Project Log - September, 2004 
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September, 2004

September 8, 2004 - 1.5 hours
I replaced the Push-on/Push-off switches in my stick grip with momentary switches. I wired up the com flip-flop and memory buttons to the stick grip and started assembling the co-pilot stick grip that I bought from Ray Allen Company.

September 9, 2004 - 1.6 hours
I messed around with the little solid state flasher that I have been toying with for the last few weeks. I make a little circuit board with a microcontroller on it to drive a couple of solid state relays to flash the landing / taxi lights. I'm not real happy with the solid state flasher that I bought from B & C that clicks. Where I come from solid state stuff shouldn't click. So I made my own. It's a little bit of overkill to have a microcontroller on it but it gave me some more programming experience and it keeps the part count low on the board.

September 10, 2004 - 2.2 hours
Finished installing the little solid state lamp flasher that I made. It works pretty well. It's ugly as it can be but it works. I also managed to get power run to my autopilot and turned it on to see if it would work. It did.

This is the circuit that I made to flash the lamps. The big black things are solid state relays.

September 11, 2004 - 2.1 hours
I couldn't bring myself to do any wiring today so I piddled around 'under the hood' I reset my mixture cable according to info that I got from AFP. I don't quite have enough travel to move the mixture arm. I am talking just a little bit too short like 1/32". I had it where I got ICO but not full rich. AFP said do the opposite since I'll be killing the engine with the purge valve. I also installed the fuel pump drain line.

This is the fuel pump drain line.

September 12, 2004 - 7.5 hours
I spent most of the day installing the transponder. The Encoder wires were already installed but I put the antenna in and hooked it up and wired power and dimmer control wires to it as well as tightening up the mounting screws. It's good to see it work. I am also trying to share the GPS signal from the GPS-35 that the Tru-Trak autopilot uses so that I can get the automatic ALT / STBY functionality from the GTX-327. We'll see if that works. I had to take the panel trim switches apart and re-wire them so that they would work with my trim set-up and I installed the rear mounting screws for the comm radio. I had left them off because they were a pain and I didn't know whether I would need to take that tray out while messing with the transponder.

I put the transponder antenna on the right side of the plane right behind the firewall

Here is the antenna connector for the transponder.

The antenna connector mounts to the transponder backing plate like so.

Well it lights up. It's all so very exciting.

September 13, 2004 - 0.5 hours
Didn't feel like doing much on the project tonight, but I did remember to borrow the little 4-40 tap from work so I went ahead and put the stick grip on the right stick.

The right side control stick complette with the Ray Allen stick grip.

September 18, 2004 - 1.5 hours
Hooked up the starter circuit and Main alternator circuit.

September 19, 2004 - 3.5 hours
Today I decided to change gears a little bit and go back to work on the canopy. I had decided that I was going to do the aft skirts in fiberglass but I didn't feel like getting the epoxy out today so I put the first skirts that I made on and I've about decided that I may be able to make them work. It seems that I had the canopy too far back when I did the initial fitting so I may be able to trim them down and get them to fit. I'll work on it for a few nights and if it doesn't go my way then I'll go back to the fiberglass idea.

It doesn't look so bad. I may be able to trim this to fit.

This is as far as the canopy will close because the aft canopy skirt extends too far.

September 20, 2004 - 1.5 hours
Trimmed on the aft skirt of the canopy. I think it may work out.

September 22, 2004 - 1.6 hours
Still more trimming on the aft canopy skirts. It's looking like it will fit okay but I sure am taking a lot of material off of those skirts. I think it'll look okay when it's all said and done.

September 25, 2004 - 3.5 hours
Decided that the aft skirts weren't going to work after all. I simply have them too tight and the canopy isn't going to close until I trim the completely away. So today I started laying up fiberglass skirts. We'll see how that turns out.

I bridged the gap between the canopy and the fuselage with wax paper glued down with 3M spray adhesive. In hindsight this probably wasn't the best idea but it was the best that I had at the time.

I made a paper template of the aft canopy skirts and cut them out of a piece of 8oz cloth

And the first layup is done. There is a low spot where the wax paper sagged a little bit but I think I can fill it and make it work.

September 26, 2004 - 0.5 hours
I smeared some Super-Fil on the canopy skirs to help fill the low spot caused by the gap betweent the canopy and the fuselage.

September 26, 2004 - 1 hours
Ran the cabin heat cable through the firewall and hooked it up. I also started putting those stainless firewall penetration sheilds around the grommets where the cabin heat cable and the purge valve cable come through the firewall.

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This web site and the infomation contained within it are for entertainment purposes only. The opinions expressed on construction techniques are my opinions only and should not be confused with proper construction techniques. There is undoubtedly more than one way to build an airplane and some methods that I use may or may not work in any given circumstance. If there is any question please call the kit manufacturer. I love to help but I am not responsible for the misuse of any information contained on this web site.

 February 3, 2021
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