Kit builders- how do you maintain your enthusiasm?

[Thruster88]

1002 hours before first engine start (from my build log) over 4 years and 368 build days. Note that this was only build time. I excluded planning ( fart arsing around & moving stuff) and cleanup times.

 

That is a mighty effort for what sounds like an almost scratch build.

[spacesailor]

@onetrack

"A simple way to measure the stats, would be tracking the number of sales of part-finished aircraft."

 

Not all are sold / traded.

I just missed a HummelBird that was taken to the TIP, Three days later I arrived to find it "Baled" up as scrap aluminium.

Number two was turned into a child's pedal-plane.

Norm's ( WesternAustralia ) HummelBird, as well as Tony;s (South Grafton NSW ). never to be heard of again !.

And then there was at one-time 18 builders on a Hummel list.

ONE went to 95-19-xxxx build with a Rotax motor.

spacesailor

[kgwilson]

That is a mighty effort for what sounds like an almost scratch build.

Garry Morgan reckoned you could build a Sierra in 400 hours. Maybe he could after building 20 or so.

[kgwilson]

@onetrack

"A simple way to measure the stats, would be tracking the number of sales of part-finished aircraft."

 

Not all are sold / traded.

I just missed a HummelBird that was taken to the TIP, Three days later I arrived to find it "Baled" up as scrap aluminium.

Number two was turned into a child's pedal-plane.

Norm's ( WesternAustralia ) HummelBird, as well as Tony;s (South Grafton NSW ). never to be heard of again !.

And then there was at one-time 18 builders on a Hummel list.

ONE went to 95-19-xxxx build with a Rotax motor.

spacesailor

The one at South Grafton was sold about a year ago & went to Queensland. I've no idea who bought it or where it ended up. It wasn't in the best condition after sitting in a shed for many years.

[IBob]

Garry Morgan reckoned you could build a Sierra in 400 hours. Maybe he could after building 20 or so.

I reckon most of us could build a second aircraft of the same model in half the time the first one took, if we put our minds to it.

But whether there would be the same quality of finish and attention to detail I'm not so sure. Certainly it would get faster with repeated builds as you worked up systems and jigs to speed the slow bits and make the hard bits easier.

[spacesailor]

The Biggest help with "pop" rivets is the pneumatic air riveter, No more pains in your hands from squeezing the old type hand riveter.

spacesailor

[bushcaddy105]

I'm late to this thread, but my experience was that when building, if everything was working out well in the first hour, I could find myself still hard at it 12 hours later. If things didn't seem to go as desired in the first hour I would walk away and do other jobs until the urge to do more took over, even days or weeks later.. The only other hint is to plan the next session's work by going through the plans/instructions the night before so that the task is fresh in mind.

 

Hope this helps keep you going - believe me, the end result will be an achievement that will will stay with you forever.

[kgwilson]

The Sierra Kit was basically lots of alloy extrusions, rolls of sheet, rough fibreglass mouldings a wing mount steel sub frame, engine mount, canopy bubble, a few other bits & nuts, bolts & rivets. The build manual may as well have been written in Swahili but the plans had been professionally drawn. I had lots of photos & there was also a video of some of the processes. I had a hydro pneumatic riveter & air hammer. No other special tools & no jigs. I built a 4.8 x 1.2 bench. The Blog is on this site HERE

[danny_galaga]

A simple way to measure the stats, would be tracking the number of sales of part-finished aircraft. I wouldn't be surprised to see a fair number for sale, due to the death of the kit owner.

I recently sighted an ad for a 20 year old RV-6 kit, that was for sale - as it came from the factory, untouched.

 

Simpler yet is to track how many kits were sold by the factory and the number that are registered

[spacesailor]

K G

A " Water " "Air " riviter ?

Perhaps Sweat & Tears !.

spacesailor

[onetrack]

Spacey - "hydro pneumatic riveter" is pneumatic over hydraulic - not hydro, as in water driven by gravity, driving turbines.

[spacesailor]

Sorted

Thanks. I will have a look to understand better.

Could be " power riveting ", but why the air if hydrolic.

spacesailor

[onetrack]

Spacey, the "hydraulic" part refers to the transfer of air power to the jaws, which enables gripping of the rivet pin, then the pulling of the pin until it breaks.

The term "hydraulic" normally refers to using a liquid, to greatly increase pressure within a tool or machine system - but the "hydraulic" term is also loosely used to describe using pressurised air, as well as pressurised liquid.

 

"PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION:

The rivet is pushed through the hole in the workpiece and the rivet pin inserted into the rivet gun nosepiece which will grip it tightly. When the rivet gun is activated the throttle valve allows compressed air through the tool. The pressure of the air forces the rivet pin into the jaws which pull the pin up into the rivet. As the pin is taken up, the base of the rivet expands and this joins the workpiece. The rivet gun pulls the pin until it breaks off, thereby securing the rivet. The used pins are ejected into the safety cap for disposal."

[spacesailor]

I was thinking it would be like the " jaws of life " pneumatic" to the powerhead, then Hydrolic to the jaws.

If you change those jaws around you could use them as a power riviter to squash hard rivets.

spacesailor

[IBob]

I was thinking it would be like the " jaws of life " pneumatic" to the powerhead, then Hydrolic to the jaws.

If you change those jaws around you could use them as a power riviter to squash hard rivets.

spacesailor

You got it. Also known as air over oil. The air provides the pressure, which moves the oil in the tool.

So the tool moves in a steady progressive fashion.

With jaws of life, as soon as the (oil) trigger is released, the jaws stop moving and apply no further pressure. If it was air, releasing the trigger would leave pressure in the cylinder, and the jaws may carry on moving.

[kgwilson]

K G

A " Water " "Air " riviter ?

Perhaps Sweat & Tears !.

spacesailor

They are called Hydro Pneumatic riveters because compressed air is used to drive the hydraulic action that pulls the rivet stem to compress the rivet and fasten the material.

[spacesailor]

Mine must be a cheapie as its air only.

spacesailor