Thanks, Aeronut - good points.  I will be sure to safety wire them before I commit aviation!

Puff, I'm still concerned about your comment on the trim tab spring position. Can you say why it should be on the bottom? Thanks.

Bruce

I guess it depends on how gentle that dive will be?

The trim tab setup looks fine to me, I would just suggest a stop or some other scheme to limit or prevent "down" trim.

For the cable configuration the spring is where it has to be.  The cable is in a pull-pull configuration so it needs the spring to create the other pull.

Now if the cable breaks or comes apart... there is going to be a LOT of down and the pilot is going to have to be pulling very hard very quickly.

How well does a 'max do in an outside loop?

True - but the alternative is a sudden very strong nose up pitch.

Of the two, I'll take the nose down.

Bruce

That won't happen if you put a restraint on the trim travel, so if the cable breaks it won't have a drastic effect on the plane attitude.

Yes, good idea. I can limit the travel with a short cable between the lower horn & the cable bracket. Sorted!

yes, if you can fix it so that a gentle up or down then it might not be so bad.

I think I have finally finished the airframe, ready to cover. So yesterday I wheeled the fuselage outside, & carried all the other loose bits out. I found a shady spot under some trees (it was 95 degrees in the shade outside. And 104 in my workshop) to assemble the bunch of bits.

It all went together reasonably well, though some of the rigging pins & bolts were a bit reluctant to go in. I wouldn't like to rig every time I go flying.

I noted any problems, & got my mate from down the road to look over it for anything obvious I might have missed before I cover it all.  As has been said on this forum, after all that work it seems a shame to cover the wooden bits - they look really nice naked!

I took some photos, see below. It's not a good background, but better than being out in the sun. Then I tore it all down again, put it back in the shed, & walked away until after Christmas.

Next step covering - Oh joy  

Bruce

More. . .

Even more

Last ones - honest!

Congratulations! Great craftsmanship, you'll enjoy the covering as well.
Throttle on the right hand side. Is that because you guys drive on the left hand side? Just being curious.

She looks like its time for the feathers. Cause that is what you built her for FLYING. Save the pictures cause in five years they will be priceless.

Thanks guys!

Ricardo, I put the throttle on the right hand side because I am left handed, & I prefer to use my left hand on the stick. One of the advantages of building a personal plane  

Bruce

What a shame that wild dingo's stripped all the fabric off of such a pretty airplane! You know I'm just joking.

Now I'm NOT joking....it looks GREAT. As pretty as MiniMAXs are "naked" I can't wait to see it covered.

Lynn

absolutely Lovely work Bruce ......and I want more photos not LESS...LOL.

Good work on the throttle...I figured your were Left handed before I saw the responses.

what colours are you choosing Bruce..?

regards Arthur

Bruce its lovely !  This piece of art make sense to cover it with transparent material. You would be the first who can see thru the wings.

I appreciate your appreciation, Lynn, Arthur & Peter - it's great to have encouragement when you're working alone without any kindred spirits in the flesh.

Arthur, I'll have to go with mainly white to reflect the hot Aussie sunshine. I would go silver but some bugger has already done that
I want to go for the retro look as I see the Max as a traditional type plane. I'll add some contrast colour - maybe blue. A trawl through some old taildragger pix may give me some ideas. I loved the look of that midnight blue Max at your toy run, but I'd be too worried about heat soak softening my glue

Peter, I'd love to cover the wings with Mylar, mainly to improve the downward visibility for watching the wildlife. That's the advantage you have with your HiMax.

Bruce

Hi Bruce

We need more pictures before you cover her, I agree!  
Great achievement!

I can't wait to see her taking you up in the sky!

Cheers
Reto

Very nice Bruce, Airplane porn for sure!

well silver aircraft do FLY well....also I love Larry Vetters double blue and white minimax. Drop him a line Im sure he will send you heaps of photos on request.

Ohh Pauls Minimax I think is left over paint from the Smithys replica southern cross....see photo...Now Blue and silver is also nice and classic

regards Arthur

Now that I'm getting a bit nearer First Flight (though it's still a way off  ) I've joined my local flying club, started flying again, & got a space reserved in their hangar.

That made me think about the need for other pilots having to move my little plane around to get theirs out, & hopefully put it  back in.

I'm a bit concerned about non-ultralight pilots giving my little baby a hard time, for example lifting by the tailplane (horizontal stabilizer) to move it around.

So I made some detachable handles, which I'll leave in place when I put the Max to bed, and add some placards saying "no lift" on the tailplane & "lift here" near the handles.. It might just save some clumsy/thoughtless person putting his fingers through the Dacron.


I made a hard point just forward of the tail, where there is already a 1/8" crossmember. The cleats are from 1/4" ply, with a 1/8" ply doubler on the inside face of the ply longeron. A short length of 1/2" dia ally tube is epoxied to these brackets.

The handle itself is a 5" length of 3/8" dia ally tube that is a nice fit inside the fixed socket. I tapped this M8 & fitted a short length sawn from a bolt & Loctited in place. The tubing is all spare from my build.

If 3/8" diameter seems a bit skinny, this was deliberate. It will start to bend before excess loads are fed into the aircraft structure proper, but should be adequate for light ground handling.

Incidentally, in the 3rd pic you can see a test piece of dummy wing structure I made for practice, both for heat shrinking the Dacron & later for rib stitching. I'm calibrating my iron at the moment, checking temperature ranges for the markings I've added.

For flying away from my local field, I'll keep the handles in a little box I made that mounts to the bulkhead behind the seatback. I will keep various small light bits & pieces in here: measure for 2 stroke oil; spare plugs; some Castrol TTS, minimal tools etc.

You are a very thoughtful, consecrate man. I really like your work with the airplane. Hope all goes well for you in the community hanger.  

Outstanding craftsmanship, attention to detail and finish of all your airplane parts. Your photography is dead-on sharp and inclusive. I have enjoyed reading about your project as well as the comments others have made. I am in awe of your workmanship and ability to explain in detail what you are doing and why you do things in a particular way. Keep it up.

Paul Fiebich

Thankyou Gentlemen (but it is only a lifting handle!)

I posted because there isn't much on builds at the moment on the board (although Brian is doing a superb job on his covering & painting).  I hope Reto will be back soon to inspire me.

Paul, I use an old Panasonic Lumix TZ5 'point & shoot' camera that I've had for 7 or 8 years. But it's always been a great little tool. Glad you're enjoying my story  

Bruce

Quoted from beragoobruce

Thankyou Gentlemen (but it is only a lifting handle!)

I posted because there isn't much on builds at the moment on the board (although Brian is doing a superb job on his covering & painting).  I hope Reto will be back soon to inspire me.

Paul, I use an old Panasonic Lumix TZ5 'point & shoot' camera that I've had for 7 or 8 years. But it's always been a great little tool. Glad you're enjoying my story  

Bruce

Here's a picture of the way I did mine. A 1" aluminum tube that I insert through a fiberglass tube mounted in the fuselage. So far I haven't forgot to remove it before take off.

I usually find with shared hangars its not other Hangar mates that are the issue, because the respect is a two way street...its their friends or children who know nothing of aircraft...who try to sit on the 'tail' when unsupervised.

I leased space in my hangar for 10 years.....so I have the tee shirt....LOL

Simple rules and boundaries are the solution with good 'PILOTS'...but TTT we could use a hidden camera...LOL

cheers Arthur

Quoted Text

For ME, the idea of having my Max in a community hanger would keep me awake at night

Well, it's not ideal. I'd rather have my personal hangar on my own strip. But that's not going to happen this lifetime. . .

So the local flying club is next best option. It has a 5700' asphalt runway, & a 5600' grass strip. I will be one of 3 planes in a hangar. There is a nice little clubhouse on the airfield. It is a 30 minute drive from my house.  And with unlimited takeoff & landings, it costs me $20 per month. (That's Australian dollars, so about 14 of your American dollars.)

So I guess I'll just have to live with it  

Bruce