This week I got a start on the lathe work to make the forward roll bellcrank, five shipsets worth. It's a little steel weldment featuring a vertical tube with ball bearings stuffed into recesses in each end, and a long bolt down the center. I generally dislike designing around long bolts like that, but in this case it makes it so much easier, and they're only $1.25 each.
Meanwhile, Brad has made a mockup of the control stick and the pitch circuit, and tried it out in his fuselage. He's also finished the mold for bulkhead 6 lower and done a very nice looking pull using resin infusion.
This week the Modesto Steel truck dropped about 200 lbs of steel tubing in my driveway, so now I'm going to get started making the alignment armatures for the wing internal parts. That's right after I finish the washout survey, adjust the lower molds accordingly, and transfer the adjustments to the upper molds. And after I make the jigs for the roll bellcrank so I can keep Brad in parts.
The photos:
Three shots of the control stick mockup, executed in wooden dowel.
The aft elevator bellcrank (the one at the root of the vertical fin shear web) and the gear retract cockpit lever, alodined. I like the yellow color.
Bulkhead number 6, laid up and sucked down ready for infusion.
A few minutes later, fully infused.
The pivot parts for the forward roll bellcranks, five sets. Optimistic much, ya think?
Bulkhead 6 lower, freshly pulled and trimmed.
And in the aircraft. Fits nice.
Starting on the mold for the fender of the pneumatic tailwheel.
Homebuilt aviation is not for folks who don't try things at home.
page updated 4 April 2008 all text and graphics copyright (c) 2008 HP Aircraft,
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