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  • Gumption

    Reference Post #5.1 of this thread.
    https://bearhawkforums.com/forum/new...lf/69673-hello

    A note in my workshop says.
    "Gumption = Positive Psychotic Energy. Treasure it. Preserve it. Know what builds it and what sucks it away."

    I got my kit in 2017, but started scratch building in 2015. I've learned a thing or two about myself. I saw a post by Pbruce and thought a topic of Gumption was worth discussing. (he wrote "I've spent weeks where others have spent days.")

    I've been there. I am there. Slow is ok for me. I like building and I like good quality. I like learning and skill building and tools. But I dont like time based goals because they are incompatible with education, and quality for me.

    I don't let issues build up....issue can lurk over me and become negative energy. When Gumption is high the shop is exciting to get back into. I dont like leaving it. I keep track of what what feeds my gumption and what sucks it away.

    Your side window issue is solvable. I know at least two LSA builders who separated there window frames (drill out out the rivets) and covered over the inner frame then mounted the window and outer frame on top of the fabric. I know of another who added material between the two frames and reassembled them prior to covering.

    I'm coving the fuselage right now. I've ripped out my interior and re-did it due to quality issues. The worse part was contemplating ripping it out. Peace and a general good feeling was experienced when I heard the first ripping sound. I learned about Stewarts Glue by doing this too. I also ripped off my exterior cover about two weeks ago. That cost was abbot $130 for fabric including shipping and a month of work. This is an educational experience, and I need education, and I work alone and so this is the cost of doing business and improving skills and knowledge.

    An example....
    In the first photo I buried the forward Flap Cable Fairlead (this was my second try at covering this fairlead...you can see the repair) and it was not possible to service/replaced the flap cable without doing a fabric repair in the future. This was one of nine issues I identified with the exterior fabric after I tried to fabricate an inspection panel to prevent redoing the exterior fabric (which took two days to do) The second photo show what I finished yesterday. I now like what I have.

    If I focus on the task at hand, I do well and enjoy and learn and get better, Gumption stays high, and I look forward to heading out to the shop. I know if I were in your shoes and I wanted 1/8" thick windows, drilling out the first rivet would be tough. The second would be easy and the project would be making headway. Gumption would build.


    Screen Shot 2021-11-13 at 2.24.13 PM.pngIMG_3846.png


    Brooks Cone
    Southeast Michigan
    Patrol #303, Kit build

  • #2
    I admire your philosophy Brooks. You will come out of your project with something you are very proud of and near if not outright mastery of many skills due to the nature of your approach. When I take the time to redo something that I’m less than pleased with I do not regret it. A friend of mine likes to say that the mark of a craftsman is the willingness to redo something until it is right. I admit to being less of a craftsman than you, but I have my own agenda to blame
    Almost flying!

    Comment


    • Bcone1381
      Bcone1381 commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks Ken!

  • #3
    A large number of folks silly enough to want to build an airplane have been building things all their life, including me. I am definitely the master of none, but have a broad background. This is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done by an order of magnitude. One of the skills I definitely lacked was project management. I just threw myself into everything, which, unfortunately, is a habit that is probably too late to change.

    Actually I might have mastered one skill. Building everything at least twice, and more often than not, 3 times.

    Head down, keep pushing.

    Comment


    • Bcone1381
      Bcone1381 commented
      Editing a comment
      I identify with your Project Management comment. I lack that skill as well, and did not identify it until after I started, and am still not good.

      Unlike you, I have not been building things my whole life, rather I have spurts here and there. But when I look back, including my childhood, I see the most enjoyment was when I have been building things.
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