Commenced solid riveting on wing spars.  Almost completed one spar - found it difficult to set the rivets along the top of the spar doubler because of the bend at the top, so have ordered a 5.5" head which should be long enough to prevent the spring on the air gun from hitting the bent section when setting.

Happy with most of the rivets - had a couple that I had to drill out and re-set because of damage to the head caused by the gun slipping, but 99% worked fine.

Also cut the…

Looking for one already built up so I could install it this winter.  Fuselage about all done except engine controls.

I find things more readable. Good job!

The following is an unusual post because I don't normally comment negatively about competitors.  Competition is good for any industry, forcing us to be innovative and efficient, and there is a place and market for many different airplane designs (and the companies that manufacture them): The current issue of Kitplanes magazine (December 2011) contains the annual Buyer's Guide with 316 different kit aircraft listed (from nearly as many manufacturers)!

The letter that…

I've been wishing for the last year and a half to be able to see recent posts.  I go on every day (almost), but they still get past me sometimes.

This weekend marked the 100th hour of build time and the official start of the wings. Thanks to a bunch of rookie mistakes and some plain old carelessness I think I am probably about 20-25 hours behind a "normal" build time (whatever that is) but I am quite pleased with what I've managed to do: the rudder, the slats, the flaperons, the horizontal stab, the elevator, and the nose ribs/slat support assemblies.

 …

I'm building the wings on my 650  and the fuel return fitting in on the outboard end of the tank, I talked with Zenith and they said something about that end is better to prevent condensation from getting into the tank from the return line???

Anyway, instead of running a long fuel return line outboard to the next lightening hole I'm considering welding a return fitting in the upper inboard end of my tanks.

Has anyone else done this or is there any reason I shouldn't do…

On the Health Show broadcast on BBC World news today, Patricia and Jonathan talk about building and…

We finally had the chance to document some basic performance numbers of our new CH 650 with the UL Power UL350iS engine.  Yesterday was a beautiful autumn day so Zenith demo pilot Roger and I took the CH 650 up for a…

Well summer and fall came and went and I didn't do a darn thing on the plane...debating on whether to get my materials ordered so I can work on stuff over this coming winter. But will I have time? Home repairs and other life setbacks have really gotten in the way!

I'm probably the last person to catch on, but I recently bought this Olfa P800 knife for trimming skin edges and it is fantastic. No more snips and scotch brite for me.

Six years after ordering my kit from CZAW, ZK-ZMX finally took to the skies with test pilot Jerry Chisholm at the controls.

Omaka airfield owned by the Marlborough Aero Club is a little too big for this aircraft .I'll get closer for better shots as soon as I can

I have had another oil pressure sender failure. Thats 2 in 25 hours flying. Failure mode as follows;

works fine then you get the ocasional spiking high oil pressure indication of 70 - 100 PSI. This gradually becomes more regular until it stays on 100 PSI. For ground running tests I have connected a direct reading gauge to the oil galery to confirm a normal 40 PSI oil reessure.

Has anyone else experienced similar failures?

changed the prop today  goes like a home sick angel  after 5years  450 foot a min to 900 foot amin  the engine o200 r r has not worked for all this time  it goes like a rocket   ray

Got the root doublers, strut attachment doublers and tip spars bent up the other day.  Due to the happy combination of a Saturday morning to myself and the kids both sleeping for 3 hours in the afternoon, I pilot-drilled the doublers & L stiffeners to the spars and cut the extrusion to shape for the front strut attachments.

After some solid riveting practice, I'm now ready to attempt riveting the spars together... nervously... (jeez I'd hate to bugger it up on the last rivet!!)

I keep telling all the locals that it’s Bob Mac Donald who is sending all the geese to eastern Pennsylvania. Coming home from the last fly in the flock that flew past me where honking in French, I must be mistaken; they may be coming from Quebec.…

Hi All

I am planning to replace the old style gauges in my CH601XL-B with a complete Dynon Skyview System including Autopilot and Dynon Angle of Attack probe.

I found a couple of examples of installing the autopilot servo's in a CH601XL, which is a big help.

But I do have a few other questions:

Question 1

I am not sure where to put the ADAHRS unit in a CH601/CH650. I like to avoid re-inventing the wheel. Maybe there is someone out there who has…

This VW ad from 1966 has become a classic and can still be seen in VW dealerships across the country.  The above is prominently on display as a large framed poster in a shiny new VW dealer in St. Louis. While  the cars have changed since 1966, the basic message remains the same.

Like the VW Beetle, the ad copy has become a classic too.  It caught my attention…