Assembly Table Video

Friends,

I've posted a video detailing how I built my new assembly table on YouTube...check it out below:

Cheers,

Greg

Finally back at it!

Welcome back fellow aircraft builders and aviation enthusiasts! I've been away for far too long, both from the project itself, and getting my updates published. I was very busy during the holiday season, as I'm sure many of you were. Family visits, random projects, travel...we all have things in life that can take us away from the project. Indeed, the last time I worked on the plane at all was over Thanksgiving weekend! But here we are, the end of January, and I've managed to get back at it.

One of the things that was taking so long was the condition of my assembly table. This whole build process has been an evolution of sorts. My original table design had folding leaves and was not originally going to have to support a 300 lb. bending brake. As the project evolved, including the brake, the original table just wasn't going to cut it. Further, after finishing up the horizontal stabilizer (more video segments to come), I discovered the table had some twist to it that could not be resolved, and transferred some of that to the stabilizer. I was able to minimize the twist in the stabilizer to around 1-degree (more than I would like but still acceptable). Thus, I needed to build a whole new table to avoid putting twist into the other substructures. It was a setback for sure, but a far better decision to start with a clean slate on the table. I cannibalized the old one for some of the lumber, but built a much heavier and more solid table than before. The new table has four 2x6 "longerons" bolstered in the center and at the ends with 2x4s. All of the structural bits are fastened with 1/4" x 2.5" lag screws and washers. Since there are no folding leaves now, there are no longer multiple surfaces to try to level or minimize twist. So, after several weekends of re-organizing the shop, cleaning up, rebuilding things, and finally assembling a new table, I was able to start cutting the skins for the flaperons, slats and the elevator last night. Finally, some actual progress on the plane!

New assembly table (Completed 1/28/2017):

Cutting slat skins out of .016":

Using cantilevered 2x4s to clamp the modular straightedge in place for Olfa cutting:

Another view of the cantilevered 2x4 clamps:

All 4 slat skins rolled for storage until I bend them to shape:

I will finish cutting the skins for the flaperons and elevator before I start bending and assembling any of them. I already have the skeletons done for those structures, so rolling the skins helps keep them out of the way and free from damage until I form them for assembly. I had originally planned on starting the wings this winter, but I have all these assembled skeletons laying around (the slats don't really have an independent skeleton...you start assembly by attaching bits to the skins). By getting these smaller structures done, I'll be able to focus on the wings and fuselage starting in spring/early summer. Lots of visual progress to come!

Cheers,

Greg

New Videos on YouTube.

Friends,

I've been hard at work this weekend (when I wasn't working on the firewall) editing videos together for my YouTube Channel. I just released these videos, which include some tech tips, and two of several segments of my Horizontal Stabilizer build:

Horizontal Stabilizer Build - Part 1:

Horizontal Stabilizer Build - Part 2:

Tech Tip: Rivet Fan Setup:

More videos on the way...

Cheers!

A ton of progress on the firewall!

Friends,

This weekend has been a whirlwind of building and video editing! I spent a full day assembling the firewall and I now only have a few finishing touches to put on it. I'm waiting for some additional materials that are on back-order before I can finish it. But it went from a pile of parts to a real firewall assembly. I also spent a full day editing my videos for the horizontal stabilizer build, along with some other videos. Anyway here are some pictures of my progress on the firewall:

Back side of firewall (toward the cabin) showing supports:

Front of firewall showing stiffeners, reinforcing plates and central gear channel:

Side view of Central Gear Channel & Gussets. The bronze Cleco in the circle denotes pilot hole for 5/8" rod that holds the nose gear bungee:

Full view of the front of the assembled firewall. Still need to make cover slides for the nose gear steering rod slots toward the bottom, and attach 2 short stiffeners to the upper channel:

 

Top of Firewall upper stiffener showing through hole for nose gear fork. A Nyloil bearing block (material on back-order) gets bolted in underneath the hole and is matched to the through hole:

Once I get this deburred and primed, I'll be able to fully rivet this structure together and set it aside until I'm ready to attach to the front of the cabin. I'm still a long way off from that, but it's exciting to see all the substructures coming together.

Next up, I'll be working to finish the elevator and mount it to the horizontal stabilizer. After that, I'll be skinning the flaperons and starting the wing spar webs. Exciting stuff. Making parts was awesome, but seeing them come together in the shape of an airplane is incredible.

Cheers!

Working on the firewall.

Friends,

For whatever reason, I've decided to shift gears briefly and work on the firewall.  Maybe I just need a break from the tail...I don't know. Anyway, I've ordered a quart of brush-on Zinc Chromate, which I can use in my garage during winter, so I can make progress on whatever I want, irrespective of the weather. Previously, I'd been spraying with Zinc Chromate from a rattle can, but you have to do that outside on a wind-free day, or in a paint booth. In my neighborhood, there's always a lot of wind, and I can't build a temporary paint booth unless I save all the priming to the very end...not gonna happen. I was wasting a lot of primer due to the wind, and that stuff is expensive. The quart jar of primer was $95!

Anyway, I only have a few parts to make in .063" to finish all the aluminum parts for the firewall. I still have to make the landing gear upper bearing out of Nyloil (waiting for my material to arrive), and some small cover pieces in galvanized steel. The center firewall doubler was a relatively difficult piece to make. Since I have hinges at either end of my brake, I couldn't bend it using the brake because I'd need the flanges to hang off the end. So, I used a piece of 1/4" round-over oak board clamped in the vise and hammered it into shape with my dead blow. Here are the results:

Center Firewall Doubler Blank, Part #75F9-5. This took 1.5 hours to make. Looks like a simple part, but making it in a home shop takes a lot of filing and care:

Using an oak round-over board plus the dead-blow in the vise to hammer form this part. I was really worried about cracking the material in the radii:

 

Formed Center Firewall Doubler. The larger flaps at the top should illustrate why this can't be bent in a brake that doesn't allow for overhang on the end:

Most of the firewall parts laid out, the Center Firewall Doubler is nested/slotted into the firewall channel toward the bottom.

 

Well, that's it for now...still cutting together video for the stabilizer and elevator build. The firewall is a relatively simple structure, so I'm not certain what sort of video tips/tricks I'll have for that, but I'll figure that out once I get into assembly. I still have a couple parts to finish up for it anyway.

Cheers, and good luck with your projects!

Horizontal Stabilizer nearly done!

Friends,

It's been slow going this summer, but I have some great visual progress to report. Although I learned a ton when working on the rudder (which I plan to completely rebuild), each phase of this project has lots to teach. I made some errors, had to compensate or remake parts or just take a different approach to assembly in some areas. Nevertheless, I have a nearly finished Horizontal Stabilizer. The top skin is riveted, but the bottom side is not since you need access inside when you mount the elevator to it. So the next step is to skin the elevator skin and then mount the trim tab, wiring and motor, and mount it to the stabilizer. Here are a few pics of the stabilizer assembly. And thank goodness for the new Husky air compressor...what a joy to use!

Horizontal Stabilizer Skeleton riveted:

Mounting brackets & center hinge riveted, plus 2 AN3 bolts at top & bottom:

Horizontal Stabilizer Skin treated with Zinc Chromate Primer:

 

Top surface of Horizontal Stabilizer Skin final riveted:

 

I'm working on the assembly video, but there is a lot of footage to edit, plus I still want to squeeze in my AirVenture video...so lots of editing to do! In the meantime, I've started assembly of the firewall and I'll be finishing up the elevator.

More to come!

I killed my air compressor!

Hey Gang, 

After 14 years of use and abuse, my little 8-gallon Harbor Freight air compressor gave up the ghost. They don't offer the same model anymore (mine was a 3.0 HP model), but this one is similar. It's been a great little machine. I paid less than $100 for it 14 years ago! However, building an all-metal airplane requires a lot more air than my old one could muster. About an hour and a half into match-drilling the horizontal stabilizer skin to the skeleton, I noticed a burning smell. Thinking I was simply approaching the thermal overload limit, which trips an internal breaker on the compressor, I kept going. I'd done this a few times before, so I wasn't concerned. However, this time around, it tripped the GFI circuit in the garage instead. After that, any attempt to turn on the compressor just trips the GFI. No activity from the compressor at all! I think I blew the start capacitor, but we'll see.

Anyway, since I need a compressor for other things (like winterizing my travel trailer and my sprinkler system within the next week or so), I couldn't really wait and try to fix the little one. Besides, it's too small for the plane project anyway. So, I ended up selecting a new Husky C302H 30-gallon portable compressor from Home Depot.

Check out my video on how and why I selected this particular model:

I did the 20-minute break-in on the new compressor and changed the oil to a synthetic blend. The factory oil was really dirty after the break-in, so an oil change was necessary. I also re-plumbed the condensate drain because the original one is all but inaccessible without tipping the compressor. It should give many years of service now, and last well beyond the length of the project. I hope so, since I plan to scratch-build a Zenith CH 640 someday!

As for the little compressor, I will try to fix it if the repair can be done inexpensively. I may try to sell it after that, give it away or keep it as a spare. No idea at this point...for now, it's just going to sit in a corner. Stay tuned for more progress! I have upcoming updates on the horizontal stabilizer, the elevator and the flaperons. Maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to start the wings this winter!

Cheers!