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The XPB Stage 1 underway.


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Looks as strong as an ox in that rear fuse Bex.  Hell of a lot more bracing than my 701.

 

With that wide rear fuse I'm guessing your rudder cables will be internal all the way?

 

 

 

Not sure yet, have some ideas.

 

It has it's design roots in the 701, being that if the 701 didn't exist, then neither would the Savannah from which I based my basics on. Believe it or not.

 

Also, like a Sav, it's in 0.05mm, your 701 longerons and verticals are smaller, but all 1mm I believe. 

 

I think it looks "strong as an ox" due to there being no lightweight holes in the longerons, stringers or gussets. They will come later, but didn't want to go to the trouble now just to find out later I had to change things.

 

 

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Looks like the flight loads of the VS are being transferred into the fuselage bulkheads via 8 or 10 pop rivets. I realise it is not complete yet.

 

Did you know "Pop" is actually a brand?

 

Some 100 rivets hold the Dorsal Fin to the fuse, 50 hold the VS to the Dorsal Fin, both with redundancy. All those rivets could fail and it still can not separate from the fuse.

 

The material along the rivet lines both at the Dorsal Fin and VS attach totals 1.5mm thick and are 'C' channels.

 

You are correct, it isn't complete yet.

 

 

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I am sure you meant 0.5 mm not 0.05mm. 

 

Will such thin 0.5 mm be string enough?

 

Is their a inbetween you can get like .75mm?

 

 

 

Yes, of course 0.5mm, or 0.020" for the Ludites.

 

You know Zeniths, Savannah and many others use a lot of 0.4mm/0.016"? 

 

I believe the Salder Vampire even used 0.3mm/0.012" n some areas.

 

About the only place thicknesses such as 0.75mm are used are wing and HS spars , and as doublers in various critical places, again, usually wing and HS spars.

 

 

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My son wants me to buy another kit plane. He says my Jabiru is too little and too slow for him.

 

What timing, engine and performance are you aiming at Bex? I could wait a year or so I guess, and yes I know this is an unfair bunch of questions.

 

I do have a hankering to build a matched-hole kit, but I don't want a Zenith or Savannah or RV. They are too slow or too expensive, and I don't want a Rotax engine or a Lycoming either. I want a Jabiru engine.

 

 

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Clipped

 

I believe the Salder Vampire even used 0.3mm/0.012" n some areas.

 

Nope.  All Australian SV1/SV2 skins are 0.016" as is the spar web for the main spar.  AS are the pressed ribs all in 0.016"

 

There are dozens of doublers in heavier gauge on the main spar web to spar cap junctions as the main spar caps and veritcal webs are all 1"OD tube.

 

The US original sadler ultralight were built with 0.012" skins on really long weak wings ... ribs every so often if they felt like it ... but the Australian SV1/SV2 are a very different kettle of fish structurally.

 

 

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My son wants me to buy another kit plane. He says my Jabiru is too little and too slow for him.

 

What timing, engine and performance are you aiming at Bex? I could wait a year or so I guess, and yes I know this is an unfair bunch of questions.

 

I do have a hankering to build a matched-hole kit, but I don't want a Zenith or Savannah or RV. They are too slow or too expensive, and I don't want a Rotax engine or a Lycoming either. I want a Jabiru engine.

 

Bruce I can tell you the zenith or the savannah are cheap kits nowdays....and so is the rotax compared to a Titan or Lycoming....So your version of cheap doesnt exist now.  My rans S21 kit if you want one now and can wait the 2 years for delivery will now cost you AU$83k  and thats no engine...stick a 180hp Titan in it and there is another AU 55K and you havent got any instruments or paint yet. BTW mine didnt cost me that to get in it was some 20k cheaper but I was able to organise and share freight that saved me 10k and the kit has gone up 10k since I ordered mine over a year ago....my kit arrived in october

 

 

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The US original sadler ultralight were built with 0.012" 

 

 

 

Regardless of model, the point was that 0.020" is not "thin" in the light aircraft business, relevant to proper engineering of course.

 

My son wants me to buy another kit plane. He says my Jabiru is too little and too slow for him.

 

What timing, engine and performance are you aiming at Bex? I could wait a year or so I guess, and yes I know this is an unfair bunch of questions.

 

I do have a hankering to build a matched-hole kit, but I don't want a Zenith or Savannah or RV. They are too slow or too expensive, and I don't want a Rotax engine or a Lycoming either. I want a Jabiru engine.

 

 

 

I don't think I can help you with speed Mate, likely faster than a Jab and Sav though, but not a lot, be happy if we get 120~130mph. cruise on 100hp.

 

The aim is budget price, not performance, to get people in the air in a simple, very stable, safe craft. Easy to repair as well, even major damage.

 

I'll have a finished plane within 3 months if I continue to heal and slowly increase my hours at the factory from about 3 to 4 hours per day now, then it's likely off to the USA for setup and test flights, I suggest you just sit back and watch the next month's happenings as at least the outside appearances will take shape rapidly. Systems/controls of course take just as long or longer.

 

Still a bit up in the air about engines, I have multiple choices. If not my own or another one I am associated with, then at the top of the list is the Aeromomentum. Mr AM is keen.

 

In real actual hours, the rear fuse so far is less than a lazy weekend's effort.

 

I lasered and folded part 1 of the rollcage yesterday, went to fit it this morning but the rivet holes didn't line up. I know why, and back at my computer now fixing it for another set to be lasered this afternoon, if I stop talking to you and get it done in time ?

 

 

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Today I grabbed 4 of my 6 meters lengths of 6061 square tube, and pre-drilled the holes in them to start on the front half of the fuse.

 

I had already lasered and folded a couple of 1 meter long drilling jigs, and away I went ...  

 

1394155188_tubes1.jpg.b293b5ea879713f227808510210b72c9.jpg

 

465095624_tubes2.jpg.e2f3406a96f994497dd5b3fe69993da6.jpg

 

... Yes, I de-burred them all.

 

1973572137_tubes3.jpg.02a059ac2584c7adcf702c4b7c023906.jpg

 

As a few hours dragged on, I thought, what the heck is taking so long?

 

Then Then I grabbed a calculator: 6 meters divided by 35mm x 12 = 2057 holes!

 

Dang! That's what took so long! 

 

My 70 ... oops, I mean my 2024 plates arrived today too ..

 

1853799865_2024arrived.jpg.bdc6356a92ccf04a3822ed43f97f6557.jpg

 

 

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Today I grabbed 4 of my 6 meters lengths of 6061 square tube, and pre-drilled the holes in them to start on the front half of the fuse.

 

I had already lasered and folded a couple of 1 meter long drilling jigs, and away I went ...  

 

[ATTACH]42440[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]42441[/ATTACH]

 

... Yes, I de-burred them all.

 

[ATTACH]42442[/ATTACH]

 

As a few hours dragged on, I thought, what the heck is taking so long?

 

Then Then I grabbed a calculator: 6 meters divided by 35mm x 12 = 2057 holes!

 

Dang! That's what took so long! 

 

My 70 ... oops, I mean my 2024 plates arrived today too ..

 

[ATTACH]42439[/ATTACH]

 

Equal number of holes in the 4 pieces? ?

 

 

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It's a good feeling seeing it come together. Nice work.

 

 

 

I've got one of our other employees coming in to help me tomorrow, I'm going to get him to rill some of the tubes, there's 16 tubes to a pack, that's  8000 holes.

 

I'm going to wait till he gets through the first pack and see the look on his face when I point out the other 7 or 8 packs ....  :naughty:

 

 

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When you said you were doing all the holes yourself, I wondered where the staff were.

 

Don't tell me they found an employer who offered 100% pay rise - 2 fish heads on their rice?

 

He came in for a few hours today, and thankfully he has not only half a brain, but can see some logic in process, rare for a Chinese worker, I assure you. He\s worth 2 fish heads and a small turtle. - except he's a phoneaphile, that was starting to annoy me a bit. 

 

I sorted out the basic roll bar, which is also the front fuse to rear fuse joining frame.

 

Bit more to go yet, a cross-brace to take seatbelts ect, but had to determine how it fits.

 

No one is going to trip over their front wheel and end up a paraplegic in my plane.

 

1861447958_Rollbar2.jpg.19003a116c91f4b03d85ede5ae61652c.jpg

 

1161930463_Rollbar1.jpg.6708fc91a08be6ad4d87c7282f04aef2.jpg

 

And assembled all the HS ribs today as well.

 

1552244286_HSribs1.jpg.d252773187187977479e54c4883e5a5b.jpg

 

 

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I haven't gone quiet, I have been spending a number of hours sorting out the wings and some other details.

 

I did get a chance today to make up 4 gussets to aid in the connection of the front fuse to the rear fuse, it will all make sense later on ...

 

gusset.jpg.7cb7937f8a6be69eb8539db68277850b.jpg

 

 

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Starting on the front fuselage, cut some sides today and checked on bracing fitment.

 

1975261221_Frontfusesides3.jpg.39299723e46f07b76a143597719514c6.jpg

 

I'm using titanium(IV) oxide for sealant because titanium is strong and light ..

 

Sometimes uneducated people call it "white paint".

 

495009283_Frontfusesides4.jpg.7aff0346577f3bba489c4b7fc2dc4155.jpg

 

725070995_Frontfusesides1.jpg.5efd5cb219780aaf8244555bf17ffd26.jpg

 

119627227_Frontfusesides2.jpg.9fed5125b77ea35e357a75e801b59ce1.jpg

 

 

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