I am now a Pilot

Passed my Sport Pilot Checkride yesterday at KSDL was very thorough at almost 6 hours but I got through and have my ticket to fly. Lots more learning to do but now I can ask the question... who wants to go for a ride?

Back to building this weekend

Back to building this weekend. Had to take some time getting ahead on work and getting ready for my wife to have surgery this week. Surgery went well she will have some time to recover but doing good.

Planes still down up at KSDL, hopefully back in the air on 11-22.

Flying down time

Getting the itch to fly, the two planes I fly out of KSDL were both badly damaged by the hailstorms in Scottsdale. This is bad news as I was down to my final practice before my check ride so I will have to spend a couple extra hours getting the rust off. Been almost a month since I was up on my own and yet another instructor to break in... :(

Break in the build :(

Haven't been on the kit in a couple weeks, lots of work during the week so normally building on the weekends. Camped out at the Copperstate Airshow Thursday and through the weekend last week so no building. Hopefully back at it tomorrow starting on the rudder.

10172010 Empennage (Build Session 10)

Build Session 10, 10172010, 1.5 hours, 24 total

Empennage, Rudder Page 07-02 and 07-03

Completed through Step 07-03 and stopped to Prime contact parts.

Rivet Count 63 Solid 347 Pulled

Trial fitting rudder spar caps and hinge brackets

Trial fitting the rudder control horn

Fitting the rudder spar to the vertical stabilizer to check hardware and clearance, send ing question to Vans re the gap seen below, the plans allow for only one washer between the brackets. I don't think their should be a gap otherwise it will pinch when tightened, may be by design but it does not look right to me. (Note the spar holes and the brackets were pre-drilled and are self aligning)

Priming for assembly

10162010 Empennage (Build Session 9)

Build Session 9, 10162010, 1.5 hours, 22.5 total

Empennage, Rudder Page 07-02

Starting Section 7 Rudder

Completed Page 07-02 Steps 1 - 8

Rivet Count 63 Solid 347 Pulled

Match drilling the Ruder Spar caps for the upper hinge bracket assemblies where the rudder attaches to the vertical stabilizer

10152010 Empennage (Build Session 8)

Build Session 8, 10152010, 4 hours, 21 total

Empennage, Vertical Stabilizer Page 06-06 and 06-07

Vertical Stabilizer complete!

Rivet Count 63 Solid 347 Pulled

Dimpling the Nutplates used on the VS Skin to attach the VS Fwd. Skin

The hand squeezer is mounted in the vice to give more leverage.

VS Fwd Skin Dimpled and nutplates attached partiallly

VS Skin is clecoed in place and ready for riveting

One side down...

Second side in process

Cool Shot

Rudder Brackets installed

and.... We have a recognizable airplane part, only 12, 153 rivets left to go.

10152010 Empennage (Build Session 7)

Build Session 7, 10152010, 1.5 hours, 17 total

Empennage, Vertical Stabilizer Page 06-05 and 06-06

Completed through Page 06-06 Steps 1,3,5 on VS1204 Fwd Skin

Rivet Count 27 Solid 83 Pulled

Riveting in the Lower Spar Caps on the VS Spar

Holes Dimpled in the VS1204 Fwd Skin for the counter sunk screw attachment

10142010 Empennage (Build Session 6)

Build Session 6, 10142010, 2.5 hours, 15.5 total

Empennage, Vertical Stabilizer Page 06-05

Completed through Page 06-05 Steps 3 & 4

Rivet Count 27 Solid 11 Pulled

Primed the Vertical Stabilizer Spar and rib mating surface as well as the skin mating surfaces of the ribs.

Building the Vertical Stabilizer Skeleton

10112010 Empennage (Build Session 5)

Build Session 5, 10112010, 2.5 hours, 13 total

Empennage, Vertical Stabilizer Page 06-04 and 06-05

Completed Page 06-04

Completed through Page 06-05 Steps 1 & 2

Rivet Count 18 Solid 8 Pulled

Riveting in the K1000-3 Nutplates that will hold the Rudder brackets and bearings. I made the first of many mistakes and in my excitement and anxiety of setting my first flush rivets I squeezed the first rivet without the nut plate, chalk it up to needing practice drilling out rivets.

Flutes and deburred all the Rudder frame ribs, they are ready for priming metal to metal contact areas.

10102010 Empennage (Build Session 4)

Build Session 4, 10102010, 3.5 hours, 10.5 total

Empennage, Vertical Stabilizer Page 06-03 and 06-04

Completed through Page 06-04 Steps 1-5

Rivet Count 10 Solid 8 Pulled

Here are the Spar Parts finished and laid out for priming. I am priming metal to Metal and the exposed back of the spar for the Verical Stab

Primed using Duplicolor 160 Self etching Primer (Napa)

Pulled rivets on the Upper spar caps notice I had to use the hand puller and the wedge tool to get those rivets close in on the spar flange.

10082010 Empennage (Build Session 3)

Build Session 3, 10082010, 3 hours, 7 hours total

Empennage, Vertical Stabilizer Page 06-03

Completed Work on Steps 1 - 4 Both Left and Right, Match drilling Upper and Lower Spar Caps to the Rear Spar.

Match drilling the #40 and 3/16 holes for the K1000-3 Nutplates

That is a lot of #30 Holes...

10042010 Empennage (Build Session 2)

Build Session 2, 10042010, 2 hours, 4 total hours

Empennage, Vertical Stabilizer Page 06-02

Primed and riveted the Rudder Hinge Brackets:

Page 06-03: Preparing the VS Upper and Lower Spar Caps and Spar for match drilling

10032010 First Build Day

Build session 1 10032010, 2 hours 2 hours total

Empennage, Vertical Stabilizer Page 06-02

Manufactured my first parts today:

Upper and Lower Rudder Brackets with bearings

Others have talked about issues when the three aluminum pieces are sandwiched together with the bearings that the bearings did not move freely, mine move easily in all planes.