Skin on HS

After having to slightly modify my priming process yet again (story for another post), I started clecoing the skins onto the HS frame. First side goes on pretty easily… …But when flipping over to the other side, it’s a tight fit, and initially the holes don’t line up since...

Progress on Horizontal Stabilizer

I got most of the horizontal stabilizer assembled this past weekend, save for the skins. Everything went together fine. I learned it’s a little tricky to get holes lined up just right for all the rivets to fit – especially when lining up overlapping parts with many holes, like...

VOR/Loc/GS Antenna Choice

I decided on the RAMI AV-12 antenna to mount inside the VS. This antenna is optional, however I plan to fly IFR and want to be able to fly ILS approaches, which, for the moment, are still pretty common. It was hard to decide which antenna to get, but...

Process Makes Perfect

After about 2 days of drying, my freshly-primed parts for the horizontal stabilizer started showing spider lines in the paint, then flaking off and looking like this horror: It took me a while to figure out what went wrong, but it looks like I failed to properly clean the...

First set of parts primed and ready

I spent another two hours last night prepping the last of the horizontal stabilizer parts (minus skins) and then priming them. Primer appears to have adhered well to the aluminum. Gonna need to refine my spraying technique though – I went through a whole 15.5 oz can spraying 3...

All the Comforts of… Work?

I decided I needed a more comfortable chair to sit on while I work. Here’s a pretty nice drafting chair from Amazon that I just got today. Also notice, just behind the chair, I bought an anti-fatigue mat to stand on while I’m working....

Work commenced on Horizontal Stabilizer

This weekend I completed inventory of both kits I received, so it was time to get started! The first assembly in the manual is the horizontal stabilizer. I’ve spent the last two days deburring and cleaning all the parts, and then will be priming them in a little “paint...

Enpennage and Wing Kit Arrived

The first two kits arrived, so I can finally begin! First I’m doing a full inventory and inspection of the kit pieces.. it will take some time as there are MANY parts, especially in the wing! I thought it might speed things up to scan all the parts with...

Rivet Gun Arrived

Just in time for my kits arriving tomorrow, I received my Milwaukee M12 rivet gun today! It’s quite substantial, more so than I was expecting. It just came out this past weekend so I must be one of the first people in the whole country to own one. I’ll...

Primer test

Before I decided to buy a kit plane, I had no idea that there were so many choices for priming metal parts (or even to prime at all!). But given the New England weather, I decided I’m going to prime mating surfaces. I’m going with SEM Self Etching Primer...