Jon,
any chance you could share the story you did of me and my dad? I'm the guy you met at the spring Zenith fly-in with MS.

Thanks!
Tim Garrett

Jon,

Here is a new story on my plane, MS and me:

http://www.generalaviationnews.com/2008/12/news/overcoming-ms-and-fulfilling-dreams/#more-4351

I really like how this came out.

Tim Garrett

Hi, Jon; Wayne Bartlett here, I'm a big fan of your videos. I'm retired AF, teaching high school English here in Alabama as a second career.

I want a 701, and I'll build one pretty soon, but I'm wondering if I could ask you something about it performance wise?

How comfortable would you be approaching and landing on a typical rural high school football field? I guess there's no such thing as typical football field, but I mean a field that doesn't have a large stadium built around it but maybe just has some bleachers.

I've got an idea about something I could do if I had a 701.

Thanks!...Wayne

Thanks, Jon.

In an effort to sell the idea of me getting a 701 to my wife, I've been *forcing* her to watch your homebuilt help videos. She likes your Wisconsin accent, it reminds her of home (she's from Milwaukee) and reminds me of her brother, who talks more like you than you do.

My thought is that part of why she's not all that keen on the idea is that she's afraid I won't be able to put it together and end up with a reasonably safe airplane to fly. I'm not really all that mechanical, admittedly.

She's ready to let me spend $40K on a reasonably good 152 or an ancient 172, but who wants an creaky old Pontiac when you could have a juicy little hotrod instead? For $40K, I could get the 701, a nice new rotax to put in it, some reasonable instruments, and a new sleeping bag for camping!

Seeing the videos helps her see that even I can do it. I think I've got her just about sold.

Thanks!...Wayne

Thanks, Jon.

Well, I've taken several in-person looks at both the 701 and 801 over the last couple of years, at Oshkosh, Sun and Fun, and also locally here, a couple of guys around have them.

When details on the 750 were first released, I thought about it and came to the conclusion that the 701 was still for me. All I really plan to do with airplane is fly around locally with the dog, go camping from time to time (wife's not interested in camping), and take kids on afternoon rides. I had the idea that the 750 would probably be more complicated to build, and that going with the less complicated 701 might be better for non-mechanical me.

But--if the 750 really is that much easier to put together...hmm. Is the 750 really significantly bigger on the inside than the 701? There's great photos of the exterior on the Zenith website, but not that many interior photos. I have to admit that the 701 is a little cramped for me + camping gear + dog.

The dog's pretty small, granted (check my zenith.aero page for a photo) but we'll need a tent, sleeping bag, bits and pieces, and whatnot.

Hmm...it sure is something to think about.

I gather that you're making a set of videos for the 750 just as you have for the 701? No pressure but...I'd sure like to get your 750 videos before I decide.

Hmm....

Thanks!...Wayne

Thanks, Jon! Looking forward to seeing the videos, and I'll be going to S&F this year, so maybe I'll see you there. Thanks...Wayne

dude,
it was good seeing you at Sebring. Back to the great white north!

Juan

Jon what are you thinking missing this wonderful weather up here!!!





have fun
Tracy

Jon,
I really enjoyed your 701 homebuilt help videos. I just received my horizontal and rudder kit. Although the build seems pretty straight forward, I am uncertain about what not to rivet and the sequence. What is your estimate to release some 750 videos?
Thanks Ron

Hi Jon,

I have been admiring the matched-hole construction on your 750. I have just ordered the wing kit for my 650 project and I was wondering if the 650 wings will have the same matched-hole assembly as the 750, or will just the skins be pre punched?

Thank you for HomebuiltHELP. I would not have considered this project without it.

Rich

jon,don't know if i could have done this without the 701 videos,well done and thanks.
wayne lyons

Hello Jon

I see that you are busy ! , did you received the cuatro music cd ? . I am going to check here from time to time .

Pedro

Jon,
I was just wondering if you have an update on the release of any of the 750 videos.

Hi Jon. I was wondering if the new 912 installation video is different from the one shot in California during their workshop. The one showing on your page now shows alot of electrical wiring that wasnt on mine. Am I dreaming or is this the case?

It is enough of a chapter to take some of the mystery out of it or just enough to maake me dangerous?

Hi Jon,

Just finished watching all the 750 build videos. Nice job! They will be very helpful in selecting the proper sequence of steps. I had just finished the Horizontal Stabilizer when I received the dvd's. It was fairly easy, but I saw a few things in your video that would have made things go quicker and smoother if I had watched it first.

Will there be a final assembly video?

Again nice job on the videos.

Thanks,
Donnie Moore

Hi Jon, it was nice seeing you in Mexico, MO. I have finished watching 2 of the videos and they are great....very nicely done. Now I am glad I brought my wallet to Open Hanger Day.

Tom Anderson

Hi, Jon; Wayne Bartlett here. I went to the rudder workshop last weekend and brought home a tail kit.

I'm working on it now--I've got the photo assembly guide and the plans, but I don't think I would be able to do it without your videos, so thank you for those. I have the horizontal tail video, the wing video, and the forward fuselage video, and I'll be getting all the others for the 701 pretty soon.

I do have a question about the two horizontal stab front mounts brackets (the ones that get the 35 mm/10 mm trim job) and how to get them located correctly on the forward stab.

I want to be able to use the existing rivet holes that hold the upper and lower doublers in place, and it seems to me that this can be done. There's a hole 120 mm from the centerline on each side as part of the pitch 40 mm series of holes that extend from the centerline on the upper and lower doubler. If the flange of the mount is wide enough to allow a rivet 6 mm from the corner--and it seems to be--then that would put the space between the mounts right at 252 mm.

Do people normally just use these holes? Of course, three more holes (for a total of five) will have to be put there in the spar web, but it just seems to much neater and more elegant to use the top and bottom doubler holes if this can be done while maintaining the 252 mm separation between the two mounts.

I thought you might be able to answer this off the top of your head.

Thanks!...Wayne

Hi, Jon; Wayne here.

I watched your video again, and now I see where I'm going wrong. I wanted to put the brackets so that the flanges point inboard on the spar, and that's not the right way.

I puzzled over the plans and Zenith photos for a while, but your video cleared it up for me in 10 seconds. I see now that I can't use the existing holes, but that's okay.

Thanks!...Wayne

Jon,

When I was at the factory last year I mentioned to Sebastian that all that extra space behind the seats was less useful with only a 40 pound capacity. He responded that as long as the CG was correct, the 40 lb limit was more a limitation of the floor structure rather than the aircraft itself. As such, I've been tossing around ideas in my mind on how to strengthen the floor without adding too much weight. Since you're now much more familiar with that structure, could you provide any input on that?

I'm also trying to figure out where I could install a roll servo. Doesn't look likw much space for that.

My 10 mm Problem.ppt

Hi, Jon; Wayne Bartlett here with another question.

I hate to bother you, but I've got a bit of a puzzle involving the horizontal stab skin.

I've watched your video for the horizontal stab, and you don't seem to have the problem I'm having. I've attached three powerpoint slides that shows the problem.

What's happening is that I'm laying out the positions of the spars and ribs on the bottom of the skin before starting to drill the holes in the skin. I've drawn a line at 24 mm from the rear edge for the rear rib rivet lines, then started pitching rivet locations at 40 mm for the other components, including the rear ribs, starting from this 24 mm line and going forward.

It's the rear ribs rivet line that's giving me the trouble. When I start the forward/aft rivet line on the bottom skin for the rear ribs from the place on the 24 mm line where it intersects with the rear rib flange centerline (which I've drawn), I end up with the most forward rivet about 10 mm too far forward. It is actually at the forward edge of the forward spar instead of right in the middle of the flange.

I've measured and measured, everything looks right, but for some reason, it's just 10 mm too far forward.

On the skeleton, I'm measuring 210 mm of open space between the forward edge of the rear spar and the aft edge of the forward spar. This distance is defined by the forward/aft size of the rear spar, I don't see how that can be off.

My solution is just to move that forwardmost hole 10 mm back so that is placed at the intersection of the centerlines of the rear rib and forward rib--that way the rivet will catch both of those structures--but I'd like to know where I'm going wrong.

I bet you can tell with a single look--it's probably something stupid I'm doing.

Thanks!...Wayne

Hi, Jon; Wayne here. Thanks for the quick response.

Uh-oh. You mean that the flange of the rear ribs don't go under the flange of the forward spar?

They have to, don't they? If the flange of the rear ribs don't go under the flange of the forward spar, then I don't see how the forward spar web can be riveted to the rear rib's forward flange.

Hmm...let me take a look at the skeleton...

Ah-ha! I bet you're thinking of the full ribs, the ones that are butted up against the ends of the doublers. Those ribs, one on each side, do not go under the flange of the forward rib, but instead butt up against it and are connected to the forward spar by means of the bracket coming off the ends of the forward spar.

What I'm talking about is the inboard-most ribs, the ones that are only 160 mm away from the spar centerline. Those are the ones where the forwardmost hole's not lining up.

Thanks!...Wayne

Ah-ha! That makes perfect sense. That's just what I'll do--use the fan to space between the rear-most hole, there at the rear-rib-to-rear-spar intersection and the forward-most hole at the rear-rib-to-forward-spar intersection.

Thanks!...Wayne

Jon:
Got the two new DVD's today that you sent because the first ones would not play on my MAC. The new ones would not work either.
Took my MAC to the Apple Genius bar and he said to goggle >VLC MAC<. He downloaded the VLC player for me and that does work all be it with some problems. But it does work.

Stan

Jon will you be producing a finishing video for the ch750?

I am waiting for William Wynne to send me my Corvair 3100 and I will begin final assembly.

I expect that you would do this anyway but please let me know when you receive the SD card Jon.

Thanks,

Ed

Jon, I did not get a chance to visit with you at the open house on Saturday. I have a question/ concern/ problem with the 701 nose gear lower bearings (7F8-4 and 5) and the stops (-6). Zenith is now supplying the rear bearing pre-drilled with pilot holes intended to set the location for the bolt holes into the stops. Their photo assembly guide, drawings and also chapt. 4 of your video series all instruct or indicate that the stops are to be drilled for hole locations and then back drilled into the rear bearing. When I followed this with exact dimensions, my holes drilled into the bearing missed the factory holes by 4mm laterally and longitudinally. Also, Zenith is now supplying the front bearing 10mm shorter longitudinally. This caused my holes through the gear stops to come out 6mm from the back edge instead of the required 10mm miniumum. I have talked both with Caleb and Roger and cannot get a sense that there is any procedure in place at the factory to inform builders of these types of changes. They have been good to replace both parts with no pilot holes and at the original dimension at no charge, however. I just wanted you know in case you have a way to change your videos in the future.
Don Herbel
builder 7-5921
Claremore Okla

Just wanted you to know the good news... I finished the forty hours today and I'm looking forward to fly-ins, airshows, and pancake breakfasts around the state. I also hope to visit some builders who are in neighboring states within reach. Rest assured, vigilance and continued tweaking are still on the agenda.

Ed

Hi Jon,
Your videos are great and saved me from errors !

Congats Jon. How did it go?

Ed

Yes life is good down here. As I posted to the site, my wife Marita graced me with her company yesterday for a brief flight... sort of an orientation flight for her. We look forward to short one day or overnight trips as the schedule and weather permit. Good luck with your test flights and hopefully there will be unexpected breaks in the weather for you.

Ed

congrats Jon

Hi Jon,

How do I remove a photo. I can't seem to figure out how to do that and I want to take down the entire ZZ Top album at this time. Help?

Ed

Hi Jon!
It was sure nice to meet you in person at Can-Zac last week. Your video was very helpful in building my rudder in a little under 9 hours!!
I watched the video very carefully then cross checked the dimensions with the plans and started building.. it was really helpful.
Continue your great work!
Andre

Jon, I like the new look, but hyperlinks aren't underlined unless you mouse over, as you know, and it's hard to spot a link in a Comment, Blog, etc.

Happy Holidays!
Jake

Hello Jon,
I feel honored to have been invited to be your friend. Sure I accept!
Regards,
Sergio

sure. thanks. Joe

Jon,  Great videos.  They helped me a lot with my 701.  You got anything coming up on finishing?  Im not quite done yet.  regards,  Karl.

Hi Jon,

Thanks for the invite!

Best,

Joe

Hey jon
did you make it to oshkosh 2011?
Was there early part of week didn't see you

JON,

I miss your calendar. Do you still produce the calendar (2013)? If you do please send me some information as to how to order one.

Thanks, Tom

Hi Jon,

Yes I will keep you posted, we got rid of the dual alternator thanks to Robert Helms, we are still seeking advice and help on wiring, the MGL system is close and we are very close to engine start, paint and phase1.  Thanks, Art 

Jon, Thanks for the video on the 0-200 int. , it has been a great help for me. I need your help on locating heater control flange that goes through the firewall. Zenair showes one on their 0-200 firewall forward kit, but want sell individual parts. Thanks for your help. Max

Enjoyed your photo of Leo.

Post something similar when my airplane is born.

Thanks for all the work you do.

Depend on those 701 DVD's

John E & Mr.Morris