Final Stage (3)
return to previous page back to XP page to Aviation page main page
Monday, May 3
4 hrs
Finished placing the new panel in the bird. Drilled the mounting holes and set with clecos. Put a lexan covering (painted black) over the old panel. and mounted the fuse busses. Don't want to rivet yet, it will be easier running the wires to the fuse buss with the panel out. It fits great. Drilled a 3/8 hole for the door brace. Took the engine out (again) and took it home to mount the "E" box. As usual, we ran into a lack of experience and no instructions. We have the box 3/4 mounted but the pinion gear won't set into place for some reason or another. Will call a couple of Rotax guys and see if we can get some advice.
|
|
|
|
Above and side: panel placement and bracing. Fuse busses (I'm using one 4-gang with automotive fuses and one 4-gang with glass-type fuses) mounted on the old panel that was covered with a piece of lexan and painted black. | |
|
|
Wrapped Velcro around the end of the door brace and it will mount to the inside framework of the canopy. Can you build a homebuilt without Velcro? Also redrilled the hold so it would fit the brace (stand?) a little better. |
|
Removing the belt drive from the Rotax 503. | |
|
Fitting the "E" box, a gear-reduction drive on the engine. Mounting bolts have to be torqued in sequence. | |
No hours on the XP today. Went to Monticello Sky Ranch for a couple of hours flight time on a Challenger. Wind was a little gusty and we only made a couple of landings, but I managed to handle the lightweight for an hour or so. Definitely a difference. Easy to overcontrol. Warren Smith is the ultralight instructor. My first landing was in a gusty crosswind, (and Sky Ranch is about half the width of Air Park) so when I made my final, in a realistic emulation of a drunken goose, Warren gave me a little help. Dale was taking pictures and I think he headed for the woods. On the next landing, Warren set me up on final and I made a pretty good setdown. At least the Challenger was able to take off again. I always call that a successful landing. Thanks to Dale for the pics. He made some videos of the takeoffs and landings. Since they're not really part of our rebuilding effort, I'll put them on a separate page as soon as he edits them into downloadable size. Watch for a link here....... Link to off-site page
|
|
|
|
|
 After you get in the bird, it's comfortable and everything is in reach. |
Monday, May 10
8 hrs
Odds and ends, today. Pulled the tarp covers from the wings and canard and gave the bird a good washing to get all the pollen off. Glued the Velcro on the wing joint strip and installed the joint cover. Set the velcro closer strips for both doors. Installed the engine with the "E" box that Dale put together last week. Installed the new prop blades. Didn't set the angle on them. Will need to borrow the tool to set the prop angles from John Joye next week. Installed a new solenoid for the "E" box starter, and ran a 12-guage wire to the front panel. Installed the rear seat panel Velcro and put the panel in place. Also set in the newly upholstered seats and backs. Re-attached the brake cables and adjusted the cable. Still needs to be shortened some more before the brakes will work properly. Removed all the covering from the lexan cockpit. We installed a small piece of Velcro on the inside of the main door to hold the closer strips up when the door is closed from the outside. It would have been a day's work to open the cockpit if the strips had been allowed to simply drop down on their opposite Velcro counterparts. Small thing, but probably saved us a lot of trouble.
.jpg) |
.jpg) |
.jpg) |
|
The wing joint has to be covered with a fabric strip. |
Glued the velcro strips on the wing joint strip. |
The strip installed over the wing joint. Used blue body shop tape to hold it for 24 hours while the glue cures. |
|
|
 Soldering and fitting the 14-gauge wire to run between the battery solenoid and the power buss. |
|
 |
 |
 |
| It's not a widebody bird, but it doesn't seem so narrow when you're in the seat. | Finally have the lexan covering off and the seats installed. | |
.jpg) |
The Rotax 503 DCI mated with the "E" box and Warp Drive prop. After a couple of conversations with Ronnie at South Mississippi, and 2 days of frustrating experimentation, Dale is now the official gearbox technician on this team! | .jpg) |
Friday, May 14
4 hours
Rewiring the panel. Cut additional mounting holes for the toggle switches and one for the wires to pass through the back panel. We're trying to make it neat so it will be unnecessary to cover the space between the back panel and the new one. Mounted a power buss? distribution panel? whatever it's called (depending on who you ask). Pulled a 12 gauge wire from the battery box to the front panel and began to route the wires as we connect them to the instruments. The panel is complete now except for the VSI and compass. We riveted the panel mounts in place and we'll mount the panel with bolts and locknuts. This will facilitate removing it for any reason at a later date.
.jpg) |
.jpg) |
.jpg) |
.jpg) |
.jpg) |
.jpg) |
.jpg) |
.jpg) |
Top row: original panel with power buss and fuse busses
mounted - Dale wiring the panel
2nd row: Front and back of the new panel Bottom row: Mounting the panel brace - wiring to the battery box and solenoid |
