Show us the status of your 7/7A project!

[pazmanyflyer]

Received the engine Sat morning and rearranged garage (twice - and my body is feeling it) to fit the fuse inside and still have room to park the wife's whip. I have a few items to add to the engine (Oil pressure restrictor fittings), rivet FW recess and bolt on heat box before hanging the engine.

IO-360 180HP


First light for project. My son Alonzo (12 yrs old) helped me re-position the fuse yesterday.

[fcordrey]

I posted back in Jan. that I was going to start building.(http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...d.php?t=145940) I haven't posted since then and have been chipping away here and there. Well I'm finished with the empennage (except fiberglass tips)

It has been fun and frustrating all at the same time. I've learned a lot in the last 5 months and 160.5 hours. Lots to figure out all at the same time. I have messed up and had to reorder parts. A couple emails to Vans with problems and they would set me back on the right road. They have been great! I've got REALLY good at drilling out rivets.....not sure that is something to brag about but....

I found a tech counselor early on and he looked over my VS before I closed it up and was told I was doing fine keep going. I've tentatively scheduled another meeting with him to look over my project. Just want to be sure I'm doing things right.

My wing kit was ordered in March and came in on June 8th. It has been inventoried and I'll be working on it in the next couple months.

http://20170619_223531 by , on Flickr

[bret]

Looks Great! might need to offset the VS to Port side a little more

[Jaypratt]

Do your self a favor and finish it before moving on. It sucks to get to the 'end' and have all that glass work to do. Put the light in too, if you are using one.

[BillL]

Originally Posted by Jaypratt

Do your self a favor and finish it before moving on. It sucks to get to the 'end' and have all that glass work to do. Put the light in too, if you are using one.

I am doing this right now. Do the glass, end caps, elevator balance (don't forget to remove the blue film before hanging from a string!) and be really done with it.

This is really slowing me down for the last push to the airport.

[jcarne]

Frank nice job! You are about 1 day ahead of me. lol Looks like we are going about the same pace, feel free to ask me questions as you go as I will you.

[BSwayze]

Originally Posted by Jaypratt

Do your self a favor and finish it before moving on. It sucks to get to the 'end' and have all that glass work to do. Put the light in too, if you are using one.

I would issue one note of caution before doing ALL your fiberglass work on the empennage. I did exactly that, way back, when I was waiting on my wing kit. I did all the tips and rudder bottom and top, and was so proud of my work and happy to be ahead of the game.

Then, the day came to mount the empennage on my finished fuselage for the first time, and I had a rude shock. I found that the rudder bottom stuck down below the bottom belly of the fuselage. It was unacceptable! I'm just glad that I had not riveted it on. It needs to be trimmed so it's in line with the bottom of the fuse, and you won't know how much trimming it will need until you put it on the fuselage! So for that part, at least, I would wait.

The other mistake I made was spending a significant amount of money on a Whelan tail light. Years later, LED lights have come to the forefront and I am using an all-LED lighting system. I have no use for the expensive Whelan light that I had purchased years earlier. I was able to sell it, thankfully, but at a loss. Just something else to keep in mind. You don't know what will be available by the time you are at that point. It pays to wait on buying anything electrical. Not only for the panel (especially!), but for your lights as well. My new LED tail light/strobe was only $99. I paid a lot more than that for the Whelan light, ten years ago!

[bret]

Bruce you bring up a great point, when I was building I wanted to finish each part completely, to include blending fiberglass and paint, I did my rudder blend and paint, weeks and weeks of work, and discovered this issue. for some reason I saw the scribe line on the bottom cap and trimmed it to that line, it all worked out but wow, that scared until I got the fuse done.

[Lemmingman]

Originally Posted by BSwayze

I found that the rudder bottom stuck down below the bottom belly of the fuselage. It was unacceptable! I'm just glad that I had not riveted it on. It needs to be trimmed so it's in line with the bottom of the fuse, and you won't know how much trimming it will need until you put it on the fuselage! So for that part, at least, I would wait.

Glad I saw this, Bruce. I am working on the top of the VS and Rudder glass now and starting to figure out the bottom of the rudder. I hadn't even considered the fit relative to the fuse.

[SilverEagle2]

Excited to share that BOTH tanks are LEAK FREE and now mounted to the wings. Next up are the right top skins and then the wings can come out of the stands. Can't believe how life can go by so fast.