The endless list of tasks to make a project an airplane...

Steady progress.

5 years ago I build a crossover cable guide.  I remember I wanted to make another one, had the material, and now I need to get it finished.  So today was make a new one and get it installed.  I want to get all the rigging DONE.  Found half of the old one...

I had a minor issue in the process.  The sheathed cable for the tailwheel lock runs right through there, and didnt want it rubbing on the control cables.  Easy fix... adel clamp on the crossover to cage mount (not shown in the pic).

Passenger door hung.

My wife started cleaning... so much dust, etc.  Very grateful for the help.

Started removing the interior.  Need to add the 2nd pulley for the roll servo.  That is tomorrow's job with the interior out.

Need to rebuild the park brake valve (which leaks).  Done.  Sent for testing... no more leaking.

Need to add the window to door silpruf to the rear door.

The lower hinge on the baggage door would not fit in the cutout.  My hinge was lost at the paint shop, so the owner pulled the hinge off his damaged Sportsman... and it wouldnt fit.  Slight trimming, and now it does.  Needs to get repainted.

Fresh hardware (of correct size) in the pulley clusters.  Added 2nd pulley to the aileron forward pulleys for the autopilot servo.  Still need to cotter pin them.

Elevator counterweights.

Fuel flow test.  Did not go as planned.  Put 5 gallons in each main.  Header tank would not fill (sensors did not indicate it reached 1/3rd).  Suspect lack of venting.  After a lot of troubleshooting, closed the fuel selector and blew air into the header from the firewall to free up the check valves on the vent line.  That worked, but exposed a larger problem of stuck check valves.  Working on solution.

Put the aircraft on the big tires, on ramps / scales, and remove tailwheel to get the nose high.

Achieved 14.5 degrees, which is not enough.  But that is not the main issue.  Blocked vent line is the issue.

Weight and balance

Park brake valve.... leaked.  Removed, rebuilt, tested and reinstalled.  No leaks!  Installed... need to bleed brakes and add fluid... again.

Cowlings!  Anti chaff tape added to joggles.  Fine tuning the fasteners (Skybolt) for optimal fit.  Will be a couple iterations of on and off to get everything right.  But it looks GREAT.

Walk down memory lane... remembering what it used to look like 2.5 years ago.

Amazing what paint can do... but even paint wont fix something that's ugly to begin with.  Taking the time to make the cowl look right was so worth it.

Passed pitot static test, but cannot get the tailbeaconx into test mode.  Wifi will not connect... well, wifi not even seen.  AFS5600 is setting the tbx to standby, which should enable the wifi.

Fitting the skybolt fasteners on the cowl.  On off on off, adjust, etc.  Almost done.

Park brake done and works.  Need to bleed brakes.

Pushrod for anti servo tab.  Drying in place, needs correct fasteners once pull test complete.

TailbeaconX being sent in for service.  Cannot get it into configuration mode to test for pitot static.

406 ELT:  Beacon registry erroring out on the HEX ID programmed by Aircraft Spruce.  Beacon registry admin says it was reused... previous aircraft with that ID has been exported and ELT reprogrammed, so form filled out to fix.  That should do the trick.  Done and done.

Updated wing shot... 3 view.  Could not help myself.

So many little things to finish.

Reinstalled the recognition light on the belly.  No workie.  The pins are not lining up on the connector.  Bizzare... No changes were made.  I removed the pins from the connector and attached manually.  Still no work.

Engine mount rubbers have compressed.  I went to tighten the bolts and they moved.  Need to investigate.

All bolts tigthened and imagine that, the cowl lines up better.  I think that is a good thing.  I still think the front is sagging a bit - but the spinner lines up.  Thinking that problem is elsewhere.

Went to reinstall the belly strobe / recognition light.  This should have been a 5 minute job.  Bolts go in, no problem.  Hook up the connector - nothing.  No stroby stroby.  Check the pins... all OK.  Remove the pins and test with a 12V power supply, strobe works fine.  Check the airplane side of the wiring... nothing.  Cut everything apart and check the bare wires.  Nothing.  Take out the PFD and check the connector for 'aircraft rear'. All good.  Was about to take everything apart to check the wire connectivity and think ground... check the ground.  No ground... On the ACM there are very few grounds... and I did not hook that ring connector up to the chassis ground.  FIXED!  Had to rebuild the connector and pins, etc.... but it works and its BRIGHT.  Thank you AVEO!

Waiting for a parts shipment from Aircraft Spruce... that has the engine oil heater, which I will need operating this time of year.  Will be here tomorrow.

Assembly... ongoing.

Big day today (Tue, Oct 14).  Was laid off today, AND got my wings back on the Sportsman!

Such a great bunch of folks at Langley Regional Airport.  8 people showed up to help. 35 min start to finish.

And my friend flew his RV6A today for the first time.

Now I have clear runway for a TON of stuff to get done.

Fuel sender wiring underway, fuel lines connected, fuel filler necks installed, and antenna installed.

Crossover cables connected, but not yet tensioned.

Wing umbilicals fed through and connected.  Cleaned up the wiring for the inboard tank sensors.

First landing / taxi light installed.  Just need to put the pins in the connector (once I remember how I wired it... luckily I have documentation).

4 outboard strut attach bolts installed and torqued.  Total pain in the rear.  Using the clevis bolts inboard for tie down points.

Progress is so slow.... life is getting in the way - but I have a bunch of stuff I can work on.

Inboard delta wings installed.

Plan is the install the pins in the forward spar for good!

Flaps are connected.  Need to tweak the tension a bit, but everything works well.

Ailerons next.

Forward spar pins installed!

Lights attached and wired.

Pilot side door getting its final silpruf.

Spinner!

Lots more to come...

Wings! Back from paint, prep for assembly

Wings back from the paint shop!

I had slightly tangled the control cables and untangling them was impossible with them on the aircraft... piece of cake with them off the plane.  Quick little cardboard piece to hold them in place temporarily.

The wings are pretty much ready to go on.  The wing fold strut attach points are refitted post paint.

Wingtip lights are installed... but I need longer screws.  Holes are drilled at least.

Seat tubs are back from paint!  Same colour as the rest of the interior.  Jet flex slate grey.

I have never had the interior properly bolted in... always just clecoed in place, and the seatbelts were still in their bags... took forever to find the hardware for SB69... and the crossbar retrofit.

Waiting for a good weather window to put the wings on.  Hopefully this coming week.

Landing/Taxi Lights, Nav Lights, Antennas, IFR GPS, COM2, oil door, and a whole bunch of little stuff

I have been very tardy on updates, but a lot of progress has been made...

Landing / taxi lights installed (temporarily) and functional.

COM antennas installed (temporarily - will be removed for paint).

Installed and functional!  Left wing is COM1, right wing is COM2.  All BNC's terminated.

Avidyne IFD410 up and running, as is the NEW Garmin GNC 215

And remote flip flop (on control stick) works!

IFD410 takes a long time to lock... but this is normal.

Oil door on and riveted.

Lots to do...

Miscellaneous 'STUFF'

Have been diligently working away on a number of items.  So this is a real grab bag of things that are underway.

Headset Jacks

In my package from Advanced, I received a harness for all of the audio jacks.  4 phones, 4 mics, plus a hardwired music input.  I did tell them how long to make it :-).

I was debating on where to put the jacks.  There were a number of options:

1. Overhead cable cover (right behind the pilot / copilot's heads)
2. Overhead console (from Fibertech composites).  I have my tailwheel lock and light installed in here.  Could use the sides, but they are not terribly strong.

So after a bunch of debate I decided to put them where Glasair does.... in the aft center of the cable cover.  Most just drill holes and seat the jacks.  I decided to get a nice little engraved and painted plate to mount there.

I had been looking for an excuse to try Front Panel Express. They have their own design software, and give you a price.  Below is my final design using their software.

For small stuff, you can print to scale.  Below is a previous version of the design that I printed and checked.

I ordered the plate on a Friday afternoon.  It shipped the next Tuesday (I ordered 5 business day turn around, but they shipped it in 2).  Delivered Wednesday.

Cost:  $88 USD, $96 with Tax.  Shipping included.

Once received I cut the hole in the cover.  The panel will fit through the hole sideways if needed for future removal.

To secure the wiring, I took some standard plastic tie wrap mounts and ground off the sticky backing.  Took as much off as I could with a knife first, then use the belt sander on the rest.  Then I epoxied the mounts to the inside of the cover after sanding and cleaning the target area.

Then it was just tie wrapping the harness in place (taking note to ensure that the cables will not rub).

The cover easily slipped in place.

The harness is then tie wrapped to the vertical risers on the aft side (again, keeping them away from the cables).

Previously I had cut, fit and finished the overhead console that houses the cabin light and tailwheel lock.  Need to wire it...  

The ACM has an output for cabin lighting, that can either be 'always on' or switched.  I am going for the always on option.  2x22 gauge wires run along the upper beam and tie wrapped.  There is a 2 position connector inside the overhead console for easy disconnect if / when needed.  Have not terminated on the ACM yet, but that will be soon enough.

Temporarily wired to a 12 power supply to check connections.

Lastly, I finally decided to ditch the trike gear legs (ditch = remove from fuselage).  I had been leaving them on as it make removing the main gear legs super easy.  All the final hardware is installed on the main gear legs, so it was time.

Back to wiring... going to work on the rear first.  Belly strobe, elevator trim, etc.  Ordered all the RG400 I am going to need, so will get that soon hopefully.