Quoted from texasbuzzard

Ok Brian we want to hear the engine run....please

Monte

Getting real close Monte! Very soon!

When you planning on doing the weight and balance for the aircraft?

Quoted from PUFF

When you planning on doing the weight and balance for the aircraft?

Not too much longer I suspect! Still lots of little options things to do. And I am sloooowwww

Once your weight and balance are done, you'll be very very close.

Phew this detail stuff is progressing. All flight controls installed and safety wired in place. Including safety "kits" on elevator pushrods.fuel lines in place along with gascolator. Gascolator mounted behind seat. I used all stainless steel braided lines and AN fittings. I was the lucky receipient of left over fuel system lines and fitting from my hanger mates. The final cost was very low. Notice the door under gascolator for access and maintenance. I will take outside pics later.

One more of fuel lines...... starting to fit cowl. The TEAM cowl is molded for the non electric start vw engine. Mine has a front mounted starter with a large starter ring. This requires some modification. You see the begininnings here. First cutouts such as carberator are done using cardboard templates then cowl slid under cardboard and marked. 0nce these cotout are made......

One more

Then slowly small piece at a time front of cowl needs to be modified so that it fits behind starter ring and opening for starter. That's where I stopped today. It's a bit rough. Sort of like cutting a field with a scythe.... Next foam will be glued in place to give everything a smooth transition. Then fiberglassed over.....sort of like smoothing out the same field with a lawnmower.  I will post pics as I progress. I needed to move forward to this step before starting engine. It's getting cold around here. Soon Fiberglass and epoxy will not cure due to the low temperatures! Right now days are only 30 degrees F or 0 C non-USA people! I use a heat fan to help the parts cure. Soon temps will average 0 F or -18 at that point the fan doesn't help.  

WOW that is an impressive amount of work that you are tackling there. I hope all continues to go well with the build. May the Force be with you.

Quoted from aeronut

WOW that is an impressive amount of work that you are tackling there. I hope all continues to go well with the build. May the Force be with you.

Thanks Aeronut.... it's like a roll of toilet paper now. Seems like the closer I get to the end the faster it goes!!!!  I mentioned my electric fan for curing epoxy. Here are a couple pics from a couple weeks ago. I needed to glue on firewall. Night temps. We're dropping into the 20 F range. To cold for T-88. I placed the fan on low in the nose. Using a thermometer I measured max temp at 96-98  degrees. You could feel the nose of airplane in firewall area was a comfortable warm feel. I left this on for three days... coming back once a day to check of course. the cool amber color is from the LED light ring on the fan. Let's you know what temp setting you have it on. Red high, yellow low, blue fan only. That looks red, but actually it's yellow....

My shop was -10 F this morning, I turned on the heat and managed to get it up to 34 degrees, just make sure to have some good gloves before things start to warm up as those metal things called wrenches like to stick to bare skin when it's that cold.

Little update of fuel tank install. The plans show longer screws thru thru the covers into cross braces. I found lining up cross braces difficult with covers on. Soooo I drilled and tapped 4/40 screws next to cover screws. That way cross braces lined up and "screwed" into position then cover put into position and screwed into position. In the second picture you see the "black 4/40 screws recessed into braces. I put in the cover screws next to then without cover so you can see what I am talking about. Also a side note.... all threads into wood "hardened" with thin CA glue! I had showed this on a previous post, but thought it was worth posting again.
B-

Quoted from cliff

My shop was -10 F this morning, I turned on the heat and managed to get it up to 34 degrees, just make sure to have some good gloves before things start to warm up as those metal things called wrenches like to stick to bare skin when it's that cold.

Wow that's coooold! Are you able to glue in that temp. ? I know T-88 has a minimum temp of 35 F!

Excellent work!
I installed shutoff valves and a quick disconnect for each tank. It helps when removing the wings.
Your high quality work and  (aeroquip?) fuel lines make my work look like a cheap labor!      
(Picture was taken when building)

Quoted from Ricardo

Excellent work!
I installed shutoff valves and a quick disconnect for each tank. It helps when removing the wings.
Your high quality work and  (aeroquip?) fuel lines make my work look like a cheap labor!      
(Picture was taken when building)

Thanks Recardo! Not aeroquip....but great quality PTFE lines. Braided stainless steel and all AN aluminum fittings. Trust me if my hanger mates had not volunteered their leftover stuff I would be close to your exact setup! Yours is very neat and functional!!It sometimes pays to be the last one in the group to be flying. No new pics really. But things moving along quite well. All nitpick stuff. I expect to have engine run up videos real soon for you guys! Getting real close!👍

Moving the planes around today. Minimax going to front of hanger by the doors so she can easily be moved outside for engine run ups! Took  a couple "outside " pictures. Cold weather canopy on. Need to bring home cowl for painting. Next week fuel flow tests! Then oil change. And time foe engine run ups! Who hooo big push by me to loose 22 more pounds! Very very close now! Behind me you can make out the Sonex and behind that a Long easy!

Couple more....BTW 3 years last month I started this project!!!!! Where does the time go! Merry Christmas everybody......Have a great holiday......which ever one you celebrate!

That is freeking awesome! Great inspiration for me. I hope everything goes well! Am looking forward to your engine run-ups!

Your plane and it's progress is looking great as always. It's always nice to see a plane assembled and outside rather than components and pieces in a shop or basement. Finish line is in sight now for sure. That last 10% of a build seems to take forever, doesn't it?

You mentioned 22# loss to go yet. I forget now, but what was your total weight loss goal from the beginning? You're looking good.....and rest assured, I'm not flirting.

Lynn

Looking great. It has been quite a journey and you have done a fantastic job. Merry Christmas Brian.

Wow Brian your max looks great. What a long journey for you and your aircraft but you are near the end. Hope you and your family have a great Christmas.

Monte

Merry Christmas Brian for you and your family!
What a fantastic present you've made for yourself. Also waiting for the first engine tests.

Awesome, congrats! Merry Christmas and happy New year to everybody!

Brian what are you down to now?

Quoted from PUFF

Brian what are you down to now?

I am a stealthy 272 from 369 when the build started. Down from a life time high of 569 I need 250 to fly .......


A quick update....firewall forward continues. But more work than planned but progressing smoothly. Also since it was a subject earlier... I needed to secure the BRS. Chute straps to LG legs. . I went thru a bunch of ideas and finally went the KISS method (Ulbuilder thanks for some of the ideas you sent me). Here you see some aluminum material about 1/4 wide I put heat shrink material over the strip for abrasion protection then bent them as shown. I then secured the straps to LG legs with sticky back Velcro and finally screwed the brackets on as shown. Also in the last picture you can clearly see the wind powered generator!  Getting real close here folks!

And one more. I will have some firewall forward pics soon

A quick weight update . Since it Is an important component to the build........
Picture one and two........ all 569 pounds of me  12 years ago....time to change my life!!!!!
Then picture 3......3 years ago.....369 at start of This build...
Finally current picture from about 6-8 weeks ago 278


Everything coming together......
Goals From begininning of build. Started 3 years ago....
(1)loose 120 pounds 98 lost 22 to go. In the home stretch....Will complete by spring ( modified from my original goal of 100)
(2)Get light enough to get my pilots license......completed Dec 26 2015!
(2)Finish V-Max..... getting very close. Will fly by spring!!!
Thanks for all the support over the last 3 years where does the time go!!!!..time to "bring it home"!!!!

Thats awesome progress on your weight goals, Brian!!! Good job.....

A question for you.....have you considered laying up a more streamlined cowl for your engine? Just was thinking about this at work today.

I've said this over and over but I really think the story of the combination of your goals personal goals and your airplane construction, would make a really great and inspiring book.  All you'd have to do would be take each post of your progress and your pictures and expand the post into a coherent bit of narrative.  Just write what you know in detail right off from the beginning.  Write it long and don't worry, an editor will clean it up as needed.

Tom

First a book, then a movie deal!