Michael,

I read with interest your post on lessons learned with the CH650 canopy install. Yours looks great in the photo. I am just starting the canopy and spent the last couple days installing the locking mechanism and rear hoop/roll bar assembly. The dreaded canopy itself is next and I would surely benefit from any tips or tricks you learned along the way. If you have any more photos to share that would be great as well. Questions like

what did you rivet in place before fitting the canopy?
what did you use to cut the acrylic?
proper marking and fitting technique, etc.

Thanks in advance for any tips you can provide.

Best regards,

Dave Gardea

Guys
I think we had a very good turnout for our first meeting at Hicks Airfield with over 16 people attending.
We had a couple of wives attending as well, and if this grows let's hope to see more at the future meetings.
The food was good and Rio Concho was a very good Host. I think the best part was meeting with so many people
and sharing ideas and information about our Zenith Aircraft projects. I was impressed with not only with our eMail
effort to get the meeting organized but news speading by word of mouth. I now feel that there are other people
I can talk to when I run into a question or a problem with my project. The eMail lists are great and Zenith has good support
, but it is great to be able to talk to other builders who may have solved your problem already or know of someone
who has knowledge they can share. The contacts that we may have with local vendors, EAA Tech advisor, FAA Local folks,
DAR's are all valuable information to first time builders. Heck just the encouragement that I received was worth attending
the meeting.


Floyd

PS
Here is a list of names and hopefully correct email addresses

Name Project eMail Address

Floyd Gantt CH 650 fgantt@texaviation.com,
Glenn Morris CH 650 glenn.d.morris@lmco.com,
Gary Bassham CH 601XL burbby@yahoo.com,
Mike Herder CH 601HD michealherder@beckgroup.com,
Wayne Lyons CH 701STOL waydon@ntin.net,
Eddie Poteet CH 650 erpoteet@hotmail.com,
Doug Eady CH 601XL doug.eady@att.net,
Jay Bannister CH 601XL jaybannist@cs.com,
Tom Orsborn CH 601XL tom.orsborn@verizon.net,
Jon Burns CH 650 lsapilot@hotmail.com,
Danny Offill CH 601XL danny@offill.com,
David Hanson CH 601HD flyer_75482@yahoo.com,

Mike
Failed Recipient: michealherder@beckgroup.com
Reason: Remote host said: 550 No such user - psmtp
I sent a email to the DFW Builders about a Meeting in September.
Fellow Builders and those lucky stiffs that are flying.=0D=0A=0D=0ASeptembe=
is almost here and Fall can't be far away and with cooler weather means fall
lying or as most of us are doing building on our birds. I know some of our
group went to EAA Air Adventure and I was thinking it would be nice is one
of them would give us a brief update. I know we have some members that have made progress in their projects and might want to give an update to the group. Hopefully some of us have meet new builders or friends to invite to join the group for breakfast. I know that Zenith has an Open Hanger Day and Fly-in Gathering on Sept. 19,2009 but the 5th, 12th, and the 26th are open to have breakfast and meeting. I know Rio Concho would be glad to host a meeting at their place at Hicks Airfield. We could line up some speakers or just have an ad hoc meeting. Let's open the discussion and see what falls out.

Michael, you need to update your project status, it still says "less than half". You are obviously in the "98% done with 50% to go" stage...

Hi Michael
Thanks for your comment. It certainly made me feel happier about the install. I too used .032 wire and I am running low. Did you know that you guys only pay $10 US per pound of wire compared to our $30-$50 AUD depending where you buy it? We get ripped of something shocking over here. Lucky I have a Spruce order ready to place. I found that if you waste lots of wire perfecting the technique, I ended up with a technique that worked everytime and could wire a pair of those bolts in about 2 mins. Well worth the wire wasted hey. You certainly have the most unique and prettiest HD I have ever seen. Well done.

Phill

Congrats on having completed the building phase and moving on to the flying phase.

Floyd

Congrats on the first flight. Good to see another CH601HD take flight. I have the CH601XL forward opening canopy on my CH601HD, but like the look of your CH650 canopy. Fly safe.

Bob

Wow...first time I've seen that.  I will check my serial numbers.

Michael,

Have 5 hr.s now on the Piper Sport and appreciate your comments on the nose wheel.  I expect 601XL to be much easier.  My background comes from ultralight that had steerable nose, and the Piper has been a pain.  I guess those that have no comparison get used to it, but I'll be glad to be out of it. 

 

Word is that Chinese bought Piper...just heard that.  Don't know how true it is.  Here in Prescott, AZ we only have the one Sport Pilot training location... and they only have the one LSA.

 

Thanks,

Mike

Michael,

PS...just noticed your profile.... my son is a Project Engr. for Morley Const. in LA.

 

 

Hi Mike, thanks for the suggestions on the paperwork. I appreciate it. I was extremely careful to be sure all the paperwork agreed exactly with my registration. I was even careful to not include punctuation if my registration and data plate did not include it. Here's hoping I can get thru this process without too much delay. Was not encouraged when the FSDO told me today that everyone makes mistakes. Thanks //Dave

Hello Michael,

 

The cooler failed at a brazed seam.  Lucky for me the hole was small.  The engine ran for 8 minutes before pressure dropped which allowed me to land safely.  I just posted a blog about this misadventure.

 

Steve

Hi Michael

Thanks for noticing the fuel line being so close to the channel. I went and checked it and it is not actually touching but very close and probably would touch with the engine running. I will slice a piece of rubber tubing lenghtways and glue it over the channels edge.

 

Many thanks

Phill