It’s been a long time since I have been at the airport. In the interim, I have been working on getting John’s Cessna 172 annualed, and when I arrived I saw that it was done and back in the hanger, all clean and shiny. It was tempting to jump in and take it for a spin (never say “spin” to a pilot!). But without insurance, a current BFR, and medical, it would be tempting fate, and very illegal. There has been many other things in my life that have gotten in the way of the Jetwing rebuild project, but this Saturday was the first day I could see my way clear to go there. I’m sure my Kawasaki engine friend, Richard, wonders to where I’ve disappeared. I need to call him and update him on the project status.
But there has been progress. I got the nosewheel assembly back from Herm’s Welding and it looks like the throttle cable I ordered will work well as a foot-feed. The plan is for the foot-feed to override the hand control, if all works well.
Today I spent time on the wing. I reattached the nose section, attached the hang bracket, and other miscellaneous stuff. I inspected the wing cable attachment to make sure they were fully engaged, which they were. One disappointment, though, was that I could not get the wing entirely inflated. I don’t know what’s hanging up the tensioner, but something is preventing it from full extension, and therefore I could not attach the tensioner to the keel bracket. Inflating the wing was not my primary objective for the day, so I’m not concerned about this since I have inflated the wing since replacing the damaged parts, so I know it’s a minor problem.
In the course of working on the wing, I noticed that the hang point bracket is slightly bent from the accident. I removed it and will take it to Herm’s Welding for straightening, along with the front downtube bracket that is also slightly bent and requires straightening. I also removed the control bar cables which were severed by the EMT’s but that I had spliced. It’s time to replace them rather than try to repair them. I don’t want to worry about them later, particularly when I'm at 1000 feet.
All in all, I am pleased with my accomplishments today, although as usual I didn’t get as much done as I had planned.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011 I Hit a Gold Mine
Some time ago, I had reached out to a guy who I found on the Homebuilt Aircraft web site that seemed to be expert with Kawasaki motors. He happened to live in Plymouth, MN, which was not far from the Crystal Airport where the Jetwing is hangered. He responded and eventually we agreed to meet at the airport today. His name is Richard Schmidt, a retired race care driver and mechanic, and now a student sport pilot, and seems willing to help. What a find! We met in the afternoon and he seems very knowledgeable (to my limited knowledge) and immediately dove in to the project. He sent me to find some carburetor cleaner and other stuff that would help him rebuild the carburetor. By the time I got back, he had it torn down and ready to clean all the small parts and reassemble it. I was impressed with his knowledge, thoroughness, and yet speedy way he approached working on the carburetor. I gave me some assignments to take home with me, such as to clean the air filter, get the throttle cable parts to enable connecting it to the hand control, replace the belt from the engine fan, get some fuel tubing to run from the gas tank to the fuel pump, straighten the instrument panel, charge the battery, etc.
After remounting the carburetor, we moved on to figuring out the wiring for the engine. The EMT’s had chopped up the wiring at the time of the accident, so we had to try to figure out what wire did what from the remains. We checked out the spark and found that there was good spark and decent compression. We found the on/off circuitry to connect eventually to the kill switch and planned the wiring for the starter and key switch.
We also unmounted the little tach (known as “Tiny Tach”) that was still mounted to the instrument panel to see if works at all. If it does work, that would save me having to buy a tach. The essential engine instrumentation for the Jetwing is, in addition to the tach, dual CHT’s and EGT’s, which could be clustered into a quad-style 3-inch round gauge which is available from Aircraft Spruce. Or some other configuration, but I do need CHT’s and EGT’s for both cylinders.
So I think I’ve taken a giant leap forward to getting this thing to run. I’ll get my assignments done and contact Richard for another session. I wouldn’t be surprised if we would get the Kawasaki running next time at the airport.
After remounting the carburetor, we moved on to figuring out the wiring for the engine. The EMT’s had chopped up the wiring at the time of the accident, so we had to try to figure out what wire did what from the remains. We checked out the spark and found that there was good spark and decent compression. We found the on/off circuitry to connect eventually to the kill switch and planned the wiring for the starter and key switch.
We also unmounted the little tach (known as “Tiny Tach”) that was still mounted to the instrument panel to see if works at all. If it does work, that would save me having to buy a tach. The essential engine instrumentation for the Jetwing is, in addition to the tach, dual CHT’s and EGT’s, which could be clustered into a quad-style 3-inch round gauge which is available from Aircraft Spruce. Or some other configuration, but I do need CHT’s and EGT’s for both cylinders.
So I think I’ve taken a giant leap forward to getting this thing to run. I’ll get my assignments done and contact Richard for another session. I wouldn’t be surprised if we would get the Kawasaki running next time at the airport.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011 Memorial Day at the Airport
A day off work and an opportunity to go to the airport. We experienced a heavy lightning storm last night and this morning we had heavy rain squalls. So glad to be indoors. The goal today was to work on the engine and engine components.
First, I worked on getting the muffler re-attached. That didn’t take too long, except that the attachment to the engine could not be completed since this is accomplished by two springs which keep the muffler in line with the engine manifold. These springs were too worn to re-use, so I brought one of them home so I could find replacements.
Last visit I had attached the seat belt and shoulder harness but was slightly confused how they hooked together. Today it was very apparent and I actually sat in the seat with the shoulder harness and seat belt attached, but saw that the shoulder harness attach points were too far apart to be usable, so will have to move them further inboard, a project for another time.
I attached the carburetor and traced the path of the fuel line to see how the tubing should be connected. It seemed pretty clear how to run the fuel line which had been chopped up by the overzealous jaws-of-life operator at the accident scene. In addition to the main line, there are three mysterious small tubes coming out of the carburetor that I can’t figure out, so will have to check them out.
The throttle cable will be a little more of a challenge to get reinstalled. The cable that runs to the hand control is intact, but the split cable that runs to the foot control was cut and will take some research. The foot control is part of the nosewheel assembly that was broken in the accident and re-welded, so it will be somewhat challenging to figure out how to get the throttle cable hooked up. Worse case I could get the engine running with the hand control only for now.
Finally, I got frustrated with the tangled web of electrical wires that had been apparently jury-rigged over time as components were added and taken off, so I disconnected most of the wires that I could see had nothing to do with the actual engine electrical system. I will add some of them back later, but for now I just want the wiring to support the engine function only. I do want to add at some point a kill switch, ignition and starter switch, and some engine instrumentation, such as tachometer, dual CHT, EGT, and hour meter. But for now, the engine wires are dangling down ready to be attached. The project for the next visit is clear; connecting the wiring and fuel line, charging the battery, and getting closer to starting the engine.
For today, I’m pleased with what was accomplished, mostly research into what should be done next.
First, I worked on getting the muffler re-attached. That didn’t take too long, except that the attachment to the engine could not be completed since this is accomplished by two springs which keep the muffler in line with the engine manifold. These springs were too worn to re-use, so I brought one of them home so I could find replacements.
Last visit I had attached the seat belt and shoulder harness but was slightly confused how they hooked together. Today it was very apparent and I actually sat in the seat with the shoulder harness and seat belt attached, but saw that the shoulder harness attach points were too far apart to be usable, so will have to move them further inboard, a project for another time.
I attached the carburetor and traced the path of the fuel line to see how the tubing should be connected. It seemed pretty clear how to run the fuel line which had been chopped up by the overzealous jaws-of-life operator at the accident scene. In addition to the main line, there are three mysterious small tubes coming out of the carburetor that I can’t figure out, so will have to check them out.
The throttle cable will be a little more of a challenge to get reinstalled. The cable that runs to the hand control is intact, but the split cable that runs to the foot control was cut and will take some research. The foot control is part of the nosewheel assembly that was broken in the accident and re-welded, so it will be somewhat challenging to figure out how to get the throttle cable hooked up. Worse case I could get the engine running with the hand control only for now.
Finally, I got frustrated with the tangled web of electrical wires that had been apparently jury-rigged over time as components were added and taken off, so I disconnected most of the wires that I could see had nothing to do with the actual engine electrical system. I will add some of them back later, but for now I just want the wiring to support the engine function only. I do want to add at some point a kill switch, ignition and starter switch, and some engine instrumentation, such as tachometer, dual CHT, EGT, and hour meter. But for now, the engine wires are dangling down ready to be attached. The project for the next visit is clear; connecting the wiring and fuel line, charging the battery, and getting closer to starting the engine.
For today, I’m pleased with what was accomplished, mostly research into what should be done next.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011 Next Available Work Day
We had a beautiful week, warm almost-70’s weather, but not today. The weather service predicted a major storm which included heavy rain, thunder and lightning, and “damaging hail”, and those who like these kind of storms were not disappointed. There even was a warning of possible tornados. Thankfully the hanger makes it comfortable to work in an indoors environment.
My goal for today was to try to again attach the engine tubes to the uprights. With the weight of the engine and the close tolerances I have not been able to get the bolts completely through the tubes and their mounting brackets. And today I also was unable to get these bolts lined up on both sides. I took the car jack and lug wrench out of the car to help as a pry bar, so hopefully we won’t have a flat tire for the next week or so until I get this situation resolved. It appears to be a two-person job, so I’ll ask John to try to help me maybe next week.
The other thing I wanted to get done was to get new bungees on the main axle. I had purchased all new bungees of three different sizes to replace the bungees on the carriage and the wing. The ones on the main axles required cutting to length, cauterizing each end, and then wrapping them around under tension eight times and bolting them at each end. Relatively simple process, although surprisingly time-consuming, but I was able to complete it. I also wanted to get two more washers for the wheels to tighten them still more. Shouldn’t be a problem.
So I went home with at least a partially successful airport visit.
My goal for today was to try to again attach the engine tubes to the uprights. With the weight of the engine and the close tolerances I have not been able to get the bolts completely through the tubes and their mounting brackets. And today I also was unable to get these bolts lined up on both sides. I took the car jack and lug wrench out of the car to help as a pry bar, so hopefully we won’t have a flat tire for the next week or so until I get this situation resolved. It appears to be a two-person job, so I’ll ask John to try to help me maybe next week.
The other thing I wanted to get done was to get new bungees on the main axle. I had purchased all new bungees of three different sizes to replace the bungees on the carriage and the wing. The ones on the main axles required cutting to length, cauterizing each end, and then wrapping them around under tension eight times and bolting them at each end. Relatively simple process, although surprisingly time-consuming, but I was able to complete it. I also wanted to get two more washers for the wheels to tighten them still more. Shouldn’t be a problem.
So I went home with at least a partially successful airport visit.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011 On to the Next Thing
Off to the airport on a rare non-weekend. The weather was forecast to be warm and dry, so I decided to play hooky from work. The wheels project is complete, so the next subproject is to mount the motor and get it running. I was able to get the motor mounted except for two stubborn bolts that wouldn’t line up. I didn’t have a pry-bar that would help, so that will have to be done next time.
Not much new to report, except that progress is definitely happening. Maybe I’ll be flying yet this year.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011 Wheels Up!
Last week I extracted the main axles housings to replace the 1” axles with 5/8” axles. I didn’t know who I would get to do the machining work, but after some research, I finally made contact with Bob Herman at Herm’s Welding and Repair in Minnetrista. I showed him the axles and told him what I wanted done. He said it might be two weeks, and the cost ballpark would be “60 or 80 dollars”. But he got the work done early and called last Thursday to tell me he was done. I was able to get there on Friday afternoon. What I saw was excellent work, and I’m pleased with his professionalism. Everything looked beautiful and will work great.
I took the axles to the airport on Saturday. It was cold, windy, and rainy, but inside the hanger it wasn’t bad, even though it isn’t heated in there. The front wheel needed some work; when I reassembled it after the accident I had left out the spacers, but was able to get them put back without much problem.
I also installed the rear axles and everything fit perfectly. I didn’t attach the wheels because I had not moved the tires and tubes to the new rims from the old rims. On the way back from the airport I stopped at Menards and picked up a tool to remove the valve stems and with its help later Saturday night I was able to move the tires and tubes to the new rims. So next time I get to the airport, I’ll put the wheels on, and that subproject will be complete. I put the old wheels on Craigslist for $20 for both, so I’ll see what happens.
Finally, I worked on completing the mounting of the Kawasaki motor. Things progressed very well. I was able to complete the attachment of the front mounts including the front engine cables. But the rear mounts were a problem because I did not have enough large saddles and large washers. Now the adventure begins to find some large saddles. First of all, I didn’t know what they were called—round plastic washers with one flat side and the other side curved to fit the tubing. I spent hours on Google trying to find what these things were called. In the assembly manual they were known as “large saddles”, but a Google search didn’t result in finding them anywhere on the web. Finally, after paging through seemingly hundreds of catalogs, I spotted a picture that looked like the right part referred to as “cove spacers”. But even though my earlier attempts to locate them as “saddles” using Google proved fruitless, I found the saddles were in the LEAF catalog all along. Apparently Google search does not search detail in the LEAF catalog. So now I need to order some of these saddles and I should be able to complete the mounting of the motor, and start connecting the muffler and the fuel lines and throttle controls. So it was a very productive time at the airport.
I took the axles to the airport on Saturday. It was cold, windy, and rainy, but inside the hanger it wasn’t bad, even though it isn’t heated in there. The front wheel needed some work; when I reassembled it after the accident I had left out the spacers, but was able to get them put back without much problem.
I also installed the rear axles and everything fit perfectly. I didn’t attach the wheels because I had not moved the tires and tubes to the new rims from the old rims. On the way back from the airport I stopped at Menards and picked up a tool to remove the valve stems and with its help later Saturday night I was able to move the tires and tubes to the new rims. So next time I get to the airport, I’ll put the wheels on, and that subproject will be complete. I put the old wheels on Craigslist for $20 for both, so I’ll see what happens.
Finally, I worked on completing the mounting of the Kawasaki motor. Things progressed very well. I was able to complete the attachment of the front mounts including the front engine cables. But the rear mounts were a problem because I did not have enough large saddles and large washers. Now the adventure begins to find some large saddles. First of all, I didn’t know what they were called—round plastic washers with one flat side and the other side curved to fit the tubing. I spent hours on Google trying to find what these things were called. In the assembly manual they were known as “large saddles”, but a Google search didn’t result in finding them anywhere on the web. Finally, after paging through seemingly hundreds of catalogs, I spotted a picture that looked like the right part referred to as “cove spacers”. But even though my earlier attempts to locate them as “saddles” using Google proved fruitless, I found the saddles were in the LEAF catalog all along. Apparently Google search does not search detail in the LEAF catalog. So now I need to order some of these saddles and I should be able to complete the mounting of the motor, and start connecting the muffler and the fuel lines and throttle controls. So it was a very productive time at the airport.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
April 23, 2011 Saturday Before Easter
Went to the airport today for the first time this year. The Jetwing is largely untouched since October, when the weather turned cold and has stayed so until the past couple of weeks. It’s still cold and rainy, but tomorrowed is promised to be sunny with highs in the mid-60’s. So it’s beginning to look a lot like Spring, and flying weather.
My goal today was to make some progress with the wheels and try to get the motor mounted. It’s been a frustrating experience to try to get the wheels either fixed or replaced. Most of the problem has been with the hubs, which on the old plastic wheels were worn to the point that the bushings were loose, resulting in wobbly wheels. But I could not find any replacement wheels that would accommodate the brass bushings with 1” axle diameter, which was what is compatible with the axles.
Finally, I am resigned to replace the axles, and so I ordered and received new 16” wheels with 5/8” axles. The old 1” axles are tubular aluminum, and I want the new 5/8” axles to be hardened steel, so I’ll have to find a machine shop that can make that modification for me.
So my goal today was to take out the old axle sleeves so I can take them to the machinist. I’m always unsure of whether or not things like this will happen easily, i.e., the old axles might be bent or binding and would not come out easily, but viola, they came out easily.
I also needed to take the nose wheel axle out and put in the two spacers that I had neglected to replace earlier, another adventure that I was unsure would happen easily, but success here also.
The only other thing I wanted to do on a time-available basis was to try to mount the motor. I knew with my weakened physical abilities since the accident I would not be able to hold the motor up by myself and mount it on the support tubes, but I thought I might be able to set it on the ground on the prop and lift the Jetwing 90 degrees to line up with the mounting holes. I was dubious of the chances of this working, but amazingly I was able to get the motor mounted, including the upper engine support cables and all four mounting bolts. They are just in finger-tight, but after restoring it to its 3-point stance, I can work with each mounting bolt individually and get the engine mounted properly and start to connect the fuel/air lines and the throttle cable. That will result in the Jetwing being closer to operational, and perhaps I’ll be flying this year!
So all went well today, and I’m pleased with the progress.
And most importantly, Praise God for the resurrection of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in whom I trust and hope.
My goal today was to make some progress with the wheels and try to get the motor mounted. It’s been a frustrating experience to try to get the wheels either fixed or replaced. Most of the problem has been with the hubs, which on the old plastic wheels were worn to the point that the bushings were loose, resulting in wobbly wheels. But I could not find any replacement wheels that would accommodate the brass bushings with 1” axle diameter, which was what is compatible with the axles.
Finally, I am resigned to replace the axles, and so I ordered and received new 16” wheels with 5/8” axles. The old 1” axles are tubular aluminum, and I want the new 5/8” axles to be hardened steel, so I’ll have to find a machine shop that can make that modification for me.
So my goal today was to take out the old axle sleeves so I can take them to the machinist. I’m always unsure of whether or not things like this will happen easily, i.e., the old axles might be bent or binding and would not come out easily, but viola, they came out easily.
I also needed to take the nose wheel axle out and put in the two spacers that I had neglected to replace earlier, another adventure that I was unsure would happen easily, but success here also.
The only other thing I wanted to do on a time-available basis was to try to mount the motor. I knew with my weakened physical abilities since the accident I would not be able to hold the motor up by myself and mount it on the support tubes, but I thought I might be able to set it on the ground on the prop and lift the Jetwing 90 degrees to line up with the mounting holes. I was dubious of the chances of this working, but amazingly I was able to get the motor mounted, including the upper engine support cables and all four mounting bolts. They are just in finger-tight, but after restoring it to its 3-point stance, I can work with each mounting bolt individually and get the engine mounted properly and start to connect the fuel/air lines and the throttle cable. That will result in the Jetwing being closer to operational, and perhaps I’ll be flying this year!
So all went well today, and I’m pleased with the progress.
And most importantly, Praise God for the resurrection of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in whom I trust and hope.
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