killerb1971

I have decided to put my Cozy project up for sale. I have realized I won't have time to finish it due to my recent job change. It is complete thru chapter 5 and some chapter 6. It includes plans, fuselage jig, Sticky Stuff pump, Chapter kits thru 7 (minus some cloth) you can see all of my progress pics in my previous posts. I used MGS epoxy for the entire project so far. I will include any and all tools and materials related to the project. Asking $1500.00. I can be contacted at 205-478-9466 (leave message), or email at Killerb1971@hotmail.com. Thanks,

The first pic on the left is when I first flipped it over. I waited untill the tub was upside down to do the back side of the seat back so it was easier to lay down the tapes. That pic was before I taped the seat back. Right now I am waiting on the pieces of the heat duct and support brace to cure so I can cut them out. I am taking the aluminum plate for the fuel valve and the plywood triangles to work tonight to finish them.

I had an encounter at my local airport a few months ago. I was just on my way to work and decided to stop my EKY (Bessemer, AL) my home airport. As I pulled up to the FBO parking lot, I saw the outboard section of a wing. My jaw just dropped! I walked up to the tarmac and there stood Chris Hutchinson's (sp?) 540 powered Cozy MKIV w/ retractable gear! My first "real live cozy encounter". He wasn't there, but I left my number on a business card to have him call me when he could. He was there on business, and wasn't able to call me till he got back to the airport to depart (when he got my card). By then I was at work and couldn't leave. I did talk with him for about a half hour or so. What a beautiful bird! Nice panel too! I was late for work that day. I lost track of time while drooling. I cant wait for Rough River!!!!!!!

Bad news is I am running out of epoxy. I ony have about 1/3 gal left in the pump. That wont get me too far. Maybe I can get the heat duct and support brace done with that? Glad I'm only an hour and a half drive from ACS east. I just hope the MGS 285 is in stock.

Moving right along on CH6. Making some good progress. Having a blast doing it!!

Thanks Steve.

Well......after a long break from building, due to my daughter being here for the summer, I finally have the initial tub put together. All corners are at EXACTLY WL 23 and all points are 0.0 with the digital level, and it is exactly 101.75" This has been an inspirational point for me. I am really fired up to build now. If the finances permit, I may have it on the main gear for Christmas. My initial goal was to have ch 7 complete by then. Here are some up to date pics. One of which is my 9yr old daughter (and future pilot)inspecting my trial fit.

Thanks Phil. I try to get into the garage to do at least something every day. Even if it is just preping for the next step or organizing/staging materials. It keeps me motivated. The build process is very satisfying and rewarding.

last night I repaired the air bubbles using a syringe (sp?). What a neat process. Its like an air bubble eraser. I know its better to not have the bubbles in the first place, but its better than leaving them there. Today I removed the spacer boards between the longerons and cleaned up the surfaces of the longerons to prep them for glassing. I also pre cut the 8 4" layers of uni and rolled them up. I think I will attempt the plastic peel ply method on this one. More to come later this week......hopefully.

Completed the 2 layer uni layup last night. WOW, what a time consuming layup! I read in peoples web pages that it took them 7+ hrs to complete. It took me abut 8 hrs. My friend Gene came by to help with laying the cloth. we had quite a time keeping the edges of the cloth butted together while working out wrinkles and bubbles. My neck and back were killing me at the end of the layup. I finished at 2am this morning. I realized several hours later that I forgot to add the peel ply below the longerons. I believe I caught it in time. I used the hair drier and some extra epoxy to wet out the peel ply. Thank God for slow hardener! All in all it came out pretty good, but could have been better. I have a a couple of air bubbles in the fuel gauge and control stick depressions. I'll have to fill them. I'll get to the uni layup on the longerons this week.

The photo you included looks exactly like what I have. I am getting ready to do the layup this week. I marked out my 30 degree angle lines on the foam as a guide.

Plans say if using the Vance Atkinson gauges, make a 2" flat rectangle depression and make it 7" long from the base of the spacer foam (end of the taper). I have read that I should make the depression a little longer than the 7" so I can set the hole at the bottom right at the base of the tank. I went about 7 5/8" deep just in case. All of my edges are tapered so the uni will lay in good. All surfaces are sanded and corners rounded for the uni to lay correctly. Before doing the uni layup, I just want to verify with the group that the measurements on the fuel gauge depressions are correct, or will I run into problems? Better to know now while it is easier to fix.

Made some more progress today. Making good use of my extended weekend to play catch-up from my 2 months of not doing anything. Anyways...., it always feels good to be moving forward.

OK, now I feel stupid. Its been a few months since I read chapter 2 and 3, and forgot all about that page.

I know they usually give you BARELY enough foam to do the chapter. Is there a specific way the sheet of foam should be cut for best efficiency? I have been looking through archives and web pages, but have not found any specifics. Just want to make sure I dont shoot my self in the foot!

Made some more progress today. I used the 2 sided carpet tape for holding the foam onto the masonite. Seems to work good. Tomorrow I will start working on the spacers.

Finally got the longerons completed and curing today. Tomorrow I will start setting up my side jigs. Having a blast with this stuff!!! My employer has donated a huge roll of industrial stretch wrap to my plane project. What a nice boss I have. Harbor Freight has a sale this week on their 12" bar clamps for $1.89 each. I bought what they had left in stock. Also picked up a bunch of spring clamps. Love that store! I still need to pick up that band saw the Cozy Girrls recommend, but its not on sale yet.

Did the initial cuts on the masonite for the sides today. I'm letting the 5min epoxy cure on the extensions that had to be added to the 8' sheet. So far to date I have 52hrs 51min total work time on the plane. Still waiting on the wood from ACS so I can finish setting up the longerons.

Not a problem Drew. I am just posting progress as I go. No matter how little it may be. I hope to have my wood here by wed. My longerons have cured in the jig, now I will be cutting and shaping the masonite while I wait for the rest of the wood. Any progress is still progress!!!!

Drew, It does look like a giant drink container! I have to build alot of crazy stuff at work too. I work for a Tier 1 supplier to Mercedes Benz, and they come up with all kinds of stuff that they want and tell us to just make it happen. Luckily I dont have to do any of it at home though (yet!).

Forgot to post the pics.

After 2 months of not doing anything on the plane, the withdrawl symptoms were too much to handle, so I had to make something happen. I cut all my jigs the other day, and today I finally have the longerons setting up in the jigs and curing. I am still waiting on ACS to ship my replacement wood from my last botched cutting job. It really feels good to get back into it again. I made a promise to myself to not let anything else take up space in my garage, and hold me back from building. From now on the garage belongs to the Cozy!

Well....after an insane amount of time since my last layup, I finally got fed up and kicked all of the car projects outside and cleaned up the shop. I set my bench back up to build, changed the blown bulb in my hot box, and started CH 5. I built the jigs and cut the spruce per plans for the sides. Or so I thought. The jigs came out perfect. I cut the spruce the other day when I woke up. Note to self : "NEVER WORK ON PLANE BEFORE COFFEE SETS IN!!" I cut the 5" angle on the wrong side of the .7" X.5" X 60" pieces. I had to order more spruce from ACS. Its on its way. At least I can get the Longerons epoxied while I wait. In other news, I saw my first "real live" cozy for the first time this week. I stopped by my local airport (KEKY) in Bessemer AL. on my way to work, as I normally do several times a week, and long behold...... There sits not only a COZY MKIV on the tarmac, but it was Chris Husselton's (sp?) N540EZ 540 powered retract!!!! What a BEAUTIFUL plane!! Loved the panel setup. Nice paint finish too. I left him my number in the seam of the canopy and introduced myself as a local COZY builder. He called me the next day, and was sorry he missed me at the airport, but he was in for business and left early in the morning to go to NC. I called him back. We talked for a while and he recomended Rough River as a must for this fall. I already planned on attending, but this view of a real COZY at my airport sealed my decision to go for sure. I hope to see Chris and all of you folks there. Anyways, sorry for the long post. I'll post more as I get further along.

Just got my CH6 and CH7 kits in from Spruce. I inventoried and inspected everything. The down side is my shop is taken up with 2 engine jobs that are waiting on parts and machine shops. So I have to just sit here and wait till I finish them so I can get started again. Its been almost a month and a half since I pumped any epoxy!

I myself have come across a q 200 with the same issue. I have yet to take a look at the plane. Hopefully I will this weekend. It was a previously flying aircraft built in the mid 80's. I am not sure of the whole story behind it, but I will get all of the particulars this week. I also have the luxury of having an A&P with composite building experience in my EAA chapter whom I will try to get to go with me to get his professional opinion. If it all checks out, I will tackle that project before starting back on my Cozy. That will get my wife and I in the air faster and cheaper for the time being. The "spam cans" at the airport are getting expensive and scheduling around the flight school and weather is a pain. We'll see how it pans out.