|
|
Europa |
| N55XS | |
| March, 2004 |
Europa A-055
March 1, 2004
Spoke with the owner, again, today. Made final arrangements to pick up the kit. Target date is March 20. Nineteen days to finish the "Area 51"...
Tri gear conversion, with speed kit, is ordered and should be delivered, sometimes in May...
Contacting my FSDO, tomorrow with more questions and information on reserving the tail number...
March 4, 2004
Package arrived from inspector at FSDO. Everything included to get things going. Inspector was very helpful in answering my questions and encouraging the build. I look forward to showing him the finished product.
March 5, 2004
Put some final touches on "Area 51". Floors and walls are painted and workbenches are in place. Large attic fan is installed in the wall to provide ventilation and dust removal. There's enough lighting to illuminate a small airstrip...
March 14, 2004
Finished up a little electrical and sealed the sliding door in the shop. Pick up the kit Thursday...
March 18, 2004
Drove all day to retrieve the kit. Spent a couple of hours inventorying and packing, then left for home. Total of 18 hours, today, but worth the effort, as Europa A055 is in its new home.
Click thumbnail for larger viewMarch 19, 2004
Unpacked the trailer and moved everything into the shop. After several hours of organizing, started work on the rudder hinges. They are in place and setting up.
Click thumbnail for larger viewTime: 2 hours
Total: 2 hoursMarch 20, 2004
Finished out the rudder and installed trim tab hinges. Rebuilt the epoxy mixing unit, to make mixing a lot easier.
Click thumbnail for larger viewTime: 3 hours
Total: 5 hoursMarch 21, 2004
Cleaned up trim tabs and mounted to tailplanes. Trimmed tailplanes to accommodate proper tab movement. Floxed in first tab control pin, using Mod. 62 hardware..
Click thumbnail for larger viewTime: 4 hours
Total: 9 hoursMarch 22, 2004
Set and floxed port trim tab pin. Assembled trim servo bellcrank. Prepped lower fuselage, aft, for tailplane and trim hardware. Cut pattern for anti-servo bulkhead.
Click thumbnail for larger viewTime: 2 hours
Total: 11 hoursMarch 23, 2004
Applied BID and epoxy to trim tab hardware. Cut pattern and foam/plywood for anti-servo bulkhead and laid up one side. Filled trim tab trailing edges. Leveled fuselage and prepped tail section for bulkhead installation.
Click thumbnail for larger viewTime: 4 hours
Total: 15 hoursMarch 24, 2004
Laid up second side of anti-servo bulkhead. Manufactured, installed and finished out the trim tab fettner strips.
Click thumbnail for larger viewTime: 6 hours
Total: 21 hoursMarch 25, 2004
Finished fashioning rear bulkhead and fitted to tail section of lower fuselage. Laid in flox and BID and finished installation. The wife was very helpful in prepping the BID for layup. It's great to have her involved in this project.
Click thumbnail for larger view
Time: 2 hours
Total: 23 hoursMarch 26, 2004
Laid out, cut out and epoxyed pip pin access holes in tail plane. Set up and cut holes for tailplane torque tube. Assembled aileron bellcranks and measured, cut and assembled aileron push/pull tubes.
Click thumbnail for larger viewTime: 5 hours
Total: 28 hoursMarch 27, 2004
Finished Aileron bellcranks and assembled quicklink bellcranks. Finished out tailplane pip pin sockets and drilled torque tube. Set drain tube in both tailplanes. Did final positioning of tailplane torque tube and reduxed bushings in place. Positioned and installed trim tab bellcrank assembly.
Click thumbnail for larger viewTime: 5 hours
Total: 33 hoursMarch 28, 2004
Soldered lead wires and insulated, for the trim tab anti-servo. Tested and mounted anti-servo to bulkhead. Started assembly of tailplane mass balance arm. Began filling and sanding tailplane.
Click thumbnail for larger viewTime: 5 hours
Total: 38 hours
March 29, 2004
Laid up bid around the torque tube bushings. More filling and sanding on the tailplane.
Time: 2 hours
Total: 40 hoursMarch 30, 2004
Finished out bid overlay around torque tube bushings and fitted tube. Trial fitted mass balance assembly and tailplane to torque tube. Marked tailplane for cut back and trimmed stabilators for clearance...
Click thumbnail for larger viewTime: 2 hours
Total: 42 hoursMarch 31, 2004
Applied Zinc Chromate to several metal parts. Finished mass balance rod fastener. Filled surface on pip pin holes and torque tube bushing fillets. Marked up all plywood parts for cutting.
Click thumbnail for larger view
Time: 2 hours
Total: 44 hours
Some random thoughts, as this build unfolds:
It may seem that I'm jumping around, from chapter to chapter, on this build, but there are a couple of good reasons for this:
First: This kit is a monowheel, which is being converted to a tri-gear. The parts, including the build manual, are not due to arrive until sometimes in May, so, until that time, I'm having to work out of the monowheel manual. Because there are going to be changes in some of the systems, construction procedures are going to be different. By moving from one chapter to another and building the components that won't change, I am able to construct many of the sub-systems, which will be installed at a later date. This will be a real time saver, when the new tri-gear parts arrive.
This brings me to the second reason for working on many chapters at the same time. When My wife and I first decided to build our own aircraft, we agreed that we would like to have it up and flying in a year. I know, that may be a bit optimistic, but we believe it is totally doable. By working on several sub-assemblies, at the same time, we're able to save time. And besides, watching the little packets of parts disappear from the wall is encouraging. May be running out of things to do, before the tri-gear parts arrive, in May. Keeping my fingers crossed...
