Horizontal Stabilizer - Spars Take Shape

 I apologize for not having any update recently.  I have been hard at work with the school year starting for my kids, the yard work, and work obligations.  I finally got some time to get outside and prepped the Horizontal Stabilizers.  But enough excuses, back to the build.

I finished getting the spar caps cut and deburred.  This wasn't too bad but required alot of drilling once done.  I matched up the parts to the spar and started match drilling.  A lot of the holes were not predone so it took a little bit of time.  I got the flange done, removed them, cleared the piece, and then was able to get the web side finished.  This was a bit tedious but was enjoyable to finish up.  

Spar Cap Match Drilling

After the spar caps were finished up and drilled, I finished out the doubler drilling.  This was rather straightforward, similar to the one on the Vertical Stabilizer.  The one doubler was a bit stubborn to straighten out but I had it near perfectly straight when I finally finished up.   The next part was to cut the horizontal spar attach brackets from same angle aluminum pieces.  This was a bit of a complicated portion as you had to make angled cuts on a piece of metal that is hand measured and cut.  The numbers were pretty precise and took awhile for me to get right.  After getting these done, I had to deburr and round off the edges which took some time.

Measuring the Stabilizer Attach Brackets

 

Bracket cut and marked for drilling.

After the brackets were all done, I was able to finish up the second doubler and drill the brackets.  The brackets get one hole drilled by measurement, and then they got match drilled to the doubler and spar.  This wasn't too hard, but with three pieces of some thickness, I noticed the bit wanted to wander a little.  I was able to minimize it and was happy with the final results.  I utilized a trick from Austin Manke to lift the spar off the table, I had prebuilt the stabilizer stands from a later step while I waited to paint.  This allowed me to lift the stabilizer and rotate it around, making it easier to work with.

Drilling Spar Caps with the Stands holding it up.  Makes it alot easier.

Stabilizer Attach Brackets Mounted to Angle Iron for Drilling

After completing the match drilling, it was to to do everyones favorite part and disassemble and deburr.  It took a little time to deburr all the pieces and holes, but its a rather straightforward task.  Using the electric screwdriver,  I was able to deburr a lot of the holes in short order.  I used other tools for the lightning holes and edges.  It was tough to deburr the spar lengths on the deburring wheel simply due to the length, but it was finished nonetheless.  Then it was on to painting next, but a small project to finish first.

Once I finished the deburring, I was bothered by the way my Air connection was mounted.  The connection drops from the ceiling and is screwed to the wall with some drywall screws.  However, the screws weren't holding well and they were coming out of the sheetrock.  This was bothering me and I didn't want to damage the air connection or wall further.  I ended up heading to Lowe's to get a small board to reinforce the screws.  I picked up some drywall anchors to screw the board to the sheetrock, and then screwed the air outlet to the board again.  The wood was a perfect anchor point and it looks so much better, and isn't pulling off the wall anymore.  Now we are ready to paint.

Reinforced Air Outlet

It took a few days for me due to the crappy weather we have had in New York Lately.  But we finally got some warm weather on Wednesday which was just enough to prime and the winds were calm.  So I broke out my painting racks and went to work.  After I used up my remaining EkoEtch, it was time to get painting.  I really like the Stewarts Systems products as they aren't extremely hazardous like others and simple to use.  I got the painting done in short order and was ready to start riveting after lunch.

Priming  and Riveting the Horizontal Stab Spars

After the Stabs were all dry, we were off to riveting once again.  Luckily, the spar is perfect for squeezing, so I was able to utilize the squeezer for everything.  This provided clean rivets and I was able to get alot done in short order.  I am about 90% done now with the riveting and can move onto the ribs and skins next.  Until next time....

Let There Be Heat! And Building Resumes...

Heat in the Garage

 Well after a two month hiatus due to bitter cold temperatures, my workshop has received an upgrade.  We have run a fresh line for power and installed a mini split in the garage.  Now my garage is not 100% insulated as the outer walls are not shared to living space, so I had to insulate whatever I could.  I insulated the ceiling space, front doors, and cleaned up the weather stripping to insure I am as tight as I can be without drilling into the walls.  After that was done, my HVAC friend came by and installed our new mini split.  I am not expecting 75 degrees in the winter, but keeping the room above 60 makes it comfortable to work out there and not be freezing.  I gave it a quick test the other day and I am quite happy so far.  It will also be nice in the summer if its scorching as I can cool the garage as well.  Back to work now!

Let there be heat....

Christmas Tool and Workshop Additions

In other news, Christmas came and I added some new tools to the collection.  I know there are plenty of tools and parts that I will purchase over the life of my build, so I have started to compile a list of everything I will need over time.  I am starting with some basic tools and will buy some parts as I approach needing them.  However, my family has come through and picked up some basic tools for Christmas.  I now am a proud owner of a soldering iron, label maker, 12" offset back rivet set, and some extra countersink cages.  These will all be quite useful and helpful as my build continues.  I am going to continue updating my list of things and hope that my future birthdays and Christmas' will help lighten the hit to my wallet.  

My Wife's Christmas Gift to Me.

One thing that I was super excited about was a surprise gift from my lovely wife.  We all know that the spouses will either make or break any home build, but mine has been amazing.  From the minute I asked to do it, she has been supportive and willing to help anytime I need.  Now, I haven't had to have her crawl into the tail cone yet, but I think she will do so without issue.  She purchased me a sign for the workshop that I cannot express my gratitude.  I am so happy and have mounted it on the wall right above my workbenches.

Building Resumes....

I've continued to build on the rudder section.  I began where we left off with match drilling the entire rudder skins and substructure.  I have now disassembled and labeled the skins.  I got to break out a new tool and play with that tonight.  The new tool is the Cleaveland Edge Forming Tool.  I broke it out of its plastic finally and played with it on the scrap pieces I have.  The directions were not very detailed, it only said don't over do it, but the website for Cleaveland had a short video describing how to adjust and do it.  I still am not overly thrilled by the video, but it is good enough.  The real question is trying to determine how much is overdoing it.  I might reach out to my tech advisor to discuss this briefly before doing it.  So thats where we will continue next, edge forming and deburring for priming.

Rudder structure all built and match drilled...  Time to take it apart now...

Workshop Cleanout and Electric

 So we last left off trying to figure out storage and heating solutions.  Well, we have made progress on both tasks.  My new storage unit is setup and I just moved the large crates into the storage unit for the time being.  This frees up all of my floor space in the garage, which may not be important for now, will make a major difference as I get into the larger parts.  I also just had the 240V line run for my new mini split unit that will be installed this week.  So despite a lull in build time due to the bitter cold, I am hoping to be back on the bandwagon next week.  I am looking forward to a great 2023 build year!

Storage and Heat..... Who Needs That?

 So My rudder is assembled and ready for the match drilling of ribs.  However the last month has been quite hectic with the holidays and winter approaching.  I haven't been in the garage too much because the temperatures have been getting down to the 30's and 40's, making for a very cold work session.  It's very difficult to work with fine motor skills at such low temperatures.  I have been in the process of getting quotes to install a mini split into my garage so I can make the workshop reasonable.  For those that don't know me, my attached garage is a 2.5 car garage and I prefer to avoid the flammable liquids/gases based systems.  As a firemen, I have seen numerous occasions of Carbon Monoxide poisoning in homes where these types of heating systems do not operate properly or the room doesn't ventilate well.  So I hope to have this heat settled in the next two weeks or so.

In other news, my wife has been on my case about getting her garage back for the winter.  With the fear of winter snow coming, my wife would like to be able to park in the garage during a storm.  As a result, I've been searching around for the best options for off site storage.  Most of the storage solutions near me are fully packed or only have smaller units.  After some searching and luck, I happened to come across a storage place who just actually had a tenant move out the day before.  This allowed me to snag a larger unit which gives me room to grow as the plane gets larger.  This also allows me to open up floor space as I build further into the project.  So I am hoping to be back on the bandwagon shortly and get the rudder finished up.

Rudder Match Drilling Prep and Storage Concerns

 I have been a bit busy with life the last two or three weeks.  Between work and family stuff, I haven't had a significant amount of time to get outside.  I also started to realize I need to plan for the winter accordingly.  My garage is insulated for the most part but has no heat source currently.  I am waiting for some quotes to get a Mini Split or Heater installed to allow me to work out there in the winter months.  It get a bit hard to work fine motor when its 30 or 40 degrees out.

Another thing I have realized is my wife wants her parking spot back.  My wife is very understanding and allows me to utilize the entire garage during the majority of the year, however, winter is coming.  As such, the boss has ordered me to make space for her car in prep any snow events.  As such, I spent a lot of time calling around to local storage places looking for a medium sized unit.  I figure if I can get rid of the two large crates, I can easily fit my wifes vehicle in the garage when needed.  However, finding a unit was a serious struggle.  Most of the ones I can find are very small and won't work for my needs, and the larger ones have one of two issues.  One issue was they were inside units with tight hallways to access, I didn't want to risk swinging a flight control or large part and denting it when I don't clear something.  Also, many of them were simply unavailable.

I eventually struck a bit of luck and happened to check a unit in the next town.  I asked about mid size units, but the only thing open was a large unit, which literally became available that day (it was the first of the month).  Since I haven't been able to find anything, I decided to take it.  My thought process was I have some extra space in back for some household stuff, but I have the large unit to grow into as I finish other parts.  It also will allow me to store some racks for small parts in a more organized way.  And I am buying some saw horses to build some "skin tables" to store skins flat until needed.  I am hoping to have the unit setup and everything moved sometime next week, which will allow me to focus on the rudder again.

In the meantime, I was able to finish the rudder prep and have the skins placed for match drilling.  This process wasn't terrible, lots of little prep work.  Separating the stiffeners and lots of deburring was in order to get to this point.  I constantly am debating about the level of deburring, many people seem to argue online about how "smooth" or how perfect things should be.  I find the cut pieces are a bit less precise but the stamped parts are pretty straight forward to deburr.  I don't feel any major sharp points or anything, so I think I am doing ok.  

Lots of deburring to get the structure together.

After a long deburring session, I got to clecoing the skin together.  It's amazing how precise the kit is, and match drilling should be pretty straight forward.  Another thing I am still trying to figure out is how crazy I need to be.  On the vertical stabilizer, I would simply run the drill in and out quickly, most parts were not taking much if anything off at all.  So do I need to waste time with this step every time or now?  The plans aren't updated to reflect what parts are final sized or not, so I have been cautious and making sure to do it quickly.  I guess this makes a more exact part anyway and makes riveting easier.  Should I just be reaming everything instead?  What do you guys think?

Rudder skin cleco'd in place.

So that's where I stand right now.  The rudder hasn't been too terrible, but I am looking forward to my first back riveting experience which will be coming soon.  Time to get back out there this week.

Vertical Stabilizer - Part 3 of 3

 So I have been busy lately trying to finish up the vertical stabilizer.  The kids went back to school last month and this has freed up a lot of time during the day.  It has given me a good four hours three to four days a week to get this completed, and I had taken full advantage.  So let's jump in.

Deburring and Dimpling - Take 1

After we finished the last section, the entire assembly was cleco'd together, the skins were mounted, and we were ready to start drilling.  I quickly match drilled the skin onto the associated spars and ribs and then started the most fun part, taking it apart to do it all over again.  I deburred all of the rib holes, deburred the skin, and I got ready for dimpling.  I had not used my DRDT yet, so I was excited to bust it out.  I got it setup on my bench and made a small adjustment to it because the dies were slightly off center.

I quickly worked my way through the skin and rib pieces.  They were pretty simple to work through.  One note to future builders, go slow and make sure to go in order.  Don't skip around or anything weird because you will forget one of them and notice it later (I missed one!).  The actual job of dimpling isn't very difficult, it just takes time to finish.  Once that was done, I went to work to completely deburr everything.  Deburring was pretty straight forward, I purchased an electric screwdriver to make it easier.  This tool was a god send, as you could just hold the trigger and move from hole to hole.

First Big Batch of Priming 

After everything was deburred and cleaned up, I sprayed it off with some fresh air to make sure there weren't any metal pieces floating about.  After my first try at priming the rear spar, I made some adjustments to my priming setup.  I got some frames from plywood sheet and bought some metal wire which I stapled over the top.  These were easily laid out over two long pieces of wood on a pair of sawhorse's.  This allowed me to manipulate the pieces and spray easily on my lawn.  I haven't quite figured out what I will do in the winter, but this works for the rest of the year.

My Priming Frames Setup

The priming went fairly well.  I am using the Stewart Systems EkoPrime and EkoEtch products which were well reviewed by Charlie Derk, another past builder in his blog (his blog is linked on my page).  The product is not as toxic as most of the other products out there.  I like this as I don't need to go as crazy and I think it will be easier to spray inside as needed.  The EkoEtch is easy to use, just mix it up in a spray bottle and spray everything.  After a quick spray, you scrub it down, and then rinse it off good.  One issue I had, I hadn't removed the outside skin blue plastic trying to protect it.  During the rinse/etch process, a small amount got stuck under the plastic which I didn't notice.  It discolored a tiny section of skin, but was easily cleaned up with some acetone and corrosion protector.  This won't even be noticed after paint down the road.

Priming Session In The Yard.

After getting the etching all done, I got right to work priming the parts.  The primer goes on pretty easy, I sprayed it all once in each direction then the other way.  It dried within minutes which allowed me to flip over everything and spray again.  It turned out pretty well, but I noticed I had some small sections where it was heavier than others, something to work on moving forward, but everything was fully covered.

Riveting Continues and Skin Riveting

After priming and letting everything set for a day, I got back to work re-assembling the parts.  I started to rivet up the rear spar and get things put together for the final time.  I wanted to try different things, so I tried using the squeezer for as much as possible and then utilized the rivet gun with an old fashioned bucking bar for the remaining sections.  

Aft spar riveting

I had a little issue when I first did the aft spar.  On page 6-4, you beginning to reinforce the aft spar with the VS-1017 doubler and the VS-1012 rudder brackets.  The directions don't really tell you any specific order to put these rivets in.  So I started attaching the brackets first, but I quickly realized I had no way to access the shop head of the middle rivets between the brackets.  So I got some practice removing the four rivets in one bracket so I could squeeze those rivets.

After the spar was completed, I got to work assembling the ribs and riveting those.  These weren't terrible, but there were some tricky ones to buck/squeeze due to the flanges or other rivets.  I think I had two rivets that ended up being unacceptable and had to drill out.  I tried to drill them as I did in my class in Atlanta, but they didn't come out as simple.  I need to modify and grind down the pliers a bit to make it easier to grip the shop heads after drilling.

After I got all of the ribs done, I got to work with the skin.  Once again, the skin takes a bit of maneuvering in order to get things lined up.  After it was lined up, I went cleco crazy to make sure things were lined up.  Get a good worklight that can shine into these parts, this way you can verify the rivets actually have captured the skin and ribs below.  The work light made this pretty easy to do.  However, alot of the rivet checking is done simply by touch with the rivet gauge due to the tight spaces in the stablilizer.

Riveting the skin on the Vertical Stabilizer.

It took me about two days worth of working, but I got the stabilizer skin fully riveted on.  A few were drilled out but it wasn't too bad.  I highly recommend trying to squeeze anything you can, but sometimes the orientation can be challenging.  The nice part of the squeezer is you can setup one calibration and squeeze a line in quick succession.  The bucking bar is a bit more involved and requires more thorough checking as you build.

So I have completed the entirety of section 6 now with the exception of the VS-1010 bracket as I am waiting for a new torque wrench.  I am going to start pulling the parts for the rudder out to get those laid out and prepped.  Hopefully next week we can get that started.

Completed Vertical Stabilizer

Things I learned or points for future builders:

• Get a carpet or something soft to "line" the top of your workbenches.  The skins and parts can get scratched or cut with too much bumping around.
• If you have the space for a bigger workbench depthwise, go for it.  I really wish I had a three foot deep table as parts would fit more nicely on it.
• Organize the parts as best as you can.  The worst thing is looking for a part an having no clue where it is.  I currently have most of mine in the crate, and need to spend some time organizing them better.  I am thinking of totes/bins with numbers on them and a spreadsheet. 
• On section 6-4 Section 5, make sure to do the doubler only rivets first, these are the AN470AD4-4.  Then do the 4-5 that hold the brackets on.
• Figure out your priming methods early and try to have an established workflow before you get to big batches.

Coming Up Next: Section 7 - Rudder

Time to binge watch some youtube for research first :)

First Priming Session.... A Semi Success

 So I decided to try and get started with the right wing since I didn't have the appropriate spar extension piece for the left side.  I got the spar extension and the splice plates all drilled and deburred and got ready to have my first priming session.  I am using the Stewart Systems EkoEtch and EkoPrime products.  I chose this product because its water soluble and easily cleaned up, not toxic like many alternatives, and has virtually no odor allowing me to spray anywhere.  I ordered it direct from the manufacturer because it was cheaper than many resellers.  Note, they took a few days just to ship the item, so it took over a week to receive it.  If you are in a time crunch, order it from one of the bigger resellers.

When I was planning  out my priming setup, I wasn't sure how it was going to work exactly.  I've never spray painted anything with a spray gun, so there is some learning to be had.  I bought a detail gun from Harbor Freight and it was relatively inexpensive.  The gun was easy to setup and easy to use once I got it hooked up.  The primer easily mixed with some stirring, poured through the strainer, and was ready to spray quickly.  I bought a roll of butcher type paper to use as a mat to spray over, however this would end up being a poor choice.  

I quickly got setup and etched the parts easily on my lawn.  I used a watering can as an easy way to rinse everything off and then busted out the red Scotchbrite.  After a good scratching, I laid everything out to get spraying.  I took pictures of the parts so I knew what was what after spraying, I noticed this will take some practice as the primer covers up the markings on the part.

Priming went well and I had no major issues.  The Ekoprime dries relatively quickly in only a few minutes allowing for quick sessions.  I flipped over the parts and got to spraying side two.  I left the parts for a bit to dry and did some other work.  When I came back to remove the parts, I came across my problem.  The primer was still slightly wet and not fully set, so when I flipped it, the primer starts to adhere to the paper below.  The result was some missed/removed primer.

Paper stuck to primer and ripped off when removed.

So I quickly realized my paper setup was not going to work.  I brainstormed and thought about all of the leftover plywood from building the tables.  I thought about what I could use it for and came up with a "paint frame" idea.  I cut out the middle of the plywood and hit up Lowes for some Hardware Cloth.  This is essentially thin wire mesh which comes in a roll.  I then cut down and stapled the mesh to the frame I had cut out which would allow me to elevate the piece off the floor, put it on a hard surface, and not have the issues the paper created.  

My primer frame setup.

Now that I have a frame to work with, I am going to do the left side pieces.  Van's sent me out the replacement part which was actually another right piece.  After a second call, Van's went and checked the batch and found a bunch mislabeled.  A quick correction and another piece was shipped and received this past week.  Now I have drilled and deburred that, we are ready to test the new priming frame out this weekend when its nice out.  I'll report back my results, if it works well, I'll probably cut up two more pieces to have additional frames for larger batches.

Rapid Air System

 Prior to starting this project I only had a dinky little pancake type compressor.  Obviously this wasn't going to cut it for what I was going to do, and my garage only has three outlets in it, so space is limited for placement purposes.  I decided after some thought that I wanted the compressor at the back of my garage for a few different reasons.  The first is that my wife wants the garage on her side available for snow storms in the winter, so that took one outlet out of play.  The second side of the garage I utilize for my business packing and shipping, so I didn't want to move everything around to make space.  So this left me with the rear garage location only.  With this setup, I had to determine whether I wanted a long reel to use and drag everywhere or something different.  I did some googling and came across the RapidAir system.  This system uses semi-flexible tubing with push on connectors to make a air system.  I was able to put my compressor anywhere and run tubing around my garage for access.  The simplicity of the kit setup made this an easy choice and installation wasn't bad at all.

Main Compressor Hookup to System Regulator

The main compressor uses a standard flex hose to make connection to the "input" manifold, in my case it is the regulator.  This is what pressurizes the system and allows me to control the system pressure for all outlets.  I added a quarter turn valve after the regulator to allow me to isolate the system in the event I need to repair a connection or do maintenance, that way I don't drain the entire compressor tank when I open the system.

Main Drop Located Mid Garage

My main drop is in the middle of the garage off the main beam.  This gives me plenty of hose to work anywhere inside the garage comfortably and keeps the hose out of the way when necessary.  My secondary access reel is at the garage door which allows me to drag the hose outside.  This is my plan for my priming sessions, allowing me to go outside on the grass with the spray gun.  I added a filter and dryer in line to that output so I have clean air as shown below.

Air Filter and Dryer for Second Outlet.  Will be my outside paint hookup.

My "Remote" Hookup and Outside Reel at Door

After completing install, I have to say it wasn't that bad.  It took some time to plan the layout, cut the tubing, and mount everything up.  My only criticisms is that the kit doesn't contain any mounting screws, they make a size recommendation and leave you to find your own.  I wish they had just sent some screws with the kit.  So far this is a really nice layout and everything works well.  It allows me to keep the actual compressor as far from the bedrooms and minimize noise so I can work at night plus gives me flexibility to work inside, outside, or wherever.  I might add another hookup on the back of my house for pool stuff but that comes later.  For now, its plane building time.

DRDT Setup Finished and More Deliveries...

 So I got some time and finally made it to Lowes.  I was able to pickup some cheap carpet and cut it down.  I deliberately bought extra so I could cover the DRDT, Wing Stand, and some scrap to use as padding.  I still want to get a piece of ribbed carpet to act as a table runner on my workbenches.  I saw another builder who used that and it was convenient for when you dropped things as they would get caught between the ridges.  Regardless, I wrapped up the table in carpet and came across an issue.  The table dimensions really don't allow for the carpet depth, and as soon as I tried to put it over the frame, it wouldn't go down.  I ended up trimming the carpet to cover the tops and outside edges only, and ran it smooth to the middle edges.  I ran my hand all around and didn't notice anything sharp that will beat up the skins, but I plan to monitor it for a bit to be safe.  Anyone building this later, I'd recommend leaving a little space in the center gap to allow for the carpet or carpet across the top over the front.

Completed DRDT Table

After wrapping up the DRDT table, I got in my Stewart Products primer shipment.  My can of EkoPrime and EkoEtch arrived so I am now ready to start priming parts.  I looked into the first two sections of the wing build and thought about things I would need.  I have made my run to Harbor Freight for a Tap and Dye set for fabricating the tie downs and some other odds and ends.  I also have ordered some paint strainers and a vice for the table which should come in the next day or two.  I am hoping to start match drilling by the weekend.

In other thoughts, I also have been debating how to organize the garage.  I ended up buying two deep hooks to hand on the ceiling joist.  These allow me to hang the longer narrow pieces like J Channels, Spars, and such off the floor and out of the way until I need them.  The actual spar crate only has the two spars in it and I think I will be breaking that down soon.  My current though process is to build the wing stand sooner than later.  By building the wing stand, I can store the two spars horizontally together, put the larger skins underneath on the cart, and break down both crates for disposal.  This would open up the floor space for the empennage kit to arrive late next month sometime.  However, I looked through the plans and I think it might be wise to build in order versus jumping around.  It seems like if I prep the spars, I can then start adding things as I finish each section.

I also received my order from Van's for the leading edge kits.  I have decided to move forward and go with the FlyLED's lighting kits.  I am going to use the Original kit which is only Nav/Position and Strobe lights in the wingtips.  Then I will cut a hole in the leading edge in order to mount the FlyLED 7 star lights as my taxi and landing lights.  I have seen really great feedback on their products, the cost is significantly lower than ZipTips, and it can all be done myself without too much fuss or waiting for shipment.  I plan to order all of the lights when I get to the leading edge section so I can put them in with the skins off and not kill myself doing it after the fact.  The only thing I have to decide is whether I want to do the soldering and if I want to add the Cowl light designed specifically for the RV-10.  I plan to hold off on the Cowl light until the very end, but I will see how Guil from BuildFlyGo likes his setup.  He will be done well before me and I can get his thoughts on midline lighting as he isn't adding it for now.

Until next time...

The Day Has Come....

 Well after a long anticipated wait, the first kit arrived yesterday.  I was a bit disappointed to be starting on the wings before the tail, but I am glad to at least have something to work on.  I am waiting for one or two more parts for my Air Hose system.  I opted to buy the Rapid Air Products RapidAir System.  This was a good setup as it had 100 feet worth of hose and two outlets.  It would allow me to setup a drop down reel, and remote reel by the garage, and keep my compressor in the back of my garage.  I am trying to maximize the distance from the bedrooms to the compressor so I can hopefully work in the evening after my kids are asleep.  Time will tell how that plan will work out, I might be limited to certain tasks only late in the evening.  I am going to do another post about that system and my feelings on the setup for it.

The Truck Has Arrived.

Wings Are In Transit!

    Well the news has arrived and my wing kit is now on a truck crossing the country.  I expect the local depot to have it next Thursday, so I presume I will take delivery early the following week.  Now I need to get in gear and finish up prep work.  I just received my RapidAir air hose kit and hung my hose reel in the garage.  I need to stop and grab some mounting gear at the hardware store and to tackle that this week.

    In other news, I received an "estimated" crate date for Early-Mid May for the empennage kit.  I am debating starting my wings until that comes, but we'll see how long that progress takes at first.  It might be worthwhile to wait until the tail comes and just start that. The issue is going to be storing all of it at once, my garage will be quite full with three full crates there. 

    I will try to get some pictures of the RapidAir kit and hose setup as I get the install completed and done.  Then to finish doing the DRDT2 table is on the hit list.

Crating Date Received!

 We have been anxiously waiting for the details about crating for the wing kit.  It took about three weeks since we made the balance payment, but the crating schedule has been published.  Now to anxiously wait for confirmation that it was shipped.  

In other news, we have been grabbing parts and items to finish up organizing the garage.  I got some lag bolts yesterday so we can hang the air reel, and am going to order some air piping from Rapid Air Products so I don’t need to move my compressor around all the time.  The last big thing remaining is the support tables for the DRDT, I have been procrastinating as the garage has been in the 20 and 30 degree mark the last two months, and since I had no kit there wasn’t any rush. I guess it is time to get in gear and finish this up. I have to admit, I am getting excited!

Synergy Air Fundamentals Class

 So the day finally came and I headed out to Atlanta to visit Synergy Air South.  For those unfamiliar, Synergy Air is a builder assist company that has a large amount of experience building all models of the Van's RV aircraft.  They offer a builder fundamentals class once a month for $250.  This full day course is mostly all hands on and they demonstrate and give practical time to try all the tools that are commonly available/used and the methods for using them.  For someone who has no aircraft building experience or metal work experience, this class was an eye opener for a few things.  But more on that in a minute.  They also offer a empennage build assist class where you would build the empennage with one of their experience technicians.  The nice part is you can bring other help yourself and make the best of the time to maximize it.  This is useful for people looking to build quickly or to get a lot of help at first and learn the basics.  The problem is, you need to be able to take two weeks of time off, pay to stay down there for two weeks, plus pay the additional cost for the build assist time/materials.  Now many people are willing to do so, but working full time and having young kids at home, I think doing the empennage build would land me on the divorced list quite quickly.  But back to my class....

Flying down to Atlanta... Got to sport the aviation facemask.

The Fundamentals Class

Die and Bit Holder.  This was an easy way to organize everything.

After my short one night stay I headed out to Synergy Air for the early morning start.  The class starts at 7 AM which is rough, the town is about 10-15 minutes away from the airport, so it's an early rise and start to the day.  I was up so early that the hotel breakfast had not even been started when I left.  I arrived at the airport and the conditions were heavy fog with an extremely low ceiling.  With the inability to see much, it took a few minutes to find my way to the hangar, figure out parking, and get inside.  I was about ten minutes early and I was shocked to be the first arrival.  The class is capped at six students and they pair everyone up to work in three groups.  The class has two instructors, Allan who is the lead for the whole facility and then one of his techs.  While we were waiting for the rest of the class to arrive, Allan was kind enough to show me around his hangar at the airplanes currently being built.  There were three RV-10's being built in the main hangar plus two other models.  He also mentioned he had some other aircraft his secondary storage hangar (we got to visit and check those out during lunch).

After a short wait, the rest of the class showed up (Well most of them...).  Four gentlemen had signed up to take the class together who were local to the area.  The fifth student we were waiting on actually never showed up, so we ended up with only five people.  This worked out for me since the four guys that were together naturally paired up, leaving me alone to work on the project by myself.  This was great as I got additional hands on time with all the tools, techniques, and project in general.  Allan had me work with his tech on some of it just for time purposes, but he let me do much more than I would of if splitting it with another student.

We started the two projects after about a twenty minute discussion of building techniques and basic terms.  We were given a small book with this information to take home.  The first project was a simple example of riveting two aluminum sheets together and then to a J-Channel.  It made us demonstrate dimpling, deburring, counter-sinking, and riveting.  We used the Cleaveland Main Squeeze and DRDT-2 for this project.  We also discussed some techniques for drilling and using a rivet fan for laying out holes.  It really was a fun little introduction.

After we finished the first project, we continued on to the large project, the small "wing".  This project is the same one Van's sends out and was a great reinforcement to the techniques we used.  We continued and expanded with using a pneumatic squeezer, pop riveter (manual and hydraulic), various deburring methods, and other techniques.  It really was eye opening to see how things came together and the various methods  I will have to use later in the build.  I did get a laugh that I was moving along faster than the other two groups with both projects.  I actually had to keep stopping to let them catch up.  I guess it means that I was doing a decent job, my partner (the Synergy Tech) had complimented me multiple times on nice work for being new to it.  

My Final Thoughts

After we were all said and done, the day wrapped up and we were able to admire that we completed the two sample projects.  Apparently, when our kits arrive, the same two practice projects will be in the kit.  So, I guess I will probably get to do it alone in my own workshop and configure/setup some of my tools before the real build.  So what were some of my takeaways?  I realized that having an organized workshop is quite helpful.  I also realized the importance of monitoring your air tools and insuring you use proper pressures.  I will definitely be making a few changes to my setup than what I originally had planned.  I will detail some of this later when I get it all done.

So what are my final takes?  The fundamentals class was 100% worth the trip.  I really wish I was able to do the empennage class, but I prefer to keep my wife and kids around.  However, I did like that you can come down at any point in the build and pay for time with a tech later.  In the back of my mind, I think it would be more beneficial to get help during the avionics, interior, fiberglass and engine hookup at the end.  Right now, I think this is gonna be the biggest thing for me.  But I got quite some time before that is even a discussion or thought.

Black Friday Shopping

 So I waited around for this weekend to take advantage of the Black Friday deals at Harbor Freight.  Combining the sales and my 10% off my purchase I was able to save over $120 on my 1,000 tool purchase.  I got some safety gear, my compressor, other air tools, and some other odds and ends.  My DRDT2 also arrived and I have to finish setting up the tables for it. That’s where my workshop stands for now, until my Synergy class next week.  After class I will setup the tool box and organize things, I honestly have no clue what some of these items do, so this class should be enlightening.

In other news, my flight training continues. I had my oral exam for my instrument rating this morning.  It went quite well and I was successful in completing that. Unfortunately for my, I had to take a discontinuance due to high winds and low ceilings.  Trying to fly a checkride in 32 knot gusts is not my idea of a fun time.  We will reconvene for the flight portion after I get back from Atlanta, hopefully with some nicer weather and calmer winds.  

Workbenches Are 95% Done!

 So the last few nights I’ve been out in the garage working into the wee hours of night.  It’s great because the kids and wife are sleeping and I can work uninterrupted. It took about three sessions of working but I’m 95% done with the EAA tables.  I need to finish up the trip on one table, get wheels from Harbor Freight, and sand them a bit to clean them up.  I am quite pleased with the outcome and getting excited.  I got an email also that my Cleaveland tool kit will be here tomorrow!  Looking forward to the first “shipment” concerning my RV-10 Build.  Time to fill up the toolboxes now.  

Workbench or Bust.....

 So things from summer have finally settled down now that school is back in session.  With my son being at school all day I find a little more time to get things done around the house.  My three year old is quite a good helper as she just loves to help Daddy.  We finally found a nice day out and we cleaned out the garage.  A little bit or organization and some serious vacuuming was done over the afternoon and the garage was looking amazing.  

Last week we took a "Daddy and Maddy" outing to Lowes.  She was super excited to go shopping with Daddy and didn't care it was for me.  We made our way around the lumber and hardware sections to locate everything we needed to build the EAA workbenches.  We used the shopping list off of the online planes from EAA 1000's website.

After purchasing the wood and supplies I finally got some free time and began to construct the table.  I broke out my chalk line and marked off the plywood and got to cutting.  One recommendation to others, have Lowes or Home Depot rip the plywood in half for you. It is very difficult to cut across a 4 o 8 foot section of plywood without a little bit of drift.

After getting all of the plywood pieces cut down, it was time to break out the mitre saw and start cutting the 2x4" pieces to the appropriate lengths.  It was not too bad and I decided to cut sections in an order which I needed them.  It made it simpler to manage as I could assemble sections as I went.  After the kids were in bed, I finally got to assemble the first tabletop and see some results.  

Now that I have the first top done, I plan to finish up the second one and construct the rest of the table tonight.  In other news, I've also placed my order from Cleaveland Tool for my RV-10 kit.  I have to give them credit as the Rivet Gun was out of stock so I signed up for notifications for when it came back in stock.  The next day, I received an email saying it was back in stock.  I emailed Cleaveland and Annette almost instantly responded and said she could add it to the order and sent me the revised invoice.  I have been super happy with her answering my silly questions and promptly helping with the updated order.  I look forward to any future dealings with them based off the interactions so far.  They really seem to be a stellar company to deal with.

So What Now?

 Prep work has begun and is going into overdrive.  I touched base with my local tech counselor who is also a past RV-10 builder.  He gave me some good suggestions to get started and I will start there.

I signed up for Synergy Air’s Fundamentals class this coming December.  This class will show me how to rivet, countersink, dimple, and other essential skills to do the majority of aluminum work on this build.  This is a good basis of knowledge to get started.  I plan to do a fiberglass and Electronics/avionics class down the road when those times come.

I’ve spoken to Cleaveland Aircraft Tool and will order the tool kit soon.  I am going to finish cleaning up the garage and get the workbench done before diving into that setup.  I don’t want to wait too long as the DRDT2 has been in and out of backorder.  That is essential to get started, so I don’t want to wait until the last minute. 

Time to finish cleaning and getting ready.  December will be here before I know it…….

Airventure 2021

 Well after a year off, Airventure has returned for 2021.  I unfortunately cannot attend with my work schedule this year, but I am definitely going next year.  My best friend and I have agreed that we will head out commercially and stay 3 days to explore.  I already am mentally building my list of the have to sees in the exhibition area.  I definitely want to stroll around the homebuilt areas and get to meet and pick the brains of the builders.  It would be really great to meet and talk with a few of the builders I followed that had inspired this project.  

I'll be honest, I've had Live ATC going the last three days monitoring the Fisk arrival and watching it on Foreflight's internet traffic.  I am disappointed I couldn't go, but glad that I have a plan for next year.  Any tips for finding a reasonable hotel would be appreciated, it appears most hotels only book a year out, so next summer hasn't quite opened yet.  

I also am looking to possibly find an RV-10 demo flight.  Van's has restarted their demo flights and I think its wise to reach out to Zach, the east coast rep, to try and setup something.  I can use it as another excuse for a cross country and it will help me wrap up this instrument rating as well.

Update on my Project Prep

I have been working on reorganizing the garage and getting ready for this.  I finally got the overhead storage and all of the shelving put up so I can get the floor cleared out.  This also made room for me to buy a brand new tool chest from Harbor Freight.  The US General tool bench is great and I bought an add on end cabinet to increase my storage.  As I get more of the garage cleaned out, I plan to get started on building the project table and the air piping.  I am hoping the lumber cost drops a bit before I start that build, but sometimes you need to just bite the bullet.  Until my next update... I'll try to remember and snap some pictures of the new shelving and workbenches.

Storage and Lighting

 Well the first prep task has been completed.  I bought some overhead shelving to mount over the garage doors.  I need to clear up the floor space so I can have enough room to build in the garage when I am ready.  The two racks were a bit interesting to put up, especially since the bars that support it are a bit flexible.  But with some persistence and hard work I finally got them up.  I expect this push through work ethic is going to be needed at many points through the project.  Now it's time to clean up the floor and get things up on the rack.

In other news, I have been debating my idea of a 10 and have also looked at the RV-14.  Part of my thinking is it would be easier to do a 2 seater aircraft and move upwards later, but part of me says why bother and just build the plane I want now.  Thoughts?

 Photo of RV-14 Demo plane by Flying Magazine.