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Brooks Cone
Southeast Michigan
Patrol #303, Kit build -
Added B&C 90 degree oil filter adaptor today. Used a 3/4" spacer to mount. Very complete kit overall and excellent instructions. If needed for your application, would highly recommend.
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Started to figure out the baffles and did a fit check on the Vetterman exhaust (perfect fit). Newton the Corgi passing thru...
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Just got home from visiting Virgil's facility in Fairview, OK. A long drive but worth it to get a checkout from Virgil in his Model 5 before first flight in my 4. My preparation for first flight started with a Flight review in a Citabria in Camas, WA to get legal, while visiting my daughter in Portland over Thanksgiving. I have been getting instruction at my home field in a 4 seat Taylorcraft with an O-470. If you have never heard of a 4 seat Taylorcraft, neither had I until a neighbor bought it a year ago for glider towing. I planned to fly my first flights off the alfalfa field next to our runway, so of course when I get home there is now 3"s of snow on it and the weather looks awful for the next week. I have to admit to some "5" envy after flying Virgil's, the 5 is an amazing airplane. My plane actually has more horsepower and weighs a little less. After accounting for our elevation at 6400', should be about the same power to weight ratio. Virgil has a great facility. I saw some new parts, an aluminum plate to mount the rudder and elevator servos at the tail and a tray for the ELT. Virgil is testing Catto constant speed propellers. There was one on his 5.
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Made an aileron cable and got a steel 45 fitting for the oil cooler return to engine. Little steps...
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Major milestone (for me at least): today is the first time any part of my Bearhawk has seen electricity. I hooked up a current-limited power supply at the wing root connector of each wing to test the transfer pumps. They sounded like electric fuel pumps without any fuel in them. Success!
With that last "wing" task checked off, it's time to rivet the top skins down.Comment
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27.2 hours into Phase 1. Which is shocking considering daylight is barely over 6 hours, and the weather isn't great in the winter here. WX looking good for most of the week. I could exit Phase 1 this week if I am lucky. I would have never guessed that.Comment
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Made progress on my access panels for the tail area.
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I recently got a new job closer to home that allows me to resume my regular 6am shop sessions, first time since 2020. Over the years I had been chipping away at the Patrol wings, but at a snail's pace. It feels good to be making measurable progress again. Current task: L wing skin trimming.
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Mark
Scratch building Patrol #275
Hood River, ORComment
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N776BE up to 36.6 hours. I should hit 40 in the next couple of days and then take 3 months off to warmer climates. I may not call Phase 1 complete until I do a mod to #6 baffle to fix a warm cylinder, and adjust the prop gov arm as I can only get 2520 rpm. Too cold in the hangar to do that much work for now.
Landings are coming along. Engine runs great and doesn't leak (yet). It flies hands off, after I learned the difference between "heavy wing" and a rolling moment. Writeup on that in the net couple of weeks along with some other stuff.Comment
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