All Blog Posts (2,392)

Search Blog Posts

Aye Captain we got wheels

Today was a late start and I must finish early to catch up on the 290 messages since Sunday, so it is simple tasks for the day, best place to start is the landing gear. Here on the table I have inverted the gear leg and used my axle drilling jig to ensure straight holes.



Perfect holes make this a simple as fast installation, though I went through 3 batteries in the cordless drills to do these 8… Continue

Added by Mark Townsend on February 17, 2009 at 11:05pm — No Comments

Heating the Cabin

Too bad this site came around when it did...I keep a blog of building activities at n820wa.blogspot.com As you can see I have been continuing to slowly work on the airplane. There are days when I want to give it to the scrap dealers and other days when it is great to tackle another problem.



The engine is pretty much complete, so now I must return to the problem of a heater box. I think I have the box figured out, but not the distribution in the cabin. Particularly to the back seats.… Continue

Added by Scott on February 17, 2009 at 6:12am — No Comments

Photo window - Flying open ?

Greetings from Scandinavia - I fly a Czhech built bird with curved side windows. I'd like to do some photography and have marked for a little photo window, I have to cut out. Only, I'm not quite sure how the double curved polycarbonate window will react tothis.



Also considered flying ophen. How easy is it to get the door on and off these looong piano hinges - And how is flying open when compared to flying with closed doors?



Hope for reactions on… Continue

Added by Claus Nybroe on February 16, 2009 at 11:35am — 3 Comments

Monday Maddness on 750

I suspect large visual progress is now over, time to get the hidden stuff installed like the controls. Some Wiring and fuel lines.





Unexpected was the installation of the windows I would rather have left them off but they are captured under peices that need to be riveted in. They look real nice but I will… Continue

Added by Mark Townsend on February 16, 2009 at 7:00am — 1 Comment

02-14-2009 Today's Adventure

Today I flew 310 miles under cloudy skies, and occasionally in Marginal VFR conditions. It rained lightly off an on with winds gusting up to 18 knots. I was able to dodge the bad stuff. It was a lovely experience with lots of low altitude flying. For the most part I had the skies to myself.



Before I fly in wet conditions I clean the canopy and treat it with Plexus. It helps the water bead up and stream off which improves… Continue

Added by Stephen R. Smith on February 15, 2009 at 12:00am — 1 Comment

750 Rivet-O-Rama

Well it is Sat Feb 14th and what better way to say I love you dear then to hand her a Vixen file. Yep it is time to de-burr the forward fuselage and my sweetie wanted to spend the day with me. Isn't that romantic, I married my best friend and even after 22 years she is still happy to help in the shop.



We start by removing the forward fuselage again and completely disassembling the whole thing. be-burr every part and chromate mating… Continue

Added by Mark Townsend on February 14, 2009 at 6:30am — 1 Comment

No- Dissasemble Stephanie ( Short Circuit Movie)

Well that was it I ran out of cleco’s, so it is time to return to the rear fuselage and spend the day in disassembly and de-burring and Zinc Chromate. But I always look forward to the riveting, Stepahnie was not around to stop the dissasembly so off I go...( if you don't get it don't worry it was a 1986 movie filmed in Toronto)

I always look forward to riveting but seldom seem to do very much of it. Today was… Continue

Added by Mark Townsend on February 13, 2009 at 11:16pm — 3 Comments

Taildragger 801

I am just wondering if anyone has though of building a tailwheel version of the 801

Added by Carlos Rangel on February 13, 2009 at 8:31pm — 2 Comments

Cleco's sacrifice there young!

"Actually, there is a reason for the apparent death of clecos------- Just as it has been noted that coat hangers left undisturbed in a dark closet will mate and multiply, and their progeny will mate and multiply, etc., clecos are known to be intensely hostile to each other, no matter what their size (breed). What happens is that, when left undisturbed in a dark shop overnight, they attack each other, killing each other off at sometimes hideous rates. Also, being intelligent creatures, they hide… Continue

Added by Mark Townsend on February 13, 2009 at 6:00am — 1 Comment

Perfect day to calibrate airspeed

Today was a perfect day to perform flight tests for airspeed calibration of the STOL CH 750 (for ASTM F-2245-05 compliance):

With Roger flying the STOL CH 750, I tracked his speeds with a handheld radar (just like the police use in speed traps). The unit is actually a "stationary Dopplar radar" with a "conical microwave antenna."

With no… Continue

Added by Sebastien Heintz on February 12, 2009 at 5:39pm — 1 Comment

Lemonade for Sale

Lemonade Anyone!

Today was a bit of a surprise that Jarod has a P.D. Day and Mom is unable to be present? So off to work with Dad, Jarod has one simple rule to contend with, either Keep Jarod Busy or Jarod will keep you busy!! Jarod started the day making a few stabilizer ribs for his own plane but quickly petered out and opted for building a Lemonade stand. He has not learned the fine qualities of Coffee and I will not introduce him to them, he… Continue

Added by Mark Townsend on February 12, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

The Morning is a loss!!

Today is Wed and as such I have an open hanger morning for the local RAA chapter which entails that I host the morning coffee and doughnuts. With word getting out that I have a new kit in the shop, I have more visitors then usual. SO I do not get to work until noon again today. As you will notice, the table has gone bye bye, I use a table when I am working on flat stock but as soon as assembly starts I use two saw horses adn two 12 ft 2X2metal peices with several 4ft metal peices. This works… Continue

Added by Mark Townsend on February 11, 2009 at 11:00pm — 3 Comments

750 Fuselage, making a place to sit

It's official, as you can clearly see, Jon is agog at how everything is cleocing together. The assembly of the seat area necessatated the joining on the forward cabin floor and gear channel to the rear fuselage to firm up a couple of areas where angles are fabricated beneath the seats. While it was together we drilled the holes in the side extrusion to the rear fuselage side. Once the forward side skin and the gear channel was clecoed to the rear… Continue

Added by Gus Warren on February 11, 2009 at 5:30pm — 2 Comments

Time for the rear Fuselage

This went a lot faster then I expected, So I am going to do another section.



>

>



OK maybe another, THE end of Tuesday and I have 3 sections of the rear fuselage complete. Tomorrow I will see if I can get them put… Continue

Added by Mark Townsend on February 10, 2009 at 10:30pm — No Comments

First Day on the 750

Got into the shop a bit late today, but I am ready to go. Inventory only showed one part missing and a couple backordered. None of which will delay my building at this time. Zenith has been very busy getting the STOL 750's out as fast as possible and included in the box was a set of Fuselage drawings, I looked for the usual CD for the builders photo assembly manual and could not find one, so I called Joyce at Zenith. The photo manuals are not finished… Continue

Added by Mark Townsend on February 9, 2009 at 10:00pm — No Comments

Monoleaf main spring corrosion

After 4 years of operation in salt water the major problem that I encountered was corrosion of the Monoleaf main spring.I attribute this to the electrolysis phenomenon and due to the fact that the monoleaf main spring is of different aluminum alloy than the rest of the aiplane.Other than that the airplane is corrosion free. I welcome any suggestions for avoiding this in the future.



Before treatment for corrosion…



Continue

Added by Kostas Rossidis on February 8, 2009 at 1:54pm — No Comments

Inventory for Wifie, Fuel tanks and wings for me



Lisa is busy doing inventory today, so I decided to finish up on the fuel system for the 701. I just picked up the sender installation kit on Friday. With the 750 wanting to be built I need to finish up this wing completely as I will not get back to them in awhile. This 701 was rescued out of a barn and is 15 years old, it was used for a chicken coop. I now have over 900 hrs into it I have had to dissasemble the fuselage to re-build it into a… Continue

Added by Mark Townsend on February 7, 2009 at 10:00pm — 4 Comments

Building a STOL 750



Friday Feb 6th my STOL 750 Fuselage has arrived. First job on the list is to do an inventory, better yet, wife can do inventory while I install a muffler on the 701.

Added by Mark Townsend on February 6, 2009 at 10:00pm — 2 Comments

sorry pics fussy

Alot of our workshop photos are pretty bad. We had just picked up the new camera. As you can see we didn't have the hang of it yet. The lady in the "Rosie the Riviter" pose is the CFO around here, and main support for crazy guy building his own plane. My better half Dee.

I'm done cutting wood. Plan to get back to the hanger to drill and cleco up stab ribs this weekend. Clecoes, yah ordered the recomended number the the tail kit. Started working and ordered 100 more 1/8" and 100 more 5/32".… Continue

Added by Richard Rost on February 6, 2009 at 7:14pm — No Comments

750 Baggage Area

With the rear fuselage sides, top, and bottom all riveted together we have moved on to the baggage area. First the flaperon torque tube, bellcranks, and motor assembly were fitted in place. Next was the rear baggage panel followed by the baggage floor and tunnel pieces. Here they are all clocoed in place for drilling to final size. The floor and tunnel pieces will be reinstalled after the forward fuselage is joined to the rear to facilitate the… Continue

Added by Gus Warren on February 6, 2009 at 4:00pm — 6 Comments

Featured Blog Posts

View All

Latest Blog Posts

Most Popular Blog Posts

Monthly Archives

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

1999

New from Zenith:

Zenith Planes For Sale 
  

Classified listing for buying or selling your Zenith building or flying related stuff...

Custom Instrument Panels
for your Zenith:

Custom instrument panels are now available directly from Zenith Aircraft Company exclusively for Zenith builders and owners. Pre-cut panel, Dynon and Garmin avionics, and more.

Zenith Homecoming Tee:

Zenair Floats

Flying On Your Own Wings:
 A Complete Guide to Understanding Light Airplane Design, by Chris Heintz

Builder & Pilot Supplies:

Aircraft Insurance:

 
 

West Coast USA:

 
Pro Builder Assistance:

 

Transition training:

Lavion Aero

K&S Aviation Services

Aircraft Spruce & Specialty for all your building and pilot supplies!

How to videos from HomebuiltHELP.com

Developed specifically for Zenith builders (by a builder) these videos on DVD are a great help in building your own kit plane by providing practical hands-on construction information. Visit HomebuiltHelp.com for the latest DVD titles.

© 2024   Created by Zenith.Aero.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service