Music: None now I’m out of my workshop 😦
There’s still a few jobs to do before final sign off hopefully next week. I’ve moved G-MLSY out of the workshop but I’m still using it for my tools. It’s now housed in one of the mid sized hangers until I finish when it’ll be moved to the main hanger.
After the success of the first engine run on Friday I need to adjust and secure the canopy, fit the wing walk anti-slip tapes and fit the wing join covers.
Music: My Rotax bursting into life on the first turn.
Video of first engine start: https://1drv.ms/v/s!Au02Zz1cs6-RgbAhlIeJQiX5mrKNxA
With only a few things left to do one of them is to set the control surface deflections. On the face of it, it’s an easy job but it requires a differential movement from fully up to fully down. Due to that specification there’s more than one place to adjust. It requires a bit of juggling to get it right and in the heat of Thursday it wasn’t the day to do it.
Music: Gerry Cinnamon, Stereophonics, The Libertines
6 months to the day since I took delivery of G-MLSY and it’s coming to the end of the build… but I say that every day to be fair. The next major stage is the testing and lots of paperwork to do and approvals to gain before it can fly.
A few people have dropped by to view how I’m doing and some have sent messages. All I can say is “Thanks”. It’s been a bit like a marathon and the support from those that have taken the time to visit or send messages is very much welcomed and keeps my motivation topped up.
Music: Reverend And The Makers, Ian Brown and Razorlight.
A few smaller jobs to do today including the last bit of wiring, wire locking the tailplane, adding a vent pipe to the coolant bottle and adjusting the flap operating arms.
Music:
it’s time to fit the wings so I need to add the connectors to the trim, landing lights and heated pitot looms that I have already run in. I’ve also run in the radio coax cable so need to terminate that and carry out a final tidying up of the wiring.
Music: Elton John and Dire Straits
I received two pieces of good news today. The first was the dispatch notification of my Airmaster propellor which will be delivered on the 4th June. And the second was that the ignition switch that I ordered 5 days ago was arriving from Germany today! With Chris here for a couple of days he can give me a hand to do some of the jobs that I haven’t got round to like installing the rivnuts for the interior panels and fitting the wing locker seals. I continued preparing the panel for the instrument fit and working out how best to install the centre console.
Music: Elton John, Dido
With the delivery of a number of outstanding parts I was able to complete the wing locker and servo operating arm installs.
Music: Andy’s Cheesy Playlist!
Andy came down to visit again so got him to work straight away! Now the ADAHRS and GMU mounts are in the units can be installed and the Pitot system can start to be installed. The aircraft was also rigged to to check for fitting and alignment which will allow Ian Daniels to sign off that stage.
I ordered some brass screws to secure the ADAHRS unit in place but they were too long so Andy’s first job, correct my mistake and cut 10mm off!
Getting Andy straight down to business.
A pilot hole (drilled by a Pilot!) for the OAT was opened up from below – I’m sure it could have been done from above but it got Andy on the crawler board 🙂
I sat the mounts quite a way back in the fuselage to keep them away from any EMI but it made securing quite tricky. A job for Andy!
The ADAHRS…
and GMU units installed.
The Pitot system pipes need to be installed so holes are drilled and grommets will be fitted to support the pipes and prevent chaffing.
One of the sign off stages is to check that the wings fit! Ian Daniels guiding the process of attaching the wings for checking.
Wings on and she starts to look more like an aeroplane!
Full flaps!
Andy is here for another day so I can work on some outstanding things that need doing on the the wings.
With Andy here he can help me move the wings so I can get some of the outstanding work on them done.
The aileron hinges are of the piano top and need to be fitted, lubricated and locked in position with split pins.
The split pins I need are 1/16″ x 3/8″ but I only have a longer version so they are cut down in size with side cutters.
They are fitted from the top of the wing so they can’t fall out in service if the locking fails.
The ends are bent over to lock the pins in place.
The Aileron actuator and flap hinge bolts are fitted and tightened against the bearing. They have Nyloc nuts to prevent them becoming loose.
A check for free movement after tightening is made.
To check any movement I’ve run some torque seal over the nut and threads. If the torque seal cracks it indicates movement and will need to be checked.
The hinge is lubricated with white lithium grease.
Once completed, the exact same work is carried out on other wing.
The elevator hinge is also a piano hinge so will need to have the same work carried out as the ailerons. The trim tab is already fitted and the hinge is secure when manufactured.
There’s two pieces of wire in the elevator which needs to be adjusted and secured at both ends and lubricated with white lithium grease.
I decided to change the landing light retaining screws to black cap head screws which I think look better.
G-MLSY 