Terry Phillips

Corvallis, MT

United States

Profile Information:

Aircraft Model
ZODIAC XL
Project Status
Less than half
Building From
Kit
Your website (about your aircraft...)
http://www.mykitlog.com/N47TP/
Building Experience
No Experience
Flying Experience
Private Pilot
Building and Flying Info / Your Profession / Other Background Info
Chemical Engineer

Comment Wall:

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  • Louis W. Ott

    Hi Terry,
    Well, I'm flattered that you think I'm moving quickly on the 601. I think I'm slow as a snail because some people who had flying airplanes got their upgrade kit after I did and are already finished and flying. I've got about 420 hours into this and barely finishing up with both wings. I did do the extra "real building" type work while I was at it so it's not quite a fair comparison.

    I am in on the AS 5 rivets. Where I really need them though is on one wing that has too large holes drilled except for where I drilled the extra holes (doubled up rivets) in the added extrusion angle. Some of the other holes where it is just skin over the ribs are too large too. The rivets for the extrusion would have to be long enough for thickness of 0.125 + 0.025 + 0.025 so total of 0.175" thick. The minimum thickness would be 0.050 where it is just skin and ribs. As I understand the rivet length you are getting won't work for thickness greater than 0.125". Is that right? I could probably get by with regular aluminum Zenith supplied A5 rivets where the rivet spacing has been doubled and the grip length is 0.175". Then use the AS5 rivets on the outer section where the grip length would be about 0.085". Guess the bottom line is that I could use both AS5 rivet lengths, but I'll take what I can get.

    I'm with you on the work to take care of 10 acres. We have 10 acres too. It is all pine and oak trees, but a big clean up in the spring to pick up fallen limbs and a few fallen trees. Then there is a few beetle killed trees to fall, trim out, burn limbs and cut the trees into firewood. I've not even started yet and it's near to getting too dry to burn. Then, in the summer is spray to kill poison oak and other weeds like thistle. It's nice though and the wildflowers and animals are worth the work.

    I was going to comment on the frustration of not having a ready access to aircraft hardware, but ran out of the allowed space.

    Back out to the 601 factory for aileron work.
  • Roger Lambert

    I thought you might like to read Chris Heintz's book on airplane design. It has some advantageous over Bingellis' book in:

    1.It was actually written by an aeronautical engineer

    2. The author has some familiarity with the 601xl

    3. The author hasn't been dead for ten years.

  • Peter Bowen

    Hi Terry,
    I wish I had the talent to write. I don't.
    Never have. Maybe something I should look into.
    Peter Bowen