Savannah builder

[mek]

We had heard about this site and hoped it would help as we build our Savannah. A quick search has already been useful on the subject of primers. We'll keep in touch.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Welcome to the site me&K, Your in the right place for Savvy info. I'll catch up with you soon at Ken Bates' BBQ Ok .Cheers Ross Millard..........................................................

 

 

[eightyknots]

We had heard about this site and hoped it would help as we build our Savannah. A quick search has already been useful on the subject of primers. We'll keep in touch.

Hi Me&K,

 

Have you started building your Savannah yet?

 

 

[Guest milton56]

Hi Me&K, What model Savvy are you building and which motor are you going to use?

 

Milton

 

 

[planedriver]

My avitar shows a particulary nice one owned by a couple of forum members which I had a flight in last Sunday.

 

Good luck with building project, I reckon they are a little aircraft.

 

 

[eightyknots]

We had heard about this site and hoped it would help as we build our Savannah. A quick search has already been useful on the subject of primers. We'll keep in touch.

Me&K, did you ever get started on building your Savannah?

 

 

[mek]

Me&K, did you ever get started on building your Savannah?

We did indeed - the salesman lied, a lot! Said seven weeks to build it; it is now more than two and a half years!! All the bits are built and the fuselage painted, have had the wings on to see if they fit and they do, so now have to be painted. At the moment we are putting in the engine with the help of Harrold. If I hear one more time that when you think you are 90% finished there is actually 90% to go I will shout a lot! K

 

 

[rankamateur]

I helped the salesman build one in six and a half weeks to show at Natfly, so he didn't lie! It is a bit more challenging the first time, particularly if you do things wrong and have to back track and drill out rivets. Best use more clecoes and then rivet, more chance to realise your errors. Nice colours by the way.

 

 

[mek]

Well done! We have done our share of de-riveting, and probably too much 'sanding' of the sharp bits. Life tends to get in the way too, having to go off to do things, or farming.

 

We are going to call it 'Ayr Born'.

 

Won't ever know if building a second one is faster : )

 

K

 

 

[rankamateur]

I visited a farmer/builder like you at Ayr when I was up there taking care of some family business, good to see you are nearing completion.

 

 

[mek]

I visited a farmer/builder like you at Ayr when I was up there taking care of some family business, good to see you are nearing completion.

Brian thought Rankamateur might be you Steve. We follow Mark Kyle's blog with interest.

Ours was a different salesman to the one you helped do a six and a half week build.

 

Not sure if we are going to add any more apple green to the plane - want it visible, that's for sure. K

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

If you worked at it full time and had some experience I am sure it could be done in 7 weeks....mine took a year and a half but life got in the way too much and I built it at 2 different places...realistically doing it again and at the one place I would say 6 months and I would have it finished completely inc painting....even with life getting in the way....The painting nearly broke my enthusiasm though.... that took 4 months at least. I would do it differently next time.

 

Hivis paint doesn't stop you from not being seen or others hearing your radio calls either. I got the crap scared out of me a few weeks ago by let us say a rotary wing type who suddenly called a mid downwind join AFTER I had already called in downwind and I was already at mid downwind by then....he was about 200 ft above me I saw him through the roof of the Sav. I actually needed to take evasive action...was not happy Jan

 

Mark

 

 

[Mr Mal]

quote="Kyle Communications, post: 245265, member: 1910"]If you worked at it full time and had some experience I am sure it could be done in 7 weeks....mine took a year and a half but life got in the way too much and I built it at 2 different places...realistically doing it again and at the one place I would say 6 months and I would have it finished completely inc painting....even with life getting in the way....The painting nearly broke my enthusiasm though.... that took 4 months at least. I would do it differently next time.

 

Hivis paint doesn't stop you from not being seen or others hearing your radio calls either. I got the crap scared out of me a few weeks ago by let us say a rotary wing type who suddenly called a mid downwind join AFTER I had already called in downwind and I was already at mid downwind by then....he was about 200 ft above me I saw him through the roof of the Sav. I actually needed to take evasive action...was not happy Jan

 

Mark

 

I hear you Mark - I have only rewired my Sierra and replaced the dash and interior and its been 6 weeks and counting! Almost there tho - seem to be finding less jobs to do and finishing more off!

 

Mal

 

 

[eightyknots]

....The painting nearly broke my enthusiasm though.... that took 4 months at least. I would do it differently next time.

I've been thinking about the painting a bit, seeing that quite a few people are up to this stage. Bobcharl reckons there's not much in the Savannah manual. How would you do it next time Mark?

 

PS ~ 200 feet seems way too close!

 

 

[rankamateur]

I think a twelve or sixteen week build (full time) would be more than twice as enjoyable than a quick one, there must be a point though where dragging it out takes the fun out of it.

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

I used a alu etch primer first to coat the aluminium then I used a proper undercoat as the etch primer was very dark in colur. So the 2 pack undercoat was a bugger to sand and it was terrible to actually spay on it was a huge amount of work to spray then sand it all back...even then I still had too much left on the plane so added some weight. The top coat was all done by paint and masking that wasnt so bad I used a base white then masked it up to apply the red. Again more paint tha really was necessary. next time I would use the PPG etch prime it is white and then use PPG topcoat this will keep the weight to much less and trimming I would just get vinyl stickers made up. So much quicker and simpler and lighter

 

I can tell you the amount of surface area I had to hand rub all that undercoat to soooo much time it was crazy..that is what nearly broke me...just way too much work