Marty d's CH-701 build log

[Old Koreelah]

Looking good Marty.
Bluddy cowl is the most finicky part of a build and a bit like putting skin tight jeans on a supermodel (not that I’ve had that pleasure).

I leaned the hard way to allow a bit of clearance for future additions.

[Marty_d]

Last weekend I carved another wooden grip so have the matched pair now.  Pulled through the cables @nomadpete made up for the PTT's and put the stick back on. Kate reckons it looks like an alien' s eye stalks now...

[Kyle Communications]

On 25/06/2023 at 11:39 AM, Old Koreelah said:

Looking good Marty.
Bluddy cowl is the most finicky part of a build and a bit like putting skin tight jeans on a supermodel (not that I’ve had that pleasure).

I leaned the hard way to allow a bit of clearance for future additions.

Doing the modified cowl for Mabel was a friggin nightmare......I have a new most hated job now

[facthunter]

Pity we can't get nice little radials. They only need a Townend Ring.  Nev

[Marty_d]

You're right there @Kyle Communications and @Old Koreelah.  Fibreglass (carbon fibre is worse) is messy, sticky, smelly and dangerous.  Full face 3M filter mask and nitrile gloves to lay up, cut and sand CF.

 

Compare this to aluminium - clean, nice to work with, and won't kill you unless you open an artery on a sharp bit.  Complex curves are a bit of a problem though. 

 

So yes - if it came to a choice between fibreglassing and getting those jeans on/off a supermodel,  pass the baby powder. 

[Marty_d]

Big day today - for the first time a wing was put in position! Very relieved to find that the mounting surfaces meet neatly.  I finished the fuel line on that wing then removed it again,  would have been difficult to get to the loo with it in position. 

Edited July 9, 2023 by Marty_d

[Marty_d]

Bit by bit I've been ordering bits from evilbay and putting together the fuel system. 

Manifold has the limiters tapped and loctited in the rear two outlets, starboard is return line to wing tank,  1/4 ally line going thru gland in the firewall,  thru corner of dash, up beside the cabin tube and into the sill above the door and thence out to a quick release to the wing tank.

Port tune snakes around and thru the firewall above the passenger throttle rod, I have a barb fitted to the gauge so short rubber connection there too.

1/4 rubber lines are sheathed in fireproof cover, I have a bit left over so will cover as much as I can of the return / pressure gauge lines too when the next shipment of hose clamps arrives. 

 

[Marty_d]

I mucked around a bit and worked out how to seat the front of the door properly, and also seat the bottom sides of the windscreen.

 

For the door, a Z-profile bit of 0.025" does the trick, providing a narrow sill for the front to go into.  I've put a small self-adhering rubber along the inside of the door, with holes cut where it goes over the rivets, and the door is pretty tight so I'm hoping it's fume-proof to some extent.

 

For the lower sides of the windscreen, a flat piece of 0.016" cut to shape is riveted to the fuse below the edge of the windscreen.  This has turned out quite neat so I don't know that I'll even need rubber.

 

I've also test fitted some black felt above the dash, still need to trim then stick it on with spray adhesive before riveting & screwing the windscreen into place.  Ripped off the protective plastic too - for the first time I can sit inside the plane and look out through the screen, I really need the internal windscreen wipers for the "brrrrrr" noises now...

 

[facthunter]

Are you Irish?  Nev

[facthunter]

On  second thoughts, you probably aren't. They don't admit it.    Nev

[Marty_d]

7 hours ago, facthunter said:

Are you Irish?  Nev

No, but I've lived there.  

I'm reading Billy Connolly's autobiography at the moment, it has a few chuckles.

 

I laughed out loud when he described visiting Ireland and a woman came up to him and said "You're Billy Connolly!  Sure, you're the spitting image of yourself!"

There's a reason we laugh at them.

[IBob]

Hi Marty, you may want to consider Bostik SIMSON ISR 70-03 for the bottom edge of your screen.

It's what the glaziers use at glass joints, also widely used by light engineering shops and the like.

Wonderful stuff and highly recommended.

Comes in a mastic tube, clear or black, you apply masking tape where you don't want it, gun it onto where you do want it, then spray with that window cleaning stuff, which allows you to work and smooth it with your finger/s without it sticking to you or dragging. In the event of sticking or dragging, spray some more. Feather it where it meets the tape, which you then strip off as soon as you have finished smoothing.
I used it (with some trepidation) between my windscreen rubber and the fuselage and was very pleased with the result: the black literally looks like part of the rubber fitted perfectly to the fuselage.

[onetrack]

I second IBob's recommendation - that Bostik sealant/adhesive is good stuff. Pretty sure it's the same stuff used to seal and hold windscreens. If you want to form it with a finger, squirt some dishwashing liquid on your finger to prevent the sealant adhering to your finger. The dishwashing liquid just washes off the sealant surface once it dries.

 

I've also recently found another valuable sealant/adhesive product to add to the useful consumables list - 3M Weatherstrip sealant adhesive.

 

This stuff sticks to anything, it's designed to hold weatherstrips to glass and plastic, and even the difficult plastics such as PU and PE.

However, be careful using it, it's got some potent chemicals in its makeup, so ensure you're in a well-ventilated area. 

I might add, the stuff's not cheap - but generally, nothing is, that works.

 

https://colourfastauto.com.au/product/3m-08011-weatherstrip-adhesive-black/#:~:text=3M ™ Super Weatherstrip Adhesive,moon roofs and sun roofs.

[facthunter]

Some window cleaners have ammonia in them and might be corrosive in  some applications.   Nev

[IBob]

I think most window cleaners are mostly just meths and water, Facthunter.
But if in doubt, dishwashing liquid as suggested by Onetrack would work fine.
Ideally, I would want whatever in a  pump/spray container: you're trying to work reasonably quickly, and pump/spray is a great way to apply the liquid (if you're applying it to the sealant, as I did). And that was the recommendation from the glaziers where I bought the sealant.

[kgwilson]

The best window cleaners IMO are just a few drops of dishwashing liquid in warm water, applied with a soft cloth or sponge and squeegeed off well. No streaks or smears. Vuplex is good for anti static and cleaning acrylic, lexan & other plastics.

[onetrack]

Mr Sheen works just as good on acrylic as Vuplex does, and it's a third of the price. Vuplex is a rort.

[Marty_d]

My screens are polycarbonate rather than acrylic,  not sure if that makes a difference. 

But I like the idea of detergent in water anyway. 

[Kyle Communications]

always wipe the window up and down...never sideways or circular

 

[kgwilson]

Polycarbonate is the same. Mr Sheen is a furniture polish & works OK but it isn't anti static and doesn't last long.

[Marty_d]

I've done a few things in the last couple of weeks.  Bought some hose clamps (thanks @skippydiesel for the Icon 35 advice, they fit perfectly) so the cooling system is now all hooked up.  

Started thinking about seat cushions and seatbelts.  I picked up a couple of front seats from a written off Mazda 2, removed the frames and covers and went to work with a breadknife.  Quite happy with the result both look and feel, so now "just" a matter of re-covering.  Shouldn't be impossible as I have the original covers as a pattern.  There's a couple of rips in those and they're a bit boring in colour so I can't really reuse them.

Also glued on the felt cover over the top of the dash, looks nice and neat now.

 

[IBob]

Those are great looking seats, Marty!

[skippydiesel]

Polycarbonate: WARNING - Will react badly to almost all hydrocarbons. Be very careful that you don't spill/splash  petrol on your windscreen or use any substance containing hydrocarbons. If in doubt don't use it.

[Marty_d]

3 hours ago, skippydiesel said:

Polycarbonate: WARNING - Will react badly to almost all hydrocarbons. Be very careful that you don't spill/splash  petrol on your windscreen or use any substance containing hydrocarbons. If in doubt don't use it.

Yeah fuel spills are a big worry especially as there's a top window as well and the wing root skins fair down onto it.  So any fuel spilled will go there.

I've been thinking that perhaps I should put a gate on the first full rib to stop any leaks from getting past it, they can just run to the leading or trailing edge and drip to the ground.

Thoughts?

[Kyle Communications]

Love those seats Marty