|
| |
Sunday, 18th November, 2001
You may have read in yesterday's build update that
the loops on the exhaust have been incorrectly welded. Thanks to Gary of
Flylight for pointing out that they are not supposed to line up, as the springs
are fitted in a vee. The further I get through this build, the less I read the
manual! The very first paragraph in the Flylight manual clearly states - read
the manuals carefully. Sound advice - if only I followed it! I think I've
probably made about 5 or 6 unnecessary calls to Flylight for help, when the
answer was in the manual all the time.
Hours effort: 1 (5 hours elapsed, but very little actual work done!)
 |
I decided it was time to put the plane on it's trailer, as
it would give me easier access to the underneath for the purposes of
fibreglass buffing! |
 |
This proved easier said then done. The ramp in the picture
looks just the right size for the tyre, doesn't it? Wrong! Because the
tyre is at an angle, the rubber 'grabs' the sides of the channel. The top
of the channel hooks over the back of the trailer, but there is no
retaining mechanism - therefore, the second you try and push the plane up
the ramps, they simply slide up over the trailer.
Even with 3 people helping, there's no way it was going on, so we ended
up just lifting it into place.
It is also physically impossible for one person to get the wing on to
the rack alone - in fact, it's a bit of a struggle even with two! |
 |
Imagine how I felt at this point: spot the height of the
prop and compare with the height of the garage door.
Aaaaargh!
Wife to the rescue: "If you lift the front of the trailer, won't
the back go down?" |
 |
As you can see, it goes in, but only just!
Forget everything I've said in the past - I'm going for full hangerage!
Paul Dean: if you are reading this, please reserve me a space at Frieze
Farm! |
 |
Got the spats on at long last.
The brackets which hold the spats to the bottom of the suspension leg
need the bolt tightened quite hard to stop them moving. If fact, so hard
that the bottom the the leg started to deform slightly. I'm going to run
it past my inspector, as I'm not happy with the fit. |
 |
Had to take the wing off the rack to get it all the way into
the garage, as that beam halfway down the picture is the same height as
the garage door, and requires the plane to be tipped back to clear it.
This cannot be done, as the front of the wing is still protruding through
the garage door! I intend to move the wing rack back 2-3 feet, as this
will balance the trailer better, and also mean I'll be able to get it into
the garage with the wing on the rack.
The jet ski in the foreground is one I've been trying to sell for ages -
tomorrow, the guy who runs the local boat shop is in for a treat, as he
can have it for whatever he offers me! |
Bummer of the Day
Spending so long poncing about trying to get the bloody thing back in the
garage, that I hardly did any actual work! Call it an hour to get the spats on -
I don't count the rest of the time as build time, because if I had a bigger
garage, none of it would have been an issue! |
