Wayne Hicks

You'll find that our fiberglass gear will outperform most metal spring gear. Unless you really botch the landing, our gear tend to make our planes plant to the runway with no bounce. No bouncy bouncy like on a C-150. And although the width of the footprint seems narrow the plane is quite stable during takeoffs and landings. I wonder, are you getting negative input from your AF buddies? Try to find someone and get a ride in one. You'll be sold on the plans method. C-5, huh? That's so cool. I rode on the flight deck of the C-17 taking our crew module from Dryden (Edwards AFB) to Holloman AFB. A very cool ride for a layman like me.

Didn't you make your intrument panel from wood? Then just sand off the glass and reglass the panel! Do it over.

I've been on the canard lists for about 12 years now. Most projects that come up for sale are in the Chapter 7 through Chapter 10 stage. These are easy to inspect since the plane isn't covered in micro. Plus, there's little that can go wrong with construction if the builder followed the plans and has good workmanship. This is easy to verify if you know what you are looking for. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one of these projects. You can acquire them for pennies on the dollar.

Now, where did you get the idea to jig upside down? You're not following the plans? That's heresy! Nat's gonna go up there and demand you call it something else, you know! :-)

The posts on my web site assume the builder is spraying the primer on. The question I've wanted to ask Lynn is whether his technique is to roll the primer on or spray the primer on? I can see where rolling on the primer will fill pin holes. Rolling allows one to work primer into pinholes when you see them. I also witnessed a Lancair IV builder whose painter sprayed the primer on. But every time he saw a pin hole, he dabbed at it with a small brush like the type that an artist would use. Sometimes he'd use the corner of a squeegee. Either way, the surface (primer) was disrupted. They had to come back later and sand the disruptions away. You have to sand the primer anyway, so maybe it's a wash. This particular painter applied ALOT of primer. I didn't agree with his technique.

Wet on semi tacky is fine. You're not lookiung for strength, you're looking for coverage.

I often wonder how a thinner rudder holds up to delamination over its lifetime. Rudders take a fair amount of abuse, especially when using them as air brakes as we do when coming down hard. I would imagine thinner rudders would see more abuse. Also, it's going to look ugly if the now two trailing edges don't line up and remain lined up over the plane's lifetime. "Yeah, you've got split flaps. Cool. But why the ugly gapping?" The workmanship better be spot on.

Very sorry, I forgot to reverse the top cut line. I was in a hurry with the explanation.

I cannot find where the rudder cut line posts were, so I'll put it here and hope someone can move it to the approriate thread. If you don't cut the rudders at 90 degree angles to the rudder hinge line, the tops and bottoms of the rudders will bind as the rudders swing open. But there is a way to get around this if you want your rudders cut parallel to the ground for asthetics or function, your choice. All you need to do is cut the inboard cut lines to be higher than the outboard cut lines. See the attached conceptual figure. Of course, these cuts start from the rudder hinge line and will meet at the trailing edge. When looking trailing edge on, the angle between the inboard and outboard cut lines is equal to the angle between where the 90-degree cut line should be versus where you want the outboard cut line to be. Take that angle and make the inboard cut line to be that many degrees higher than the outboard cut line. A little hard to explain, but it works.

Wayne here. I haven't cut my fuel cap openings yet. But the trick is to do what yall are saying. Cut and remove outer skin, remove the foam, them cut the inside skin loose. I suggested it can be cut with a soldering iron configured with a hot knife blade. A heated exacto knife blade will do the same.

I can tell you that Steve V's rudder pedals actuate the brakes just fine. The linkage system he is using is based off my design. Same girl, different dress.

Home equity loan.

It's the other way around. Nat had the side opening canopy. Uli changed it to front opening.

Paying $110/hr to rent a worn out Cherokee 140 for the biannual flight review....

I own a house with 14 years of equity. Thus, the bank and the home equity loan help finance the larger purchases.