Update after a while: Pedals exist now! Sort of! The black parts are 3D printed but will be metal soon enough, hard to get machine time when the shop is closed..
Sorry for the vertical video, it was for a snapchat to a friend!
I have a different concern from the folks above. You mentioned reinforcing some areas with carbon fiber or fiberglass. I would only do this if you are a real expert in structures and composites. Why? Because it is really easy in thinking you are strengthening something to actually weaken the structure. Carbon fiber is especially problematic because of its very low stretch. If there actually is an area that is under strength the carbon fiber has to replace the entire required strength. You can't "add a bit" to "reinforce" a weak structure because the carbon fiber will take ALL the load until it fails leaving a stress concentration right at the spot you felt was too weak to begin with thus leaving you with a much weaker structure than you started with. I've been investigating this sort of thing for many years and the pit falls are many. The above is just one example. Get all the expertise you can in on the decision. If at all possible just restore any damaged or deteriorated parts, look for bad glue joints etc. Trying to reinforce is really tricky and the original structure works.
Oh yeah I should probably delete that because I'm not doing that anymore. For the reasons you mentioned. It's been a while since then and I've been able to look the plane over and its.. honestly all fine. Very good condition. Just needs to be finished.
I want to mention that my airplane is going to be very complicated and full of electronics because that's my passion and pretty much why I'm doing this at all... Because its cool!
I've been up to a lot. I also just bought a house so I have my work workshop to finally work on her!
Here is the newest cockpit I've designed. The left screen runs ifly gps for navigation/synthetic vision and takes in data from a stratux for ADSB and weather, and the right is my usual custom interface. Ignore how blank the screen is, still filling it out with data.
And I'm designing an aerodynamic cowling for my 440A. It's not done yet but I have a new 3d scanner coming that should make easy work of finishing it up. The goal is to force feed the rear cooling fan blower with air and then use a series of louvers to suck the exhaust air out. Plus a lower reverse cowl scoop thing to suck more ambient air out of the engine bay.
I like this a lot because it really feels like a plane with this on.
Finally, I have done some test engine run-ups before I moved, and it is able to sustain realistic temps!
Takeoff throttle for a few minutes followed by maximum cruise throttle for about 20 minutes yielded CHT's of 270F for the rear cylinder and 320F for the front cylinder, stabilized. EGT's were both 1000 degrees. So I could probably tune some more power into it, but boy golly it was pulling hard.
Also, to close off, here's a picture of my new workshop! And this is only half of it, the other half is a better insulated electronics shop.
quick question: I didn't see a prop in the picture. Was your prop installed while the engine was running? prop loading is important, and changes everything.
I've made significant strides on the cowling design. The construction method will be printing all the major pieces in very small thin honeycomb internal structured shapes with my soon to be finished large format (24x24x36" area) 3d printer, to form very very light, but accurately shaped and very crush resistant cores to then carbon fiber or fiberglass over and make perfectly shaped, very light weight sandwich core panels. I hope it works out as well as I'm thinking, if so, the entire cowl setup should weigh less then 10 pounds, including hinges, latches, and hardware, and improve aerodynamic performance and cooling dramatically. That forced air cooling fan is extremely powerful, however, so I'm not terribly worried.
DO NOT HINGE that engine cowling in that manner. If it pops open in flight, you a Dead Duck. Think speed brake.
for my money, I would just put in 4 simple hold downs to be able to remove the cowling when I wanted.
While you are thinking about all these modifications, I'll reiterate what Harold "Skip" Little always told me. "If you throw it in the air and it comes back down, it doesn't belong in an airplane" ....
Essentially, additional weight should be thought out carefully for the benefits.
Oh I'm well aware that it should not hinge that way.. I just couldn't really do anything else without colliding with the prop. I planned on having two separate systems to anchor it down, if I continue with the hinge. It was essentially going to be treated as if it was the free mounted, the hinges just for my benefit making it easy to mess with on the ground.
As for weight.. I relocated the 5 gallon fuel tank in the nose of the plane to the wing because my feet cant fit under it, so I figured I may as well start making that weight back up with parts that are aerodynamic, you know?
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