Project 5 build thread

[alexM]

Jez,
As Eric suggests, if you can't obtain the Clickbond just do the normal type of nutplates with rivets. Having just removed my rudder pedals to start covering the bottom of the fuselage I was careful to watch that none of my Clickbond nutplates came loose (none did). Since they don't need to be beautiful this is a good place to learn squeezed rivets.

I wouldn't say that just because you Hysoled (and yes, I consider it a word) that you could torque all you want. I understand what it is you're trying to do but just stick pretty close to the build manual and you'll appreciate the final product. Did I just say that? Huh.

As for Eric's other comment about the hole size to use with a floating nutplate, I specified literally thousands of those in my last job. I have the exact specs at home (about 1400 miles from me right now) so I can come up with the drill size to use in 11 more days, but if you make a hole exactly 0.030" larger than the screw size if will ensure that the screw hits the edge of your drilled hole before the nutplate runs out of 'float' (which would be bad). You want your metal structure to take any side load. The nutplate is only there to squeeze the pieces together.

Those nutplates he refers to are called "single lug". You could use them everywhere if you want. They're not weaker than the "normal" kind.

Instead of working on my Kitfox, I'm having to endure this kind of stuff:
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I can't believe I get paid for this.

[Eric Page]

Since they don't need to be beautiful this is a good place to learn squeezed rivets.

It would be pretty rough to get a rivet squeezer in there. I used stainless flush head Cherry blind rivets.

Beautiful picture, Alex!

[alexM]

While I'm busying myself on a list of "oh yeah, I should do that too" before covering the bottom of my fuselage I've been working with my engine importer on the motor mount for my Verner radial. Starting with my Solidworks model, a lot of communication, some supply chain issues and some iterative design work the mount is now reality. There was one last fixture he had to make to support it for finish welding (reaching the spots you can't reach during the main part of the fabrication).

He's going to do a static test and also apply a hefty torque load to it to make sure it doesn't need gussets or flex too much, and then call it good. My FEA showed it good to 10.5G so I'm not super concerned it will be flimsy. Hopefully it will all be in my hands before I go to work on the 15th. I'm not holding my breath but at the very least it will be here when I get back on Nov 1.

The Airflow Performance fuel injection (not shown here) is now also ready to go, and my oil tank has been modified (more on that some other day). Still a million miles to go but I'm pumped to see this milestone.
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[Geek]

Alex your plane is going to be awesome!! That mount is a work of art and I expect to be invited to the initial start up of the recip!!

Gary

[Kitfox Pilot]

I will say Alex, that mount looks stout!

[alexM]

Only one more day of work and I'm headed home to get covering on that fuselage.

It has been a pretty amazing two weeks
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Left base 04 Pilot Station (on the Yukon)
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Inbound for Hooper Bay, just under the shadow of that dark stuff
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Goodnews Bay. I was looking for (and found) a missing boat.

[alexM]

My engine was delivered Saturday morning. I got to spend the day with Brett, one of the importers of the Verner engines and Robin - fellow Kitfox builder/Verner customer who drove down from Canada to meet us both.
Robin is building a series IV and putting it on amphib floats. He brought a board he had transfer punched and drilled the hole pattern from his fuselage to compare with my engine mount. We had both been under the impression that the hole patterns were almost the same except for the two outer holes moving inboard 1". When we set my mount on his board (which pins easily to his fuselage) it was clear there were more differences than we thought. My heart sank as I realized I could have made an error measuring for my own fuselage, so we pulled the engine crate out of the way and test fit the mount to my fuselage.
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Shown upside down because my fuselage is upside down, but it fits great. Huge relief.

Robin's installation will be different because he's rightfully concerned about CG with his series IV. Because the IV has a flat firewall (no footwell) and he's using the stock SS carb he can have the engine pulled in much closer to the firewall. But the ring and supports going to the back of the engine will be the same as mine.

Before packing up the engine to drive it to Tacoma from Las Cruces, NM Brett put my engine mount on a test fixture and performed a thrust test (750 lbs x 1.3), torque test (288 ft lbs x 1.3) and +5/-2 G, also x 1.3. That test is what would be performed to certify to FAR part 23. The mount easily passed the test.
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Today I went back to my hangar to get stuff done. I was torn between getting the engine out of the crate and onto the engine stand, or covering the bottom of the fuselage. I kept going back and forth but I was getting dirty hands so I had to pick one project and stick with it. I made a trip to Harbor Freight and bought an engine stand. My hangar neighbor had an engine hoist which he was about to dispose of so now it's on semi-permanent loan to me. I made a trip to the hardware store to get hardware to adapt the engine stand to the back of the engine and that same hangar neighbor helped me lift the engine upright.
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I had to rotate the stand 90 degrees because the starter solenoid would ride hard against the upright of the engine stand. The blue hose you see to the left of the image is the crankcase drain which should point straight down. Get a load of that easy to reach oil filter!
On the engine stand I won't be able to fit the induction system, engine mount or exhaust so this is just a place to park it and admire it until I can hoist it onto the front of the upright fuselage.
I have to switch gears and get back to covering so I can do that. Hoping for a test fit when I'm on break from work the first two weeks of January. Lot of things to still engineer. I'll go over the induction system and the choices I still have to make in the next video I put out (probably tomorrow).

[jrevens]

Beautiful, Alex!

[Geek]

Glad it all fit as you expected Alex!! Good that you're starting the covering of the fuselage with the bottom so that when you look over at that engine and drool, the spots will all be on the bottom of the plane!! I would name your ship the "Iconic Fox" with that engine.

Gary

[Jez]

Very nice, glad those measurements were ok for you after. Did you get to check the vertical stabiliser rib after? The one that has potential to catch on the elevators push pull tube. I enlarged mine just in case