Spar Jig and Table

Since we didn't build the canard ourselves, we did not have that nice table that the plans called out to build, so we had to get that out of the way before building the wing spar. As far as I'm concerned, the table is far nicer than it really NEEDS to be, but it sure looks good.

First, I'd like to personally thank Mr. Fox, a neighbor of our shop. He owns a first-rate woodshop and helped us precisely cut the strips of wood for our table and jig.

Next, here is the table being built. We figured that we needed some kind of protection from the epoxy if we were going to use it again for the wing jig, so we applied a sealant. Also, notice this nifty little trick I learned from building a model railroad layout table. A hole is drilled in the bottom of the table legs and a T-Nut is inserted. Then, a carriage bolt is inserted, allowing the table to easily be adjusted. Works great!

Then, we started on the jig itself. Here are the completed parts.

Finally, thanks to Martin Fryer (Flying Backward Blog), I'm also working on a ratchet device to hold the use gear in place. I got lucky and found the last 7/16" box wrench at Sears. I also got the canopy from Todd's and couldn't help to put it on for a few seconds and admire it. We'll get to that later.

NB and Plumbing

12/17/11 Whew! What a day! First, I removed the peel ply from the last layup that secured the NB in place.

Next, we plumbed the static and pitot tubes. The pitot tube was called to go in such a way that it would actually touch the top of my foot when I did a test sit, so we used a better way. The tips section of the old CP newsletters suggest attaching it to the left fuselage side, which is what we decided was best. It is held sown by 2 narrow strips of BID.

Then, we slurried on oversized chunks of urethane. These will later be carved into that beautiful nose, but right now it looks like crap.

 Finally, before we called it a day we were able to lay down 2 piles BID on the underside of the NB. This is just one side and the middle section aft of the SC will be glassed tomorrow.

Nose Bowl Installation

12/3/11 Whew, finally been able to get back to working on the project. So far I've had to layup 2 piles BID on my nose bowl because it was cut in half by the last builder. I then attached it to a foam support because there was not enough clearance for the tire. I finally attached the Nose Bowl, and added some more dry micro to my my practice wing. Nose Strut is complete and ready to be installed.

One of my good EAA pals, "the real George Scott", was kind enough to out his EAA tech counselor skills to work as he graciously donated some of his time to inspect the progress of the Long. He said good job and keep it up! A big thanks to George!

After acquiring a much better computer, I can upload pictures much faster to this blog. I will now try to feature as many pictures of my progress on this blog, however I will still feature all of the photos on Facebook. I take the pictures of my progress and upload them all from my phone.

That Darn Nose Bowl

Drilled hole through the dash to insert the crank. The screw holding the wooden bulb is not "aircraft quality" nor the right length, but the correct screw is in the mail. The past owner had noticed that the Nose Bowl was too small and had fastened on 1" chunks of urethane underneath to boost the height. The foam had been broken off. I took a dremel wire brush and cleaned it off, then applied 2 layers BID to the inside of the NB. The foam will be attached next, then the part will be installed. Last, I poured expanding foam into the nose section to fill the voids between the foam and the Strut Cover. Now I know why they call it expanding foam, it does just as the name suggests.

Nose Gear Retraction Mechanism Part 3

I finished the crank, just need to drill the hole through the dash and hook it up completely. Left is 2 rivets. I got to apply my first epoxy to the plane by floxing the Strut Cover in place. Also got to working on the practice wing from the manual (Yes, some people actually try out the practice projects first). The hot-wire cutting worked very well for us with our experience making RC combat plane wings. I can't wait to finish the nose gear retraction system so I can crank the nose up and down so I feel like something was actually accomplished.

Nose Gear Retraction Mechanism Part 2

Made the two TAIS tabs that keep the rudder pedals from falling under their own weight. They make me feel good because they are the first parts I made without my dad's supervision. Of course they look better now, the picture was taken before I buffed them. Also did a check to see my progress on building the retraction system found here and here. I should now have the full amount of hardware required to finish the chapter. Worm and gear have come in to. So far the single most expensive part I've bought for the Long is the universal for $100. It was the same price everywhere I looked. Last, not even mentioned here are all of the stupid little bushings that took forever to make. I will say that I expected there to be more composite work in a composite airplane. My goal is to finish chapter 13 before the summer ends. Much more to come.

Nose Gear Retraction Mechanism

Worked for 5 hours and was rewarded with the 2 ng51s. The original retract mechanism was missing and must have been lost or taken along the way. Ordered the other parts from spruce and they should be in a week. Also got most of rear nose gear door built. Will finish it tonight.


Check out the pics!

New Home!

After a full day of work, I was able to move the project to its proper place, a larger single-car garage. Special features include a folding cloth stand, hardware bins, and plen

Publish Post

ty of shelving.

Making the Workspace Work

I didn't accomplish too much this weekend, but things add up. Hopefully my dad and I can get the floors coated next weekend. The plane will be a nice fit without wings on and should be able to squeeze through the small garage door at an angle. Notice the hanging cowlings; we didn't want to step on them. Getting them down will be tricky but will be awhile. I'm working on assembling a cloth cabinet to protect it from dust, and it just needs latches. I also set up multiple bins to hold misc. little items (rivets, screws, etc.). I try to look over the plans every night before sleeping to familiarize myself with them before getting to work. Next actual parts on the airplane are nose gear installation, canard, installation, and nose shaping.

Last but not least, the project came with some old radios, anybody know about these? The Dynair is super old, and the 2morrow has some screws missing. I don't exactly plan to use them, but I'm curious about them.

Confidence Layup

This layup was designed to make sure you build things tough enough. The part is supposed to handle at least 10g's, although I've tested mine at 11g's at an EAA meeting to show off. I am proud of workmanship on this piece and so is my dad. I tried very hard and gave very close attention to my work. If I ever have a nice desk at a future workplace, I will use it as a fancy name plate.




I plan to do the practice wing next, due to the leftover requirement of building the wings. I'm currently working on assembling a simple hot wire foam cutter. One of my buddies from the RC club has got a CNC foam cutter working. We believe that if we can get the files onto the computer and if we enlarge the size of the machine, we should be able to CNC cut the wings. This should allow for much less work and hassle.We might just attempt this with the practice wing.

Practice Layup #1

Here is my awful practice layup. It's pretty shameful, but I did alright for my first. The piece is 6 piles of BID and weighs right in the sweet spot. I actually started my practicing before I got the project because I was interested in the technique. Now, I will actually be applying it. I plan on taking a look at the canard soon to see what canard he built for it. He has the info on the Roncz, but I don't know for sure if he built it. Next is the confidence layup.

Here it is!

Here are some photos of the project as we trucked it home. I was surprised that nobody gave us looks as we pulled into the Wally World lot to get some gas. The plane probably last saw sunshine 10-20 years ago. The plane is currently 20 minutes away until I can get some more space cleared out for it. Of course I couldn't resist getting some early stick time in my front lawn!

First Post

Hello Everyone. I started this blog to document the building process of my Lon-EZ project. They say opportunity knocks, but opportunity sort of threw a rock through my window when I found a local with a Long-EZ project. When I purchased it, the fuselage and canard were finished, working on Chapters 12-13 (Canard and Nose Gear Installation). For the next few months, most of my posts will be focusing on my practice layups. Please Follow and offer advice as you feel free to!