interface between the cowl intakes and the engine on the inside of the upper plenum. I fabricated a flexible fiberglass seal that is unporoven, but hopeful. If it works it will seal very well. Will it crack and not accomodate engine vibration? I dont know. But a single layer layup with my epoxy has ample flexibility....the data tells me yes.
The first photo is a veiw from inside the cowl looking over Cyl 1 and out the right intake. The airflow should flow smoothly into the top plenum due to the ramp I built up. The second photo shows the same part from a different view.
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The Baffle seals.....McFarlane distributes a Baffle Seal material that is touted as the best by them for various reasons. Its quite expensive. Most folks use silicone seal material. The old saying "Thats a good price at half the cost." may not apply, but I found some for 1/2 the cost on ebay. I can say that I researched this on line and I think the photos of the McFarlane baffel seals exceed the industry standard in both the EAB and certificated arenas.
The second shot is a view taken looking in through the right intake looking aft over the right cylinders to the aft baffle. The yellow arrows point to gaps i got sealed up later. (click on the second photo below to show an expanded view) The red arrow shows a gap that it typically overlapped like the one on the far right, but was trimmed and treated to seal up any air leaks.
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Brooks Cone
Southeast Michigan
Patrol #303, Kit buildComment
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