Hurry up and wait...

[Crazycanuck]

I am getting really eager to start building. The wife bought me plans for a Cozy MKIV last March for my birthday. Unfortunately, I have to finish renovating our condo to sell and trade for a house before I start building. I was getting eager and suggested that I just purchase chapters 1 through 4 to build some of the smaller pieces in the condo. The wife’s response was “Get the condo finished and sold and you can build all you want.” So off to Home Depot we went.

 

The time has allowed me to read all kinds of information about the Cozy. I have been reading Newsletters, other builders’ websites, canard forums, and the plans. I have just started reading the plans for the second time cover to cover. Hopefully this will put me in a good position to see the big picture when building. It has also gotten all those silly modification ideas out of my head. Almost every improvement I have come across seems to have significant downsides elsewhere. Usually the downside is extra building time, extra cash, or extra weight. So I have decided to build pretty much to plans going the simple route for everything. My goal is to build everything carefully and correctly keeping the weight down. Once the plan is finished a flying I can change the things I don’t like or just build another plane.

 

We have started house hunting recently. My only deal breaker is a suitable garage and basement workshop. Is it realistic to build in a single car garage, or is a 2 car required? What is the minimum width for the garage door to still get the bird in and out easily?

[emteeoh]

I haven't built anything myself, but it *sounds* like you can build in the space of 1 car, up until about the time you want to build the strakes.

 

I know the feeling about waiting to build. We've got a kid coming, due halloween, and I'm sure I'll be totally sleep deprived for at least 6 weeks, so I'm hoping to start building my OpenEZ in January.

 

What part of Tranna are you hoping to move to?

 

*edit*

As I recall, Mark Z built his in his basement, so the criteria could be as little as a suitably large basement door or window. The building season in ontario is a little short if the space is unheated (The foam should be over 18C IIRC) so an unfinished basement might be better than a garage anyhow.

[Cozy Girrrl]

Patience Grasshoppa....

The more you listen and read the better your build will go. Yes there is nothing like jumping in and mixing epoxy but there is a lot to learn that you can do from reading the plans and observing othr people's results, good and bad.

...Chrissi

[steve]

Patience Grasshoppa....

The more you listen and read the better your build will go. Yes there is nothing like jumping in and mixing epoxy but there is a lot to learn that you can do from reading the plans and observing othr people's results, good and bad.

...Chrissi

coming from the mod squad, that is funny !

but true ! simple and lite and fast

i did up to the straiks with 1/2 the 2 car (easy to heat) but then down came the curtain. and up went the heat bill (WA.)

you will need the 2 car at some point

[TMann]

I started in my garage and moved to the basement (walkout) last winter. I stayed there for the summer and it was much more comfortable than dealing with the heat like last summer. I figure that I can mount my center section spar and build a strake on one side and still be able to get it out the double door entry.

 

As far as a delayed start......... I had my plans for about 20 years before I started. The dream never dies.

[rickh]

I'm building in my basement, there's a crude one car wide door for the exit. A bit less than 8' wide and 7' tall. It will be close, but I can do the whole plane, minus the actual strakes, with a little maneuvering out said door. Once I add the strake skins to the spar, the 8' door won't cut it.

 

1/2 spar width plus 1/2 tub width, and angle it out the opening.

 

Rick

[steve]

I'm building in my basement, there's a crude one car wide door for the exit. A bit less than 8' wide and 7' tall. It will be close, but I can do the whole plane, minus the actual strakes, with a little maneuvering out said door. Once I add the strake skins to the spar, the 8' door won't cut it.

 

1/2 spar width plus 1/2 tub width, and angle it out the opening.

 

Rick

the stock cozy will fit out a 7x8

if you add the cg strakes i dont think it will.

left strake high, nose down, then roll it out with a engine lift(watch the lip)

[NeilK]

Crazy,

 

If you can manage it, get a 2 car garage. Insulate it for the winter months and lay cheap/used carpet on the floor for more insulation value. Heat the space independently (i.e., do not duct heat from the house furnace) Avoid building in the basement except for metal parts.

 

Something that is not mentioned often is the amount of dust you will generate when building. It gets everywhere and settles on everything. Your wife may not thank you for your forward thinking by building in the garage but she won't divorce you. (She might if you run a sander for hours on end in the basement and leave a fine white powered on everything you have in the house.)

 

If you want to see the problem first hand, come see my hanger.

 

Long-EZ

Hangared in Brampton (NC3)

[Cozy Girrrl]

coming from the mod squad, that is funny !

but true !

MOD SQUAD! >Pout< (where's the pout emoticon when I need one) >stomp<

 

Yeah ok, we resemble that remark. But we sing a new tune nowadays... Build to plans, install a Lyco-replica and git 'er dun! You want mods? Save them for the winters after you are flying, Just Git 'Er Dun!

Go to our web site for latest pics..hanging the wings and fairing into the strakes, yay! Starting on the engine cowling soon.

 

...Chrissi

[Crazycanuck]

I think we are moving out to East York. My wife is a teacher in that part of the city and it is still a reasonably priced area. Most of the homes have no garage or a single car garage. Some on laneways have garages across the entire rear of the lot. Some rare homes that were owned by a trade’s person have nice full workshops. Hopefully I can get my hands on one of those. Otherwise I was thinking of something without a garage and build it new and to my specs. I will install some baseboard heaters, bright lights, and a nice stereo system. Anyway, I guess we’ll know it when we see it.

 

Yeah, the dust is an issue that I have probably been underestimating. I was hoping to build the smaller parts in the basement and assemble it in the garage. My wife is a neat freak, so dust in the house wouldn’t work. Perhaps I could seal off part of the basement and setup a ventilation system out a basement window. Winter sucks in Canada, so it would be nice to be able to build indoors during winter months. The main thing is that I want to get setup properly so that once I get started I keep the momentum. Right now I am collecting tools. I just bought a nice jigsaw last weekend.

 

NeilK, I’d love to take you up on your offer to see your hanger. It would be nice to see one of these planes in the flesh. Perhaps in early September we could arrange something. I was thinking of motorcycling down to Rough River at the end of September, but I think I will spend the time finishing the renovation instead so I can get closer to building.

[ZUCZZ]

My Softness said that she will park her car indoors!

 

So by the time the strakes are on, you had better have the wings & canard hanging up, because space now becomes an issue in a 2 car set-up ... My plane is now flying and I still don't have that space back