B - 11

This one, not completely ordinary. Again, a thanks goes out to Terry Burch and Bill Jensen for all the help on the plane. Monday night, over to clean wingtips, drilled out and bonded outb'd strobes to wingtips. Will glass them in later. Wednesday, first flight in a Glasair! Chris took me for an introduction to his plane. The pics are here . And other pics are on the sidebar or glasair project pics . Again, thanks Chris.

• Avionics and wiring in work,
• Decision to install autopilot, in work. yes/autopilot, no to seperate dynon panel....not needed.
• New alternator ordered.
• Seat belt brackets? I know I have shoulder brackets. check an old kit by another builder.
• Dorsal Fin - order or make.

Design/build Log 10

I was there for a short time Tues/Wed/Fri evenings. So I did spend a few days this week at the plane cleaning the shop, organizing and reading the glasair books, addendum's, service bulletins and organizing. A step backwards on the horizontal stabilizer tips as there is a new way to build them. It's OK, but have to complete during flight test and fly without the tips per the addendum. Started going through Advisory Circular AC20-27F for Homebuilt Aircraft. Some discussion of flight test starting. This is full time work, but with a passion, all's good!

• Received all switches, panel decision weighed on new glasair panel...may not be too late.
• Ordered intercom knobs, headlight, LED tip forward/aft lights and sockets.
• Instruments sent to avionics shop for functional tests
• rear bulkhead brackets removed. New brackets made at correct angles.
• note:deviation of wingtip lenses, non-structural modern look.

Next:

• Wingtip outbd strobes in place, bond bracket & make tightfit cutout at planned location.
• Find instructions to instl completed rudder on push rod.
• Aft wingtip lens bonded.
• Oil tube clearance to engine mount plan.
• Aileron removal, balance, cap ends final. Flap, cap outbd ends & check controls.

Needed:

• flight test plan started
• research regarding saved N-numberN71SN, contact FAA
• EAA review planned - never too early
• Some brake line research regarding new brake lines. Decision btw aluminum or SS braided lines.
• Still need decision btw aluminum and new composite prop for O-320 engine, fixed pitch.
• Door latch idea's.

Some pictures on the link to the right (camera broke, new one coming)

Blog 8 & 9

Info from Sunday and today (Tuesday), glad to drive to Arlington airport for a few hours of work. Bill is already working on the plane, and Terry doing an anual inspection on Dan's supercub.

• Hung the Lycoming O-320 engine on the fuselage. This will allow for check on lengths of cables for instrument panel.
• Discussed and decided on forward and aft facing wingtip lights. Completed cutouts for wingtips & lenses & fit checks. Steve will help with light design. Most likely special automotive lights.
• Bill and I worked re-fit of rudder, cleared interference on rudder travel, cleared for tailwheel cable, bondo'd control surfaces.
• Cleared aileron counterweight, more wingtip lens work.
• Removed rudder pedal & brackets from master cylinder for pattern. Cut passenger side pedals. Fabricated (4) brackets, drilled and installed for hydrolic brakes...ready for hydraulic brakes to arrive.
• Received new Steinair Vents for instrument panel.

Blog 7

Good day today:

• Caps on many control surfaces started.
• Bracket & prep for rear bulkhead. 
• More parts in and prep for instrument panel cutouts/powder coat.
• aileron/flap installation for fit check, gap checks, control checks.
• wingtip light plan started, and design pinpoint, design review.
• engine prep for mounting.
• right side brake pedal cut for mounting.

Good soup competition in neighbor's hangar, than home.

B-Log 6

Friday, 11/18/2011; Flew up after work. Worked on:

• small fiberglass layups for stabilizer capping and other parts.
• removed seat pans for inspection,
• tested strobe light system
• marked and reviewed instrument panel
• countersunk holes on rudder hinges
  Flew home, some snow. Steve joined me, flight of two. see photos on link.

Log 5

I haven't mentioned in the blog N71SN. The N number is 71SN (Sierra November). This will be my registered number. Some pictures added, check picture link over there------>

Corrected Hinges on trailing edge of horiz stabilizer. Removed rivets, moved hinges to elevator with correct fasteners, bucked new rivets. Prepped for capping elevator, horiz stab, vert stab, reviewed lights. Decision to go with dark, powder coated instrument panel.

Ordered (2) 1 1/4" vents, Garmin transponder.


Reviewed designs of these fuses & switches:
1, 2 , 3 , I like the protector guards on these switches 4 .

To order soon:

• cigar lighter (two if possible) - steinair
• plug for usb if possible
  
• plugs for anything else..
• instrument lights - expensive so just go w/ overhead, but decision soon, LED's best.
• warnings lights
• Headlight (LED), (tail light in box), nav lights (I think we need, and wiring), have strobes.
  
• I may have master switch
• alternator
• HP gascolator (took the old one off)
• right side brake cylinders.

To do:

• glass in mount for right side brakes
• glass in empanage bulkhead support
• glass in horiz & vert caps & tips
• wingtip nutplates, lights, light cover, wiring.

Log 4

After work, flew the 150 from Paine Field to Arlington to discuss glasair:

• Worked more detailed plans with Terry, plans to clean a shelf to organize parts again.
• Decision to add brakes to right side (already have pedals)

A beautiful flight home in the cold (33 F) dark night. Some clouds reflecting off the population lights.

Builders Log #3

Moved the plane to Terry's heated hangar, Arlington Airport. Engine is on new mount. Bill, Terry and I discussed plans, reviewed hardware. I'll find a new way to post progress with some type of checklist of issues.

To add to the list of open items: Ends of horiz & vert stabilizer need capping. Need more bonding work on front of stabilizer & some aileron clean up. Need to revise NACA duct hardware from carb to injected style & cabin inlet hardware. Current battery and alternator need to be upgraded to new style. Brake lines need to be upgraded to new style (old style melts). Wingtip lights need to be cut and glass work. May need new Andair gascolator. I need to research why people like RV wheel pants over Glasiar.

Decisions: Should be obtaining Dynon D180 as EFIS and EMS systems. Autopilot will be wired but installed after first flights. All wheel fairings back on shelf till after first flight.

Terry's first review. It has a few upgrades like sliding canopies. Will be trying to work on it more.

Organizing

Rough Project Schedule

Current Status:

• Reviewing paperwork. 
• Most items in final assembly manual complete/installed: rudder pedals, control surfaces, rear spar bulkhead, firewall, all windows, high pressure oil pump, air filter, heater & battery box, all gear assembly, Ted Hendrickson #218091 H68F74 wood prop w/extension instl plate, spinner, Custom exhaust system.
• Incomplete: instrument panel (started w/ignition switch, a/s, vert a/s indicators, altimeter, compass), center console, wing2body rejoin, headlight cutout, engine mounting and prep, access panels, pitot's, wheel fairings (not needed for flt test).
• Not accounted for:  seats,  stick & some controls,  other firewall fwd items, Dynon avionics, final prepnpaint, review of service bulletins, door latches/lock. Can’t find control sticks yet. No electric bus’s yet.
• Found/acquired: Lycoming O-320-E2D engine (10 hrs on complete overhaul & new Superior cylinder kits, 7:1 compression, Silver Hawk fuel injection, Lightspeed electronic ignition, electrical high pressure fuel boost pump, Garmin SL-30 Nav/Com, intercom and a few other items. Have beautiful wood prop but may have to upgrade.
• Installed: Oil controller, firewall items, engine mounts, antenna’s (?), painted interior, door sliders....

Next Steps:

• Move to Terry’s hangar
• Review/inventory/process check project w/Terry
• Keep acquiring needed parts: Dynon avionics (d180 or Skyview), transponder, other.
• Lists of needed items and issues organized.
• Rough schedule attached.

Not in order:

1. Acquire all parts,
2. Complete instrument panel,
3. Complete firewall forward,
4. Re-install wing on fuselage,
5. lights, controls, door latches, access panels, antenna, electrical system, wingtips & control surfaces....
6. electrical schematics, weight & balance, Pilot Operating Handbook (POH mostly complete), time schedule (rough schedule above). This blog may be my builders log (time, items, successes, milestones).

The start of a new project - Glasair I td (tail dragger) October 2011

So, you try to balance life by finding deals to obtain your goals. This is about a goal I had put off as it never really made sense, to build your own plane....sounds crazy. I remember in College, a friend had asked when will I make my own plane? I didn't have plans to ever build, design or spend the time creating a flying vehicle as it seemed way out of reach and impractical. Trusting myself as a builder was not an option and it seemed too complicated, expensive and time consuming.

On the other hand, I've been enjoying flying hang gliders for over 30 years, a few other forms of aviation, and Cessna 150 flying for years now. The Cessna 150 is a great plane and never found any thing to match it's economics till maybe now. 10/20/2011, Craigslist had an ad for a Glasair Project. I'm not sure if I should have been looking but so far, its been a very pleasant dream to proceed with the project on my own, with the help of friends and study of the previous owner Sam, who had passed away of cancer. It's a great opportunity, an honor to take over a project with the great respect of a previous owner and his friends and family. Now, I know that Sam was a meticulous person. He'd been working on it since the early 80's and in his notes, was still building into the next century. If I name the plane 'Meticulous', its not about my work of course, but others that had been working on the kit, like Sam for the last 30 years.

In short, some of the pictures with captions explain the start of finding the project, some inventory, and the move to my house. I'll be posting more when I figure out how this blog site works. Let me not forget to mention friends like Bill, Steve, Terry, Robert, Dan and a few others, mostly pilots who've encouraged me along the way. It's been a whirlwind of a few weeks so far.