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Dan Tomlinson

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Everything posted by Dan Tomlinson

  1. Muskoka, ON (Testing IV) Toronto, ON (Building IV) Quebec (flying III) Calgary area (2) Building IV BC at least 1 Building IV And those are just the ones I've met or talked to! Welcome! /dan in Toronto
  2. A: But - you do have a garage - I'm in a "tent"! in the same climate 2-3 days later! The "early" part of the build, chapters 4 & 5 are not space hogs, and they're flat, so I'd do them inside, and there is almost no sanding, so minimal dust. That couple of months will give you a fuselage in the garage (end of chapter 8) around early July, just in time to visit EAA for additional parts. B: Nitrile gloves, vinegar and "Lava" soap for washup will do most of it. I use latex (cheap) over the nitrile, mainly because I take off the latex when I'm done a layup then go over and check (and touch) the uncured epoxy. Bad habit, with bad results for me if I take all the gloves off. Cotton under the gloves absorbs sweat and is a little cooler. I don't use a respirator, but always have fans and ventilation in the shop. C: Size is an issue - but checkout threads here and the other place on minor enlargement possibilities - how depends on the weight distribution - shoulders, gut or butt. D: What I've seen with kits doesn't seem to cut the build time that much. Adds a lot to the cost though! You can have a fuselage basically inside 6 months, another 6-9 months for wings, canard and spar. Add strakes, canopy, nose and the airframe is basically done. A while to make it look pretty, then a noisemaker on the back and you're done. IF you can't commit 2 days a week or equivalent, you're not really interested in finishing in great time. You MUST visit the project EVERY day. It may not show accomplishment every day, but even 5 minutes doing something in the shop (even cleanup!) is critical to finishing the project! /dan
  3. My shop is 20x20, x 10 high - so 4000 ft3 approx. A 12,000 btu radiant propane tanktop like the Model 12-IR (Coleman brand) will give me a 10 degree C rise over outstide ambient temp, OR will maintain 15C rise as it gets cooler outside. I also have a 45,000 btu model that will give me loads of heat - even a 35+ degree C rise, so about 22-25C on a -18 C day like today. The big one doesn't go low enough in output so it gets too warm - even for me! IF I was doing it again, I'd do something like the 30R which is 2x15k and independant burners. I keep the heaters as far as possible from the fuselage, at least 6 feet, AND since heat rises, I run a large fan pointed at the ceiling at about 45 degrees to re-circulate the heated air. Without the fan, 90F at the roof and 55F at the floor is about normal. Running the 12k on low (probably about 9k output) is great for overnight cures down to about freezing, and I'll get about 24-30 hours from the tank (20lb). Yes, I have a CO monitor / alarm in the shop, but the good ventilation in there has kept CO from being a problem so far. Sometimes I feel the effects of lower O2, but I've never sounded the alarm! (ok, the shop leaks like a sieve! /dan
  4. They are two different approaches, both with merit, but for different reasons. Color coding is good, but so is labelling. Teflon, Tefzel, whatever non-noxious, nonwearing insulation. Switches or no, simple vs flexible. Greg's is great for the simple "plans method" which will give you 90% of what you need with an acceptable reliability. Simple, effective and standardized - although I don't agree with the 24 volt requirement. I saw a dozen single failure points I don't want! Bob's is a recipe book with proven examples to take you the rest of the way. Note Bob's "guarantee" - everything is guaranteed to fail - plan the failure so it's only an inconvenience. I'll be basing mine on Bob's, with double redundancy built in, with auto-failover. Simple to use, more complex to design and build.
  5. Hexcel was the original manufacturer. The standard weave numbers are (reverse the number) 7725 and 7715. Several other manufacturers are apparently making "equivalent" cloth. It's up to you to determine that their sizing etc matches the needs! You may be able to get Divinicell H45 and H100 from other sources - say a boat building supply house? It's used there too!
  6. You need to see what it's like, and if there's no-one locally, just do it! I've been exposed many years ago to most building skills, and am handy, but not a "fine craftsman". I design computer systems and processes and type most of the day. My wife can't understand how I can "work on one project for 3-4 years" - she's the craftsperson making jewelry and glass pieces! IT'S NOT ONE PROJECT - and it's NOT AN AIRPLANE for quite a while! It's about 300 separate projects using similar techniques that ultimately look like an airplane - and each one is described in amazing detail in the plans. Some of these projects take a couple of hours, some take a couple of weeks. At the end, you can fly the results! Some you'll need help with, most you can do alone. From what I do all day long, it is unbelievably relaxing! A complete mindset change!
  7. The metal parts from Brock who's website is never up to date will be an estimated $2,000 from what I calculated. You can do many or most of these yourself if you want and can. Many of them are fairly simple cut, drill and bend - and IF you have welding capability then some simple welding. Some of the pieces are cast or quite complex, so most everyone buys them. The canopy plexiglass and windows I believe are $425 from Todd Silver. Landing gear bow and front strut are special and somewhere around $700 total. That's all I can think of except the beer budget for helpers, mechanics, lunch etc! But of course that's the social or staffing cost which I don't count! /dan
  8. Welcome to the forum! There are a couple of forums and a mailing list supporting decisions like this, and it does help make that decision. Lots of builders and flyers. Many were at Rough River Ky this weekend (72 Canards official count) and the smiles won't go away for a long time! Our pics are at: http://fof.compus.ca/RoughRiverFlyIn2004/index.html If you can get a flight, that's great, but many builders have started without, including me. I had my first flight about 1-1/2 years into the build and was just amazing! At 3 years, I'm starting finishing and the canopy and engine. You could build a bit faster too. You're licensed and obviously like flying - an excellent starting point. My suggestion is to determine your "mission requirements" and "local capabilities", then dive in. The Cozy is effectively a 3 mile a minute cross-country airplane with 4 seats, but practically 2-3 plus loads of baggage (1000 lb idea useful load 300lbs fuel) and needs hard surfaced runway. If that meets your mission requirements, it is a great airplane! Looking to use the grass field out back? Probably there is a better suited plane. I suspect you'll easily build it for about the same cost as that 30 year-old, and really have something to be proud of! If that matches, start building, then attend Sun-n-Fun or Oshkosh and beg for a ride! That way you'll really have something to compare and talk about! /dan
  9. See if you can contact Bill Swears who was on the Cozy list - I'm not sure if he is elsewhere also. I don't know how much additional fuel he had, and I believe some was in ferry tanks in the back seat. He is a pilot, Coast Guard (ret) in Hawaii who had an aborted flight from Hawaii to the mainland in Nov 2003 in a Cozy. I know he put a lot of practical thought into it and may have a lot of solid advise for you.
  10. Sure - but for 40k you should be able to buy a couple XP-360's. At that price, they're not in the same market! There was another engine - a Diesel that was being touted also, and talking to them they mentioned $75k - the next question was what plane were they including with that!
  11. It depends how they really price it, and how easy to acquire once a few are flying, but the early reports are that it will be a great engine. We Wait!
  12. There certainly is a difference in price based on kit or section. You may also be able to contact Wicks or ACS and get the 10% show special off of that. Oshkosh is on now until Monday for the special - but check prices from both suppliers for both order types. Epoxy is not included in the kits - so you'll need to figure how much you'll need from the plans. I don't have it handy here. MGS335 is now the most common, but nitrile gloves are still highly recommended for proper protection. Great plan - as working consistently on the project is certainly the best way to make real progress! Regards, /dan
  13. The easiest way is simply use a sharp knife or razor knife to cut the foam to "very close" to the template, a light sand with appropriate sandpaper (36-60 grit) to the proper size, then apply the glass. A much earlier post of mine describes the curing process of fiberglass and resin, which is a good place to experiment too. I did! A bandsaw pushing the glass into the foam (glass on top, foam below) will not delaminate it even in "brittle" stage, and after full cure, won't delaminate it. The fein is great, and while the glass is brittle, can delaminate quite easily. The big difference is the fein blade will last a lot longer. I was replacing bandsaw blades every week when I used it for glass. Knife trim to the foam or cut with the fein to the foam. Close enough for government work! I have the variable speed Fein, and while it changes the sound a little, I find I run it on high almost all the time to get a peoper cutting rate, so it's not a real benefit right now. For detail sanding I can see the speed control helping, but that's next week!
  14. I'd like to go down from Toronto - it would be driving at this point! How are you getting there Mike? I'd prefer to fly, but I don't have mine done yet! /dan
  15. There are people who love to build - airplanes or anything else. If this is you, then build! There are people who love to fly, and could never dedicate significant time and effort required to properly and safely build an airplane! It is primarily a project that requires an understanding that you will do it right or do it over. It will also fly when it's done and ready, not according to some artificial schedule. I've met and worked with about 70 A/C builders (a half dozen cozy builders) in the past 5 years or so, and being almost done the airframe on my Cozy understand the "build" drive required to complete a significant project like this. AND I understand how much importance the "wife" factor is in being able to successfully complete a project like this! Of about 20 builders I know locally, 7 are licensed and current, 4 are licensed and non-current like me, and 9 are unlicensed. about 5 haven't even started to earn their license! I have a great wife who is fully behind me in the project - as is the best case. I know a couple of wives who are fully involved in the projects (mine isn't except when needed for some major stuff) and some accepting (just buying add'l insurance), and some who believe their partner will never finish! A percentage "upgrade" their wives as part of the process too. I know of 2! I mentioned this and other cases, to my wife last night, and her reaction was "I don't understand why some wives are not supportive of their husband's desires!" Personally, there were a LOT of decisions to be made before selecting an aircraft to build or buy - and I spend a LONG time making the decision. Spent a long time with the AeroCrafter Guide also determining what plane would meet my requirements too - then checking out every one that matched - about 12 types for me. Mission requirements are the driver primarily. Mission requirements for a 2nd aircraft will be considerably different - it will be for a different purpose! The Regs and Options in Canada are so much broader than before - and rightly so. OBAM and OM aircraft make it possible, much safer and much less expensive than certificated aircraft due to significant work by RAA and COPA with the regulators. The USA is starting to get there too, but ICAO is still a huge bottleneck for everyone as their primary thrust has always been transport airliners. Visit and work on a local project or 3, join beneficial organizations, and learn everything you can. You WILL find that compared to most cars, an airplane IS relatively simple, with not much to go wrong if properly designed and built. And if properly designed, is extremely safe! The Cozy's accident history bears this out. Even the accidents that have happened over the last few years have been survived due to the way it is designed - and I can't think of another design with as good a safety record!
  16. Well, I'm on hiatus from flying, and building whenever I can. You should come down and see what it's really like. I'm just south of you at Bloomington Rd! And it's certainly discussable with both me and my wife. IF or when we're both home! Personally, it's not a matter of fly first or build first - I know both types through RAA, and both methods work. It strictly comes down to "mission requirements"! Can you really determine what you want an airplane for if you haven't a license? Quote: When I bring up the subject she lays the guilt trip on me... OK - that one is REAL easy to solve - it's simply a matter of usually unfounded fear due to overhype from the media machine. And then understanding the safety inherent in aviation. As you are "very low time" I suspect YOU don't even understand the inherent safety as you probably haven't been exposed to it yet at 8 hours! The Cozy is probably at the top of "safe" and "survivable" aircraft in existance. If she's worried, mention skydiving or powered lawn-mower chairs! (Just kidding of course!) I'll PM contact info for a visit if you're interested, and after that see about arranging a "family" visit about turning dreams into reality. Or just see what the process is like! /dan
  17. That blade on the dremel, or the cutter WILL do all the cutting needed for the whole plane and you don't actually NEED the Fein. Of course you'll spend the cost of the Fein in vacuum cleaner filters and dust masks! I've never needed to replace the bearings or brushes, just the variable speed control! I'd use it, but watch the dust. I didn't buy my Fein until after chapter 10. It does take some getting used to, but it's considerably a nice tool that I shouldn't have waited, but budget was a consideration until we sold a house. I looked at a few things in aircraft building between different types: Metal guys spend a small fortune on tools to make it possible and/or easier. Jerry bought a welder for the limited metal parts we use (and I'm sure much more also long-term). A $200 tool and $50 blade appears to make a huge difference? Why not! I'm not spending $3,000-5,000 on metal-working tools - My overall tool crib is probably about $1500 now of decent tools. They've built 90% of an airplane! That's a good return on investment! Jerry mentions "safe" - it's considerably safer than even the dremel, no spinning parts! /dan
  18. Hi Jon - you currently have a timing problem if you're having problems cutting those layups from what you mentioned. Don't worry it will come. From another thread, DON'T pull the plastic or peel-ply off until the layup is cured (24 hours or so) Have a look for my post on the stages of epoxy cure. If/When you pull those off, you WILL pull the layup up from the foam and introduce air bubbles. It also comes up much easier after it cures. If there's epoxy dripping from your plastic when you lift it, it's WAY too wet still! You may need a but more pressure when squeegeeing! Knife trim stage is when IT'S ready, not when you are. If it's gummy like you mention, it's not ready yet - about another 20-25% of the completed cure time is needed. You'll get to recognize it, as even 6 ply cuts like cookie dough. Miss it? then it's brittle and separates from the foam too easily, so wait another day to trim. Sounds like you're using the abrasive cut-off wheels on the dremel! Not fun, and not the right tool! Get a "542" carbide blade (or 2) or a 545 diamond blade! A 199 cutter is great for many of the small areas too! Much different experience! The "tools" list suggestion for this one is the Fein. Does the job beautifully, and you'll certainly use it when you get to more complex pieces. Then you don't need to knife trim, just wait longer for proper cure (after brittle). /dan
  19. I'm firmly in the Peel-Ply = Lighter camp. As are many experts - who advise "against" peel ply cloth! Peel Ply REMOVES epoxy from the layup and may remove too much and make the layup too dry - so you have to be careful with it! Several composite books suggest 100:100 by weight (EPOXY:GLASS) is best, with MGS and warm I can easily achieve 80:100 without trying hard, after peel-ply, 68:100 can be checked by weight after peeling - but 65:100 looks dry!. Weigh your cloth, your epoxy, and foam if you want an accurate basis, OR just weigh or calculate the cloth weight, mix the same total weight of epoxy (use part for micro) and you will almost always have leftover epoxy! If you then squeegee to where you are "done" and have got it all out, add peel-ply (weighed of course) and squeegee it down. Weigh your peel-ply after you've removed it, and let me know how much weight the peel-ply "added" to the layup! Use the grams scale for accuracy, or a more accurate scale if you can. /dan
  20. For the epoxy box, find an "abandoned" fridge or upright freezer with shelves. Add light bulbs and thermostat. Done. (pick up at side of road or re-cycling center or dump - they're usually happy to part with them! For the glass, hang the rolls on the wall with a pair of brackets each. Cover with 6mil plastic. Done. Table: 3x 4x8 -5/8 sheets melamine coated particle board (pref not white!), 1 cut in half. 5x 1x6"x12' pine boards, 4x4 or 2x4 for legs (ideal height about 36" for me - YMMV) 4 of the 12' boards run full length after cutting to 11'10", remaining cut for ends and cross-support. Sheet top and bottom so joints are at opposite ends. Voila - a table! You can go fancier, or just balance the legs inboard about 16" from the ends and shim to level. If you have the space, another "cheap" foldable 6' table (depot) can be helpful for the tabletop tools if you have them. Also works for cutting glass, OR just mount the glass at the end of your build table! Then concentrate on building airplane, not facilities! /dan The first 21 chapters don't really require much more, and then you don't need it anymore. A
  21. It IS in the plans - by detail in the relevant chapters, and the remainder in Electrical RST Antenna kit: www.rst-engr.com Jim Wier /dan
  22. There would be a huge difference between losing a lower winglet which I suspect would come off relatively easily, and the main upper winglet which would be "difficult" to remove - chainsaws etc come to mind! Just completed mine, and the plans indicate 90 degree slip at 170 kts I believe (plans in hangar) for the upper winglet. Consider the 9 ply, 30 inch wide "tapes" that hold it on both top and bottom, inside and outside - 27 plies directly attaching each one? Grinding through that much pure glass would definitely take a "lot" of dragging. That's the upper winglet where the rudder is. It is a critical flight surface, and would be aerodynamically equivalent to losing about 3 feet off the end of the wing, but highly unlikely! The lower winglet (below the wing) would grind off or possibly even break off relatively easily, and is only lightly attached. However, you'd still notice it as it would change the stall speed of that wing slightly, but the aircraft would remain completely controllable without it. Some aircraft have been built without it against the recommendations of the designer, and flown successfully. It's purpose appears to be largely as an air dam to keep the lifting air under the wing and limit vortices developing off the tips. Why worry about something that's highly unlikely? Why spread ugly rumors about losing wings? Just keep the pilot side up on landing!
  23. Sure did! But I won't tell on Marc! To be fair, he was inboard! /dan
  24. Not many inspections here are "without snag" either, so a great testament to your hard work and workmanship! Congratulations on proceeding to the 3rd book in the series!
  25. Yet another thread of great interest! Officially, I'm a systems manager - and listed in Playboy 95-2001 - well they published it - the Magazine Distributors Guide. I design computer systems for business needs in the distribution and chemistry fields, with all their strange nuances. An Electronics Engineer and a computer and business background, primarily I design and implement computer systems and the processes for utilizing for high availability and high throughput, high security systems. Formerly with a stock exchange doing 10,000 transactions / minute surveillance to a much more relaxed 10,000 transactions / week of craft magazine distribution, with a stint in between with on-line offshore gambling. Married, 2 dogs, 2 cats. Got the aviation bug and was licensed in 1984, and started building in 2001, although I'd started looking in about 1990.
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