Please allow me to introduce myself...

[Aeolus]

Hello,

My name is Rafael. I'm currently starting a Cozy IV build. I have composite building experience just not all that much on aircraft. I only have some hours on the bulkheads I built a few years ago for a Long EZ I started but, gave up on when my family grew by one member. I immiadelty purchased plans for the 4 seater as soon as my son arrived into this world. Life takes us in many directions and it took 5 years to have the space and time to start this project. As luck would have it I am blessed with finding out that we are awaiting a 4th member into our family and this time it's a princess. I'm a very happy daddy. However my wife told me not to ditch the Cozy for a bigger aircraft as it seems she has more kids as the airplane gets bigger. Jokes aside I'm looking forward to starting and finishing this great aircraft. I have built and helped built boat parts and race cars, including one pretty famous pro mod Celica from WPB, FL. That car is currently 4th in the nation on the 1/4 mile and runs in the 5 second marks. Dr. Fiber and myself built it out of a crashed Celica we pulled molds from. I have also done Nissan GTRs, Mazda RX7 and 8s, and lots of Honda's. I'm  currently partnered with ECR performance on a few builds but I am doing electrical work and not composites on those. in between cures I plan to finish my anniversary gift, from a 2 years ago, 1963 Lincoln Continental. Only thing left is a little paint and some interior work. 

 A little background on my capabilities and education. I hold a BS in Aviation and Aerospace with a major in Airport management/ Business management. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Everglades University. I have a private pilots certificate with approximately 500 hrs. I did do IFR and dual engine rating training but never took the check ride due to some financial strains. My plan is to remedy that after the build is done.  Before that I was an IT manager holding almost every certificate minus the Cisco CCIE. I also have a degree in information technology. I am a hands on and a visual learner. I am pretty handy with tools. I have applied for a few patents for inventions I created for cell phones, mostly IPhone. I did receive a couple patent pendings and sold my idea off to companies with resources to build and sell the attachments. I love electronics and it's one of my hobbies even though car restoration has taken up a big chunk of my life and time. Currently I bought a small homestead and I am trying to live closer to nature and off the land as much as a city boy with no experience with nature can. 

I live in Central FL by the big lake. If anyone would like to take me up in a canard no matter what it is so I can finally go up in one please let me know. I'll pay for gas and buy you lunch at our wonderful cafe at the Okeechobee Airport (KOBE).

Also, any advice on building, tips, tricks, videos I should  look at, or anything please let me know. I see the cozy girls and others have made modifications and I am not sure which ones are the most beneficial and which ones are a matter of opinion or preference. I saw they figured out a fuel leak problem that I would like to know more about, how they found the issue and how they fixed it? I would also like to ask you about time scheduling. I see some jump into other chapters while parts cure or for other reasons. Has anyone made a detailed flow chart or spreadsheet on how you should proceed through the build? I have a ton of questions on mods. I see a lot of cool stuff out there. I really just want a safe, efficient aircraft to carry me and 3 passengers, My family, around on our adventures. I would love to do the Blue Spruce route as my wife is from Spain and flying there through that route would provide a very cool journey and many stops to see other areas we would not see otherwise. People including the Rutans have flown Long EZs and other canard's around the world and we would love to give that a try. Anyway, thanks for your time and patience with me in advance. Like I said I learn hands on and visually. Reading to learn is doable but way more difficult for people like me.

 

PS- if anyone in my area needs help please let me know and if anyone knows how to do interior work but needs a machine to do it on, in my area, I have a Landis leather sewing machine you can do it on. If there was an EAA at KOBE I would have put it there for the group. Closest EAA that I used to be in is an hour away at North Conty F45. 

Bless you all, stay safe, and blue skies. 

Rafael

tioloco@protonmail.com

[Voidhawk9]

Welcome Rafael.

You certainly have plenty of skills in your background! You'll do fine.

I've found the plans to be good to set me in the right direction, but I need to get my hands on and 'see it' for myself, seems you are similar!

[Kent Ashton]

Good luck, Rafael.  I suggest your goal at this point is to learn where to look for info and inspiration.  There is a lot to take in but folks have been building these airplanes (including EZ and Variezes) for years and about anything you would want to know has been hashed over in newletters, internet groups, and websites.   Here are a bunch of links here and the second post has some more.  Some are dead but many still active.

https://www.canardzone.com/forums/topic/32503-a-heapin-helpin-of-builder-links/

 

[Marc Zeitlin]

12 hours ago, Aeolus said:

Also, any advice on building, tips, tricks, videos I should  look at, or anything please let me know.

Kent buried the lede :-). If you're building a COZY MKIV, you should join the COZY mailing list at:

http://cozybuilders.org/mail_list/

read through the whole

http://cozybuilders.org/

website, as well as all the links that Kent pointed you to, particularly Wayne Hicks'.

Then read through all the presentations at:

http://cozybuilders.org/Oshkosh_Presentations/index.htm

many of which will be repetitive, but there's a LOT of what you asked there.

Plan on changing as little as possible, within reason, unless you're interested in having your kids be fully grown before you fly it :-).

[Aeolus]

Quote

•  

Thank you and nice to meet you Void, Kent, and Marc. I will look at your links and take your advice to heart. 

Void, yes I am exactly like that. I need to see it or do it to get a grasp on it really well. I don't like doing things without really understanding why I am doing it.

Marc, I completely see what you mean. I don't plan to make changes unless it's very important or solves a problem many have reported. I mean on top of the changes in the Cozy newsletters which I regard as an AD and necessary.  Only real change I am considering is the fuel leak fix, more elbow room using the Cozy girl strakes or Aerocanard turtle back, and possibly retractable gears on the wings like the Aerocanard RG. Since I plan longer trips I think this may be an advantage but I have not looked at data to make a final decision. I am also updating construction technique where it's possible using vacum bags. Also going with Eureka CNC parts and templates.  I know someone with a Quikie Q that took 20 years to build. It's taken me 5 to start. So I promised my self I would get a good Ariel view of the project, break it down to smaller chunks, and work as smart through the chapters as possible. That is why I wondered if anyone made a good work flow diagram or project diagram of step by step what to do and where to gain time while waiting on cure times. 

It took a year since that promise but I put up a 30x30 Steele building on my property, got it running on solar, build my table and built out shop as well. I ordered chapte 3-5. After I finish going through your advice and setting up my blog for FAA log purposes I will start on chapter 3 and 4. I have done chapter 3 on the Long EZ but even though I am confident I feel like I should knock that out for purity sake and start of on the right foot. I believe a lot of that Bushido code stuff and doing things in order and correctly is like paying respect to your build, craft, and yourself in a way. Anyway makes me feel better so....thanks again everyone. 

Blue skies

Rafael

 

 

[Aeolus]

Marc,

i read your presentation and other things you have recommended.  I especially looked up your recommendations. Very solid advice I plan to follow. Thank you for caring enough to put that stuff together for us new builders. Also I did not see anything about the fuel leak issue the cozy girls mention on their you tube video. 

Do you know about this issue were after 50 hrs or so fuel can leak in some builds and start saturating foam so that overtime you have a much heavier craft and the other issues they mention? Do you think racing fuel cells instead of the tanks in the manual would be safer and better? Has anyone installed fuel cells? I can't seem to find any info on this except one picture of what I think is a version of the long ez. Anyway thanks for the great info. If I don't hear back when I get to that stage I will post a question on fuel cells or not or the fix the girls came up with. I am going to try to get a hold of them. I hear they are super nice and love talking planes. 

 

Blue skies

Rafael

[Kent Ashton]

The tanks that leaked are generally Mogas users or they built them with a strange epoxy.  If you use the recommended EZ-poxy (EZ 87?) it seems to do fine and is even better with a post cure.  I have 20 years on my Cozy using only avgas with no tank problems.

[Marc Zeitlin]

15 hours ago, Aeolus said:

Also I did not see anything about the fuel leak issue the cozy girls mention on their you tube video.

Give me a clue what "fuel leak issue" you're talking about.

15 hours ago, Aeolus said:

Do you think racing fuel cells instead of the tanks in the manual would be safer and better? Has anyone installed fuel cells?

No and no. MAYBE using some fuel cell foam in the tanks might be useful, but given the relative paucity of evidence of fuel tank fires (the few canard aircraft fires have been engine compartment fires, not tank fires in the air or on the ground, and there have been no "explosions") there's no evident issue with the construction of these aircraft's fuel tanks.

15 hours ago, Aeolus said:

I can't seem to find any info on this except one picture of what I think is a version of the long ez.

Posting a reference to what you're talking about will help others respond in a useful manner, rather than having to guess what you're talking about.

Edited May 31, 2020 by Marc Zeitlin