RivetBangers.com

Hi all,

Besides Van's toolbox and their practice control surface project whoozywhatsit, are there any other small projects / plans out there I could start messing with that would help me develop the skillz I need to start building my 'hawk next year?

I'm already fairly adept with woodworking and electricky stuff, so I'd just need to get into sheet metal, fabric, and glass work.

Thanks.

Jeff -

Suggest you give "papakeith" a call....
He's well into his Bearhawk - and looks like he's doing great!
Besides - he's got some great videos of his project...

You'll have to PM him though since I couldn't find his email.

Lorin D.
9A Wings

Jeff -
PS - Here's his site: www.bearhawk949.com
Lorin D.

I'd visit with some RV builders. For the wings most of what you are going to do transfers almost directly to an RV project. Get some tutelage from a few local builders. Help them drill some holes and buck some rivets. Visit another project and compare the work between the two. I would guess that you wouldn't need much more than that for the riveting portion of the program.

for the actual metal forming. That's the easy part . Make up the wood forms and have at it.

for the welding portion; I've spent some hours at the welding tent at Sun n Fun. I also plan to take some lessons from a weldor who is local to me to get me up to par before I start in on the steel bits.

Keith is right. You are ready to help locals on their projects. I learned alot from helping WS on his. Besides, if you make all your mistakes on their plane, yours will be perfect!

CJ

BrickPilot wrote:Hi all,

Besides Van's toolbox and their practice control surface project whoozywhatsit, are there any other small projects / plans out there I could start messing with that would help me develop the skillz I need to start building my 'hawk next year?

I'm already fairly adept with woodworking and electricky stuff, so I'd just need to get into sheet metal, fabric, and glass work.

Thanks.

Practice setting and then drilling out rivets. Practice drilling just far enough into both round and flush head rivets so that you can insert a punch and snap the heads off. It would be good to learn to do this on scrap now before you start working on your beloved bird.

BrickPilot wrote:Hi all,

Besides Van's toolbox and their practice control surface project whoozywhatsit, are there any other small projects / plans out there I could start messing with that would help me develop the skillz I need to start building my 'hawk next year?

An RV-3 tail kit??? As far as RV's go...this would be all jigged and some forming, and the price is *relatively* cheap. Finish it, then sell the completed emp! Great practice, and a small investment to prep you for the Bearhawk! Wouldn't take long either. I say small $ only because the emp and preview plans would run just over $900, and you could sell it for that or more easily, and all other RV's are $$$...

Just a thought!

Take a big railroad spike or equivalent, punch a hole in your toolbox project; and then practice making a repair on your 'simulated bird strike' damage.

Just start the project.

When I got my -7 tail, I fully expected to throw it away as it would be so bad it would certainly be unusable!

To my surprise, it was actually okay!

Start your kit!

CJ

captain_john wrote:Start your kit!

I'm going to have to wait until the spring anyway due to finances. I'm going with thw QB, and can't afford it until then (I'm not going into debt for the plane.) So... between now and then I figued I'd so something quasi-related to the plane. Thanks for all the tips though everyone.

Okay, QB... no problem.

The tail still needs doing and doesn't cost alot.

Go for it!

CJ

captain_john wrote:Keith is right. You are ready to help locals on their projects. I learned alot from helping WS on his. Besides, if you make all your mistakes on their plane, yours will be perfect!

CJ

Yeah, exactly... Like tonight I was helping CJ on his plane and I learned that it's important to pad the bottom of your tail cone skin before bucking the aft brace, just incase you decide you want to drop your tungsten bucking bar in there

Just so everyone knows, IT DIDN'T DENT!

That is one thick skin, like it's owner!

CJ

captain_john wrote:Okay, QB... no problem.
The tail still needs doing and doesn't cost alot.

On a Bearhawk it's a package deal; I believe the tail is part of the fuse QB kit.

I see...

Have you purchased some fabric and dope?

Maybe mess around with that stuff for a while?

CJ

for the fabric and dope I would suggest SnF again. The workshop tents are invaluable.

Cool. I haven't messed with that stuff since I was in college. Oh ... wait ... uh ...

I'll head to AirVenture next year or possibly the following. I'll probably be doing the wings first, since I get get them done in a year and then store them out of the way.