Sean's Glasair Sportman Build

Tuesday, 2 September 2025

Progress... and going backwards.

Positives and negatives this week.

Clear was shot on a ton of parts yesterday. Struts, flaps, right wing, elevator, spinner, etc. Most of it looks good, but the wing does not look good. One side is flat and orange peel. Not sure what the plan is at this point.

So I got to work on the fuselage. I have the rudder and stab, so getting everything in the fin and aft fuselage ready. Everything is torqued, torque sealed, cotter pinned, etc. Elevator bell crank, rudder hinge bolts, tailwheel, etc. And I cleaned... and cleaned.

The front window looks like its going to be good. Peeled a bit of tape away to peek.

Rudder installed, all cables connected with correct hardware, etc.

Prepping the stab and elevator for install.

Door seals installed.

Sheerwebs in the tailcone... these have been on the shelf for years.... What should I have been an easy job took hours. The issue: The SB that adds the reinforcing plate to the vertical fine (upside down pitchfork) moved the attach tabs back slightly. So nothing fit correctly. Had to open up the holes in the angle brackets on bulkhead C to adjust the alignment. Lots of cursing involved in this one.

Mated up the stab, elevator and trim tab. The pins went missing (again), but luckily had enough material left to make new ones. I think this is the 3rd set I have made.

Still need to put the pin keepers in. Then the whole assembly can be installed.

Should be getting more parts back this week. The marathon continues...

Thursday, 28 August 2025

Window 'dressing'

I don't know the offical term, but I call it window 'dressing'. Filling the gap between the edge of the joggle and the window edge. That gap that us builders take so much time to get right.

I received the fuselage back from the paint shop first.... so the starboard side window and two top deck windows were 'dressed'.

Standard process. Clean out the joggle, tape, cut with fresh blade (use thick tape... easier to cut), squirt in the silpruf, smooth out with tongue depressor.

3 done... 4 more to go. Front window went in today, so that job is a week away at least. Doors should be back next week. My back hurts just thinking about this.

Oh, and I silprufed around the lift points too...

Windows - Part III: The big one...

As the title says, onto the big one.

I've had it home for a couple days and have been looking at it, moving it around, and thinking a lot.

My first realization is the window was not fitting in the top joggle, which is bringing the window up and the front. Lots of overhang on the pilots side, but little to none on the copilot side.

So I called the master for advice. Bottom line, there is no one size all solution... you have to look at what you have and what you want to achieve. My first thought was get the top joggle to fit, but Zach said not necessarily. I know I need to bring the window to starboard, so work the top joggle on that side first. Then start the front to get it to fit.

The window keeps wanting to slide forward. So I am going to make some blocks that can be clamped on to hold the front in place temporarily.

I finally decided to jump in and start trimming. I trimmed the edges on the top joggle to get the window to fit. Trimmed more on the copilot side as that is where I had less overlap on the lower side of the window.

It must have been 12 iterations of on/off/on/off. I really dont want to have to buy a new window.

So now I am trying to get the front to JUST fit into the joggle.

It was at least 20 trim cycles to get it in. Once I had the top fitting, i focused on the center of the lower edge and then worked my way out. The goal was just enough gap that I could get a cleco in. Next is the sides, and then finally I can start working on a consistent 3/16 gap all around.

After consulting (again) with Zach, the process on the front window differs from all the other windows.

Place silpruf standoffs every 6".
Place clecos where you need them to get the window to sit right.

So after many more trim cycles, I have the window now in the joggle all the way around.

I need top open up the top seam on the top deck enough to get clecos in, and I need to refine some of the standoffs a hair.

The problem with this window fitting from a high level is if you chance something in one area, everything else moves around a bit. I took the slow and steady approach.

OK - fast forward almost 2 years (from December 2023 to August 2025. Fuselage is painted, and the window is going in!

I was working on removing any small scratches, and used a polisher WAY TO FAST and crazed the hell out of a corner of the front window. I wanted to cry... all that work and time, and I just destroyed by window. BUT... a fellow builder at the airport trundles around the corner of the hangar building to see the progress... and I am just devastated. "No problem" he says... "I have what you need". He returned with 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000 grit sandpaper, and I spent the next day and a half getting the crazing out.

I had also somehow put a good ding in the middle of the outside of the window. That is now gone too.

Then I got back to prepping the window to go in. Standard front window progress. Mark the goggle on the outside, 1/4" tape offset from the line, then the 2 fine line tapes, sand with 200 grit, apply the 'beautification layer', let sit for 12 to 24 hours. Had problems with the fine line tape in the corners by the wing root.