Carl P. Lindon

Andrew, The foam sealers you have seen are primarily sold as a draft stops and for the most part they are quite good at that. If you install them the shop will be closer to weather tight, it will be marginally warmer and less expensive to heat, but as a vapour barrier however these inserts are pretty deficient. It is unfortunate this discussion didn't predate your wiring instalation. Are you comited to bat insulation or is the Spray foam still an opton for you? If you use the spray foam it is an effective vapour barrier and depending on local codes you may be allowed to use it without the polyethelene sheet vapour barrier. Even if you are legally required to install a sheet vapour barrier the spray-in foam would provide more than adequate vapour barrier protection around your electrical boxes. If you are commited to bat insulation perhaps your best bet at this time is to get some of the foam insulation/vapour barrier cans, such as "Great Stuff" or "Expands Alot", and use it to insulate and vapour seal around your electrical boxes. Just use this around the boxes, trim it flush with the studs when it cures and then you can put up your sheet vapour barrier and either attach it to the foamed areas with either a sealing tape (Tuck Tape or equivalent) or a silicone sealant such as "accousti-seal". Accousti-seal is black "gooey" silicone polymer specially formulated to adhere to polyethelene. (Be careful with Accousti-seal though, squeeze out a minimum bead and be sure not to get it on anything other than the vapour barrier, stud faces and foam that is being sealed because it never cures totally dry so if you touch it or get it on anything else it will end up absolutely everywhere!) Your foam inserts would then be "icing on the cake" to seal up your shop. Hope this helps Carl

Levansic wrote: Len, All those firebreaks combined will become a pretty substantial thermal bridge and contribute to an increased loss of heat compared to a fire-break free stud cavity. Does your local code still require them? If not seriously consider removing them, a sawsall with a metal cutting blade will make quick work of them. (Many jursidictions have realized that firebreaks, while basically a good idea, really weren't very effective when they themselves were constucted from a combustible material.) If you can't legally remove them then your foil backed insulation or a sheet of extruded styrofoam on top of the studs.sprayfoam insulation will be especialy valuable in re-couping insulation performance and overal R-value that the firebreaks are compromising. Drywalling over it all will give you a good fire barrier - unfortunately the worst does sometimes happen! Cheers Carl

Andrew, A good vapour barrier is both a fundamental requirement and is readily available at home improvement stores. Indeed it is required in all building codes although it can take several forms. Most commonly it comes as rolls of polyethene sheet, 6 mil thickness is the best of this variety but it can be purchased in lesser thicknesses. Proper instalation would be between your ceiling sheetrock (drywall) and the bottom stringer of the truss/insulation. When installing vapour barrier make sure you use a good technical tape (eg Tuck Tape) developed for this application to join and seal all seems. This is one of the few applications the old standby duct tape doesn't "cut-it". You also need to be sure any electrical fixtures in the ceiling, lights, power outlets such as those for garage door openers, etc are properly sealled. Specially shaped polyethene "vapour barrier boxes" are available in a variety of sizes and shapes for this purpose. They too have to be seal taped to the main vapour barrier sheet to give a continuous protective sheet. Finally make sure you leave at least 6 inches extra at all the walls so the ceiling vapour barrier will "hang down" the walls so it can then be seal taped to the wall vapour barrier to develop a moisture tight "cocoon" around your shop. Doing the job properly is a few hours of uncomfortable work toiling over your head but it will pay off handsomely in a more comfortable shop that will last for the life of your project and then indefinitely double as a general workshop or garage on the day your canard flys. Cheers and Good Luck Carl

Jon, You will need to take the drywall (sheetrock) down before using this spray-in expanding foam . Once it has cured, takes about 5 minutes , the excess is leveled off with the studs and you can then finish the wal l. I had recommended a sheet of extruded styrofoam insulation between the spray-in foam/studs and the drywall to add that much more insulation and most of all eliminate the "thermal bridges" that your furring strips would be. For the areas that you won't be taking down the drywall (sheetrock) there is a slower acting version of the spray-in foam that is "poured" through a hole in the sheet rock - one hole per stud cavity high on the wall. The repair is then just a relatively small hole and in these areas just as Mark said I recommend the "pour" foam over blow-in insulation for these areas because it has all the same properties as the spray-in foam; completely fills the stud cavity, seals up the cavity to eliminate drafts and gives a much higher insulation performance than an equivalent "bat insulation" R-value. Cheers Carl And just in case anyone is wondering no I don't have a financial interest in any of these products. I just believe that they are vastly superior to bat insulation and are well worth any cost increases that they may represent.

Len, I just reread your post and noticed.... Spray-in foam is equally applicable and effective for use in the ceiling as well. Indeed with the "attic" area above, the foam can be laid in very thick and incredible R-values can be obtained. The critical issue here is to make sure that the foam doesn't contact the underside of the roof sheathing and block air flow. This can be insured by first installing "rafter vents" which ensure an air channel under the sheathing near the sofit where a thick insulation layer might interfere with ventilation. When I did my dad's oversized double garage a number of years ago with a double layer of bat insulation these rafter vents were less than $2.00 a piece so they aren't a significant expense. Once this is done you can have spray foam applied to almost any depth you choose (can afford) or have a thick layer of cellulose blown in over the sprayfoam that is in the truss lower stringer cavities. I recognize that there are extra costs involved here but considering the time and effort that will be spent in your "hanger" and the comfort, enjoyment and subsequent improved build quality I think the added cost is well justified. Also consider installing some strategically placed power outlets and adjustable task spotlights in the ceiling, and if you plan to use air tools an air "ring main" in the garage walls before completng insulation and drywalling. I haven't built an aircraft (yet) but I have done many hours of car maintenance and restoration for my brother and have begged him to update his garage like this - so far to no avial. I know I could work faster if he did this and I believe better as well. A comfortable, conveniently laid out, well equiped and safe workplace is a good workplace and inherently good work comes out of such hangers and shops. Cheers Carl

Len, You'd have to check with a local insulation contractor as to actual cost as of course it varies by region. I would expect that installed it will be twice what bat insulation costs and it is usually appied by an insulation contractor, unless a local building centre rents the equipment to apply it yourself. I think it would be more hassle than it is worth to do it by yourself though. The "pros" could do a standard sized double garage in not much more than an hour once they had the equipment going. The spray foam insulation R-value is about 20-25% higher than bat insulation but where it really pays off is in the fact that it insulates AND seals the cavity against air ingress AND fully fills the cavity. I will work it's way in behind electrical boxes, around wiring and into the crevises that usually allow air infiltration. I believe some juridictions even allow you to dispence with vapour barrier because it is so effective. (Check your local codes before building/remodelling.) Hopefully you have an insulated garage door, if not get some extruded panels and apply them against the inside. They won't be as effective as an insulated door but they will be better than the R2-3 that an uninsulated door provides. It would also be usefull to "cocoon" the garage door with vapour barrier sealed all around the adjacent walls and floor for the coldest periods of winter. Just a few thoughts, hope they help. Cheers Carl

Jon, Oops I hit submit too fast. The best stud cavity insulation to use is the spray-in expanding foam insulation. If you fill the stud cavities with this foam, level it off and then add the 1" extruded styrofoam panel in front of the wall studs and spray-in foam you'll be able to heat your hanger in the dead of winter with little more than a candle so to speak. Remember to make sure your doors are insulated as well because after insultating the walls properly they would then represent the largest source of heat loss. Hey I want a hanger like this!! Cheers Carl

John,If you are thinking of taking down most of the drywall and adding a 1" furring strip" I recommend you take it all down and only insulate the stud cavities at their current depth. THEN add a layer of 1" extruded styrofoam insulation panel in front of the studs without the furring strips. When you put up the new drywall just use longer drywall screws/nails. This arrangement gives you the advantage of increased insulation rating, improved insulation performance (yes rating and performance are quite different things) and the styrofoam panel eliminates the thermal bridge that would exist in the case of using the described 1" furring strips. Have a "cozy" hanger in more ways than one!! Good Luck, Carl

Originally Posted by Jim Sower I'm satisfied that he [burt Ruttan] is the most prolific, innovative engineer in the history of aviation or pretty much anything else. Well certainly late but I'll throw my vote in for Isambard Kingdom Brunnel, 19th Century English Engineer of railroads, canals, steamships, bridges.... Some of his bridges still stand and support todays loads without any modifications and his railway work was ground breaking! Yes Iknow ships are a "four letter word" to most aviators but there is where technology and it's integration is showed to the greatest level anywhere IMO. Besides IKB has to have had the all time best name for an engineer, no modesty possible there and in truth no need for it!! Carl P. Lindon Pre-build

To be honest, Phil Johnson's Kinda Kozy is just about what I'm looking to build, without the canopy changes. You might want to re-think not following Phillip's canopy modifications. Phillip has generously hosted a couple of visits from me, including one which included sitting in the cockpit with him and closing the canopy . At 6ft 3in and Phillip being slightly taller than me there was ample headroom for both of us and no problem with headsets etc . Both height and width modifications came into play and were immediately apparent. I would consider widening of the canopy essential to any tall/large builders looking for a less cozy Cozy MkIV. As you refine your change list and get closer to final decisions you might want to contact Phillip and get information on what needs to be done to alter the canopy and fuselage longerons. And one more thing, the front opening arrangement gives much better access/egress for the co-pilot and provides a good level of "failsafe" operation in that the canopy cannot completely open in flight no matter what latches might fail.

All, On the Cozy Official website under the Virtual Fly-in link there is a photo of a Cozy which has a split canopy, each half hinged at the back (really quite fighter-esque cool ). It is actually the background plane in the third from bottom picture which was sent in by Bruce and Debbie Elkind of Hawthorne California. Weight and complexity issues aside, this canopy arrangement must improve access as entry can be made from both sides of the aircraft and the rear seat occupants seem to have an opening that is longer than their portion of a standard canopy. Has anybody on this forum done this mod, know someone who has or know the builder of the "background" plane and how to contact them. I'd like an opportunity to learn how this was done, trade-offs made and overall satisfaction with the arrangement. I think I would actually prefer each "half canopy" to hinge forward which would give more vertical clearace at the seat-back when entering and provide more in-flight safety with the airstream tending to keep the canopies closed if the latching mechanism(s) were to fail in-flight. Comments, thoughts, recommendations please Thanks and Cheers Carl

Just a quick note of introduction. Whilst not a pilot I am interested in flying and even more so in the homebuilt aircraft building process. (Yes I am an engineer both a work and in many of my personal pursuits!) Recently I have begun investigating the homebuilt options and my thoughts seem to be converging on a 4/5 seat canard configuration, the most popular of which seem to be the Velocity line of kits and the Cozy MkIV. (I did briefly "flirt" with the idea of a Rutan Defiant until I found out that even with 2 engines it cruises slower than the Cozy so, as promising as I thought that option might be, it was summarily rejected.) Being at best a "newbie" I have many questions and am hoping that this forum can be of assistance in both the research, airframe selection, options/modifications evaluation and building processes. Questions will be forthcoming but any general comments on the relative merits of a Cozy versus the Velocity XL line would be much appreciated. Thanks and Cheers Good Flying Carl