Bob Setzer

Getting closer to seeing if its going to come together. Finished the Left upper tooling lay-up today. I've been waiting four weeks to see whats underneath. You cannot remove the right side till the left side has been done. After some trim a clean-up this week hope to see what it looks like this weekend. Bob setzer

Bruce The canard move was taken from the front face of the firewall. it will set a F.S. 10. This move seems to have been proven to work by other flying aircraft. Bob Setzer

I just could not go the sleep without telling a related story. Its just to funny Not to tell. I my early days of building my Vari Eze I had built the spar, And after it had cured over nigth I took a look at it the next morning a found a small defect in the inspection hole opening (real small defect). I had another Vari Eze builder From are EAA chapter stop by and look at it. Needless to say he thought I did a great job and not to be concerned. You know I was not able to sleep for the next two nights (REALLY). It got so bad that second night at about 2 A.M. in the morning I went downstairs and took a big saw a cut the spar in half and went back to bed (fell right to sleep). Started on the new spar the next day. We all have a little Superman in us, I know I can see right through my project. So I know right were your coming from. Hers a couple photo' of my Vari Eze. Bob Setzer

Another big day today. Got five of my friends ( Bill, P.J., Allen, Dennis, Sal and Paul, Paul could not make it today put has been a big help, hope he fells better ) to help in building the left side upper tooling.Twelve hours later and another seven tomorrow. I'm going to let the tool set till Friday or Saturday before pulling both sides. A real step forward in the project. Boys and girls it beat me up, I guess I,m not as young as I used to be. Airnico I put the 12inch canard stretch in the plug for the 360 or 540 engines. Did you do the same. Bob Setzer

Interesting question, I started the process by making a front and firewall forming bulkhead templates. You can see by the upper post that I made the fuselage (using front and firewall former) just before the nose. The nose is a different story. I have not answered your question yet. I started by cutting matched front bulkhead templates and taking them as far back as I needed before percentage blending into the firewall. Before installing foam and fiberglassing I did my best job checking for high spots with straight edges and flexible steel rulers. I’m hoping you can see now why I did not get involved with the nose at this time. When you cover with fiberglass and start to fill everything starts to change. I had made a center line on the front and rear templates, and after a rough fill of the surface I center line the lower plug. After that I made horizontal templates of the fuselage side. I used these to decide which side needed additional filling. After that it was at the time it took a good eye to look for optical problems with a couple friends and mine. The last template I made for this part of the fuselage was vertical full length, with this template I flip-flop it from one side to the other. Over a 98-inch length I could just see some light coming through the edges. I can not say its perfect, but I’m not either. I did as well as I could. I’m happy with it Bob Setzer

Sorry- Missed one of the photo"s for the upper post. Told you I was not computer savvy. Bob

Thanks- Here is a photo of the early days of the project. Note, I bought a canopy for the project to assist in making the canopy frame tooling (that canopy is now lost under fiberglass and filler, my way of lofting the canopy frame tooling). The frame tooling was a separate part but was built with it setting on the fuselage plug. That allowed me to keep W/L 23.0 with the fuselage plug. Even with the use of the canopy (which by the way was really nice) needed a lot of work to get the tooling worked out. Bob Setzer

I guess the real motivation to this project was that I wanted one of these. I did not fell I could get there without a molded fuselage. Like all things you think you can get things done a little quicker. Your friends always challenge you. One of those things was to build a CNC foam cutting machine for the canard and wings. Works great but a lot of work. The fuselage is going to be able to go as a fixed gear with retracting nose or full RG. The RG is going to that a little thought. I’ve set aside this Monday and Tuesday to build the left upper side of the tooling. The tooling is going to be made in three parts. Two upper One lower. The two uppers will be used to make One upper piece. Bob Setzer

Looking back I remember a couple of friends stopping by the hangar one day for lunch. One of them had just sold a Long Eze project. I brought up at lunch the building of the tooling to make a fuselage. I guess that it’s over lunch or out on the golf course that a project like this starts I don’t golf. Not being computer savvy I built the plug the old fashion way. I wish I was as talented as some of the others posting on this site. The tooling has been built to make the fuselage in two parts, one upper one lower. The upper tooling had to be made in two halves to get around the draft of the canopy turtle decks. My reasoning for that was to get a better fit for the canopy frame and to do some of the other lay ups in the turtle deck areas. The roll over structure could be laid up in the tooling with know secondary bonding for that part of the lay up. The main tooling has been made to have a split canopy. The canopy frame tooling has been made to produce that style as well as a full tilting frame. Bob Setzer

I thought after two and a half years of work I would post a couple of photo's of my project. Its a lot of work put its something to do. Bob Setzer

I did buy a set about four years ago in preparation to build the project I'm currently working on. For me it took alot of the guess work out of the way.John put a lot on time a effort into each drawing. Did you get a set, and if so were thay of use to you. Bob Setzer Vari Eze N82210 Builder A-Solution

Just got off the phone with John Griffiths today. For thought who do not know of John was responsable for the drawing package that was supplied with the Berkut project. The drawing package was all hand drawn by John, Some 80 large scale pages that have been made available to the builder and non builder alike. The reason for the post is to let all interested in this new E- Mail info. Like most of us he has went to high speed service. Other that have purchased all or part of the drawing package may want to offer feed back to the group. john.griffiths1@verizon.net Good luck on your projects Bob Setzer Vari Eze N82210 Builder A-Solution

Colin Looking at your first comments in this tread they just don't sell me on your reasoning for the change. If your going throught all the trouble of building tooling for your project,I would thing that you should end up with a design that has more support and a better track record. After all it was your gut that choose the Berkut style aircraft first. As far has simpler to build aircraft you may want to go to a fixed gear design. A much safer ground handing aircraft. You may loose a little performace, but a 360 and constand speed propeller should make up for it. I hate to be bias the Berkut type airplane just looks great. Bob

KeithUp to now I have not made the strakes. I have made a 4 axis CNC hotwire cuttigs machine to do those, as with the wings and canard. To date I have the spar tooling, canopy frame tooling and have pulled the speed brake, front inspection cover and canard cover from the fuselage plug. The fuselage plug has been modified to remove the canard cover area and the rear and middle turtle deck for the fuselage have been installed on the plug. I was hoping to have the fuselage tooling made by Oshkosh. Looks like September. All the above tooling is epoxy that has beem heat cured to 205 degrees. All parts are going to be cured to 160 degrees. It has always been my vision to make parts available. I would like to thank ColinB for your thread. But if there is someone on this thread that fells that if I start fielding questions on this subject it will take away from the thread just post a small note and I will start a new thread In a couple of months to bring things up to speed. I thought this was in line with the thread. Best to all Thanks Keith Bob Setzer Vari Eze N82210

For thoughts going to the upper web link go down 11 posts. Bob

For thoughts interested in this subject go to this web link on the Burkut. http://www.canardzone.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2960&page=8 This post was a year and some time ago. The project is a little farther along. I wish I could have used A cnc to do the plugs. Time not money was on my side. Be sides it was something to do. I really enjoy all you posts. Best to all Bob

Tony A quick look at the open ez thread shows 16 pages so far. When you open that thread it shows pages one throught 10- last page. I think you are ok for now.

Tony In the future you might want to use something I came across 20 plus years ago to do your wiring conduit. I went to the local golf store and bought a item that support the clubs in the bag. Its a lite weight plastic tube a little more than a inch in dia. Not being a golfer don't know what there called. Thay have been in my Vari-Eze 27 years. Not my idea, it was in a CP issue of some unknow date. Keep up the great effort Bob

Tony Have followed your posts for sometime now. Now that you have a Berkut Kit I thought that I would transform from leaker to occasional poster. The Berkut has always been of interest to me, so much so that I've been working on a project to fill the gap. I hope to have my fuselage and canopy tooling done in Jan. 08. For now hope all is well at your end.