well now i get to join the elite group of people building and flying their own planes. with this being my first i will be looking to all of you for guidance along the way. after a very good road trip on tuesday and a lot of help from theecoop i now have a big headstart on my project with a fuselage for a diferent model. after checking out the batplane and having a great time with theecoop and his friends me my grandfather and uncle loaded up in the truck and headed down to JDT to meet john. i bought my plans for the eros and after looking over the fuse i got from theecoop he even gave me the prints for it and we sat in his office and went over the prints side by side to find any modifications needed. it looks like all i need to do is change the front end, add a couple reinforcements and build the turtledeck and canopy and i will have a true eros fuse. I am so glad to be a part of this community, so far from meeting john and theecoop in person and all the wonderful people on this board i know i am in the right place.

Thunder669, You are certainly in the right place! Welcome to our group, and don't hesitate to ask any questions.  Harold

Thats cool you got to go to the factory and actually meet the head guy!  If they were to ever do an open house or some sort of event, I would definately make time to get out there for that.  I am also building an Eros, so far I only have most of the empennage completed.  I am going to order more wood for my elevator and my wing ribs tomorrow when I have access to a scanner.  Good luck to you bro.

it was very cool, and also got to see another prototype they have their. it is a super max, if that one ever makes it to production i will definately order that kit, similar to eros but 4" wider, lowered wings, and set up for the 2180 vw engine, john says it has a 90mph cruise and i got to sit in it and is very comfortable. i will be in line if it ever makes it to production that for sure, and if you ever have time or in area definately stop by, john is a hell of a nice guy

well the holidays had me running everywhere and working lots of overtime so not much progress made till this last week. well i called john and ordered some of the fiberglass parts. i also ordered some wood and an hardware to build turtledecks and canopy. because of being 6'2" i am adding 1 inch to the height of the canopy for a little more breathing room. here are some idea's for paint even though i have quite a while

Welcome to the group. I like your colour scheme.

A prototype...how wonderful...it sounds great....any photos..?

regards Arthur

glad to see you are gonna be able to start working on your project. Love the paint scheme you chose.

my grandfather took some pics but has lost his internet so i need to drive out to his place to get some copies of the pics. it appears everything is same as eros exept fuselage widend 4 inches and the spar carrythoughs now on bottom of fuse instead of top. you get in it like a traditional low wing from behind the wing, much easier, and of course the vw engine. i just talked to john the other day and he said he just added cabin heat and is flying as often as possible. he because it still in testing phase why he has not put anything on the site about it because he has no idea when it will be ready to kit. for a bigger guy like me it is so much more comfortable and i personally can't wait and hope that it does make it to market because i will definately be getting one.

352nd Fighter Group fan, by chance???

But of course, great pilots and great planes. and of course they just look really cool too

Welcome aboard! Like you I'm building my first and it too is an Eros. I can't wait and it's an awesome plane. As a flight service specialist I love talking planes and flight, so definately keep us updated. No race, I'm sure you'll be done before me as I've only done ribs and tail feathers over the last year (not much hourly work just very slow since I have very restrictive work hours and limited income). Stay with it, love the dream and get another sexy bird in the air. Pictures are key, can't wait to see them.

Quoted from thunder669 my grandfather took some pics but has lost his internet so i need to drive out to his place to get some copies of the pics. it appears everything is same as eros exept fuselage widend 4 inches and the spar carrythoughs now on bottom of fuse instead of top. you get in it like a traditional low wing from behind the wing, much easier, and of course the vw engine. i just talked to john the other day and he said he just added cabin heat and is flying as often as possible. he because it still in testing phase why he has not put anything on the site about it because he has no idea when it will be ready to kit. for a bigger guy like me it is so much more comfortable and i personally can't wait and hope that it does make it to market because i will definately be getting one.

....looking forward to seeing the pics of the new model.

Wow! Great color design, even better if colors are flat as a war planes, I already have the gray  

well got my shipment in from aircraft spruce today. i was a bit dissapointed that all the ply was warped but i think it is still workable. i also got to make some real progress today and it is really starting to take shape.i ran the stringers for the rear turtle deck and built the internal parts for the motor plate. yes that is my living room it is being built in. I obviously have the greatest girlfriend in the world that not only tolerates but brags about me building a plane in the house, has helped pay for alot of it and of course she is smoking hot.

sorry was supposed to be two different pics

Looks like your getting a great start,Keep photos coming on your progress

Its great to see new aircraft started. Try to do a little building each day and you will be surprised how fast the time goes.

ok here is my first big question the cable for the rudder and tailwheel, i see at aircraft spruce and leading edge airfoils you can get several different types. there is 7x7, 7x19, galvanized or stainless, coated or uncoated, and what is the diff between this and the cable sold at home depot? please tell me what you guys are using and why. also it seems to me that these steel cables running through the plastic guides at station 4 or the ones that change angle when they pass through at back of turtledeck to rudder would wear through quick. how do you keep it from acting like a saw and cutting through, also has anyone ever had an issue with that or am i being paranoid? just want to build it right and safe. thank you for all help

Thunder669-I just have to ask why you are buying your plywood from Aircraft Spruce rather than JDT?

I used the stainless steel 7 X 19.   The 7 X 19 is more flexable, stronger and no rust issues with stainless.  

honestly the biggest reasons are convinence and laziness. i am building this on a tight budget so i can only get a bit at a time and with places like aircraft spruce and wicks i can go online to there websites while at work at night and know exactely how much it will cost and figure out what i can order when. i know this subject was beat to death on another thread so not looking to open that can of worms but it would be great if john could update and be more active with his website. i think even if he hired somone to do it, it would more then pay for itself. when i go to order a actual kits like the rib kit i will get them from jdt but for just a couple pieces here and there for finishing the fuse it is just a lot easier to go online and a few days later it on my door. I bought this as a partially built project and just looking to finish the parts i already have before starting a new mini kit. don't get me wrong john is a great guy and i try to support his buisness as much as possible and ordered several fiberglass parts and plan to send a lot more money his way but it is a hassle when i have to call to ask how much is this piece or that piece then figure out what i can afford that week then order vs just looking it up and knowing ahead and being able to compare site to site while i at work all night long. hope this doesn't make me any enemies on here

anyone else have any input on the cable type, size, and other specifics?

The correct cable is 3/32 7x7 , The galvanized cable and cadmium plated thimbles will turn rusty and ugly within relatively short time, you will be a lot better off using stainless steel cable and thimbles that will stay new shiny looking forever

THUNDER669, If your gluing up your turtle deck this weekend make sure your two lower stringers on each side have a outward curve to them. I glued mine up straight and that's wrong. it's on the plan but i overlooked it. And for a string i used dental floss, it's thin and strong. worked good for me. the curve is for a smooth transition from the side of the fuse to the radius of the turtle deck.

If your airplane is going to be registered experimental home built it would be advantagous for you to go with aircraft grade materials, this is not a requirment, but there is usually a good reason for not relieing on hardware store stuff in important areas of an aircraft. Are you a member of the EAA? I would recommend it, they can be very helpful. The books by Tony Bengalis on aircraft construction are very halpfull.

SUPERSWAMPER, thankyou, i had over looked that i just looked at it and i have the ends glued in but not the middle supports and looks like i will have just enough play and flex in the stringers to make it look right. AERONUT, thankyou, yes i did join the EAA a couple weeks ago and last night ordered there homebuilders registration kit. i agree with you on using certified parts was just curious if there was a difference. so from what i read it will be 3/32 stainless cable but i have one answer for the 7x7 and one for 7x19. anyone else have any input? also any input on the plastic gudes wearing after time? i hope to be flying this for many fun and safe years.

I think you can get away with the 7X7 SS cable.  There are no real bends in the cable runs, like small pulley's,  and the loads are so low that breaking isn't a real worry.  

i am still a little while from this step but what is everyone using for fabric? i see on aircraft spruce that the poly fiber fabric lite 1.8 oz is $7.65 a yd and the Dacron fabric lite 1.8oz is only 3.25 a yd. is there a difference between the two or is it like everything else are you paying for the name? i am also planning on using stewart system because building in the house i like the idea of no harmful fumes. not sure if that makes a difference also. I hope to fly this summer but that is going to take some penny pinching, but i want to be sure i do it in the right area's so i still have a good safe plane that will last for many years.

I believe jdt sent me 1.6 oz darcon

The cheaper, unlabled dacron is what I always use and it comes with a Superfite stamp.  I don't know if there is a difference, but it's not an inferior product.  Superflite fabric was included in the original TEAM kits.

Don't worry about the plastic guides.  They don't saw through.  When built per plans and properly cared for, the airplane is designed to last.