South Barn
Northfield Barns
Deanshanger
Milton Keynes
MK19 6HN
Tel 01908 263474
e-mail Peter
23rd October 2009
Strange that a year has gone by since I last updated my page. I have spent
most of my spare time flying G-CDZR but some progress has been made on the
project with more fuselage being built and the spar is all glued.
Pictures
26th October 2008
Spent most of the summer learning to fly again but have found time to get
most of the basic fuselage structure glued together. Last weekend the timber for
the wing spar arrived and it is now sitting in my jig waiting for my inspector
to ok it. - Pictures
3rd February 2008
Too cold for gluing so have been preparing to build the wing ribs. Discovered
that I can do a lot of preparatory work in the warmth of the kitchen so spent
all weekend drawing up the wing ribs and preparing to make the jigs -
Pictures
9th December 2007
I am feeling very pleased with myself this evening because my inspector has
been and he is happy with all of the work so far. Now I can start gluing all of
the assembly together.
1st December 2007
Seeing the pictures of Terry William's aircraft taking to the air last week
has fired me up again so I have done a full day in the workshop today trial
fitting all the fuselage parts together. Now I need an inspection before gluing.
Pictures
12th November 2007
Now using an electric blanket to keep up the temperature overnight on parts
glued. Finished off the balsa infill and ply facing on former A
17th October 2007
With my daughter's wedding out of the way I am back in the workshop and have
been building former A. This proved to be quite a complex structure with four
pieces of ash built into the pine frame and covered with ply but filled with
balsa wood. Then four more pieces of pine glued to the back face and again faced
with ply. Complex angles all over the place! Pictures
27th July 2007
Have built my spar jig but have been waiting for weeks for the timber to
build the spar. Hoping it will be delivered very soon. Have built formers b and
c and have tried former b for fit between the fuselage sides - temporarily
creating something three dimensional for the first time. Starting to build
former a which looks complicated and I cannot yet imagine how I am going to pull
the nose end together. Perhaps the answer is to start with the nose end on
formers a and b and then pull the tail together around former c? I would be glad
of any suggestions from those who have already done this.
Pictures
10th February 2007
I have finished insulating the workshop and with a 1.5 kilowatt oil filled
heater the temperature in there is just about reaching 10 degrees C. I have
spent several weekends having a good clearout and have used a load of old shelf
units from my wife's shop to create a 26 foot long bench on which to build my
spar (inspired by my trip to visit Brian in Wales!)
30th November 2006
The two sides are complete. There was a lot
more work than I had realised cutting and gluing all of the internal ply gussets
to both sides. I have half built formers B and C now but once again it is too
cold in the workshop. I have been out to B&Q and bought a load of insulation
material which I plan to use soon to try to make the workspace heatable for the
Winter.
30th May 2006
Finally got going again in March this year and have now finished building as
much of the second fuselage side as I can in the same jig as I built the first.
As usual at this time of the year it has become a battle between the workshop,
the garden and projects in the house and yesterday saw the building of a new dog
run for our three Labradors rather than getting on with the fuselage. I did
manage to sneak into the workshop when the rain stopped play outside and cut out
the two ash uprights for the first former.
24th February 2006
I just went down to my workshop to check when I last mixed any glue - 30th
October, So four months have slipped by with little progress. It is still only 8
deg C in there today with two electric heaters going and there is a howling, icy
draft blowing through the place so no chance of gluing anything else yet. The
first side is now fully covered with ply and out of the jig. I have decided to
build as much of the second side as I can in the same jig and the top longeron
is in the jig ready to make a start. Picture.
1st October 2005
I have had a good day in the workshop today after a long period not able to
work on the project. A busy eight weeks have passed by with the highlight being
the trip to France for the annual Menestel Gathering. Some progress has been
made though - in particular with scarfing plywood. I built a simple wooden mount
for my electric drill on which I installed a drum sander. The idea was based on
information kindly sent to me by Tony McCullock who is busy building a Jodel. Pictures.
The nose end of the fuselage side presents a problem in that the curved piece
of timber at the bottom is supported only by the ply facing. This makes it
impossible to use the same jig for the second side. Applying the first piece of
ply was a messy job. Pictures.
24th July 2005
I finally made the trip back to Thruxton and collected several useful bits of
ash, more ply and more douglas fir ready to finish the fuselage sides and to
make the bulkheads. The last couple of weekends have seen more cutting and
gluing on the first fuselage side, particularly around the rear wing mount where
the geometry gets interesting. I made a paper template for the piece of ash that
sits on the longeron joint at the wing trailing edge and then cut a matched pair
of them using my newly aquired band-saw. I drilled the hole in the ash for the
rear wing bolt before gluing it to the fir longeron. Pictures.
15th June 2005
Most of one fuselage side frame is now glued together but I am in need of a
piece of hardwood for the wing mount and some 2.5mm ply for the front end. I had
thought that all of the ply facing was 2mm but on closer inspection of the plans
it increases to 2.5mm at the front and reduces to 1.5mm at the rear.
1st June 2005
Where did a month go! My inspector was happy with the work so far and gave me
lots of tips on how to use the glue - but have been to busy with work, family
and garden to glue anything yet. Have worked out what I need for the fuselage
formers and ordered more wood.
4th May 2005
Collected my first lot of Douglas Fir about ten days ago and have now made a
start on the fuselage sides. Nothing glued yet but have made my jig and have
most pieces cut and ready to glue. Was unsure whether or not to steam pieces
that needed bending but after conferring with others have not done so, just
carefully bent and clamped to the jig. My inspector is coming tomorrow evening
to have a look - will report after his visit! Picture
22nd April 2005
Terrible the way the weeks fly by! At last I have timber ready to collect and
will be driving over to Thruxton tomorrow to collect my first batch of Douglas
Fir for the fuselage sides.
23rd February 2005
Well quite a few weeks have passed by. Simon came to inspect my workshop and
gave me the go ahead to make a start just before Christmas. With the help of my
three sons Michael, Henry and David we made an official start on 30th January at
3.30pm! (Picture) We started scaling up the drawings and marked out the fuselage sides on
my home built workbench. My first delivery of timber is awaited. Simon has
sourced the wood for me and on his advice we have opted for Douglas Fir.
7th November 2004
At last I have found a PFA approved inspector able to take on my project. I
had almost given up hope after many phone calls over several weeks. The problem
seems to be a combination of some inspectors not being happy to supervise all
wood projects and most inspectors being over committed with their full time jobs. However
I finally came up trumps this evening with a phone call to Simon Westley in
Cranfield. He sounded very experienced and enthusiastic and I am very much
looking forward to meeting him later this week.
15th October 2004
I have yet to find a PFA inspector prepared to take on the project, the first
two I have contacted being over committed with normal work duties. I have also
run into problems sourcing the spruce - the only supplier so far can offer
imperial but not metric cut timber. Watch this space.
I bought my plans about 18 months ago and have spent the time since
converting old cattle sheds next to my home into a workshop. The interior is 45
feet long and 15 feet wide. Big enough to build the wings and fuselage but not
enough space to assemble the aircraft.
