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

up on legs... mount the beast!

our project is becoming a plane... and it wants to fly.
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the engine is a lycoming thunderbolt io390 with the air flow performance fuel injection system. the thunderbolt brand is a small off assembly-line group within lycoming that specializes in custom and experimental work. they were very competitive and excellent to work with.

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there remains an enormous list but this is a major milestone past.
 
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nice videos

Corey,

Some comments:
- You have your OAT probe in sunlight. I think you'll have opportunity for erroneous readings depending on where the sun is. Under the wing or horizontal stab would work better.
- I would rethink putting foam in any floor places of the fuse like that, especially below access covers. My floor mats have foam, but I can see them and pull them out easily if I spill something. What if you have (fuel/hydraulic/water) leak? The foam will serve as a sponge and prevent draining or drying. It might even break down if it's a fuel or hydraulic leak.
- The strobe lines are shielded. As long as the shields are grounded properly, I don't think they need to be quarantined so much. You're not supposed to locate magnetometers near strobe lines, but this is more of a mounting issue rather than wire run issue.
- You should be able to run almost all of your wires from panel to wings/fuse through that center floor area. And from there you have 4 holes through the center section: 1 for each wing, and 2 for the wires to the fuse. It looks like you are running wires in some areas that will be visible when flying. I'd reroute as much stuff through that center area as possible.

- Lastly a nit. Isn't pitot pronunciation usually: \ˌpē-ˌtō\ ? Forgive the nit on that one please. Maybe it's a canadian thing or something, but you'd think the canadians would go with the french-like pronunciation like we do.

Anyway, you're videos are great. I'm sure they'll come in handy for documentation purposes at some point too.
 
dhall_polo said:
- You have your OAT probe in sunlight. I think you'll have opportunity for erroneous readings depending on where the sun is. Under the wing or horizontal stab would work better.
Click to expand...

I didn't think about sunlight when positioning the OAT, so yeah moving it back under the HS sounds like a good idea.

dhall_polo said:
- I would rethink putting foam in any floor places of the fuse like that, especially below access covers. My floor mats have foam, but I can see them and pull them out easily if I spill something. What if you have (fuel/hydraulic/water) leak? The foam will serve as a sponge and prevent draining or drying. It might even break down if it's a fuel or hydraulic leak.
Click to expand...

I'm having a hard time finding a way to secure the conduit below the fuel pump mounting area. I had planned on drilling a hole in that cover so that it goes through the foam and into a screened hole in the bottom of the fuse - so if the pumps leaked at all it would go down that hole and out. (The foam I have is fuel safe, which is one of the reasons I got it).

Any suggestions for a better way to secure the conduit and brake lines that run under the fuel pump mounts?

dhall_polo said:
- The strobe lines are shielded. As long as the shields are grounded properly, I don't think they need to be quarantined so much. You're not supposed to locate magnetometers near strobe lines, but this is more of a mounting issue rather than wire run issue.
Click to expand...

I did go a little crazy keeping the strobe lines away from everything else, I'll try to relax a little on that if I have to route more wires near/with them.

dhall_polo said:
- You should be able to run almost all of your wires from panel to wings/fuse through that center floor area. And from there you have 4 holes through the center section: 1 for each wing, and 2 for the wires to the fuse. It looks like you are running wires in some areas that will be visible when flying. I'd reroute as much stuff through that center area as possible.
Click to expand...

If I didn't have heavy gauge battery (positive and ground) cables already running up the middle I would agree with you. Since my battery is in the back, I have to run #6 AWG to the front and back. Doesn't leave a lot of room left once you add two shielded strobe cables to the other side of the center area. (Using huge adel clamps helps, but it's getting tight in there with the pitot line that I just ran for the AHRS).

The wires on the side will be covered by the side panels, so I'm not worried about that. I check that each time I look at routing in a new area.

dhall_polo said:
- Lastly a nit. Isn't pitot pronunciation usually: \ˌpē-ˌtō\ ? Forgive the nit on that one please. Maybe it's a canadian thing or something, but you'd think the canadians would go with the french-like pronunciation like we do.
Click to expand...

Heh that must be my nervousness showing while trying to think of things to say!

Thanks for the comments Don, appreciate them!
 
ccrawford said:
I'm having a hard time finding a way to secure the conduit below the fuel pump mounting area. Any suggestions for a better way to secure the conduit and brake lines that run under the fuel pump mounts?

Thanks for the comments Don, appreciate them!
Click to expand...

Tie wrap mounts? http://www.steinair.com/cableties.htm

**On the foam thing.. I have an A&P friend who did an annual on an RV6 for another owner. The original builder had installed foam under a number of the floor panels, no doubt for sound proofing. Over time water snuck into those areas and couldn't drain like they might have normally. What they found was a bunch of water-logged rotting foam mess and metal corrosion. The thing about RV's is that they are leaky. Water can get in all over the place, but the cool thing is that it also can get out all over the place.
 
N277PM Status

Do you recognize this face?

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Why its Frank Smidler.....and it looks like he has sniffed way toooo much Pro-Seal


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Frank has been a tremendous help in getting me past the fuel tank phase. I had all the pieces ready to go, but I was skittish about starting the actual sealing. Frank helped me get started and soon he and I had both tanks completed. The tanks are up in the attic curing, and I still need to pressure test them.

A fear I have is that a there will be a leak somewhere in the tank and will need fixed. David Sloan , RV3, Boswell IN, mentioned a solution of creating an opening in the baffle with a flycutter, and installing a stiffener ring and nut plates. Seal up the leak and install a gasket and cover similar to that on the inside rib. Hopefully, I won't have need that technique.

Bob Kroehler, EAA Technical Advisor, has inspected the empennage, wing skeleton, and made a few recommendations all of which have been completed.

Total count: 2 cans Proseal, 1 Wendy's chicken sandwich w/frys, and 200 pairs of latex gloves.

I have started assembling the ailerons and plan to have those and the flaps completed by 1 Dec 2009. And during the 2 weeks for the December holidays, I hope to complete the wings.

My next task is start looking for an IO-360.

Paul R.
N277PM
LAF
 
Black goo and solvent vapors

There's been a few posts lately about hesitation about starting their tanks. I'm guilty, but I dove in and with much help from these forums about fey sealing, mixing, and fillets, here's where I am.
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May this serve to motivate another. Come on in, the water's fine.
 
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No pictures to go with the update but lets just say that the delivery trucks now recognize the approach off of hwy 287 as 135 Carroll Drive, the airplane factory in Townsend.
 
Redesigned Canopy Latch

After fooling with the design for a while I decided to roll my own eliminating the T-handle at the control panel.
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I extended the handle down and added a 'T' to open the latch from below then added a 2 pound spring and nylon rollers to some alum flat stock to hold the new spring and hard stop. Finished it off with a 1/2" O-ring at the bottom to avoid the large 'arm' on the top block if someone kicked the handle.:)
 
Brantel: First Engine Start!!!!

First start completed 11/15/09....No issues to report!

Was kinda uneventfull....Except that the bystanders were trying to fool me by dumping a cup of oil out under the engine after the first run.... They almost had me going but I was very skeptical cuz I know this bunch around here!

Here is the link to the video:



This was an edit and cut together of a few different short runs. I think I need to do the alternative wiring on that Flyweight starter since it sounds like it is staying engaged too long after I let off the switch.
 
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Wow! Very nice Brian!

"dumping a cup of oil out under the engine after the first run"

Now that's cruel.
 
Below is my completed emp kit (minus the elevators which hadn't been mounted before the picture was taken). Wings due to arrive next week!

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well my rivet helper (wife) is out of town all week. so while she's away I built a stand for the fuse to rest on..I had saw horses but I wasn't happy with their wobbles. I also recently finished riveting the aft fuse section...center section bottom is ready to be riveted...:cool:

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Powered up the panel for the first time today! All the smoke stayed in the wires too!

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I have all kinds of setup work to do on the Enigma, but to see it and the Icom powered up was really cool! I have a custom screen that I'll be loading on the Enigma as well...one of the cool things about this EFIS is that EVERYTHING is customizable!

:cool::cool:
 
Just Getting Started

Been waiting to post in this thread for a while now. :D Started the empennage last Friday, and it's moving right along. Started drilling the skin for the left half of the HS.

Assembling the Left HS Skeleton
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Initial fitting of the left HS skin.
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Bottom half of the HS skin drilled. Working on the top half tomorrow.
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Very cool David...!

Those tail feathers look GREAT...!...quality work from an A&P (you gotta do good work; your friends at A&P school will rag on you...)

Hope you find that 7 wingkit you need soon.
 
N277PM Status

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I pulled the tanks down out of the attic to see how well they sealed. I had just screwed up the lapped joints on the ailerons, waiting for new skins, and taking a break from the flaps.

As I feared, I have a leaker. However not as bad as I thought. The leak is around the access plate on the right tank. The left tank is fine. Frank Smidler stopped by and mentioned that many just throw away the gasket and use tank sealant instead. I plan to do just exactly that.

Its too cold to do anything in the garage, so I'll start reading up on the fuselage.

Ruley
LAF
N277PM
 
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3yr update

Wow, hard to believe I started this journey 3 yrs ago today. On 12/16/2006, I drove my first RV rivet.

Here it is today.
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I will pick up my engine friday or saturday and hope to hang it next week while my Son is home from Afghanistan. Exciting times this winter and progress at every turn.

I seem to make better progress with a hard goal, so I fully intend to fly summer of 2010....can I get a Hallelujah! :)
 
Congratulations Brian. Keep after it and always remember that any bit of progress counts. There will still be trying times ahead but I know you'll "get her done". We'll look for you to show up here someday when you do! Give your son our thanks for his service, I'm so glad you get to have him home for Christmas!
 
Thanks Bob. I'll relay the message to my son. he's only home for 2 weeks and back to the sand.

One of these days I fully intend to fly out to your place for a visit, hoping it will be Homecoming 2010
 
So....does this count as a valid status?

I'm sliding down the slippery slope... So far, have preview plans skimmed once..reading in detail now, the little training kit, N number reservation confirmed, a partially cleaned garage...

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The "airplane tools" are just a joke...kind of sad I can't actually put together the training kit yet. I'll be working on the garage updates and slowly accumulating tools -- and finishing up some house projects first -- for probably the next 6 months at least. Should be fun in it's own right though. And building some WordPress add-ons for the future website to assist with airplane-building functionality...
 
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Looking good Rick.....

I'm out inthe garage most nights and weekends working on the plane. If you want to come up to The Woodlands, you are more than welcome to use my tools to get started on the practice kit.

-Matt
 
msturgis said:
Looking good Rick.....

I'm out inthe garage most nights and weekends working on the plane. If you want to come up to The Woodlands, you are more than welcome to use my tools to get started on the practice kit.

-Matt
Click to expand...

Thanks Matt!

Once things get un-crazy from the holidays, I'm actually up that way rather often heading to DWH. (Or flying over in the DA20.)

Much appreciated :) And....I was leaning towards the Isham tool kit too, so it would be nice to even just take a look. Really seems like a great deal, plus some nice tools.
 
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DCat22 said:
Thanks Matt!

Once things get un-crazy from the holidays, I'm actually up that way rather often heading to DWH. (Or flying over in the DA20.)

Much appreciated :) And....I was leaning towards the Isham tool kit too, so it would be nice to even just take a look. Really seems like a great deal, plus some nice tools.
Click to expand...

No problem at all.. Give me a call 832-969-2138 when you want to come out. Hopefully I should have the wings any day now, so plenty of work to do in the garage coming up.

-Matt
 
Baffles finally nearly done!

At long last, the baffles are nearly complete. Just gotta add the air seal! (and the little side clips).
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Started thinking about the cowling today. initially I have set the cowl .063" low, with a gap of .250" to the spinner.
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I have the Lord J9613-40 mounts and may adjust to allow for 1/8" sag.

Update: Last work day of this year, figured this is a good place to end the year.


Did the Cowling dance for a few hours today
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See ya next year
 
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