2019/4/28 Update

Worked on the removable canard cover today and decided to use a similar approach as Marc Z.

Carved a lot of the foam off the bottom of the cover and have 2" x 2 ea. BID laid up over box tape on the fuselage cover tonight.

Tomorrow I'll do some more lay ups to cover the bare foam, strengthen the cover's edges and to mount the cam locks.

2019/4/27 update

This morning, added 4 BID 1" x 56" for rain lip on canopy.   Used fast hardener.   Trimmed this evening. 

Vance built up .3" in front of his canopy for .3" because the "banana effect" would pull the front of the canopy up a little.   I need to remember to do this.

Added 4 BID to fuselage cover at F28.  Used slow hardener, so wasn't ready for the nut plates yet.

Picked up 1 gallon of Southern Polyurethane Epoxy Primer in Mineral Wells at "Car Color".
Shopped for hardware to make canopy latch.

Used warm water and Woolite to clean bug specs off various parts.  I tried to use the water based "wax grease remover" that is 30% ammonia hydroxide but the water and woolite worked better, didn't require gloves or a mask.

Canopy gas spring, ball studs, SMC baluns, BNC bulkhead connectors, new headset are ordered.

Chapter 25 Finishing Primer selection

I've looked at a few suggestions and have decided to use the SPI epoxy primer (numbers below) on the exterior and parts of the interior.


SPI (Southern Polyurethane)
6600 White Epoxy Primer
6700 Activator (1:1)

700 (Wax Grease Remover)

The gun used by others is the HF 94572 kit (two guns).  Gravity feed.

One of my neighbors used this, but several current builders are using Southern Polyurethane:
PPG DP Epoxy Primer
PPG Primer Surfacer
PPG Deltron or Concept top coat.


Driveway paint job:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw0ObOdWnRE
Masking paper designed for paint.
Guide coat/block sand/skim coat.  80 grit cross hatch pattern.  Hit one more time with guide coat to identify highs and lows.  Use it to identify the removal of previous grit sanding marks.  Step up from 80 to 120 to 180 to 220 up to 320.
Identify lows that need a quick skim coat and hit those areas.  Don't worry about sand through areas.
They'll be covered with epoxy primer.
Use tack cloth between each coating.

2019/4/17 update

Canopy hinge installation is complete.
Pitot static tube is installed.
Canopy/Fuselage cover is cut.
Nose/nose cover is glassed.
Nose access door is cut.

Chapter 23 Engine Installation

Update:   Superior has bought back my engine minus the cost of the parts I retained:

Cold Air Sump
SDS EI/EFI
Alternators
Ring Gear (trigger magnets for SDS)

Quotes were requested from several builders.  Two responded very quickly and a third (recommended) didn't respond to emails, web request and phone call went to voice mail.

I've ordered a Titan 370, with roller cam and 9.7:1 compression pistons. 
The necessary parts needed for the build have been shipped to Alabama.  ETA is June.
They'll run the engine for 3 hours using a carb and mags, remove them and then ship the engine to me.   This engine with the carb/mags and stock sump have dynoed at 195 horsepower.  The cold air sump and EI/EFI will likely improve that.

The current ECI cylinders are nickel treated and resist corrosion better than other popular cylinders.
If 100LL availability becomes an issue, the pistons can be replaced with 8.5:1 but likely the prop will need to be repitched due to the loss of power.

Chapter 13 Step 11 Nose Door

Top cover is hard shelled with micro and sanded smooth.  Door outline is marked in pencil.  Ignore the mistakes.  :-)
Per plans, the cover would only go to the top of the door.   I'll make a cut there later.

4 Mil plastic (Frost King brand from HD) traced for BID pattern.

A cut list helps quite often.

Glass weighed to determine exact amount of epoxy needed.

Glass wetted between 4 mill plastic.   Flipped over so pattern was on the bottom.  Then rolled the BID and pattern off the former bottom layer of plastic and carried over and placed on the box tape/peel ply on the nose cover.

Hard shelled nose cover on bottom, then box tape, then peel ply, then 3 layers BID, then peel ply on top.

Lay up popped off the box tape.

Box tape removed.   Fein tool is used very delicately to trace the pencil line and cut underneath the hard shell.

Vacuum off, sand and fit the door into the nest.

Chapter 13 Step 11 Top Cover

I'm deviating from the plans a little here and am shaping the canard cover with the nose cover.

Template for the fuselage top cover made from the M drawings.   

(not per plans) - I'm making the canard cover during the same step as the nose cover to avoid making an exaggerated hump over the canard.

Clark foam is hard shelled with micro.

Door pattern drawn in pencil, then box tape applied over the top.

4 mil plastic was laid over the nose and traced on with a Sharpie.   Two peel ply sheets were cut to go on top and bottom of the lay up.

The glass weighed 4.6 ounces which wetted perfectly between two sheets of 4 mil plastic.

Some epoxy was brushed on the box tape, then the first layer of peel ply was applied.  The layup was applied, top layer of plastic replaced with peel ply and squeegeed.   The pencil pattern can be seen through the translucent glass.   After cure, the door pattern is traced onto the top layer of peel ply.   The top layer of peel ply is left on for the next step.

After cure, the cover is pulled off the box tape.   Bottom layer of peel ply removed.    A fresh layer of peel ply is laid over the box tape.   1" wide BID tapes, 3 layers is applied to the edges of the door.

The cured cover is placed on the wetted 1" tapes and left to cure.  The pencil marked top layer of peel ply helps align the cover and left to cure.

Another blog entry covers more of the nose door task...

I opted to use Camlocs to secure the door and added a lip on the forward edge.  A foam core was added for stiffness.  

Chapter 18 Step 23 Cabin Vents

This step looks like it should be quick and easy.  I deviated from the plans on how to connect the NACA inlet to the vent.

A 2 3/4" hole saw makes quick work of making the hole in the panel.  Some paper templates helped determine the hole needed to vary about .25" from where the plans specified.   

The 2.75" plugs cut from the panel made good components to make forms for the adapter that goes on the back side of the eyeball vent.

A chunk of  foam on the belt sander yielded a nice aerodynamic ramp without much effort.

The plans say to cut the NACA vent, then trim the inside 1/4" larger and remove the foam and micro.  Make a ramp in the foam.   

A scrap piece of foam has a nice ramp formed with the help of a bench top belt sander.

The 2.75" plugs from the panel holes, some cardboard tube, box tape, round backer rod cut into quarters and some left over strake foam were used to make forms.

The finished product for one side.

A binder clip was used instead of a Cleco to hold the NACA flap in place.  Some spring clamps hold the adapter in place.

The outside air temp probe will be mounted on the front side of the chamber.   Several folks suggest adding an avionics cooling tube. 


Update:  The OAT was installed in the pilot side chamber since it is out of the sun, and is a very short wire run.  On the co-pilot side the AP pitch trim bracket needed a little extra support so an angle bracket to this chamber to the AP servo eliminated flexing of the AP bracket.  I installed the original black plastic Whisperflo vents that notoriously don't shut completely off.  The newer vents are aluminum but get good reviews.