I had originally planned to go the airport last Saturday, but other things crowded out the schedule. So I decided to go either Monday or Tuesday, and Tuesday was the day. I called my friend Richard, the Kawasaki engine expert, and he agreed to meet me about noon.
Tuesday morning arrived with heavy rain and gusty wind. The dog wouldn’t even go out. But the westward sky was clearing, so it looked good for working on the wing and engine. I arrived about 8AM at the airport. My goal before Richard arrived, was to attached the new wing cables and see if the wing would inflate. I have been fighting this battle for some time now; it was time to resolve this problem. I attached the wing cables but the wing would still not inflate. But after looking down the leading edge tubes, I saw that I had wrapped one of the cables around the tube, so after unwrapping the cable and reattaching it, the wing inflated fine. I am a little concerned that the cables are a little too slack, but that can be adusted.
However, that wasn’t the end of the story. I went to the car to get the camera when it was inflated, but the gusty winds caught the wing and off it went. I quickly grabbed it and hung on for dear life! The wing started to roll, and about twenty feet across the grass in front of the hanger, I wound up tangled up in the wires with the wing on top of me. Shades of two years ago, six days from now, September 26, 2009, the two-year anniversary of the accident. This time there was no damage or injury. I quickly deflated the wing and put it away into the hanger.
I went to lunch and returned to I start to work on the fuel line, the foot feed cable, and several other small things when Richard arrived and we began to swap the fan belt onlyto discover the new belt was nowhere in sight. I don’t know where it disappeared. I was in the sack with the other stuff, but has vanished. Richard and I were disappointed because that was the main reason he was there. I may have to order another one; how ridiculous!
There are still some little problems that need resolution. The engine vibrates too much, and on examination, we found the motor mounts are not tight. The rubber anti-vibration bushings need replacement, so that is a project for the next time.
But the JW is making progress toward flying. I’m hoping to have it done this month or early in October and take it down to Sioux Falls to have Larry Miller check it out and maybe even get it flying yet this year.
When I arrived home I was exhausted and my body was really sore. Sandra suggested we do something we had not done since we moved into this house…take a bath in the Jacuzzi tub in the guest bathroom. We had never tried the Jacuzzi tub, but this was a good opportunity. I subscribe to the Kramer (Seinfeld) school of bath-taking, which says that taking a bath is sitting in a tub of your own filth, but this time it was wonderful. Helped my soreness and especially my back. A-h-h-h-h-h!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 Mid-Week at the Airport
Well, today was a momentous day. Richard and I planned to meet at the airport at 1PM in the afternoon. The day started gloomy, rainy, chilly but not cold. But by afternoon the sun was out and it eventually got up to the mid-80’s.
I knew we planned to try to get the Kawasaki to run, but I was concerned that the battery might have run down, so I went up a couple of hours early to hook up the charger and have a peaceful lunch. Richard arrived right on time at 1PM and we began the small items leading up to starting the engine. He got the fan belt off which was just an exercise since we didn’t have a replacement anyway, so we couldn’t remove it, just educate ourselves into how to get it on and off. We also worked on the throttle cable hook-up to the throttle lever, and that went together OK. The next step was to crank over the engine and get it started. I had one gallon of gas and 2-cycle oil, which I mixed as instructed. I turned on the ON switch and we both held our breaths and I pushed the starter button. After a couple of cranks, the engine fired up and ran very smoothly. Very exciting! After a half-minute or so, we saw gas pouring out of the carburetor overflow tube, so we shut it down and Richard took apart the carb and found a sticky valve which he fixed, and that solved that problem.
The last thing we did was to install the instrument panel (on that airplane the ”instrument panel” consists of a single piece of aluminum about 3 inches wide where the tachometer is mounted, along with a CHT and/or EGT, if I had them, which I don’t!). I do have a TinyTach, which we mounted, fired up the Kawasaki again, and saw it registering RPM’s like mad.
So the day went well. The next step is to order the 3-blade propeller, get the wing done, and think about flying the old bird.
I knew we planned to try to get the Kawasaki to run, but I was concerned that the battery might have run down, so I went up a couple of hours early to hook up the charger and have a peaceful lunch. Richard arrived right on time at 1PM and we began the small items leading up to starting the engine. He got the fan belt off which was just an exercise since we didn’t have a replacement anyway, so we couldn’t remove it, just educate ourselves into how to get it on and off. We also worked on the throttle cable hook-up to the throttle lever, and that went together OK. The next step was to crank over the engine and get it started. I had one gallon of gas and 2-cycle oil, which I mixed as instructed. I turned on the ON switch and we both held our breaths and I pushed the starter button. After a couple of cranks, the engine fired up and ran very smoothly. Very exciting! After a half-minute or so, we saw gas pouring out of the carburetor overflow tube, so we shut it down and Richard took apart the carb and found a sticky valve which he fixed, and that solved that problem.
The last thing we did was to install the instrument panel (on that airplane the ”instrument panel” consists of a single piece of aluminum about 3 inches wide where the tachometer is mounted, along with a CHT and/or EGT, if I had them, which I don’t!). I do have a TinyTach, which we mounted, fired up the Kawasaki again, and saw it registering RPM’s like mad.
So the day went well. The next step is to order the 3-blade propeller, get the wing done, and think about flying the old bird.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011 Back to the Airport
Beautiful day today. Not hot or humid, but the gnats were awful, and the grasshoppers were everywhere. I went to the airport about sunup because Sandra needed to go to a Skype baby shower (new to me!), so I had to get back by 11AM. I needed to get an accurate measurement for the wing cables, and also check out the washout struts, since the left one was being attached to the leading-edge tube that I replaced. I wanted to ensure it would fit properly, at the proper angle, and I also wanted to replace the bungees. I found that the struts fit perfectly, and the new bungees tightened them up considerably. So all well and good so far.
I used an unusual procedure to establish the length of the wing cables. I installed the old cables (the ones with the splices), then inflated the wing, then adjusted the left cable to the length that would allow the wing to inflate. I left the right one alone. I found that the left cable had to be lengthened three inches to 110”, and since the right one was 107”, the net length of each cable is 108 ½”. So that’s what I’ll order from Aero Assemblies.
I can’t help but think about how much better I feel physically compared to when I originally started this project. It's been almost two years, so I guess it just takes awhile to recover from a crash and also a couple of heart attacks. I felt that my stamina was much better, and my back isn’t sore. So that’s really good.
I used an unusual procedure to establish the length of the wing cables. I installed the old cables (the ones with the splices), then inflated the wing, then adjusted the left cable to the length that would allow the wing to inflate. I left the right one alone. I found that the left cable had to be lengthened three inches to 110”, and since the right one was 107”, the net length of each cable is 108 ½”. So that’s what I’ll order from Aero Assemblies.
I can’t help but think about how much better I feel physically compared to when I originally started this project. It's been almost two years, so I guess it just takes awhile to recover from a crash and also a couple of heart attacks. I felt that my stamina was much better, and my back isn’t sore. So that’s really good.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011 Next Trip to the Airport
Today was a beautiful day. Warm, not hot, and promise of success. I took the wing out and set it up to inflate. Knowing it would not fully inflate, I began to examine what I had. I checked out the aft flying wire, but did not see anything wrong with it. But the control wires looked like they were straining, which was not normal. I disconnected the fabric from the end of the leading-edge tubes and disconnected the control wires, and that allowed the wing to inflate. So it looks like since the control wires were cut by the EMT’s, and when I spliced them, the length apparently isn’t correct. I will have to get Larry to measure the length of the wires so I can have them re-fabricated by Aero Assemblies.
I had arranged with Richard to meet later at the airport in the afternoon because he was tied up in the morning. When he arrived at about 1PM, we started on the challenge of pulling the fan belt pulley so I can replace the fan belt, which showed wear. He thought he had a tool to facilitate that, but when we tried, we could not remove the pulley. So that project must be put off for later.
We next began to complete the basic wiring so the engine would turn over. We attached wires to the starter switch and the kill switch, mounted and wired up the new starter solenoid, attached the battery cables, pushed the starter button, and after some false starts, the engine turned over. Major success! Now we can proceed on to getting the engine to actually run!
Now I need to start thinking about ordering the propeller.
I had arranged with Richard to meet later at the airport in the afternoon because he was tied up in the morning. When he arrived at about 1PM, we started on the challenge of pulling the fan belt pulley so I can replace the fan belt, which showed wear. He thought he had a tool to facilitate that, but when we tried, we could not remove the pulley. So that project must be put off for later.
We next began to complete the basic wiring so the engine would turn over. We attached wires to the starter switch and the kill switch, mounted and wired up the new starter solenoid, attached the battery cables, pushed the starter button, and after some false starts, the engine turned over. Major success! Now we can proceed on to getting the engine to actually run!
Now I need to start thinking about ordering the propeller.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Thursday, August 10, 2011 Midweek Trip to the Airport
I had gone to Aero Assemblies and picked up the new cables and they looks like they did a good job. I wanted to go back to the airport ASAP and reattach the new control bar cables and see if that would solve the problem of the wing not inflating. But alas, it didn’t affect the situation—the tensioner still is within 4 inches or so of full inflation. One thing I discovered, if I don’t put the aft wing wire across the kingpost, the wing does inflate.
On the way home, I thought about the situation and concluded that either there’s something tangled with the wing wire that keeps the leading-edge tubes from extending fully, or possibly the control wires are too short to prevent full extension. I’ll have to check it out next time.
On the way home, I thought about the situation and concluded that either there’s something tangled with the wing wire that keeps the leading-edge tubes from extending fully, or possibly the control wires are too short to prevent full extension. I’ll have to check it out next time.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011 To the Airport
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.
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.
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.
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