My RANS S-21 Outbound Build

[Kyle Communications]

I have moved this thread from Other Aircraft into the now available RANS location in the forum

 

[Kyle Communications]

Well its a big week this week. Work has finally started on my S-21 build.

RodgerC who had a S-20 with the 141 wing and the round tail ( christened a RANS S-20.5)  that came in the container I organised with mine and Greg's S-21 has finished his beautifully built aircraft and it has some 50 odd hours on it now.  Rodger asked me if he could help me building my S-21 as I am still finally getting the the finish line with Mabel but still a bit away until I can clear my workshop out by getting Mable to the hangar for assembly.

Of course I jumped at the chance to have such a craftsman help me put it together and of course he has already put together a set of 141 wings and they are the same series of itteration of back in 2019 so he knows all the traps in putting them together. This will help shorten my build time a lot seeing its been so long since the kit got here in Oct 2019

 

I got all the parts for the wings over to his place earlier this week and he has started prep already. I will be heading over there helping him when he needs it or I can get a chance to get over there and annoy him.

As soon as Mabel vacates the workshop I will start on either the tailfeathers or fuselage..probably the fuselage I think.

I will be away overseas for almost 2 weeks with my very understanding wife from Tuesday for some R&R to a mates wedding. We both need a break

I should have Mabel down to the hangar a few weeks after that so can start the S-21 fuselage here. 

 

I am excited 🙂

 

 

A picture of Rodgers S-20.5 is here as well

It is such a lovely built aircraft

 

 

 

[Marty_d]

I like those extruded "D" leading edges and spars.

 

Certainly beats hours with an air solid riveter and bucking bar putting L extrusions on the top and bottom of a 0.025" web.

[Kyle Communications]

I love the whole wing/spar design on this aircraft. Apparently its from a old Luscombe design. The centre truss arrangement and front and rear spar just makes sense for ease of build and strength

[facthunter]

The spars themselves need local reinforcement where the strut attaches. BIG loads there.  Nev

[Kyle Communications]

This thread will be a copy of the build log for this aircraft

 

 

23/4/23

Assembled both flap bell crank and one aileron bell crank assemblies. 

1.4h

 

24/4/23

Riveted all (10) doublers to main and rear spars of LH and RH wing. 

Removed and replaced 9 rivets that were incorrectly packed in CCPQ-43 packet. (Were actually CCPQ-42….12 wrong size rivets in packet)

Updrilled truss attachment holes in main spars to 5/16” and cleared excess powdercoat from bolt holes in wing trusses. 


3.4h

 

25/4/23
Commenced match drilling strut truss fittings to LH and RH truss bosses. 

1.3h

25/4/23
Continued match drilling and started reaming strut truss fittings on both trusses. 

3.3h

26/4/23

Completed reaming strut truss fittings and bolted same to LH and RH trusses.  Reamed spars, doublers and trusses. Bolted LH truss to LH wing main truss. 

2.8h
 

[Kyle Communications]

28/04/23

Squared flanges and straightened ribs of LH wing. Clecoed ribs temporarily to spars and shimmed truss to straighten rear spar. 

Fabricated wing attach angles for both wings and deburred. 

Deburred aileron and flap hinge brackets for both wings. 

5.1h
 

 

30/04/23

Set-out aileron and flap hinge arms and rib attach angles. Removed ribs from spars and match drilled for hinge arms etc. Deburred all ribs and riveted hinge arms, flap and aileron bellcrank mounts and attach angles to ribs. Clecoed ribs to spars and positioned wing tie-down angle. 

6.3h

 

[Kyle Communications]

03/05/23

Riveted ribs 2-11 to front and rear spars. Installed LH wing flap and aileron bell cranks. 

2.4h

 

06/05/23

Installed LH aileron bellcrank pushrod male rod end and aileron cable. Safety wired ferrule in locating slot. 

Installed LH flap Teleflex cable and safety wired to Teleflex cable mount. Attached male and female rod ends to flap bellcrank. 

1.4h

 

 

08/05/23

Straightened (fluted) 11 ribs of RH wing. Drilled and deburred 5/8” holes in ribs of LH and RH wings. Added grommets to holes and cable draw string to LH wing ribs. 

2.3h

 

13/05/23

Deburred ribs of RH wing. 

1.9h

 

15/05/23

Routed and supported pitot and static lines in LH wing. 
Deburred 8 stringers for LH and RH wings. 

5.4h

 

[Kyle Communications]

23/05/23

Trimmed stringers to length. Levelled and squared wing spars on aluminium box sections. Formed rolled edge on upper LH wing skin. Clecoed wing skin to ribs and matched drilled main spar. Deburred and dimpled wing leading edge. 

3.8h

 

[Kyle Communications]

24/05/23

Countersunk (microstop) main spar to accept LH dimpled upper wing skin. 

1.3h

 

[Kyle Communications]

27/05/23

 

LE countersinking completed. Prep for anticorrosion paint for tops of ribs and front and rear spar contact areas

 

1 hr

 

[facthunter]

Very neat.  Nev

[Kyle Communications]

27/05/23

Assembled RH wing aileron bellcrank. 

0.4h

[Kyle Communications]

29/05/23

Removed upper LH wing skin and deburred leading edge spar. Roller applied two coats of corrosion inhibitor to spars, ribs, stringers and tank supports. Replaced wing skin and clecoed in tank supports. Riveted leading edge of skin to spar. 

4.3h

[Kyle Communications]

31/05/23

Riveted LH upper wing skin to ribs, fuel tank supports and stringers up to 4th last row. Match drilled upper flange of rear spar. Deburred rear spar and wing skin. 

5.4h
 

[Kyle Communications]

02/06/23

Trimmed, deburred and clecoed Flap and Aileron Gap Seals to Rear Spar. Riveted final four rows of LH Wing upper skin rivets to ribs. Riveted Gap seals to Rear Spar. Upper skin of LH Wing complete. 

4.4h

 

[IBob]

Looking really nice, Mark!

[Mike Gearon]

Hey Mark. Great to see you’re underway. I haven’t been on this site in ages. I’ll update the other S21 thread. I’m in USA for now.

[Kyle Communications]

26/06/23

Trimmed stringer and notched around truss. Clecoed bottom skin to ribs and stringer. Drilled leading edge to front spar. Removed skin, deburred and dimpled. Microstop countersunk main spar and clecoed skin back to front spar, ribs and stringer. 

4.6h

[Kyle Communications]

11/07/23

Modified pitot mount bracket and riveted to rib #6. Marked-up and cut pitot mounting holes in lower LH wing skin. Vacuumed swarf from wing cavity. 

2.1h
 

[Kyle Communications]

12/07/23

Removed lower LH wing skin and deburred leading edge spar. Roller applied two coats of corrosion inhibitor to spars, ribs, stringers and tank supports. 

 

2.9h

 

[facthunter]

Looks pretty robust compared to  most other comparable stuff.   Nev

[Kyle Communications]

Yes Nev the S-21 is more like a GA aircraft in build. Mine will be in Group G 760kg category or if CASA get their sh*t together with their medical I may put it into VH Experimental.

The limit at the moment is the S-21 with a Rotax 100hp is limited to 727kg MTOW but with a Titan or similar it is 820kg MTOW. So the airframe is limited by the manufacturer by horsepower. My Rotax is 114hp so my weight could come up a little to probably 750kg.

The empty weight for most seems to be between 370kg and 400kg with a Rotax engine and about another 36kg heavier with the Titan

[Kyle Communications]

Savannah builders will recognise the dreaded black goop. It is actually a fantastic product if applied correctly. Its not put on everywhere on this build as I havent put it on every mating surface. Only the surfaces that may have moisture ingress like the skins and rivets. I got a couple of tins from Aerokits just for this project

 

[Kyle Communications]

17/07/23

Riveted lower LH wing skin to ribs. Match driller rear spar, deburred, vacuumed swarf from wing cavity and riveted skin to rear spar. 

6.8h