Trying a Cozy on for size

O.K... Here we go then. Just received plans!! Does anyone in Orange or San Diego Counties in Calif.(Or Corona or Big Bear Lake) have a Cozy that I could possibly come and bug you and sit in it? I'm 6" 3", long torso, and am considering the option of being able to place the canopy 1" higher than per plans. I know it's a long ways away but I've never seen one, let alone sat in one! Sorry guys, 1st of a 1000 (possibly) stupid questions.

I'm a litte taller than that and still had no problem fitting in Nat's Cozy. I took the opportunity when passing through Pheonix to stop in and see his plane first-hand last year.

Unles you're VERY long in the torso, your biggest problem won't be headroom. The front seatback slants rearward at a deceptive angle, and your position is more like you'd be in a sportscar; somewhat reclined. I ended up with little more than my head and shoulders poking up over the fuselage sides and into the canopy bubble, with no sensation that my head was too close to the top or sides. THere was lots of room left. What you're more likely to find troublesome is the location and size of the rudder pedals. The plans location put them in my shins, and even with the adjustable pedals, I'll be forced to move them forward some.

Point is, build it. You'll fit. People told me that for six months before I finally went to see one close up. Turns out they were right all along and I could have been six months closer to finishing this project.

Thank you for the info. In looking at some of the plans info there is a picture or two of someone with Nat in his cockpit who looks to be taller than Nat. I believe I saw in past newsletters that Nat sits on four inches of foam. I wonder what the height cutoff is for builders raising the canopy...

He does sit on quite a bit of foam. He has it set up in such a way that he can remove it in sections to fit people of various height, and they stay in place with velcro (the cushions-- not the people! ), if I remember correctly. He had pulled out everything before I stepped in, leaving me a lttle dubious about the comfort level. Somewhat to my surprise I found that even without any cushioning, it was still very comfortable. I can't vouch for how I'd feel about it four hours into a flight, but for the short time I sat in the plane, it was fine. I've heard rumors of several of us taller folks riding on nothing but glass and paint.

I'll certainly end up moving my rudder pedals forward, as well as moving the front seatback towards the rear a bit. The latter is not so much for the legroom as it is for the distance betwwen the seat and the stick. I found that my arm was a little too long to hold the stick comfortably and still have a full range of motion. Either I'll have to change the angle on the stick or move the seat back some, or both. I'd prefer not to move the seat, but I'm not certain how much change I'll be able to make to the stick, so in grand procrastinatory fashion I'll make that decision when it's time to assemble the tub.

I don't know anything about a hieght "cutoff" for raising the canopy. I suppose it's a matter of preference. I considered it, but I have a sneaky suspicion that there's more to it than meets the eye, and if you check out the web pages of some of the builders, they're full of stries about this or that surface not lining up, things not mating together properly, fairing difficulties... and that's with the per-plans dimensions. Made me somewhat leery of the idea.

I'm not leery at all about the canopy height increase.

item 1 wedge of foam from 1" to 0" for turtledeck installation.

item 2 1 MORE onch for canopy install. The key here is MORE. You already build it up, this is just an extra inch.

I am 6'3" and was very comfortable in nats plane, except the rudder pedals that are set up for shirly, who is not 6'3". When we installed our rudder pedals, they are adjustable and the fit me just fine. And when we install the control stick, we will also custom fit it to our size, we do fab it.

Butt on Glass is not an option for seating as I want temperfoam for it's shock absorbing effect.

1 layer thats hard/a medium layer and a cushy layer.

Enjoy the build

Thanks Evan and Mike.

Mike, does this mean you are, or have, added the 1" to the canopy?

Thanks.

Mike, does this mean you are, or have, added the 1" to the canopy?

Well we are in the middle of the "are", one turtledeck glassed up and waiting for install and the canopies are being ordered this week.

As far as things fitting, they all fit, or you make them fit. It's not like aluminum or wood. Fiberglass and foam are easy to make fit, always, well, almost always, he he he

Brook and all other new or wanna be builders, take heed.

If you are fearless, read and study every sentence of the plans before you start. Read every word of every web page, get many books on composite structures and design/engineering/testing.

Or if you are like me and can be intimidated, realize that the plans are also a degree in building. Read and study them as you go. Review the chapter you are starting in general for parts/jigs/supplies and get them in hand. Then read and do a sentence at a time. I think this whole plane building thing can be very intimidating and the mere fact that you have to follow a 2 inch thick huge book/hundred perhaps thousands of illistrations and pictures and perform tasks like carving noses and fabricating wings and landing gear to 1/4 degree toe in is very scary.

Forget about it all, just do what da book say, heck, he even tells you when to pee! Don't worry about carving the nose now, you will do it just fine when the time comes, it's only foam, you don't have to carve hard rock maple to a glass smooth surface, just foam. And I might add, the foam for that part likes to be carved, formed and sanded!

And you know what, if you don't like a part that you made, then FIX it. that too is easy. Add more foam and start again, pitch the part and do it again, you probably won't ever have to do that or you might here and there, it just doesn't matter, just

ENJOY THE BUILD

>read and study every sentence of the plans before you start

OR

>Read and study them as you go.

Those who've read my web site will know that I've been burned occasionally by my "dive in and do it" approach. By contrast, those who are determined to understand EVERYTHING before doing ANYTHING will probably never get started.

I'd recommend a compromise between these approaches. i.e. Spend at least one whole evening, probably two - maybe even a week or three fast-reading the plans, old newsletters, FAQ and archives. Spend a while looking at all the drawings and seeing how they link up. In essense try to get you're head around the big picture without expecting to absorb every detail of the entire process.

When you're ready to start a chapter, slow read the chapter from start to end first. It's often necessary to cross reference to other (later) chapters and drawings before the chapter will come clear.

Then dive in.

My 2c

PS Congrats on you're plans, Brooks. Have fun, and keep asking questions.

Then, even if EVERYTHING isn't crystal - dive in and do it, one sentence at a time.

Just a thought on doing research, people don't write about the easy parts f a project, they tend to write about the hard parts or thier mistakes.

All of us make mistakes in building, we make more because we are building two planes at once and we have an extra area to make a mistake, made that part last week and I know how to do it so lets go, don't need to read the plans, did it last week.

It hapenned just last week, forgot to put the metal flashing under the foam joint until we ALMOST had it 5 minuted into place, would have created a minor mess, rememberred at the very last minute, would not have come close to happening if i would have remembered the cardinal rule, READ THE PLANS EACH TIME< STUPID!

But, back to my point, web page person #1 made a mistake in chap 4, web page person # 2 made a mistake in chap 5 and 16, web page person #3 had a problem in chap 11, and so on and so on and so on

Well, it could look like it is real easy to constantly make mistakes and have problems, when in reality it is not.

News is problems, not easy building. Oh today I'll talk about how easy it was to glass the turtle deck, first we vacumed the foam, then we filled minor blems with thick micro, then we put micro on the foam, oh yeh, we mixed the perfect amount of micro the first time, not one gram too much or too little, just like always(he he he). then we got out the roll of uni and put it in place, etc. etc. Pretty boring reading.

So keep this in mind when reading about everyones mistakes and problems, they don't add together for you, they are seperate.

Enjoy the build

I have a friend who has built about 15 aircraft from kits/plans and restored about 7 or 8 more. He is now building a RV6. I helped a few times with setting up some parts, bucking rivets, ect. A scratch is a big deal. Dents are bad. And so on...

I have been over to clifford/dust and a few weekends. All I can say is Glass over foam is SOOOOO much easier. Part of it is Nat/Rutan plans I would say. He takes it step by step. You learn as you go. Each chapter builds on the last. You make a mistake. Cut-sand-lay in patch.

It is almost disturbing how easy this all is. I mean it's an airplane right? Shouldnt this be really hard? At least it should be hard. I know it should not be this easy.

Definitely going to build step-by-step. Not fearless. Chp 3 intimidates me enough.

But you are all right. I read a paragraph and if it doesn't make sense (usually), I read it line by line until it dawns on me (sometimes).

I also have faith that it will come together once I drive out to Aircraft Spruce and pick up parts and start the dang thing.

Now, if I could only find a used epoxy pump for MGS 335.....

>Now, if I could only find a used epoxy pump for MGS 335.....

I have one - but it ain't for sale. After 4 years heavy usage, it's pretty much the ugliest piece of equipment you ever saw. It's also my favorite tool of all tools. I dont even go close to it without latez gloves, but it's "stuck" with me through "thick and thin", and I'm keeping it.

My advice - of all the tools you buy, this is the top area to buy new. It's well worth the cost and it'll be you're freind for life. Buy a used one thats been through the wars and you might well spend the cost difference on wasted epoxy if the seals let go.

Point well taken! Why try to save 75 bucks on whats probably the most important tool for a $40,000(ish) project.

Thanks

John, are you taking that with you on your first flight with the heat gun. I thought the heat gun was your favoritist.

I have a trio of favorites. The Black & Decker "dremel" is the other one, although it's my forth dremel for the project.

No, Mike, they don't get to go on the first (or any) flight. What? Do you think I'm nuts?

Oh, by the way... I'm forming a close attachment to another tool too ... Bob Nuckolls's ratchety crimper thingy for butt spices etc. I probably have five or six ratchet crimpers now, at a cost of $40+ each, but they're worth it. The automatic wire stripper from radio shack is also getting a lot of use these days.

PS - Dan, Dan, the upholstery man will be here in the am.

Speaking of favorites, a builder who is on his 3rd plane, one fiberglass, one wood and now aluminum, asked him what his favorite method of construction was and he said, the one i'm working on at the time.

My favorite tool is the one in my hands,as long as it is getting the job done, if not, it is my least favorite.

Butt spice crimper, eh? I'm trying very hard not to ponder that...