flyingclay

After returning from Oshkosh, I was able to get out to the airport and I have finished contouring the bottom and the NACA duct. I got to meet a bunch of canard builders and fliers and sit in a cozy with the Cozy girl strakes and one without. I also got to try hot-wiring and got a bunch of tips and tricks from Randi, one of the cozy-girls. I used my permagrit sanding forms and they are well worth the money and should last forever. I will add some pics to my build log soon.

My center spar is finished. I learned that if you do not want to have to sand a bunch of epoxy you must tape off areas that are done. The spar has a bunch of drips from applying the two front plies and I had to sand a bunch but it doesn't look as pretty as I would like. I finished up taping the inside of the fuselage and am going to start working on the naca duct and forming the outside. I will only have tomorrow to work and then heading to Oshkosh. I haven't seen anybody stop by to fuel up on their way to oshkosh yet but I hope to see some people stop in tomorrow. Will be back to work on thursday after oshkosh and will still be watching for canards going home.

I will be there tuesday.

I got the fuselage bottom attached and a few of the glass layups but the flox started hardening and I could no longer apply tapes. I also got the aluminum hard points floxed to the spar and then the thunderstorm came and I had to call it quits. It is pouring rain here and the thunder and lightning is awesome. There are tornado warnings north or the st. James airport and I did't want to wait around for it to start with the hanger door wide open. I will try to get the layups on the fuselage bottom and final layups on the spar tomorrow. It is coming but I wish it wasn't so hot and the days were longer. You can't have everything. Looking forward to oshkosh, hope to see a bunch of cozy's there.

Tmann, what day is that, I would like to go.

Kent, I went ahead and tapered the foam to match the spar cap and did the layup and it worked fine. I also installed the seat back support and tomorrow I should be able to finish the spar and possibly install the bottom on the fuselage. It was a long hot day and I was glad to get this portion done.

I don't have pics yet. I can get them when I go to the airport tomorrow. It is on the top side of the spar, it is probably about 3/16 of an inch or so. I don't think the glass will lie flat unless I sand down a bit of foam and then apply micro in finishing stages. Or could I apply a bit of fox over the spar cap and then it would allow the glass to lay over the spar. I am not sure which would be the best solution. I think adding fox would be heavier and I already applied one extra layer of glass on the top spar cap and adding more would just add weight. I think that adding micro when finishing would be the best way to go but it still would not solve how to get the glass to lay over the ridge from sanding too deep. Thanks for the response and I hope that this might clear it up a bit until I can get pics.

I have returned to the state and have been back to the airport. I finished both spar caps on the center spar. It was 90 degrees on saturday when I did my first and then 87 the next. It took over 6 hours for the bottom layup with having the glass cut and ready to go. It took 9 hours on sunday including cutting the glass. I need some advice. I must have sanded the trough to much and now have a depression in a couple spots. How should I put the 4 plies of uni over the caps? should I fill first? should I sand down the lip of the drought and glass over and fill later? I am a bit lost on my nest step. I did install the hard points for the seatbelt and cut out the two access holes. I have also finished the seat back support and am getting ready to attach the bottom of the fuselage. Any and all help with the spar issue would be greatly appreciated. I do not want to do something that I have to scrap all the work that I already did. Thanks and hope to see you at Oshkosh. by the way my home airport has 100LL for 3.99 a gallon. JYG St. James MN and I will be there until saturday before oshkosh and back on thursday after I return from Oshkosh.

I do like that but like I said I don't think I could do as good of a job as them and I do not think I could keep it from having a leak. I need to get down and see their Cozy. It looks amazing and I think I could learn a lot. Thanks for the photo

I did my last layup for a month. I got the shear web for the center spar done and peel plied yesterday. I will be gone for a month and then when I get back Ill be able to work at it until Oshkosh. I am going to try to make it to the vacuum infusion, and also seeing and harassing all you cozy fliers. The Dritz electric scissors were great at cutting off the excess cloth after glassing the shear web and before peel ply. It is supposed to get to 91 degrees today so I think it should cure well. By the time I get back it should be warm enough that I should not need any more supplemental heat. I still need to do the reinforcements for the turtle back before pulling it from the mold. I am planning on a forward hinge canopy and am wondering if I need to add the headrest support or if I can just use a reinforced strip to keep that area behind the from seats more open. Maybe just a cross piece that will sit on the seat back and a roll over structure. I like what the cozy girls did with their canopy but I would rather have only one seam for water to leak into the cabin.

Please email me at leslaidlaw@hotmail.com

Ill take it

Thanks for all of the input. I just got back from the airport and installed the front on the center spar. I have it all glued up and clapped on the front and weighted down on the back. I drilled 1" holes in the interior bulk heads and grooved out some foam and filled it with micro. I am still waiting for the seatbelt tube before I can finish the seat back support and install the bottom on the fuselage. The plans say to wait three days for the spar to fully cure, I used fast setting mix of epoxy for the micro of the front face, should I still wait three days or can I remove it tomorrow if the micro is cured? I would like to have my table back soon, my back still hurts from yesterdays turtleback layup on the ground. I have a dragonfly, and it first came with an underpowered 1835 VW engine and since I have installed a 3100cc corsair engine that I rebuilt myself with William Wynns parts and manual, I do like working with engines and building but I also like to fly and I know there will be some hurdles to go through with the install of a Rotary, I owned two RX7's in the 90s. I had a first generation in the early nineties and then got the second gen later. I never had a problem with the engine but did have some transmission problems. The engine install is still a ways out and if I can find an aviation engine that is a good value I might install it. In the meantime I am going to build the plane to specs and make it light. I am going to have to take a break on building for the month of June, I will be out of the country and when I return I will get back to it. I am going to go to Oshkosh at the end of July and My airport has the cheapest gas in all of MN, 100ll is 3.99 a gallon right now. If you are going to fly and are coming through this way I would love to talk and see some flying Cozy,Velocity, long eze, or other Rutan derivatives. Again thanks for all the input and Ill keep you posted on my progress.

Kent, I have been checking out almost every post of Charles cozy, I am also hoping to put a (shhhhhh) rotary as well. Thanks for the link.

OK, I just updated my Facebook page, You can check it out at "Cozy build log" is my name on Facebook and I just added pics up to the center spar, Ill take pics of the turtle back tomorrow when I go to the airport. This should prove it is not fiction. There are even two pics of me holding the fuselage sides with the bulkheads on the floor of the hanger to prove its actually me but I do not take selfies of me and the plane, a friend took those pics. Let me know what you think, thanks.

I have been taking pic but not as many as I probably should. I went to the airport today and I couldn't put the front on the spar because the slow epoxy wasn't fully cured so I went ahead and glassed the inside of the turtleback. This was probably the most painful of all the layups so far. I did it like the plans say and put the form on the ground and instead of using five minute epoxy for the gluing of the foam, I used hot glue. It attached well and I hope it will come out of the mold easily. My back is killing me because of being bent over for the layup and applying the peel ply.

I just finished the interior layups of the center section spar. I am jumping around a bit because I was missing the aluminum tubes for the seat belt attach points. It took about 6 hours by myself, I used a foam form to install the glass and used nails to attach the glass covered in plastic to the form and it made it tolerable. I had everything ready yesterday so I could get started fresh and with plenty of time. I have ordered the seat belt tubes and they should be here Tuesday. I am going to install the forward face of the center spar tomorrow and when I get the seat belt attach tube, Ill finish the seat back support and I already have the bottom glassed and ready to fit to the rest of the fuselage. I decided against the standard fuel selector valve and will install one in front of the throttle quadrant. It is coming but not as fast as I would like. Does anyone have tips for doing the spar caps, the shear web layup and the attach points? It is still a few days out but will be happening soon.

Thanks for all of the input. I am wondering if I should put the fuel selector in the plans position or not? I am at the stage that I will be installing the seat back support and the plans have you make the fuel selector valve mounting point and I would like to have it in a more visible location and would not want to spend the extra time to fabricate the mounting bracket and install the wood reinforcement and cut outs for the plans valve. Can I just leave it out and worry about it at a later date or will this come to bite me later? Will the SDS EFI fuel selector fit in the seat back? Is there a diagram for the plumbing of the SDS EFI system? Will I be able to retrofit this system if I leave it out at this point? Again thanks for all of the feedback and help.

I am also planning on using cozy girl strakes and did not put the indention for the control stick or the indent for the fuel site gauge. I am also wondering about the fuel selector switch, and I am thinking of installing it in front of the throttle quadrant. It would be a visual reminder as well as easier to see. Does anyone have thoughts on this and what selector to buy to go this route. I have not made the bracket for the original installation of the selector and was wondering if I should put the wood reinforcement in the seat support or leave it out if I am not using the plans fuel selector.

Kent, Great idea, I will incorporate this for sure. I just finished taping the seat and bulkheads and the four plies for the canard. I have glassed the inside of the seat support. It looks like a bottomless boat and I am excited to get it covered on the outside.

I now have the fuselage floxed together. Tomorrow I will apply the tapes to the bulkheads and sides. I did it upside down on my table and used a laser level and the smart tool level to make sure it is all plumb. I used the nail technique in the plans to realign the seatback and the IP when I reattached it for the final time. I also cut out the seat support and heat vent with I will also glass tomorrow. Once the tapes are cured I will move the fuselage and make the bottom and get it attached as soon as possible. It is fun to see it come together and I am enjoying the build. I have spent some 12 hour days and some 6 hour days depending on what I can get done. I ordered my Vance site gauges and 5 more gallons of epoxy. I wish I was more adept at gauging how much to use but I am getting better. I probably removed as much flox as I applied to adhere the sides but I would rather have too much than have to mix a second batch. One more thing I learned is to read ahead before starting on something, it will have you do different things than what you have already done.

Andrew, Thanks for the info for Vance, I just got back from the airport and will call him tomorrow. I just finished the fuselage sides. I pulled one side out of the form and epoxy had leaked through the seam of two pieces of foam and glued itself to the masonite. It took a 3" chunk of blue foam off the side of my fuselage. I repaired it with more foam and micro and will sand it smooth tomorrow. I will be able to pull the other side tomorrow and start on the fitting it together. Looking forward to having it all one piece and starting to look like something besides a bunch of flat parts. Thanks again for all of the encouragement.

I have got both of my pumps working after calling Michaels and getting parts. I got the problems worked out and they are working great. It finally warmed up here in MN and I have finished glassing the bulkheads except for the reinforcements on the IP. I have assembled the fuselage sides and laid the first two layers of glass and tomorrow I will install the longerons and finish with the wiring and other wood parts on the rear. I got my Dritz scissors and they are worth every cent. It is fun seeing it come together. I have to get as much done now as I can because I am going to be away for the month of June. I am trying to find Atkinson Fuel Site Guages, if anybody know of how to get these that info would be greatly appreciated. I appreciate everybody that have images of their builds and info. This has made the project go much faster and anything that I am unsure of in the plans the FAQ and web pages clarifies for me. Thanks again for all the great help.

I keep working on it every day. I just finished my last teaching class last night and now I am off for the summer and have time to get this done. I will be gone for the month of June so I need to get as much done before and after. It is finally getting warm and with the electric blanket I should be able to get a lot of fiberglass work done. I have all almost all of the foam and fiberglass for the airframe, now I just need to get it put together. I have an old sticky stuff dispenser that I need to convert to MGS epoxy ratio, but also have pumps and a scale to get me by until I can get the right ratio. If anybody has done this with a non adjustable pump I would greatly appreciate any help or photos of the conversion other wise It will be trial and error and it usually takes longer that way. Thanks again for all the great ideas and help. Les

I am going to alodine. I have just cut out the hard points for the landing gear and 5 min epoxied the front bulkheads. I am hoping to glass on friday if the weather cooperates. I have made the forming jigs for carving the center spar and for contouring the fuselage sides. I have all the wood part for setting up the wings and canard. I am getting close to not having to do any more wood work. I am hoping to be a glassing fool for the summer.