Finishing

7/28/18 - Started fitting the front windshield and top. Total time = 8 hours.


Fitting the Windshield & Top

8/11/18 - Finished painting rudder, rudder fairing, doors, root skins and door trim pieces. Total time = 3 hours.


Final Items Painted Before Installing

8/12/18 - Installing the root skins on top of the fuselage. Total time = 8 hours.


Riveting the Root Skins on Top of the Fuselage

8/17/18 - Installing the top panel and front windshield to the fuselage. Total time = 8 hours.

Riveting the Top Panel

Top Panel and Front Windshield Installed

8/18/18 - Installed the vortex generators on the underside of the horizontal stabilizer.
Total time = 2 hours.


Vortex Generators Riveted in Place

8/19/18 - Fabricated and installed Oil Cooler Transition Piece for air opening on cowling. Total time = 2 hours.


Transition Piece Fabricated & Installed for Oil Cooller

8/26/18 - Drilled a hole in the top cowling over the air cleaner intake and epoxied an air intake scoop for forced air to enhance engine performance. Total time =  6 hours.


Air Scoop Epoxied to Top Cowling for Forced Air Intake

9/1/18 - Finished riveting top cowling to fastener hinge and added removal pins to left & right side of cowling. Total time = 5 hours.


Riveting Completed on Top Cowling

9/15/18 - Finished painting the cowling and then fitted the propeller with the spinner to get an idea of the final fit. I then did a weight and balance on the airplane. Total time = 5 hours.


Final Fit of the Cowling, Propeller & Spinner

9/22/18 - I didn't like the balance of the fiberglass spinner on the front of the propeller so I changed it for an aluminum spinner which also gave extra cooling to the reduction drive assembly. Total time = 2 hours. 

Aluminum Spinner Installed

9/29/18 - Applied vinyl graphic decals to the fuselage that I purchased off the internet. Total time = 3 hours. 

Adding Vinyl Graphics to the Fuselage

9/30/18 - Applied the "N" number to the tail along with the vinyl graphics. Total time = 1 hour.

"N" Number Added

9/30/18 - The Plane is Finished!  Total Finishing Time = 53 Hours.



The Finished Product

Total Airplane Construction Time = 1550 Hours.


10/04/18 - Traveled to Buzz Flight Academy in Tennessee to get some transition training in their Zenith CH 750.


Transition Training

11/14/18 - Received the Airworthiness Certificate and the Repairman's Certificate from the FAA. Let the flying begin!

Another Milestone is Achieved

1/06/19 - First Flight Completed


Painting

Prepping

6/9/18 - Started to get the airframe ready to accept the paint. Had to clean and wash the airframe. Then completely taped up the windows and the cockpit. Total time = 8 hours.

Taped Up the Cockpit & Windows

6/16/18 - Coated the airframe with self etching material and wiped dry. Total time = 8 hours.


Spraying

6/17/18 - Started to spray the crevices and round parts with a small detail sprayer. Total tome = 6 hours.


Used a Small Sprayer to Cover Round Parts & Crevices

Covered Some Areas in the Tail Section

6/23/18 - Sprayed the landing gear and framework and other small areas hard to get at. Total time = 8 hours.

Covered Landing Gear & Framework

Rolling
6/24/18 - Started covering the fuselage with a small roller. Total time = 5 hours.

Rolling on the Paint

6/30/18 - Fuselage covered. Total time = 8 hours.

Fuselage Covered With 1st Coat

7/8/18 - Painted the top and bottom of the Right Wing including the Flaperon and the Leading Edge Slat. Total time = 8 hours.


Right Wing is Painted

7/22/18 - Finished painting the wings and fuselage. Total time = 8 hours.

Fuselage & Wings Painted

Total Painting Time = 59 Hours.

Covers, Plates and Misc.

Outside Work

5/13/17 - Installed and riveted Pitot & Static Tube plate. Total time = 1 hour.

Riveted Pitot/Static Tube Plate

5/20/17 - Fabricated fuel line cover from spare aluminum. Total time = 4 hours.

Fuel Line Cover Fabricated.

5/27/17 - Installed fuel line cover on underbelly of the fuselage. Total time = 6 hours.


Installing Fuel Line Cover.



6/17/17 - Installed wing root inspection plates on the underside of the L.H. & R.H. wings. Total time = 4 hours.

Inspection Plates Installed

Interior


7/21/17 - Started installing carpeting on cabin interior. Total time = 4 hours.


Carpet Installation Started

8/19/17 - Carpeting continues with the cabin ceiling. Total time = 6 hours.


Cabin Ceiling Carpeted

9/2/17 - Installed headphone connectors after baggage compartment is carpeted. Total time = 3 hours.

Headphone Connectors Installed

10/21/17 -Seat belts/shoulder harnesses installed after carpeting of interior. Total time = 6 hours.

Seat Belts/Shoulder Harnesses Installed

10/28/17 - Yoke boot cover installed. Total time = 2 hours.

Yoke Boot Cover

11/25/18 - Cut two holes in the instrument panel in order to install two muffin size cooling fans for the iPads while flying during the hot summer. Total time = 6 hours.

I-Pad Cooling Fans Installed in Instrument Panel.

12/2/17 - Installed 5 Volt DC converter for cooling fans. Total time = 5 hours




5 Volt DC Converter

12/22/17 - Ordered Levil Technologies Beacon instrumentation for the ADSB-Out Solution which is FAA mandated for 1/1/2020.

Beacon ADSB-Out Antenna

1/13/18 - Installed Beacon LCD display into the instrument panel. Total Time = 6 hours.

Levil Technologies Beacon LCD Display

1/14/18 - Drilled holes on fuselage undercarriage for installation of the Beacon ADSB-out antenna. Total time = 2 hours.

Holes Drilled for Beacon Antenna

1/20/18 - Beacon antenna installed into undercarriage. Total time = 2 hours.

Beacon Antenna Installed

1/21/18 - Beacon wired into instrument panel and working. Total time = 3 hours


Instrument Panel Now Full




1/27/18 - Installed Artex 345 Emergency Locating Transmitter in back of the baggage area. total time = 6 hours.


ELT Installed Behind R.H. Baggage Area



1/28/18 - Installed remote ELT switch on passenger side back wall of the baggage area. Total time = 2 hours.

Remote ELT Switch Installed on Passenger Side Baggage Wall


5/28/18 - Fabricated two "L" angle braces for the instrumentation panel to the firewall and then fitted the forward top panel skin between the instrument panel and the firewall. Total time = 5 hours.


Top Skin in Place

6/1/18 - Took some time to get my Private Pilot Certificate but finally accomplished it today. 

My Private Pilot Certificate

6/2/18 - Riveted the Forward Top Panel Skin to the instrumentation Panel and the Firewall. Total Time = 3 hours.


Forward Top Panel Skin Riveted

6/3/18 - Fitted, drilled and riveted the two middle & two rear windows into place on the fuselage. Total time = 5 hours.


Riveted Windows Into Place

A Look From the Inside

Total Covers, Plates and Misc. Installation Time = 81 Hours.







Empennage Assembly

Elevator & Rudder


10/8/16 - Prepared the rudder cables by using the cable lug crimping tool to form the connection for the cables. Total time = 4 hrs.

Crimping the End of the Cable.

10/15/16 - Prepared the rudder flange by drilling holes in the mounting bracket on the rudder. Total time = 2 hours.



Rudder Mounting Bracket

10/29/16 - Installed rudder assembly onto the tail of the fuselage. Total time = 6 hrs.

Rudder attached to Fuselage Tail

11/12/16 - Rudder stops were installed on the left & right side of the fuselage. Total time = 4 hours.

Rudder Stops Installed

11/19/16 - Safety wire installed on the cable turnbuckles. Total time = 4 hours.

Safety Wire Installed

4/1/17 - Prepared and installed the elevator cables on the inside of the fuselage. Total time = 6 hours.

Elevator Cables Hooked Up.

4/2/17 - Safety wires were installed on the elevator cable turnbuckles. Total time = 3 hrs.

Elevator Cables Safety Wired.

4/8/17 - Rudder cables attached to the rudder pedals. Total time = 2 hours.

Rudder Cables Connected to Rudders.

4/15/17 - Elevator fairing attached to the top of the fuselage. Total time = 2 hrs.

Fairing Attached to Top of Fuselage

4/22/17 - Elevator trim motor access panel installed on the underside of the elevator. Total time = 2 hours.

Elevator Trim Motor Access Panel Installed


4/29/17


4/29/17 - Elevator inspection panels installed. Total time = 4 hours.

Tightening Cover

Inspection Panel

Inspection Panel

Total Empennage Assembly Time = 39 Hours.