The Barn Find Build

[jiott]

Nice talking to you today Eric. You really have had a rough go fixing all the previous builder's issues. After thinking on my flight home about your Kreemed fuel tanks with less than reliable looking fittings, if it was my project I would replace those tanks. Its so much easier to do now than when problems occur after covering. Just my opinion.

Sure was a nice day; after leaving Toledo, flew to Astoria, down the coast to Nehalem Bay, then home.

[efwd]

Rotax 912iS. It doesn't excite me, but the truth is I'm building the airplane because I want to fly and enjoy it, not because I want to fool with an unproven engine. For every other engine I seriously considered, if I looked hard enough, I found something that put me off of it. By all indications, a Rotax just works.

You are certainly not alone in that decision Eric.

[alexM]

Yep. Not judging, just curious. I knew there were other engines under consideration.

Eric, you'll remember I have a 912 FWF that is surplus to my needs. I've only pirated a few items out of it.

[Eric Page]

Thanks, Alex. I’ll try to remember,her that. I’m pretty sure my engine mount will work (it was for a 912UL). I’ve got an exhaust system and two radiators as well, but don’t know if any of that is usable. We shall see...

[Eric Page]

Well, I lost the plot for a few days, then spent a few more getting through re-qualification training at work, then the second Pfizer shot knocked me on my backside for a day and a half (worst headache of my life!). Finally got back to the plane a bit in the last couple of days.

I first mixed up a little Hysol, smeared a thin bead on the freshly cleaned flaperon end ribs and riveted them in place.

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I intended to add the 19 solid rivets along the trailing edges next, but the rivet squeezer I went to borrow from a neighbor turned out to be this enormous thing, with no dies. Apparently it was sourced from the old Boeing Surplus store back in the 80s and hasn't been used in anger since then. I didn't have the heart to say no, so I brought it home for a picture.

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I've got a manual squeezer coming from the Yardstore, along with a small assortment of dies, so I'll get back to the flaperons next week.

Today I got the header tank mounting tabs drilled and the tank situated where I want it, but not without some trouble. It took me longer than I'd like to admit to figure out how to get the hole locations marked and drilled (hold the tank in position with one hand, squeeze an Adel clamp into position with two hands, then use my fourth hand to wield the Sharpie).

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I'd like to have a frank exchange of ideas with whoever welded the tabs onto that tank. The upper left tab was placed right behind the bung for the left wing tank feed, so there's no room for the bolt. I fiddled with it for too long trying to find a position where the hole would be in a corner of the tab and might clear the bung, but had no luck. I'll have to chamfer the back edge of the bung before I do the final installation. If the tab had been attached 1-1/4" to the left, I could have turned the Adel around and put it on the other side of the fuselage tube.

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As you'll see in those photos, I also reinstalled the brass fittings for the fuel feeds, breather line and quick drain. That was a bit of a production too, as I put the sealant too near the ends of the threads and would have had squeeze-out inside the tank (I discovered this when I assembled the breather barb into its reducer bushing). So, I had to clean everything again and start over.

Once those were sorted I also installed the 90-degree NPT-to-AN fitting in the bung on the front of the tank, shortly after which it occurred to me that it's probably the wrong size (a rare 5AN, for some reason) for the 912iS installation. Removing it revealed that it had galled the first few threads, so I threw it away and ordered a 1/4 NPT tap so I can clean up the bung. Thank goodness they're a tapered thread.

Last I figured I'd make a start on re-fitting the doors. That turned into another problem: with the right door in place, clamped so that the top and front are flush with the fuselage frame, the bottom lines up pretty close, but the pointed end at the back edge is 1/2" out of alignment with the fuselage. I didn't notice it when I removed the doors because they were covered with plexi- and fiberglass.

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Has anyone else had this problem with door fitment? I would welcome any suggestions on fixing it, especially if they don't include welding since I just got the door frames back from the powder coater!

[alexM]

Nice. I was wondering who I was going to borrow a rivet squeezer from.

[Jerrytex]

You just tweak the frame. The manual mentions doing this. They call it "gently reshaping". On mine, I tweaked/bent and got it "averaged" out the best I could.

[alexM]

Agreed. Earlier I was on my phone and couldn't really see the picture very well. You just need to show that door some love. Clamp it securely by the good part and get physical. 4130 is pretty amazing stuff.

In any machine shop I have worked in the new guy/gal/other starts out deburring parts and graduates to "line up", which is making parts straight again when they come back from welding, heat treat, etc.

[Eric Page]

Nice. I was wondering who I was going to borrow a rivet squeezer from.

Ha! You read my mind. I was hoping it would be more useful than just my 38 rivets.

You just tweak the frame. The manual mentions doing this. They call it "gently reshaping". On mine, I tweaked/bent and got it "averaged" out the best I could.

Huh, I missed that. My reading comprehension skills aren't what they once were, apparently.

You just need to show that door some love. Clamp it securely by the good part and get physical. 4130 is pretty amazing stuff.

OK, guys, I'll give it a try. I was nervous because the frames are actually aluminum, not 4130. I was afraid (and still am, frankly!) that aluminum square tube will be more likely to fail suddenly than steel. Proceeding with care...

[Eric Page]

Nice. I was wondering who I was going to borrow a rivet squeezer from.

Oh, and don't buy rivets. Minimum order is 1/8 of a pound, which is a hell of a lot of 3/32 x 1/8 rivets; I have plenty.