so here is my build. I have plan #1313P, 7/12/93, 1400Z. So its only 20 years in the making. About 5 years ago I ordered Clear Vertical Grain Douglas Fir. And it sat under the bench til Nov of 12. The in cut and planed it to 1/4 X 1/4 strips. I started a few ribs then got busy and was on the road for a while. Ordered a rudder kit jan 13. Started up again on the ribs in nov/dec 13 and ordered the second Rudder kit. So I have 16 ribs and one good rudder/fin assembly so far. Laying out the stab now. I don't want to glue anything yet as I am headed back out until maybe just before Easter. I screwed up the first rudder by trying to get it glued before a trip and when I got back 3 weeks later saw how bad it really was. Luckily all wood working mistakes burn.

so more pictures

On this one you can see the mismatch between the rib and the diagonal. I am thinking of putting some sandpaper on a straight edge and sanding until they all match. Any better suggestions

Last of the pictures. I guess I haven't taken a bunch.

Quoted from alex3

Luckily all wood working mistakes burn.

;D Thks for the good laugh! Good work!

Ok. Back in town for a few days. Vacation over, got the replacement front deck finished, the pool deck torn down so the pool can be gone. So I found myself in the garage with time on my hands. So finished the stab layout and glued the stringers in. No gussets yet. That will be tomorrow or Wednesday if I am not out of town again. Reading the plans on sheet 11 & 12 the Stab holes to be drilled say "to be drilled at assembly". Am I correct in assuming this means the Rudder/stab/fusealge assembly?

You're looking good.. just keep on keepin on...

Quoted from alex3

Reading the plans on sheet 11 & 12 the Stab holes to be drilled say "to be drilled at assembly". Am I correct in assuming this means the Rudder/stab/fusealge assembly?

I would also assume it means when all the parts(rudder/stab/fuselage) are fitted together. Keep up the good work. Looks great.

Well I guess there is no turning back now. It looks like a great job. Thanks for posting the pictures.  :)

Holy Cow! 3 straight days of work on the H Stab. only thing left on the top side is the thicker ply gussets. I am hoping to get it complete before I start traveling again next week. Pictures later.

these are the pictures of my completed(mostly) Stab

this is a picture of the leading edge. I used a 1/2 round router bit but I am not really happy with the shape. I'll have to fix it up by hand.

The first picture is what I have completed. the Stab pieces will join them.

the second is what I use to mix the T-88 on. I just quarter the cereal box panels.
The third and fourth pictures are the best (ok. one of the best) purchases I have made for the build. I got the mini spring clamps for $2 and the mini bar clamps for $1 at Harbor Freight. I got the 2 tubes and 26 clamps. Right now the bar clamps are $1.99. If the ever go back on sale I'll get 25 more.

Building done for the most part for the year. Out on the road until Dec 13

The clamps in picture four are what I have. They are very handy. Good buy and good progress.

While doing all my traveling, I decided that I would buy the spar caps from TEAM rather than try and pick and choose my own from rough stock. (drove to Middletown Lumber about 4 hrs away for my vg doug fir on Dec 6). So I called TEAM and the price for the RS9CS and also RS8 for the fuselage longerons was quite reasonable. Shipping on the other hand was astronomical. (RS9 is 12 ft and RS8 is 10 ft). I was on vacation from 12/22 until 12/31, my wife was working 12/29 and there I was left to my own devices. So me and the truck took a trip to Niles MI. Even counting tolls and diesel (my time is free of course) it came in less than half of the shipping quote. Plus I got to go to the factory and had enough left in the account to order a set of Epic plans. So, because of family obligations, I had part of the day on the 30th and 31st and none of the day on the 1st and 2nd. So I got the fuselage laid out on the bench and started milling the vg doug fir for the remaining RS8 and started on RS10 and RS4. I think that since I have everything set up I will mill as much of the RS that I can before starting on the fuselage construction. (Plus Pap Pap(me) was "volunteered"to make cedar chests for his 3 grand daughters just like he made for their mommy, so I planing a bunch of cherry also.) So I will get pictures when possible. However If someone can point me to anyone else's pictures of their fuselage build I would appreciate it.

Hi Alex

Looks like you're making good progress.

You asked for fuselage build pix - mine are in my 'Eros build in Oz' thread, here:

http://www.lonesomebuzzards.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1409444380/s-0/

Fuse pix are in posts 27 to 34.

Good luck with your build.

Bruce

Thanks Bruce! Temps here in the teens and single digits so no real work until Saturday. The furnace tries mightily but for the amount of time I would get to spend working in
The evening, I would still be cold and wasting gas. Saturday I fire up the wood stove also so by 10am or so it even get towards hot. So I will spend that time going over your photos. Hope I can do a good a job as you!

Keep up the good work!  It's a bunch of small projects! A little hint is to feather the gussets before gluing them on.  It will save a Lot of work later!

So I lied. Last evening went in and put the ledger strip down the middle of the bench as BigBrixx has. My back likes that much better! started to make a scarfing jig some a Bigbrixx but then it was time for dinner then the Penguin game. Today I stopped at staples and had ten sheets printed from the Vmax plans. Corrected the 1st station dimension as they are different between the HI and V max. Gave up on the scarfing jig and put together a taper jig for the table saw. Right now it is fixed at the longeron scarf angle but later I will make it adjustable. Then feet were just too cold, so called it an evening.

After a Chinese fire drill to Mobile last Friday and Saturday, I cut and glued the scarf on the long longeron. So they got to cure until today. Tried cutting the angles on the lower fuselage. Did ok with the RS8 parts but had trouble with the RS10 parts. Then, just because the layout just didn't look right, I checked my square. It isn't anymore. So laid out out the fuselage again. Anyway here is the net result of my work today


I could hear the wood stove cheering me on

After a Chinese fire drill to Mobile last Friday and Saturday, I cut and glued the scarf on the long longeron. So they got to cure until today. Tried cutting the angles on the lower fuselage. Did ok with the RS8 parts but had trouble with the RS10 parts. Then, just because the layout just didn't look right, I checked my square. It isn't anymore. So il ayes out the fuselage again. Anyway here is the net result of my work today

Whenever I try to build something two or three of them end up in the scrap pile before I get a keeper. All part of the fun.

Quoted from flydog

Whenever I try to build something two or three of them end up in the scrap pile before I get a keeper. All part of the fun.

Yes....been there....still doing that.....LOL. I made about 15 aileron brackets befor I got 6 I was happy with! It sure is a learning process. But it has been very satisfying! Keep up the great work!

remade the scarf on the longerons. (don't understand cut it twice and it's still too short) got most of the fuselage parts cut before I cut the one longeron too short and then discovered that the other was made too short to begin with. Put them back in the angle jig and cut just a hair further down from the glue line, cut longer pieces to scarf and then matched their bevel on the sander. Now they are glued and drying. I am hoping to start cutting the diagonals by Monday, then maybe gluing the pieces together on Saturday. Then I will be on the road for a week so the glue can dry well.

[quote=249]remade the scarf on the longerons. (don't understand cut it twice and it's still too short)

That is a problem that we all have at times and I've found that it's hard to confess to but actually it's caused by a FAULTY PENCIL....

Yup been there and done that. Those darn pencils will get you every time. I usually run out of eraser way before the pencils used up. :-/

that's why I have these

and these

Ok, so got to glue the fuselage halves. Everything fir together fine when dry but the 1st half pieces kept sliding when epoxied, so I stapled most joints and let dry for a day. The 2nd half pieces wanted to slide and rise up so I stapled and then put bricks on the frame. the will have about 2 weeks to dry. Also I posting my pictures of my testing jig on the thread about new member and spruce.

Alex,

What are your plans for fuel tank(s) for your Himax?    I have two 5 gal Team wing tanks with caps and fittings, never used, that I would let you have for $125 plus shipping.

This is how she is going to sit until I can get back to it.

So since I am still at a crossroads as to what engine is going on How about this Idea? I measured back 14" from the front of the fuselage (Eros fuse layout). That actually falls inside the RS8 member. But I want to glue in the RS11 material as shown. That is what the Vmax uses at 18 1/2". I am thinking that if I ever go to a full VW all I have to do is lop off the nose to that point. Is this feasible? Or am I over thinking, over building this?

for the hi max you need to shorten the nose for full vw. just make sure you measure off build line. the measurements are different.if your sides are not put together yet you can lay them on what you built them on and measure again. then you can cut off the extra

This is what I was plying with today. Diagonals in the front extra piece at seatbelt attach and corner flier in rear. Nothing is glued yet. Maybe tomorrow, if not Easter-weekend.

One more

Looking  good; every step ahead and the next thing you know you will be flying. :)

OK, Back to building after 8 years I guess. Got the full HImax kit. Picked it up at TEAM on Monday. Will start to inventory Friday

So Inventory is done. only missing a few parts. Going really slowly. Moved 10 yds of mulch and 27 tons of #2 river rock. So some days just didn't have the energy to do anything on the plane. Got the rudder pieces cut. trailing edge jig helps a lot. Pictures to follow.

pictures

So family reunion come and gone. Did the elevator in that time. Glue up and clamp leading edges for horizontal leading edges. Got a 3/4 " roundover bit to do the roundover. THe Vertical fin went well, The horizontal stabilizer not so well.  So finished the Vertical fin and cut and installed the hinges. Texted Dave about getting a price and delivery on more RS17-53 to redo the leading edges. Don't have a date ot price yet.
Removed the 6' and 4' steel rules I was using for a reference edge and installed 1/4 round as the reference edge. Started laying out fuselage and even trying to cut the RS10 cabin base, using scrap wood so I don't waste the good wood! Next week is all used up already so it'll be probably 2 weeks before I get back to it

Longerons cut and epoxied. Angles on RS10s cut RS8s cut. Next time available to do work week of Aug 7.

I haven't been idle, just lazy about putting anything on. I have both sides of fuse glued and front ply put on. Had to scarf the RS10 on one side because even though I cut it twice it was still short. It was a bad day. Anyway got all parts for both sides cut and dry fit both alone and on top of each other as per instructions. everything was perfect. side 1 glued together well. Put side 2 together on top dry and it all lined up. took it apart to put plastic sheet and started gluing, I had to hammer some pieces in!  anyway onward. after 2 days removed sides, the bottom tapered part of the 2nd was about less than 1/8" off. so got that planed out. skinned the right side. 2 days later skinned the left side. Drilled 1/4" holes for seat bet attachments. Cleaned up all glue smears and squeeze out with heat gun and scraper. Since I'm not happy with how the pieces shifted during gluing added extra material around seatbelt support. Made the Station 4 bulkhead according to plans. It was ~1/8 inch short. Remade at 19 5/8 height. Friday I'll take all clamps off and check for height. Put center line on bench. Measure for sides. Will make squares to keep sides square during assembly.

rest of pictures

Great progress.
Thanks for posting the pictures.

Why don’t you try a briggs and Straton redrive engine?
It is a cheap and readily available engine.
See:  https://youtu.be/trH2tAC7fpI?feature=shared

In my model I will use a 438cc single cylinder…

My himax is 99% ready…

Quoted from raphael150

My himax is 99% ready…

  very nice build.Looks like it will be a miracle to fly with the 440cc single industrial engine unless some serious upgrades have been done to it as its rated at 18 hp out of the box.even if upgrades enhance the power by 50% then only 26-27 hp will be available.will that be enough to fly the Himax ?

Quoted from mullacharjak

  very nice build.Looks like it will be a miracle to fly with the 440cc single industrial engine unless some serious upgrades have been done to it as its rated at 18 hp out of the box.even if upgrades enhance the power by 50% then only 26-27 hp will be available.will that be enough to fly the Himax ?

The engine manufacturer says it puts out 40hp with all the changes, and belt redrive. At 6300 top rpm, a re-drive of 2.5/1, and a 61x28” propeller it delivers from 90 to 100kg of static thrust at sea level: I just need a 70kg of thrust to fly considering my Himax empty weight will be 130kg, my weight is 63kg, and the fuel is 17kg. Thump air is producing a similar engine. Watch the videos…

https://youtu.be/swBVXPkzWUo?feature=shared

https://youtu.be/Vx8EWA4SomA?feature=shared

I would be a bit sceptical that a 440cc 4-stroke puts out 40 hp. Normal figures are 100hp/litre for 2-stroke, and 50hp/litre for a 4-stroke.

Of course there are engines tuned to improve on these figures, but its usually at the expense of longevity and/or very high revs.

If the engine you've found does produce 40 or so hp there'll be a lot of homebuilders using it.

Just a quick update. Having a hell of a time trying to get photos loaded. Today put the Plywood on the longerons and installed the diagonals. The nose is pulled in, and bottom skin on. by the end of the week I want to have pulled the fuse off the table and be working on the top of the fuselage