I've been busy the past few weeks. Wish I could say its been on the cub project, but I'd be lying then. After I was done with my shift at Era Alaska on July 15th, I was asked to ferry a cub from Anchorage to Medford, Oregon. Hard to say no.
It was a fun and safe journey through some of the best country in the World. Also, it was redemption. I was pretty nervous about the trip, as I very well should of been. The last real long cross country trip I took was when I wrecked my cub. I was accompanied with a good childhood friend, Brent Shibe. We both took turns flying at a grueling pace of 75mph. The good part about this cub, it had 8 hours of fuel on board. this made it nice, because we didn't have to make nearly as many fuel stops. The only thing that limited the amount of time we spent int he plane was our bladders. We made it in pretty good time to Medford, 27 hours.
Along the way on our trip, I got to see my "Alaskan" grandparents in Wenatchee, Wa. It was so good to see Howard and Janet Pelton. Also made me feel proud to fly into Wenatchee to see them. As I guessed, Howard was at the airport to watch us land, and as usual, I bounced on landing. Its pretty tough landing a cub on pavement with a set of worn out bush wheels.
All in all, it was an excellent trip with awesome weather. Makes me wish my cub was further along than it is currently. I'll post some pictures later on.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Letting the Imagination run Wild
Today, I've been doing a lot of research on tools I'd like to buy to help with my rebuild. Also been trying to find the cheapest place to buy the best tools. I'm going to end up getting a bead roller with an 18" throat. This tool will help tremendously with my interior pieces and my cargo doors. I want to add some strength in the thinner kydex I plan on using for my interior, so the beaded roller will add a bead to the panels for rigidity and a bit more style. I know the interior is a ways out yet, but I want to order the beaded roller and practice before I order my interior kydex and mess a $150 sheet up.
I've also been looking at some forums online, about building interior panels out of kydex for aircraft. I've come up with some pretty cool ideas to try that will hide the pulleys for my flap cables and possibly my aileron and elevator cables. Anything to add a bit more style in the plane, and minimal weight is worth a shot to me. I'll be cutting some patterns out of wood and then heat treating the kydex. I plan on taking a ton of pictures of this so I can share how to do this type of stuff with people. Also, so I can possibly pick up a bit of side work once I have my project completed.
I have Monday and Tuesday off. I plan on being at the sandblasters first thing tomorrow morning to finish up my fuselage and a bit of work he might have set aside for me to do. I hope to be at the welders by July 15th, and start with the modifications and the fixes my new fuselage requires. Every time I think about this, I get excited. I hope the fuselage comes out as pretty as I envision it. If so, 29A is going to be one sexy plane.
After the welders, I'm going to bring the fuselage to Lake Hood to start with the interior, panel, boot cowl and cheeks, cargo doors, and windows. Pretty much whatever I can do before I bring the fuselage back to the powder coaters.
I've also been looking at some forums online, about building interior panels out of kydex for aircraft. I've come up with some pretty cool ideas to try that will hide the pulleys for my flap cables and possibly my aileron and elevator cables. Anything to add a bit more style in the plane, and minimal weight is worth a shot to me. I'll be cutting some patterns out of wood and then heat treating the kydex. I plan on taking a ton of pictures of this so I can share how to do this type of stuff with people. Also, so I can possibly pick up a bit of side work once I have my project completed.
I have Monday and Tuesday off. I plan on being at the sandblasters first thing tomorrow morning to finish up my fuselage and a bit of work he might have set aside for me to do. I hope to be at the welders by July 15th, and start with the modifications and the fixes my new fuselage requires. Every time I think about this, I get excited. I hope the fuselage comes out as pretty as I envision it. If so, 29A is going to be one sexy plane.
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| My fuselage in the sandblasting booth. |
After the welders, I'm going to bring the fuselage to Lake Hood to start with the interior, panel, boot cowl and cheeks, cargo doors, and windows. Pretty much whatever I can do before I bring the fuselage back to the powder coaters.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Busy Times
One word sums up my life right now... busy. I'm flying the Beech 1900 out of Anchorage for 15 days this month. I thought it might be a bit more relaxing than flying out of Barrow, but it is polar opposite. I'm averaging about 7 hours a day of flying lately. I'm not complaining, but wow... 50 hours in a few days. If this keeps up, the cub will be financially covered. I'm enjoying the flying. Its challenging and I'm getting to see most of Alaska from a safe altitude. My instrument skills are being sculpted to perfection. I also enjoy flying with my Captain. He's teaching me a lot about flying, and about life.
I had a semi-slow day Tuesday, flew 4.7 hours and was done by about noon, so I hoped over to the sandblasters and worked on my fuselage for awhile. I ended up getting about 70% of the fuselage blasted. I hope to finish the rest up tomorrow. While blasting I've found some tubing that will need to be replaced. For the price I paid, I expected this. But there is not as much tubing as I thought that needs to be replaced.
I'm going to replace both longerons from the tail post forward for about 8 feet. They both aren't bad, but I figure while I've got it this far apart, it needs the attention. Also, I have a cross member on the belly near the float fittings that shows signs of some pretty good corrosion, This will also get replaced. I've got some fabric formers that are in pretty rough shape, and I figure I'm going to replace these as well. All the gingerbread about the roof is going to be replaced with new, just because with the L-21 glass conversion it will be more exposed and I want it to look better. Also replacing most of the gingerbread for the boot cowl. Around the door I'm going to try and fill in most the holes people have drilled in the past to secure the interior. Of course, the welder has the final say in all these items I'd like to redo.
My posts will probably be spaced a bit farther apart since I'm back working, but I'll try to update every time I work on the plane. Also have a bunch of pictures I'll post of the blasting and of flying in western Alaska.
I had a semi-slow day Tuesday, flew 4.7 hours and was done by about noon, so I hoped over to the sandblasters and worked on my fuselage for awhile. I ended up getting about 70% of the fuselage blasted. I hope to finish the rest up tomorrow. While blasting I've found some tubing that will need to be replaced. For the price I paid, I expected this. But there is not as much tubing as I thought that needs to be replaced.
I'm going to replace both longerons from the tail post forward for about 8 feet. They both aren't bad, but I figure while I've got it this far apart, it needs the attention. Also, I have a cross member on the belly near the float fittings that shows signs of some pretty good corrosion, This will also get replaced. I've got some fabric formers that are in pretty rough shape, and I figure I'm going to replace these as well. All the gingerbread about the roof is going to be replaced with new, just because with the L-21 glass conversion it will be more exposed and I want it to look better. Also replacing most of the gingerbread for the boot cowl. Around the door I'm going to try and fill in most the holes people have drilled in the past to secure the interior. Of course, the welder has the final say in all these items I'd like to redo.
My posts will probably be spaced a bit farther apart since I'm back working, but I'll try to update every time I work on the plane. Also have a bunch of pictures I'll post of the blasting and of flying in western Alaska.
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