Finally some time to work on the project....

We spent about two hours. The first hour and a half was spent figuring out the best way to get the flaperon brackets consistently placed. The end result was using some extrusion clamped to the top of the rib, then using some "L" angle to hold the bracket to the rib. The ends of the brackets were all made flush with the end of the rib.

I'm not sure how I got into this position in the first place. I drew out the rivet lines on the spar and channel, and the pre-drilled holes of the skin line up perfectly.

But as always, progress must be stopped. I believe that the 7V7-4 supplied with my wing kit may be mal-formed.

Basically making a mark 41mm from the 115mm mark to the right is past the piece. Making the 41mm mark to the left doesn't look right

The instructions in the manual are somewhat confusing, so I would be happy to find out I mis-interpreted them.


Project Status:
Wings: 38.5h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 1h, 1.5h, 1h, 1.5, 4.5, 1h, 1h, 2h, 4h, 1h, 3h, 1h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 2h, 2h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~141 hours

Honestly I have not been working on the 701 much recently. We had some visitors on Sunday and I used the top rear wing skin to verify that the distance between the spar and rear channel is correct.

So what is the reason I've been so busy?

http://download.microsoft.com/download/0/8/8/08878f81-138c-4bad-a7fd-a06d11945178/Shadowrun_Esrb_360p29_51_1800k.wmv

Enjoy.

EAA 1440 had another meeting last night, with a great analysis of accident rates and causes for homebuilts, along with comparisons to the production fleet.

I've had this idea of formalizing risk mitigations knocking around in my head for a while. At Microsoft an employee determines a set of commitments and accountabilities for those commitments, which determine the results of the annual performance review.

This model seems like a good fit for something like the homebuilding process. Considering that the fleet accident rate for all Zeniths is about 2.14% ( higher than Lancairs, less than Seareys ), then I need to do something to minimize my individual exposure to risks.

At the moment I have no idea what the largest contributor is to the Zenith fleet accident, my commitments will be based on my perceived cause of accidents and the root causes of the overall homebuilt fleet.

Commitment: Flight training
Execution:

• Meet with our EAA flight advisor. Meet with an EAA flight advisor who has specific experience with the CH701.
• Obtain an additional 20 hours of float training. Attempt to find a reasonable source of amphibious training.
• Attempt to find a source of CH701 specific training.
  

Commitment: Technical and safety review
Execution:

• Hold a project open house before transport for final assembly
• Meet with an EAA technical advisor, with a review of all airframe, fuel line, and FWF assemblies.
• Have a trusted A&P do a review of the airframe assembly
• Perform a full inspection at the following intervals of flight time:
• 1, 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 100
  
• Have a trusted A&P do the annual condition inspection with me so I can learn how to maintain the aircraft.
  

Commitment: Fuel line & FWF safety
Execution:

• Obtain help with the FWF installation by an experienced Rotax installer
  

Commitment: Further Mitigation
Execution:

• Determine more commitments that are relevant for a safe completion of the project.
  

We spent about two hours on Sunday. Part of that time was spent getting the inboard wing channel into place, and the rest on the flaperon brackets.

I believe that my rear wing channels may be a few mm aft, as I am having a problem with 7V4-6.

When I attempt to place the bracket, the after edge is more rearward than the rib. If I move the bracket forward then it gets between the rib and the channel.

Is the correction to attempt to move the channel forward, or to shim between the rib and the channel?

Project Status:
Wings: 36.5h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 1h, 1.5h, 1h, 1.5, 4.5, 1h, 1h, 2h, 4h, 1h, 3h, 1h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 2h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~139 hours

Saturday night we were able to sneak in about an hour and a half of work. Tasks completed included cutting the outboard rear wing channel for the wing tips, discovering that the inboard heavy duty rear wing channel required trimming, trimming them, figuring out the measurements and hole placements for the 7V4-3 ( doubler ) and then pre-drilling it.

Luckily all the trimming produced enough scrap to fill in for some 7V6-3. I found Zenith really does not provide enough of that piece. I can't imagine that it cost's that much, or would be too difficult to produce.

Project Status:
Wings: 34.5h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 1h, 1.5h, 1h, 1.5, 4.5, 1h, 1h, 2h, 4h, 1h, 3h, 1h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~137 hours

Building will be slow for the next several weeks...

Superbowl Sunday was productive and most of the rear wing channel for the left wing was finished. The remaining center piece was done on Monday.

Working on the rear channels alone is a challenge, an assistant is a necessity.

After much discussion on the Zenith list, I bought and tried a Drill Doctor XP2. What a piece of crap. I tried two #30 bits that we past their life and it made . A #40 was also tried and destroyed. If I hadn't received a refund from Home Depot you can bet that angry mails would be sent, but I really don't have the time. All three bits were made blunt, not matter what I attempted.

Project Status:
Wings: 33.0h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 1h, 1.5h, 1h, 1.5, 4.5, 1h, 1h, 2h, 4h, 1h, 3h, 1h, 2h, .5h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~135.5 hours

We only spent an hour on the left wing. The rear channel positioning template was used for the first half of the drilling. Attaching the inboard halves still needs to be done, and the rear channels do need to be trimmed to fit.

Project Status:
Wings: 30.5h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 1h, 1.5h, 1h, 1.5, 4.5, 1h, 1h, 2h, 4h, 1h, 3h, 1h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~133 hours

Sunday was busy even though only about 3 hours of work got done.

Dave and Pat from EAA dropped by to see what a Zenith project is all about. They are about to embark on the journey with a 601XL.

The 60mm jig worked perfectly, and I did drill the channels into place from the middle of the spar outwards, but did the middle heavy channel last. I did have to trim the rib channel position template a small amount.

Everything seems to be square.

For the middle heavy channel, we used two bookshelf brackets ( as pictured ) to keep the ribs square as the rib angle and channel were squared into place. We had to mark the holes into the rib angle and then precision drill them since clamping would have been impossible.

The left wing's rear channel should not take near as long.

Saturday we actually flew the old 150 and saw the new Olympic Sculpture Garden from the air.


Project Status:
Wings: 29.5h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 1h, 1.5h, 1h, 1.5, 4.5, 1h, 1h, 2h, 4h, 1h, 3h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~133 hours

Finally got a little time to work on the project. Spent about and hour playing with the rear template placement jig and the rear channels.

When I had my last major question, I was trying to determine the jig distance for the rear channel ( 380 or 400mm ). I called Zenith and Roger gave me a better way: do not even use the jig. His suggestion was ( working center outwards ) to square the ribs, place the wing channels and THEN drill the angle to the channels.

Having already jigged the long sets, I decided to do this for the short channel.

Here is the problem: I first test fitted the 600mm channels and the angle ( 7V6-3 ) was not protruding far enough from the channel. The mating surfaces were about 3-4 mm apart. The obvious fix is to trim away a small portion of the flange from the wing rib. Because the piece must be 600mm for proper rib alignment, moving the 7V6-3 or the fabricated end cap are not options.

I'm still going to follow Roger's advice for the shorter channels since I can trim the entire channel for clearance before adding the 7V6-3 and still maintain proper edge distance.

Project Status:
Wings: 26.5h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 1h, 1.5h, 1h, 1.5, 4.5, 1h, 1h, 2h, 4h, 1h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~130 hours

We spent about four hours fabricating the rear wing channels for the left and right wing.

The manual gives a kernel of a good instruction, but there was an easier way. If you mark the edge distance and then mark your rivet holes on the outside of the channel, you can support the piece ( placed in the jig ) during drilling with a small piece of wood underneath it. When you back drill, use the same piece of wood with a clamp to keep parts from shifting.

The first jig was set to a length of 600mm for 7V6-2SP. The manual states that for 7V6-1 the jig should be set to 380mm, BUT the length of 7V6-1 is 380mm. The plans state that the flange-to-flange distance of the completed part is 400mm, so I think the manual is in error.

The Zenith list seems to concur, but I'm going to call Mexico, MO in the morning.

Also, Robert from my EAA chapter dropped by curious to see what the Zenith build process id like compared to the RV-7 he is working on.

Project Status:
Wings: 25.5h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 1h, 1.5h, 1h, 1.5, 4.5, 1h, 1h, 2h, 4h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~129 hours

The amount of wood used so far to make an "all aluminum plane" has probably been enough to make a Fly Baby.

We spent about two hours cutting the false rib template and making the first rear channel jig ( both shown in the photo ). Most of that was figuring out the fancy new tool. It even can with an instructional DVD.

The router also came in handy cleaning up the workbench edge that 1) wasn't cut very straight 2) has been drilled more than Paris Hilton.

Project Status:
Wings: 21.5h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 1h, 1.5h, 1h, 1.5, 4.5, 1h, 1h, 2h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~124 hours

Thursday night was spent laying out the false rib template.

This was an easy task, except on the plans many of the measurements are relative to each other, making some easy parts hard.

More tools are needed... like a router to do the tight spots. Should also come in handy for the slat jig.

Project Status:
Wings: 19.5h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 1h, 1.5h, 1h, 1.5, 4.5, 1h, 1h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~122 hours

On Monday we spent about an hour fabricating the bends in the rear channel for the right wing. Wood was used instead of a backing bar. I used a file to bevel of the edge for the radius to be about the correct size.

Project Status:
Wings: 18.5h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 1h, 1.5h, 1h, 1.5, 4.5, 1h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~121 hours

Saturday consisted of powertools and football. As an added bonus the Cowboys snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

We spent 4.5 hours fabricating the skin supports for the left wing, drilling the supports, mounts and tip ribs. Everything got deburred, protected and riveted. For both wings. It was a large amount of work for very little visual payoff.

The next mini-project is the rear wing channel. This will involve some templates and a simple jig.

Project Status:
Wings: 18.5h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 1h, 1.5h, 1h, 1.5, 4.5 )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~120 hours

I spent about an hour and a half fabricating the skin supports for the ribs that also have the slat brackets.

The whole affair was straight forward, but I found it slightly difficult to drill the bend release holes. Getting a good angle to cut the L angle was also a little tricky.

Only the right side was fabricated so I could avoid any problems of mirrored parts getting mixed up.

Someone asked me if I worked on the project every night... and recently I have been. But there was a while when work prevented such progress. Even if I don't actually drill, cut, deburr or corrosion protect something, working at least every other night keeps the project in your mind and avoids having to REALLY spend some time reorienting yourself.

Project Status:
Wings: 14h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 1h, 1.5h, 1h, 1.5 )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~115.5 hours

I spent about an hour making the slat placement template tool. The extrusion came from Home Depot and the 1/8" plate came from Ballard Sheet Metal Works. Most of the time was spent using the hacksaw on the plate. The plate is 7000 series and really hard stuff. A little extra time was spent using scotchbrite on the extrusion to obtain a nice brushed metal look. One small deviation from the plans was made: I riveted a small piece of plate between the extrusion at the end of the tool to maintain a constant gap between the extrusion and provide for better stability.

What is a massive project that takes years to finish? An airplane yes, but also a video game. I am preparing for another crunch at the office, but you can see the fruits of my labor. If you have a Xbox 360 with a Xbox Live Gold account and a Xbox hard drive, then please sign up for the Shadowrun beta. http://shadowrun.com/behindthescenes/articles/BetaApplication.htm

Should you accept the offer from Mr. Johnson you will be given the chance to geek those dandelion eaters without having to pay any Nuyen to enter the matrix.

Project Status:
Wings: 12.5h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 1h, 1.5h, 1h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~114 hours

An hour and a half was spent drilling the left wing. The rear ribs, spar tip, and root ribs were all drilled into place.

Next is the slat placement template. I need to stop by the metal shop in the morning to get some aluminum plate ( t=.125, 80mm x 150mm )

There are some things the every good workshop should have... like an iPod. Seriously, having every CD you own in something in the equivalent volume of a CD case is perfect for keeping in the shop.

In other good news: http://www.can-zacaviation.com/floats/floats.htm

Project Status:
Wings: 11.5h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 1h, 1.5h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~113 hours

We spent only an hour today, but managed to get the tip ribs drilled into place for the left wing. A friend was over helping with the build, so all the tools that are normally taken for granted become cool and new again.

The left tip ribs took about 1/4 of the time compared to the right wing, and I can only imagine how much faster the rear ribs will be.

Project Status:
Wings: 10h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 1h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~111.5 hours

New Years Eve: About four hours were spent on the right wing. The rear ribs were drilled into place, along with the root rib. The spar tip extension was drilled into place. The slat brackets were predrilled. We also bought a new work light and some extrusion for the slat placement template. I could not find any t=.125 plates at the Home Depot, so I bought some thinner plate that will just be layered.

Project Status:
Wings: 9h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h, 4h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~110.5 hours

Friday night we got just a little done. We deburred, corrosion protected and riveted the L angles to the left wing.

Saturday night was very productive. Not only did we drill the L angles for the right wing, corrosion protect and rivet, but also got the tip ribs drilled into place for the right wing.

The tip ribs were just a bit of a problem due to the length of the spar and our need to keep the garage door closed for warmth.

We also had a bit of confusion over which spar was the right spar and which was the left. Luckily the builder's manual and some other drawings cleared everything up.

Project Status:
Wings: 5h ( 1h, 1h, 0.5h, 2.5h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~106.5 hours

We spent about an hour working on left wing spar. Nothing much, just drilling some L angle to the spar. This is the last progress until after Christmas... until then I'm on dipsolucious vacation.

Project Status:
Wings: 2h ( 1h, 1h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~104 hours

We spent about an hour reviewing the first steps on the wing skeleton, the plans and cutting the L angle required for the spar.

Joe told me that he spent about 100 hours each on his 601XL's wings. I believe that this estimate is probably high for the 701 kit based on several assumptions. First, the flaperons are not part of the wing. This greatly reduces the complexity. Second, more parts come pre-drilled then when Joe built. Third, I believe the overall structure of the 701's wings has fewer parts.

Project Status:
Wings: 1h ( 1h )
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~103 hours

Workbench 2.0 was finished tonight. There is a big difference in the sturdiness and look from the old workbench. Overall the height of the new bench is better ( slightly lower ).

The bench is also much flatter, as confirmed with the level ( made from 6061-T6! ).

Underneath the spars and skins can be kept safe, so we even gained additional room in the garage.

It only took two of us, an hour, a plywood plank and some cinder blocks to lift the frame onto the new base. Shimming, leveling, and attaching the table top took a few more hours.

Here is the first iteration of the old bench, followed by the second iteration:


v1.0:

v1.5:

Once again work is keeping me from the project. The workbench was a forbidding project for some reason, but we now have a plan, materials, and most of the work finished. We are going to use the wing crate as a base ( as mentioned previously ), but the question of how to add legs has been perplexing.

We finally settled on the simplest, most stable, and most ghetto idea: cinder blocks. The crate's frame rails will sit on slats which will rest on the cinder blocks, kinda like a mattress and a box spring. The only problem is lifting the crate... a problem that should be easily overcome with the help of a few people.

Using the crate has many advantages. It's better built than I could do. It already exists. It's about the right size. The wing skins and spars can be safely stored inside, yet easily retrieved. It's easy to make.

We bought 16 cinder blocks. The idea is to have four "legs" per side, with each "leg" two cinder block high. Each cinder block "leg" will have a footprint of 16"x8" and will be 6" high. .

Tuesday night we spent one hour closing the two remaining flaperon halves. Deburring, corrosion protecting and riveting are all activities I can now do in my sleep.

The fuel system and wing crate arrived on Wednesday just before Thanksgiving, and Saturday evening the inventory was done.

The fuel caps do not look like they are vented, nor do the tanks look like ten gallons capacity.

Before work on the wing can begin, the workshop needs to be redone. The table I built is not perfectly flat for it's 8 foot length AND it needs to be extended an additional four feet. My plan is to use the crate the wings came in as a workbench frame. All I need to do is raise the crate an additional two feet and provide for an adjustable shim method to keep everything level. I'm going to use the MDF from the current bench as the table top.

Project Status:
Wings: Inventory complete
Flaperons: ( DONE! ) 23.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h, 1h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~102 hours

Surprisingly, the light at the end of the tunnel was not a train.

After a nearly month long break, work is ready to continue on the CH701. The wing and fuel tanks kits were ordered in early October and should be shipping any day now.

The slats are lamentably still untouched, but Tuesday should resolve that.

We spent about 30 minutes Saturday morning drilling the bottom skin to the spar and ribs, went and had breakfast and then I spent about 2.5hs deburring, riveting, corrosion protecting and then repeating the steps for the top of the skin.

I found that by using a 2x2 and some silver clecos on the trailing edge of the pre-drilled skin that I was able to ratchet down the top skin and drill it by myself.

The question is how to proceed with the "root" rib. I'm thinking that I should just drill it into place now.

We then spent about 4 hours in the evening making the port inboard flaperon section. The skeleton is made, the bottom skin riveted and the top skin drilled.

Project Status:
Flaperons: ( right outboard, left outboard DONE! ) 22.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h, 3h, 4h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~102 hours

We spent about three hours measuring and drilling the right inboard flaperon skeleton. The skeleton is now riveted, minus the splice rib.

Project Status:
Flaperons: ( right outboard, left outboard DONE! ) 15.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~95 hours

The air compressor came back from the shop... and since it was still crammed into the back of a Jeep we decided to use the hand riveter to finish the flaperon half. A nail got stuck in the riveter and all attempts to get it out have failed.

We started the right inboard half and got as far as getting the pieces out and placing them on the pre-drilled skin.

Project Status:
Flaperons: ( right outboard, left outboard DONE! ) 12.5 hours spent ( 1h, 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~92 hours

We spent about 1.5 hours building Saturday... a grill that is. The building experience of the CH701 is much easier compared to a Char-Broiled grill. Seriously.

In my never-ending campaign to justify the expense of the Garmin 496 a little bit of aerial recon was performed... on pumpkin patches. We flew up and down the surrounding farm lands looking for patches, and when we found one that looked good we marked the location. The plan is to simply use to GPS to navigate us there in a few weeks. In 1.5 hours of flying we covered the same amount of ground that a whole day's worth of driving would take.

We spent another hour on the left outboard flaperon. The splice rib and associated bracket were drilled into place, the whole assembly was deburred and then protected from corrosion. The splice rib and bracket were riveted into place using the hand riveter.

After some exploration the electric drill does not differ from the air drill in regards to producing burrs. The electric drill is less ideal than the air drill in three main ways. 1) The chuck area is larger and thus much harder to get into tight spaces. 2) The drill is MUCH heavier so when it punches through the metal the chuck hits the metal skin with more force, and thus the protective rubber washers much faster and it is much easier to damage the skin. 3) The drill takes a long time to spool down after use making several seconds of delay required before moving onto the next hole. On the upside the drill generates much less noise.

Project Status:
Flaperons: ( right outboard DONE! ) 11.5 hours spent ( 1h, 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~91 hours

Slow progress this week due to outside issues including a weekend drive to Eugene.

The bottom of of the left outboard flaperon is riveted. The top was drilled using the new electric drill. The new drill has a very different feel in it's operation. The drill spools up, sits on the metal for a second and then instantly sinks into the metal. The time to spool down the drill takes much longer than the air drill. I haven't deburred yet, so I will not know how using a high RPM / low torque drill will vary in respect to the high torque . lower RPM air drill. My guess is that the holes will be cleaner.

Another building tip about the flaperons: The trailing edges are pre-drilled. The builder's manual says that the top edge of the flaperon may not reach the trailing edge, and just to trim the extra off. The problem is that the pre-drilled holes prevent this and trimming would ruin the skin!

So besides exercising extreme caution in the measuring of the ribs to make the bottom skin match up, I found an interesting technique to make the top skin "work".

After ratcheting down the skin with 2x2's, I slowly used some silver clecos in the trailing edge to "pull" the pre-drilled holes together. Initially it was hard to find holes close enough to start the process and it took another person to help pull and push the skin.

Project Status:
Flaperons: ( right outboard DONE! ) 10.5 hours spent ( 1h, 1.5h, 3h, 6h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~90 hours

The compressor is in the shop. For future reference: Do not buy an "oil less" air compressor. They are loud and light duty.

We bought a 2500RPM VSR drill for about $60 to hold us over. Unfortunately using the hand riveter takes about 10x longer than the pneumatic riveter.

The Matronics Kitfox list has been abuzz about LED lighting, and I am convinced this is the way to go, and I will probably follow this guys instructions: http://www.itsys3.com/kitfox/discover.shtml The current plan is still to use a Dynon Flightdek D180, the Garmin 496, a single com and a transponder. Light, sleek, modern.

We spent about 6 hours today on the flaperons..

One major build tip for these is when riveting the skeleton, rivet the hinge extrusions last so you have some extra play to sneek the rivet gun to the hole.

Another major tip is to wait to drill and place the splice rib and associated angle. We placed and drilled the angle first and then got major "beer canning" when ratcheting over the top of the skin.

The fiberglass tips fit somewhat poorly. You can even see this is the builder's manual. I played with them for a while and did my best. There is a little gap between the bend in the skin, but it shouldn't matter.

The compressor decided to die today while we were making major progress. At first it wouldn't stop the compressor when it reached 150 psi. Then it wouldn't compress past 120 psi, then 100 psi. Finally we heard a very loud "pop"/"bang" like a firecracker from the compressor followed by a doubling of it's pitch. I shut it off, unplugged it and then drained it's air pressure by using it. I got about half of the bottom of the left outboard flaperon riveted. Luckily we have the hand riveter, but no electric drill.






Project Status:
Flaperons: ( right outboard DONE! ) 10.5 hours spent ( 1.5h, 3h, 6h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~89 hours

We finally found some time to get back on the project. Between work, friends and the trip to Eugene something had to give.

The right outboard flaperon is coming along quickly. We almost made a deadly mistake a SECOND time... drilling mounting brackets upside down. The holes for the brackets already existed in the skin and cause me to double check my measurements and positions.

My guess is that we have maybe two hours more work on the piece. The left outboard flaperon should take less time, and the inboards seem to be a similar process.

If I can get part of Labor day, one night during the week and one day next weekend, all four pieces should be done by Sept 17. The slats shouldn't take much time, so the wings and tanks need to be ordered soon.




Project Status:
Flaperons: 4.5 hours spent ( 1.5h, 3h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~83 hours

The only word that can describe the H4 "Hercules" is ginormous.

8.6 hours in a C150. That is a long time. Highlights of the trip included visiting the Hughes H4- Hercules and attempting STOL operations that I decided were impossible at gross weight at high density altitude with wind shear in a tight mountain ravine airport.

The entire trip was done over two days. The first day was 4.8 hours and went from Seattle to Portland, fuel in McMinnville, over Eugene, attempted landing at Oakridge and the back to Eugene.

The return was 3.8 hours and was from Eugene, fuel in McMinnville, over Portland and then to Seattle.

Enough good things can not be said about the Garmin 496... especially the XM radio part. Listening to some music on the long legs really helped. The PMA audio panel would automagicaly mute the input audio when talking or receiving transmission. There are a few things that would change about the unit, but a full reviewing post will come later.

I'm spending most of my time in the office. So, I've had to stick to the builder's equivilent of "hangar flying". I've decided to buy a Garmin 496 for the CH701. In fact, I almost bought one this week for an upcoming cross-country trip to Eugene. In the end I couldn't justify the cost, but I don't want to settle for a 296, so I'm going to wait until Garmin releases a 596 and let the price drop.

Just for fun:

Hiatus:

Etymology

Derives from Latin “hiatus”, -us, m.: gap; cf. hiare, hio, hiavi (hisco); (χαίνω) έ-χαν-ον, κέχηνα; Old High German ginēn; German 'gähnen' -> "yawn")

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)^{?, file}

  Rhymes: -eɪtəs

Noun

hiatus (plural hiatus or hiatuses)

Singular hiatus

Plural hiatus or hiatuses

1. A break or pause.
2. A gap in a series, making it incomplete.
3. (linguistics)
   1. A syllable break between two vowels, without an intervening consonant. (Compare diphthong.)
   2. The condition of having such a break.

      Words like reality and naïve contain vowels in hiatus.

4. A gap in geological strata.
5. A fissure in a bone.
6. A small difference in pitch between two musical tones.
7. A vacation.

Synonyms

• break (1)

After a small break we took a final inventory of all the parts in the latest shipment from Zenith. Immediately I was struck by how heavy the skins are for the flaperons and the slats. The skins for the flaperons seems to be almost as heavy as the elevator and the stabilizer combined!

We will be making the flaperons first. I went ahead and cut the 26mm angle off the mounting brackets and pre-drilled the holes into the brackets per the plans.

About one hour was spent on the inventory, and another 1.5 hours spent cutting those angles.

Project Status:
Flaperons: 1.5 hours spent ( 1.5h )
Paint Design: 2 hours spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~80 hours

Is this thing on? tap, tap... tap, tap...

The blog was upgraded to the new beta version of Blogger today. If anyone has problems with the page let me know via email or comments.

Upgrading allowed a massive cleanup to the HTML/CSS code template that I had heavily modified. The new system also allows for much easier addition, movement, editing and subtraction of the embeded HTML in the sidebar.

Posts also now can get tagged with a few words that describe the nature of the post like "blog", "vacation", "construction tip", ect. This should make it easier for people to filter out stuff that isn't directly construction related. In addition, the archives widget is now more useful.

The layout is going to get tweaked over the next several days. Please leave feedback about what you like and hate.

I trimmed about 10mm from the gusset. Now the full range of motion on the elevator is defined by the horns hitting each other, so about 45 degrees each way.

Last night my neighborhood had a block party. This was a belated event from the "Neighborhood Night Out" that happened on the 1rst.

My place is on a small block in the NE corner of Ballard. It's fairly quite with many long time residents. Well as the new people, we were asked which house was ours. My response was normally something like "The house with all the strange construction noises". Based on the AOPA, EAA, SPA, and BFI stickers many had already figured out that I was a pilot, but hadn't realized what the noise was.

I got the normal questions and responses like: "Like a remote controlled plane?", "That's legal?", "How will you fit it in your garage?", and so on. In the end about 15 neighbors ( at once ) ended up in my garage to see the project. I tried to answers everyone's questions about the tools, materials and inspection process.

In the end a number of people expressed interest in flying and in experimental aviation. Hopefully more people will pop their heads into the garage.

It was a good experience, especially since I missed the Eastside EAA meeting.

I heard back from Zenith builder support today. For some reason my hinge hole is closer to the gusset bracket than it should be. I measured exactly 135mm from the center hinge bracket flange end, but I didn't verify the measurments of the gusset. According to Caleb the factory demo plane has 11mm from 7H5-3 to the edge of 7H5-4. So I'll trim about 10mm from the gusset and perhaps add a doubler to the gusset. Also according to Caleb, trimming the gusset is not an abnormal step to take to allow full motion.

It also turns out that you need to drill the holes for the cotter pins on the outboard hinge pins. I'll have to drill out the rivets ( getting those out of the elevator will be a pain! ) and then conscript a drill press to make a 1/16th" hole.

The empennage is riveted. A few small questions still remain. First the hinge pins do not seem to have holes for the cotter pins. The second question is about which side the center hinge bracket goes in relation to 7H5-3 ( horn angle ). If the bracket is on the outside then the upward elevator motion is interrupted by 7H5-4 ( center hinge gusset ). If the bracket is moved to the inside then the elevator is slightly out of position and more of the center elevator hinge will have to be removed to achieve full movement.

In total I spent about six hours working on the plane and another hour playing with Sketchup and the paint job.

Of course this photo was taken at the end of the six hours... and at about 11pm.

Next up flaperons!






Project Status:
Paint Design: 2 hour spent ( 1h, 1h )
Elevator DONE!: ~31.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h, 6h )
Horizontal Stabilizer DONE!: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder DONE!, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~78.5 hours

I took delivery of the flaperon / slats kit on Wednesday. The crate is still closed and an inventory has not been taken. While waiting for the crate I worked on the hinges for about an hour and cleaned up the garage to make room for the new crate.

When I skinned the elevator I went ahead and drilled the elevator channels not realizing that the horn brackets would go there. When it came time to put the horn brackets on I needed to drill out a few rivets and fit the brackets through the existing holes. That worked for the bottom, but for all four brackets to join nicely I had to drill new holes into the spar. One of the holes was a little close to the new hole, so I fashioned a "patch" that goes over the the previous holes and restores any strength that may have been lost without affecting the fit of the horn brackets.

Initially I thought I borked the newly received center hinge by drilling the hinge hole too early. I had measured the 135mm from the bracket flange tip up the centerline. When I did a quick test fit against the bracket it attaches too I freaked out when the hinge hit against the elevator spar and was at least 1/4" away from the desired hole.. After calming down a little I realized what needed to be done was the following procedure: I clecoed the center hinge to the bracket on the outside of the flange and rotated the brackets. While rotating I used a Sharpie to determine the area that needed to be ground away. After fifteen minutes of using the rasp I had the correct fit.

The next step is to deal with the outside hinges and make sure everything is co-linear. Yeah.

I hope to have a completed tail section on Saturday with the flaperons starting on Sunday.

Google Sketchup is a cool tool I've used in the past. When we moved I spent a few hours with it and made a mockup of our new dwelling along with the major furniture with real measurements. This worked better than the old graph paper alternative because the digital objects gave a better sense of volume. I'm taking the same approach to designing my paint scheme. I spent about an hour making a digital elevator and horizontal stabilizer. The next step is to create a texture to be applied over the base "paint". The paint scheme I have in my head is fairly grand. Spending at least 400 hours on construction and then not taking that extra step to make my plane stand out is inconceivable to me. I want to make sure that the paint job looks good from several conceivable angles and translates well.

Project Status:
Paint Design: 1 hour spent ( 1h )
Elevator: ~25.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h, 1h )
Horizontal Stabilizer: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder Done, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~71.5 hours

I spent a total of 4.5 hours getting the elevator horns drilled along with the center hinge bracket. The new Zenith bracket was the right size!

Luckily there was some scrap aluminum to make the cable template out of.

The next steps are the side brackets, the mating of the elevator and stabilizer and the final riveting.

Saturday was spent getting my night currency back. The last time I logged night hours was November 2005. While I was practicing fireworks were being shot from Lake Washington in celebration of Seafair. The explosions were probably just a little over two miles away, and at about the same altitude.

Project Status:
Elevator: ~24.5 hours spent ( 3h, 1.5h, 3h, .5h, 3.5h, 2h, 4h, 1.5h, 2h, 4.5h )
Horizontal Stabilizer: ~28 hours spent, 3 pieces replaced ( 3h, 2h, 2h, 2h, .5h, 1.5h, 3.5h, 1.5h, 5, 4.5, 2h, .5h )
Rudder Done, minus horn : ~16 hours spent, ( ~8h, ~8h )
-----------------------
Total Done: ~69.5 hours

Hurray! I got a new center hinge bracket in the mail today. A quick check with a nearby ruler indicates it may be correctly formed even!

The part came with a few lines on it, so I'm guessing Zenith did a little extra quality assurance on this one.

The Matronic's list has been hopping with talk about Zenith and customer care. Currently I have yet to have any bad experiences with them, and the fact that a new part was on it's way a day after I talked to Caleb really shows how committed they are to supporting the product.

Zenith called and told me that slats and flaperons are on the way. A few days ago I printed out the flaperon construction manual and became worried that I should have built the wing first. It turns out that building the flaperons first is possible. Caleb gave me advise and I can procede as intended.

I'm still waiting on the replacement hinge bracket, and I'm guessing that it will arrive after the slats. Oh well.

Work is getting crunchy so finding time to build durring 12+ hour work days is getting harder.

Seafair is this weekend, so I'll be on high alert and pay attention to TFRs. The last thing I want is to get shot down BY a Blue Angel.

Bogey's air speed not sufficient for intercept. Suggest we get out and walk.