HVAC System and Panel Progress
This is a long overdue update on my project, but I’ve been quite busy on a few different aspects. First major update is that the custom HVAC system is about 90% complete. I’ve gone through so many iterations of the design over the last 3 years, but earlier this...
Oil Lines Part 2
I completed most of the engine oil lines in early November but when I started to build the oil radiator supply line I discovered that the fittings I had for the oil tank and for the oil pump were the wrong size. A visit to the illustrated parts manual...
Firewall Insulation Revisited
I was about to spray adhesive for the Thermotec insulation I chose for the firewall, when suddenly I questioned how well it would insulate the cabin from engine heat (and noise). So, I performed a short test using 4” square test pieces of 26 ga. galvanized steel: one bare...
Firewall Part 3 plus a Flame Test
This kit uses a sheet of galvanized steel as the firewall and is further covered by a heat barrier to insulate the cabin from the engine heat (and noise). The galvanized steel is good as a fire protectant (per FAR 23.1191), however, I have seen several other builders dismiss...
Right Wingtip Work
For mounting the wingtip lights, my original concept for a upswept winglet wasn’t going to work – there is no place to run the wires out at the end of the factory wingtip. Therefore, I went back to the drawing board, and came up with a fairing that goes...
Visit to Sling Pilot Academy
My recent job change has me traveling out the Mojave CA about once a month. I took advantage this trip to make a visit back to where my airplane building journey started – the Sling dealer in Torrance, CA. My reason for visiting was two-fold: to get some flight...
Winglet Mod
Yep, yet another mod, but this one’s pretty minor. My wingtips are the older design that lacked a good place to mount the wingtip light cluster. Therefore, I designed a small winglet to attach to the wingtip, mimicking the design of the newer wingtip seen on the TSi kits....
Aileron Trim and Wing Electronics Module
This past weekend I finished up most of the aileron trim servo installation. My remaining tasks were to glue down the doubler, and to install the connectors for the wire harness. Before gluing down the doubler, I decided to increase the number of screws holding the plate from 8...
Aileron Trim Servo
It’s been a little bit since my last logbook entry, but have some great news to share. I recently made an exciting career change — I accepted an offer to work for a startup company called Merlin Labs and I’m helping create an autonomous flight system for retrofitting into...
Refueling Options
As I’ve been building my second fuel tank, another thought has re-entered my mind: how to get gas to my plane. Leaded gasoline has been in the news lately, with a not-so-great spotlight being shone on aviation’s 100LL AvGas as being the last major producer of airborne lead emissions....