Project 5 build thread

[alexM]

Alex - some random thoughts. I literally made thousands of flares during my working life… copper, aluminum and stainless steel. Like you’ve observed, it’s critically important to clean up the cut end. You need to eliminate the sharp edges (deburring outside and inside edges of cut) followed by polishing with something like 340 or 400 grit aluminum oxide sand-cloth. Lubricate the cone of the flaring tool with light oil, then clean the flare afterwards. Flared connections are strictly a metal to metal seal. Never leave oil or any thread sealant on the flare mating surface. In general it’s fine to use a tiny amount of lube on the back face of the flare and/or threads before assembly. This can prevent the tubing from twisting when tightening the nut.

Thank you John. I should have tapped into the brain trust here before trying to figure it out on my own. I considered using some lubricant but was quite sure any residue would have come back to haunt me. Those AN fittings are pretty amazing the way they work, completely dry metal to metal.
PXL_20220509_045247482.jpg
I didn't get everything checked off my list yesterday but I did finish the main pieces of covering on the wings. I had to poke through the fabric where the rivets go at the wing tips, and then I turned my attention to prepping the aluminum strips (deburr, scotchbrite, clean) but stopped short of spraying them with primer. As "Geek" and I have discussed on the side, at $25/can for the 2K primer you want to make sure you have enough projects to use up a whole can if possible.

A few measly strips of aluminum wouldn't normally justify catalyzing a can but I need to get this done because these wings are headed to the hangar tomorrow. Last Friday I stopped by my local Wesco to have them mix up some of my red which is for my Roberts Bush Gear, so if I sequence things right I won't be wasting the can.

[alexM]

PXL_20220512_173224020-01-01.jpg
I took the wings to the airport yesterday. Where better to put them than on the airplane, right? I couldn't spend much time at the hangar because I had to get the U-haul truck back before they closed so I returned today to put the wing tips on (temporarily). It started to rain after I got the right wing tip in place so I snapped a few quick photos for proof and wheeled it back into the hangar. I got the left wing tip in place and that was about all I could get done today. I wanted to fit my butt ribs for real since the fabric is on the wings now but I need to have it outside again to fold the wings. Hopefully tomorrow has some clear weather so I can get back on track.

[alexM]

PXL_20220513_215358257-02.jpg
Today's sanity check. I loosely installed the horizontal stab/elevator, every piece of avionics I own (many still in their boxes), ELT, supplied wiring harnesses for each LRU, com/txp/ads-b antennae. Wing tips and flaperons are Cleco'd in place, instrument panel, both pieces of the turtledeck - pretty much everything I could lay hands on which would be on the finished product: 493.8 lbs. My target is to keep it just below 800 lbs from here and I think it's doable (it's going to be close)

I wanted to level it and get an "as is" CG but I was working in the sun and wind today so I'll do that another time. I know the CG of my mount, engine and prop so I should be able to determine a future ballpark CG, or at least learn something. Or not. I just know it's starting to look like an airplane.

[alexM]

Having just given up my garage because of our move I spent some time at the hangar yesterday, brainstorming how I'm going to store my wings safely while covering the fuselage. I think I'm going to repurpose one of my wing rotisseries for the job.

It was very rainy so it was a good day to keep the hangar doors mostly closed, but that's okay because I've got some projects to complete before I get crazy with covering the fuselage.

So I turned my attention to the "where the heck am I going to put all these electrical components?" project. I've been eyeing the spot behind the left seat to put the COM and TXP but wasn't sure if it was going to work out.

I measured up the tubes (1/2" and 7/16" for my series 5) which I just happened to have some Adel clamps for. Then I took some measurements and decided I could get away with a 12"x8" mounting plate and from there I made a cardboard mock up and kept at it until I came up with a layout that will fit my MGL V16 COM, Sandia STX-165R TXP and the Echo UAT ADS-B module.

After a few iterations I came up with this:
PXL_20220529_003113970.jpg

Like the cardboard, the hardware is just for mock up purposes
PXL_20220529_002420369.jpg
PXL_20220529_002338155.jpg

I would appreciate any comments from the gallery on this arrangement. Putting these items here makes for short runs to the antennae and puts the headset jacks behind me, which I like.

I still have to work out the ELT mounting (it will be in the tail cone behind the stab trim jackscrew) and the various antennae for GPS (multiple), ELT etc.

[Eric Page]

Clever idea there, Alex. It didn't occur to me to mount those sorts of items vertically, but I like it. My transponder is a bit farther aft, behind the control mixer, my radio will be under the boot cowl and my ADS-B is on the floor behind the header tank.

WRT your ELT, aft of the trim actuator is an awfully long arm. Do you need that weight aft?

[PapuaPilot]

I put my ELT as far aft in the tail of my Model 5 as possible because I knew I needed as much aft weight as possible. Here is what I did with a ACK-04 ELT. The tray was self made and powder coated in yellow. I can just barely get the ELT out through the battery access cover to do the annual checks. I used stainless steel adel clamps to mount the tray, not the standard aluminum ones.


ELT bracket installed 2.JPG

Battery tray & ELT 2.JPG

[airlina]

Hey Phil can you tell me where you sourced those SS adels , ACS has some carbon steel ones but didn't see the SS ones. Thanks Bruce N199CL

[PapuaPilot]

Sorry Bruce, I don't know. They were used ones that I found at work.

[Eric Page]

McMaster-Carr has them: https://www.mcmaster.com/adel-clamps...ainless-steel/

[alexM]

Good research Eric, thank you. I think I spend almost as much money at McMaster Carr as I do at Aircraft Spruce and Kitfox. To your earlier question, I don't anticipate a raging CG problem but I don't think anyone has had a Kitfox 5-7 come out tail heavy. Maybe if I had gone with plan B and bought a turboprop (If I build another Kitfox...)

My plan is the exact location shown in Phil's pictures (thanks Phil!). I mocked it up and access isn't terrible, but it might require removing the stab/elevator which I've recently re-learned isn't that fun. I'm trying to avoid installing anything between the back of the baggage compartment and the front of the stab for access reasons.

In other news
I got to fly around the San Juans in a C180 early this week. Damn I wish those were cheaper and less thirsty. It was the most fun I've ever had at a job interview.