Hello Fellow Builders!

We have just a few weeks to go for the Zenith Banquet celebration of builders and enthusiasts. We are looking forward to a great night of comradery, celebration, and door prizes! Just to name a few, David Clark has sent us a beautiful set of headsets that will be given away to one lucky winner. Sporty's Pilot Shop has donated an Air Scanner Interrupt Radio for you hanger. You can listen to AM and FM Stereo and 10 of your favorite air bands will break in…

18MO – C17 – 18MO

CH-601xlb with Viking 130 engine trip to Marion, Iowa (C17)

On 6 July 2018 was able to fly my CH-601 to Marion, Iowa (C17) and back. Got to visit with my younger brother and wife. It was as always a special visit. I’m so lucky to be able do this on a day when his health is good. That is why I enjoy my CH-601 equipped with the Viking 130 engine.

My original engine failed me twice on trying to make this journey.

Have about 91 hours on the Viking 130…

This will be fun.  I picked up a 601XL built from 2005 to 2009. It was flown a little over 40 hours and signed off as airworthy.  But rather than going into service, it was parked, awaiting "B upgrade kit."  A qualified mechanic pulled the wings to start the upgrade and was stunned at what he found. The mounting holes in both the wing spars and center spar were terribly buggered and elongated.  Upon further examination, it was found that both wing spars were installed upside down, requiring…

Posting some pictures of recent work done on the plane

Rudder ribs and formers for the wings, flaps, ailerons and elevator

Having completed Phase I, my brother Frank and I flew our Zenith CH 750 STOL to First Flight airport , KFFA, for our first real cross country on Friday, June 8th.

I flew most of the way down, we had a nice visit and Frank flew back.  Departing Kitty Hawk ,KFFA, we stopped for gas at Currituck, KONX.  We then departed Currituck for the 95 minute flight home.  Minutes into that flight, my door…

I am keeping my blog on an external wordpress website.

You can visit it here https://my750cruzer.wordpress.com/

I finally drill out the holes to final size for attaching the main and center spars together.

The video below describes the process I went through. Hopefully other scratch builders

will find a few useful tidbits of information when they get to a similar point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O-31YmQzhg

On to assembling some airplane sized parts!

As purchased, the main landing gear was reversed to put the gear 4 inches forward (see photos) to help the builder better hold off the nose gear when landing.  I plan to put it back to its intended (correct) position.  The engine is an O-235.

What is the best method to support the airframe when removing the main gear and reattaching it?

I plan to support the wings under a rib on each side using sailplane wing supports and the fuselage under the width of a bulkhead with the nose…

hi all trying to fit my wing root skins could do with some better build pics,and how to do it imfo thanks Tony.

Super Duty Post

Fellow Zenith Builders,

It's time once again to announce the Zenith Aircraft Builders Banquet for 2018! Our event will once again be held at the Oshkosh Elks Lodge, 175 West Fernau Ave, in Oshkosh, on Thursday, July 26. As always we have very comfortable seating, our own private bar, award winning food, and door prizes! The full bar will open at 5:30 PM for people that would like to come and relax early. Dinner starts at 7:00 PM. Tickets are once again available at the door…

Up until now I’ve been using a paper logbook but taking a lot of pictures for my own reference later (and for the memories).

It occurred to me that Wordpress would make a great build log platform (and it is free, my favorite word!). I was originally just going to set it to private, but since a lot of people want to see the progress I figured what the heck…

So if you’re looking for something to put you to sleep:…

Below is a link to a video of a small drill guide I constructed to help ensure I drill the wing bolt holes perpendicular.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfXiJ0Kga6Y

This weekend Dave and I decided to check out a British Columbia Forestry airstrip in the East Kootenay area of the Rocky Mountains. The airstrip is known as Sage Creek as it is adjacent to the creek of the same name. We had only heard about it last year and apparently is rarely visited and the condition was said to unmaintained and one should be careful.

We departed our home airstrips after work on Friday evening with our camping gear. We decided to go direct “over the top” to maximize…

Earlier this month I participated once again at the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering in Anchorage, and visited with area Zenith builders and flyers. The day after the show I went flying with Bill Wilcox in his STOL…

So it has started, day two of my massive river trip. I am looking at the Grand Tetons out my motel window here in Driggs Idaho getting ready for the first day of the Missouri River.

Yesterday I left Santa Rosa California and flew here more or less in a straight line, having seen that country go by before. Today should be more interesting.…

I have a lycoming O290 that has been sitting in my hanger for many years.  Has anyone used that engine in a Zenith application (I am building a 750 Cruzer)?  I understand that it will have to be torn down and inspected.  Information that I have found on the web say that it weighs about the same dry as an O235 but is 135 HP?  Thanks, Pete

How to fix?