Project updates ?

[Spike]

Its been a bit quiet around here lately. I'm hoping its because people are busy building. Anyone have interesting status reports ? I'm currently tracking my emp kit. Cant wait until it gets here. Looks like it will be right before Thanksgiving which means Ill have it over the holiday weekend
WooHooo

-- John

[captain_john]

I am working on my elevators now. My (slow build) wings are ORDERED and shall be here in late January!

CJ

[mustang]

John,
We are working on our H.Stab. The spars are ready for priming and I am burning channels in the blue skin (film) on the inside of the stab skins so I can prime where the ribs and spars go without masking. In other words, I will be using the inner blue skin for masking paper. I am leaving the outer film intact until I am ready to drill and dimple. I am also prepping the ribs before priming so I can shoot them all at once. Lots of deburring! I am always surprised at the amount of "Joe Jobs" there are in aircraft building. We will be using some Glasurit Etching primer that I found in my paint supplies leftover from a Cessna 180.

We have ordered our QB wing and fuse kits and they should arrive mid to late January. Today, I ordered a bunch of stuff from Avery. Mostly, it was abrasives, scotchbrite wheels and roloc pads.

One of the items I ordered today, was the package of jig fixture brackets to hold the rear spar onto the wooden jig through the elevator hinge brackets. The lady at Avery said that with the pre-drilled empennage kit I did not need the jig or the brackets. She said they have been removing these items from the packaged tool bundles for the RV???? On the other hand, the Orndorf tapes show a pre-punched empennage kit being assembled on a jig using the AVERY brackets. I dunno what to think about all this myself. I was gonna use a jig Like George O. did but now I am wondering........? Anyway, we are not there yet so I don't have to worry about it too much. The jig brackets should be here early next week. Perhaps a knowledgable builder would like to comment on the above?

That's it for progress from the West Coast of Canada.
Cheers, Pete

[captain_john]

Pete, I have been there and done that the hard way. My emp kit is circa 2001. I got it from a fellow builder that never did anything past the inventory.

Old kits need the jig.

New ones don't.

Reason: Old kits do not have pre-punched RIBS. With the old kits you need to true up the skeleton and shoot the rib holes through the skin. The new kits are cleko and finish drill, as you know.

I don't regret buyin the old style emp kit. Making the jig and brackets are not hard.

The jig offers a nice secure method of holding the skeleton while riveting it. Seeing as though you have the jig fixtures coming, you may as well use them.

My $0.02...

CJ

[Spike]

YAY, the emp was just delivered. Bring on the rivet gun!!

[svanarts]

After flying for two years I'm STILL working on the gear leg intersection fairings. Man, make sure you finish everything before you fly or you'll never finish those last little things.

[mustang]

Capt John,
Thanks for the info. I wasn't sure which way to go. Van talked about jigging and then, not jigging and then, jigging again. Makes me want to go jigging for cod?!? I've drilled one side already without jigging but will use the jig for riveting.

Cheers, Pete

[captain_john]

Ayuh! We got cod heyah!



Jig away... not so much for "trueness" but for a workbench to hold it while you rivet.

CJ

[Heli-Wrench]

I's da by dat builds da plane, I's da by dat flies er!

After the Cod comment, I just resist a little jig of my own.