Gluing the first horizontal laminate today, I have 12 of them to do. A 1" and 1.25" glued to form a 2.25" laminate. When I finish that I will block up the Jig so I can bend the dihedral into the laminations of the spar. I am thinking I will do it in two lots of 6 laminations each.
If that doesn't sound like much progress in the 10 days I've had the wood: I have had to:
- organise the timber in the garage, including building a series of chain straps from the ceiling to hold timber when not in use (so its not tripped over on the floor).
- build the jig table and jib board
- practice procedure including wax paper placement to stop epoxy gluing work to table
28 December 2008
18 December 2008
BFR
My biennial flight review was due in October, but I was overseas. So its to last Saturday that I could get a free day and a booking to coincide but K, the CFI, agrees to do it. He tells me to plan for Stroud Road, Singleton then Maitland for some circuits and back to YWLM.
The Saturday starts off IFR, but its forecast to improve vis by the booking time. It's also forecast 25 knots gusting to 40 from the north west.
The bookings are running a little late so I catch up with some club mates and a work mate. K asks me what I'd like to do and I say I say I've planned for the NAV. He says ok, let's see what it's like up there.
I climb to 1500 heading north and forget to retract my flaps in the 150 past 5 degs. Oops. Bad start. Then my heading keeping is all over the shop, I'm drifting around 30 degrees trying to make my compass reading match what I think I should be seeing on the map. I decide that there is the Karuah River and if I steer in between its undulations it will take me to Stroud and Stroud Rd is just over a little hill from there. By the time we get near Stroud I have sorted my heading work (pick a peak on the far horizon consistent with the heading then steer to that). The Stroud valley is green and beautiful. The town looks scrumptious.
I climb to 2500 to clear the higher ground between Stroud Rd and Singleton. Set the new heading to the west and get a quick estimate for Dungog, only 10nm away on the track which will confirm the estimated winds and ground speed (75 knots). Estimates confirmed Kerry asks me what the town ahead is. Confident it is Gresford he says Divert to Maitland from there.
I stretch out the VTC and confirm the correct scale on the ruler (1:25K) get a bearing adjusted for 12 deg magnetic, apply an estimated wind solution for the heading and we wheel through 90 deg over Gresford.
A big 1450 ft hill passes to the right of track one third of the way south, confirming we are on the right track. K asks if I can see the airfield - still 25nm away. I point out four bright spots above a green area that I think are the hangars at Rutherford, too far to see the runways, but it is correctly placed to the right of Maitland township. By the time we reach the line of low hills north of the Hunter River it is clear it is the airfield bang on course. I call "All stations Maitland, C-150 Uniformm Quebec Oscar is 12 miles to the north inbound 2 thousand 2 hundred".
K is happy, he says most navvers taken on this diversion follow the Paterson River and end up over the Hunter River looking for the airfield.
It's windy. Windsock straight out pointing right down runway 26. Pull the engine at 2 thousand feet. "Traffic Maitland 2 thousand feet over the top glide approach two-six."
I give a quick trouble check aware how little time there is to fly this thing in this wind onto the runway. I confirm low key, call base turn two six, keep her turning towards the threshold because the strong wind is blowing us away. 150 ft on late final pull all flap and grease her onto the runway where K accuses me of showing off.
Leave it too late for a go around in the post landing glow and K calls an abort. If not airborne by the intersection give it a miss. We backtrack and leap into the very bouncy air. There is rotor wash off the hill facing us, Not climbing well in the downdraft we clear the thrashing trees by about a hundred feet. Continue climbing through the illusion of not turning thanks to the massive crosswind on crosswind leg.
I ignore the ground and look at the gyro compass for inputs. By 500 ft agl things are looking normal and we are headed back to YWLM.
At late final at YWLM we are a kite, creeping up to the field so slowly. At one stage I note the airspeed decayed to 40knots - up throttle and down nose. The gusts were pushing us left and right swinging either way trying to get the slip right as it gusts in the other direction. Last second above the tarmac and she greases on again, like the preceding was just for fun. I smile at K. You Happy? he asks. I'm happy. I'm happy too.
The Saturday starts off IFR, but its forecast to improve vis by the booking time. It's also forecast 25 knots gusting to 40 from the north west.
The bookings are running a little late so I catch up with some club mates and a work mate. K asks me what I'd like to do and I say I say I've planned for the NAV. He says ok, let's see what it's like up there.
I climb to 1500 heading north and forget to retract my flaps in the 150 past 5 degs. Oops. Bad start. Then my heading keeping is all over the shop, I'm drifting around 30 degrees trying to make my compass reading match what I think I should be seeing on the map. I decide that there is the Karuah River and if I steer in between its undulations it will take me to Stroud and Stroud Rd is just over a little hill from there. By the time we get near Stroud I have sorted my heading work (pick a peak on the far horizon consistent with the heading then steer to that). The Stroud valley is green and beautiful. The town looks scrumptious.
I climb to 2500 to clear the higher ground between Stroud Rd and Singleton. Set the new heading to the west and get a quick estimate for Dungog, only 10nm away on the track which will confirm the estimated winds and ground speed (75 knots). Estimates confirmed Kerry asks me what the town ahead is. Confident it is Gresford he says Divert to Maitland from there. I stretch out the VTC and confirm the correct scale on the ruler (1:25K) get a bearing adjusted for 12 deg magnetic, apply an estimated wind solution for the heading and we wheel through 90 deg over Gresford.
A big 1450 ft hill passes to the right of track one third of the way south, confirming we are on the right track. K asks if I can see the airfield - still 25nm away. I point out four bright spots above a green area that I think are the hangars at Rutherford, too far to see the runways, but it is correctly placed to the right of Maitland township. By the time we reach the line of low hills north of the Hunter River it is clear it is the airfield bang on course. I call "All stations Maitland, C-150 Uniformm Quebec Oscar is 12 miles to the north inbound 2 thousand 2 hundred".
K is happy, he says most navvers taken on this diversion follow the Paterson River and end up over the Hunter River looking for the airfield.
It's windy. Windsock straight out pointing right down runway 26. Pull the engine at 2 thousand feet. "Traffic Maitland 2 thousand feet over the top glide approach two-six."
I give a quick trouble check aware how little time there is to fly this thing in this wind onto the runway. I confirm low key, call base turn two six, keep her turning towards the threshold because the strong wind is blowing us away. 150 ft on late final pull all flap and grease her onto the runway where K accuses me of showing off.
Leave it too late for a go around in the post landing glow and K calls an abort. If not airborne by the intersection give it a miss. We backtrack and leap into the very bouncy air. There is rotor wash off the hill facing us, Not climbing well in the downdraft we clear the thrashing trees by about a hundred feet. Continue climbing through the illusion of not turning thanks to the massive crosswind on crosswind leg.
I ignore the ground and look at the gyro compass for inputs. By 500 ft agl things are looking normal and we are headed back to YWLM.
At late final at YWLM we are a kite, creeping up to the field so slowly. At one stage I note the airspeed decayed to 40knots - up throttle and down nose. The gusts were pushing us left and right swinging either way trying to get the slip right as it gusts in the other direction. Last second above the tarmac and she greases on again, like the preceding was just for fun. I smile at K. You Happy? he asks. I'm happy. I'm happy too.
31 March 2008
Finished the ribs
the other sides of rib pair 107 is gluing on the table right now. the final gluing event of the rib sequence is drying on the table and will be put with the rest of the rib stack - representing 18 wing ribs in total - all made by me - awaiting the next phase - to start in October - being the construction of the one piece spar (with the 750lb all up wt option) - then the final assembly of the wings will proceed.
i have finished my first component set and i feel like an aeroplane builder - hurray for me and plans set 352
i have finished my first component set and i feel like an aeroplane builder - hurray for me and plans set 352
22 March 2008
Ribs all done!
There's been an overlap in production with Rib Pairs 95 and 107 (the last wintips). Process goes:
1. draw up & glue jig
2. cut & wet overnight top and bottom rib pieces
3. shape top and bottom rib pieces to leading edge ply insert
4. cut vertical and diagonal intermediate pieces
5. glue all above together
6. dry overnight
7. cut out ply gussets and glue to rib vertical and diagonal joints
8. turn rib over and cut out and glue gussets for other side
9. simultaneously repeat steps 2-5 for next rib
10. repeat steps 6-8
11. start on next rib steps 1-10 doing step 8 from previous rib
I will get a photo soon of all the ribs laid out! So excited.
Next Looking for materials for the spar jig. But I am having six months down time from the project while I am overseas with work. Starting backn in Oct.
1. draw up & glue jig
2. cut & wet overnight top and bottom rib pieces
3. shape top and bottom rib pieces to leading edge ply insert
4. cut vertical and diagonal intermediate pieces
5. glue all above together
6. dry overnight
7. cut out ply gussets and glue to rib vertical and diagonal joints
8. turn rib over and cut out and glue gussets for other side
9. simultaneously repeat steps 2-5 for next rib
10. repeat steps 6-8
11. start on next rib steps 1-10 doing step 8 from previous rib
I will get a photo soon of all the ribs laid out! So excited.
Next Looking for materials for the spar jig. But I am having six months down time from the project while I am overseas with work. Starting backn in Oct.
22 January 2008
Rib 83 complete
It's the new year. Been building for almost 8 months. Finished 83, starting on rib pair station 95. Sstation 107 is the wing tip, then I'll be done with ribs. Hoping to have my wood for the spar by Easter if not before. Ordering spruce from Brisbane. Drive it back myself.
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