flyingclay Posted August 4, 2017 Author Share Posted August 4, 2017 I looked up the hinge and saw that others are using the full length hinge and so that is what I did. At first I cut out the floor with a saber saw with the short hinge as the plans shows, and I didn't like how it worked out so I rigged up a piece of Pink insulation foam at a 45 degree angle and used it to smooth out the edges and cut another brake out to match the new hole in the floor with a longer hinge. I now have a 23 inch board cut at 45 for the hinge placement and I am going to cut the bolt lugs out of the 1/4 inch aluminum. I am not sure how many to cut but I think 8 should do over the length of the hinge. I also cut a larger piece of plywood that will be used for the lowering mechanism. I think it is a bit heavy and planning to put lightening holes in the wood and filling them with foam plugs before glassing. This way I get a larger hard surface and also keep it a bit lighter than using smaller piece of wood, but get more strength from the wood. It is going to be warmer here today and I should be able to do some glassing so I am going to glass the first for on the landing gear. I do not have the straws yet but will stop and try to find them today or tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macleodm3 Posted August 10, 2017 Share Posted August 10, 2017 You'll want a piece of wood at the location your landing brake actuator will mount to as well either on the seat back or on the seat back brace. (unless you are going with the plans mechanical installation) Instead of straws, some builders are using hardware store tubing so that you can install SS/teflon lines in the gear legs. Quote Andrew Anunson I work underground and I play in the sky... no problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingclay Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 Andrew, Thanks for the advice. I have already got the gear legs done. I used oversized straws for the brake line tube. I did not glass them to a point, because I am going to fair the legs with foam. I got the attach tabs installed and the reinforcement in the bulkheads added. I am in the process of getting my seat belt attach points added. How large should the plywood seatbelt reinforcements be? I am not using the plans step, but am going to have a retractable step. I need to get a landing brake motor so I can finish the layups on the fuselage inside the landing brake. I am getting ready to start the canard and am a bit nervous but I think it will be ok. I was nervous about all the steps to make the gear attach point and after doing it is wasn't as bad as I thought it would and I hope the canard will be the same. It is a fun project. I wish it was faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingclay Posted August 20, 2017 Author Share Posted August 20, 2017 Back at it and have another problem. I have my main gear finished and installed mg1 and 2 and drilled out the 5/8 holes for the stainless steel bushing and went to fit the gear and one side is too tight. I took out one bushing and put it back in backwards and it fit perfectly. I checked my distance from f-22 and they were both exactly the same. What should I do? Should I flox them in the right way and flox one in backwards? Would this have much affect on the gear? I could machine MG-2 down on one side and that would give the bushing enough room? I could machine the end of both front and rear SS bushing and that would give enough room for the gear but would change my measurements? The easiest is to put it in backwards, flox it and let it cure. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent Ashton Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 If you install the bushings backward from the M-9 drawing, you'd have the stainless bushings in the MKMGAs riding against the alumimum MG-2s. Not a big deal but if the aluminum wears, it might allow some gear looseness. I think I would install the bushings in the MG2 per plans and shorten the 4130 tube in the MKMGA (Ch 9, fig 30) for a fit. I presume you haven't permanently floxed the MKMGAs into the attach tabs. You could heat up the MKMGA and carefully drive out one of the bushings if needed. Quote -KentCozy IV N13AM-750 hrs, Long-EZ-85 hrs and sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingclay Posted August 20, 2017 Author Share Posted August 20, 2017 Kent, that sounds like a great idea. I think I might try this. I didn't even think about this but it sounds like the best solution. thanks for getting back so soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingclay Posted September 11, 2017 Author Share Posted September 11, 2017 I got the landing gear installed and removing the bushing and filing down the tube worked great. I still have to install the axels and wheels, brakes. I am kind of worried about this portion and do not want to mess it up. I have to get the Dragonfly out of the hanger so I can have the space to do the measurements. I have just about finished the turtle back and have the windows installed. I did the cozy girl strake "kit" and laid up the two large pieces of pvc foam and glassed both sides with the low vac system. I have yet to cut the parts out because that chapter is still aways down the road. I posted that I am in need of a front electric retract system and also a canopy. If you know a project that is being parted out or sold I would be interested in either of these items. Thanks again for all the advice and support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingclay Posted March 4, 2018 Author Share Posted March 4, 2018 I have my wings and winglets cut out and am working on some things that I can do while it is still cold here in MN. I made a mold for the fuel strake leading edge and working on a canopy latch design for a forward hinge canopy. Before it got cold I was able to get my canard cut out and glassed on the bottom and it has been sitting jigged up on my work table ready for warm weather to finish the top. I still need to install the foam for the hinge attach point for the elevator and install the antennae. I still need to buy a bubble so I can finish the canopy and also the electric nose gear retract so I can finish the nose. If anyone has a line on a stalled project or someone parting one out I would be interested in purchasing these two items. I have been stalling on buying new in case I could find one used. I purchase cowls and I have the leather for the interior but that is still a long way off. Any tip or hints on wings, strakes, or finishing is always appreciated, I hope to have all my glassing done by Oshkosh. Ill keep you updated when I am able to get back at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent Ashton Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 OK, seriously, it is time to post some pics. Quote -KentCozy IV N13AM-750 hrs, Long-EZ-85 hrs and sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingclay Posted March 4, 2018 Author Share Posted March 4, 2018 I have as Facebook page with the Pics. Cozy Build log is the name for the page. I do not have any pics of the canard or the wings but when it warms up I will get them taken. I was cutting out the wings at the university after teaching using the community templates that Charles put together and are circulating through the builders. They work great and gave me the confidence to start cutting. I made my own wood templates but decided to go this route because of the importance of the main wing. I am glad I did it this way because of the template that might not be exact after putting the piece to the plans together. I was able to photocopy the canard template and it came out great but it also fit on one page and matched exactly to the M-Drawings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent Ashton Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 (edited) I have a Facebook page with the Pics No link? :-) The trouble with FB is that your family and friends may appreciate the pics but they will mean more to canard builders and you might get some useful comments. Suit yourself. A FB page forces us to bookmark your FB site and check it periodically. That's probably not going to happen more than once but if you post pics here, I for one will look at all of them. Also project pics posted here will get suctioned up by the search engines and often they will pop up for anyone doing an image search on some aspect of canard building. I use the image search a lot. Not sure if all the kitty-pics and political drivel on FB gets indexed. Geez, I hope not! Edited March 4, 2018 by Kent Ashton Quote -KentCozy IV N13AM-750 hrs, Long-EZ-85 hrs and sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingclay Posted March 4, 2018 Author Share Posted March 4, 2018 Here are a few pics I will keep uploading pics as well, I am trying to remember the order so there might be some out of place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingclay Posted March 4, 2018 Author Share Posted March 4, 2018 Here are some more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingclay Posted March 4, 2018 Author Share Posted March 4, 2018 and some more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent Ashton Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 Excellent pics! But I am wondering about your antennas on the bottom. Nav? Normally nav antennas are oriented perpendicular to the station, like in a canard or wing. Here, your best reception will be to the sides, poorer headed to or away from the station. The "V" shape increases the reception towards the opening of the V. You could always put some in the canard or wings, I expect. Looks good otherwise. Quote -KentCozy IV N13AM-750 hrs, Long-EZ-85 hrs and sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingclay Posted March 5, 2018 Author Share Posted March 5, 2018 I am going to put nav in the wing and com in the winglet and also just the canard for two antennae. I checked out what RST had on their diagram for the cozy I think I will have too many antennae but better than not enough. I was thinking about putting the transponder antennae in the wing tip and using the lower and upper winglet fro the antennae and the group plane lengthwise. Does the ground plane for the xponder need to be a circle or is that just to make it the right size? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent Ashton Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 (edited) A wingtip is too far away for a transponder antenna. The run has to kept short. Under a seat is the best place. Some try to put it up in the nose but bodies (bags of water) and the engine will block the signal climbing away from a station. Under a seat you can use a round ground plane. Edited March 5, 2018 by Kent Ashton Quote -KentCozy IV N13AM-750 hrs, Long-EZ-85 hrs and sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingclay Posted March 5, 2018 Author Share Posted March 5, 2018 I wasn't aware of this. I guess I will put it in front of the pedals. Thanks for the advise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datachomper Posted May 27, 2018 Share Posted May 27, 2018 You're smoking! With installing the fuel sight gauges, it is a good time to epoxy an LED with a pigtail that can be wired later for a fuel light. I just dremel a small inverted "U" in the clear part of the site gauge and embed an LED aimed upward. It just needs to shine into the edge of the gauge to work. Polish the edges of the "U". Mark the leads so you will get the polarity correct later. Any old white or red LED will do. You could do it later but a good time is after the clear guage has been glued on but before the BID surround is added. I love LEDs. Low power, no heat, last forever. I love this idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datachomper Posted May 27, 2018 Share Posted May 27, 2018 Hi Les, It looks like we started roughly the same time last year. I'm super jealous that you already have the mainspar and turtleback on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingclay Posted May 27, 2018 Author Share Posted May 27, 2018 I just had to redo my turtle back, I am putting a lancair canopy instead of the standard similar to what Buly did with his, it is six inches wider at the seat back and tapers to the standard firewall. I like the look and it also gives a lot more headroom without adding height. I cut my wings over the winter and am planning on starting to assemble them soon. I hope to have my fiberglassing done by the end of summer as I teach and it gets really cold here in the winter. I also have my cowls and molds for them, if you want to make a pull off of them you are welcome. Are you going to oshkosh this year? I am about 6 hours drive west and you can make your cowls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datachomper Posted May 29, 2018 Share Posted May 29, 2018 I just had to redo my turtle back, I am putting a lancair canopy instead of the standard similar to what Buly did with his, it is six inches wider at the seat back and tapers to the standard firewall. I like the look and it also gives a lot more headroom without adding height. I cut my wings over the winter and am planning on starting to assemble them soon. I hope to have my fiberglassing done by the end of summer as I teach and it gets really cold here in the winter. I also have my cowls and molds for them, if you want to make a pull off of them you are welcome. Are you going to oshkosh this year? I am about 6 hours drive west and you can make your cowls. Les, We're going to Oshkosh for the first time this year. Very excited it's a lifelong bucket list thing for me. We're flying in however. Would love to hear more about the lancair canopy, have any photos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingclay Posted May 29, 2018 Author Share Posted May 29, 2018 I do not have any pics now. I will post some soon. If you look up Bulent Aleive (SP) he did it first and I like the look but it is wider at the seat back. If you haven't made the turtleback and want to go this way it would be easier than what I did, cutting the finished turtle back down the middle and adding a wedge. I just finished glassing my elevators and I will finish with the install of the aluminum attach points tomorrow. I also just glassed the outside of my winglets and got the foam brackets glassed on the inside for the installation of the canopy. I will hopefully finish the upper winglets tomorrow and get the turtle back finished as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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