MyCozyAdventure - Dream, Build, Fly!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year...

2011-12-29T09:55:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm not as far along on the Cozy as I had hoped to be by now...18 mths after starting...but Sunday is a new year and a good time for a fresh start. I can hear the fuselage in the garage calling out to me in an eerie voice...come back to work. Most of my down time during the Christmas holiday has been spent catching up on old household honey-do's, the post Christmas clean-up, and researching what to do with my apparently failed septic drain field, and oh yea...I have a fence to fix before it falls down...what fun!

Even Santa Has to Refuel for the Long Hauls

I am however energized for the new year, ready to get in better shape, make solid progress on my Cozy dream, and figure out what I'm going to do after I retire from the USAF sometime in the next 18 mths...scary but exciting.

Take each day as it comes, focus only on the minute at hand, find the good in it all, and leave the past...well...in the past.

Merry Christmas & Happy 2012!

cab

Back at it...

2011-11-13T20:05:00.000-06:00

Well I'm back at work on the Cozy after a few months off due to medical issues, recovery, back to work, etc... Man, getting my Cozy momentum back has been tough.

I left off just before we left for Oshkosh 11...oh what fun that was! I was in the middle of securing the seams of the bulkheads to the fuselage sides using 2" Bidirectional (BID) fiberglass tapes. These reinforce the intersections where the bulkheads mate to the fuselage sides and make the transition look nice. I started out making this much harder than it had to be...but soon found tips from others that worked great.

TIP: I find the best way to BID tape is to use the aluminum foil method mentioned on a number of other builder sites.

- First put down aluminum foil
- mark 2" wide lines with a sharpie and ruler
- wet out both plys of cloth on top of the foil and stipple the air out
- use your electric scissors to cut to shape
- put a little flox in the corners to help the glass round the corner smooth
- brush on a little resin to the joint
- apply the glass and smooth it down with your fingers
- peel ply

The hardest part is trying to get the little spaces and turns around the longerons. It's also a little hard on your back, at least mine, since your leaning over the longerons quite a bit. You want to take your time though as nice workmanship here will help your overall interior look nice and professional.

The fuselage is turned right side up for a bit now. The past couple of weeks I've finished up the BID taping, drilled the alignment holes for the landing gear installation, and installed the last of the 3 landing gear support bulkheads.

In the pic you can see the new LG bulkhead installed and a still curing 3 ply reinforcement of glass down the front connecting the top and bottom bulkheads. A similar 6 ply of glass will go on the aft side along with 2 ply BID tapes along the horizontal seam front and back.

I also installed the F28 bulkhead. F28 is forward of the instrument panel and will become the bulkhead where the canard attaches. Since I'm planning a forward hinged canopy, F28 will also be where the hinges for the canopy are attached. You can see the peel ply sticking up on the aft side where the BID tape is still curing.

I can feel the momentum picking back up...Onward,

cab

Ever Dreamed of Living With Your Airplane?

2011-08-07T14:20:00.000-05:00

While at Oshkosh, we walked around and talked with Residential Airpark vendors to see what it would take to be able to live some day in a community of pilots & planes with their own runway. There weren't too many represented but wow, the ones that were there were great.

Heaven"s Landing is the one we liked the most. Probably not by accident...also likely the more expensive...what can I say, we have good taste. What better place to live than "Heaven" ?

The lots are nestled in the foothills of Northern Georgia, about 3 miles from the town of Clayton. Surrounded by a big lake, huge National Forest, Tallulah Gorge (biggest gorge in the East), and only 90 mins from Atlanta if you need some big city life.
There are lots up on the hillside, in which case you get a hanger in the ramp area, and there are lots along the taxiway, which of course means you get your hanger right with your house. The clubhouse is beautiful, the hangers all have full baths and are big enough to have living areas in them, plus they look like regular buildings and not hangars. The picture is a row of hangars. It's double decked with a taxiway going up the backside, and the front opening at the bottom below the top balconies. Way cool!

Maybe some day. http://www.heavenslanding.com/index.htm

Onward,
cab

The Cozy Get's a Registration Number...

2011-08-07T10:59:00.001-05:00

The FAA allows you to reserve your registration number for an aircraft prior to having the aircraft flying. All you have to do is ask for one, or create a unique number on your own (that follows certain rules) and pay $10/yr to have it held for you until you need it. In the picture you can see two of John Travolta's planes. He has more but these he parks at his house outside of Ocala, Fl....tough life. If you look close (or click to enlarge), the small jet is registered as N218JT and the 707 is registered as N707JT.

2 of John Travolta's Aircraft with Personalized Registration #s

After much thought and research of available numbers, I've reserved my FAA registration number for the Cozy. We can now refer to her not just as "The Cozy", but as "N791CG".

For those not familiar with phonetic aviation speak, it is pronounced...(N)ovember (7)Seven (9)Niner (1)One (C)harlie (G)olf. English is the international language of aviation and so the word "Niner" may be strange but it is used in place of simply "Nine". We do this because the verbal "Nine" in German means "No" which would not be good to say to a german air traffic controller. Saying "niner" eliminates possible confusion.

So why N791CG ?? Anybody...Anybody...Beuller...Beuller?
N - Required...This is the official designation of all U.S. registered aircraft. Every country is different.
7 - Represents the month of July
91 - Represents the year 1991
C - Chad
G - Gina

For those paying attention...you will recognize that July 1991 is the month/year Chad and Gina officially became Chad and Gina. OK...Collective AAAAHHHHHH. Of course I'll have to change it if I can't get through building the airplane without causing her to decide to leave me. After 20 years...I hope I'm safe. :-)

Now N791CG needs a name...similar to how you name a boat. Will have to work on that one for a while.

Onward
cab

Our 1st Visit to Oshkosh Comes to an End... :-(

2011-07-31T20:23:00.002-05:00

Back from Airventure 2011 and what a great time we had. To my surprise, Gina has even gotten all excited about finishing our Cozy. I think she loved the great people that share this interest and saw how much fun they have when they get flying.

We saw lots of aircraft, took part in the tribute to Burt Rutan, communed and dined with fellow canardians to talk building and flying Cozys, and attended a few seminars. The weather was good most of the time and there was no shortage of things to do or see. We didn't come close to doing everything we could have done or even saw all the different aircraft that flew in for the event. In fact we didn't end up staying for the nightime airshow Sat night because we were tired and wanted a nice relaxed night before we departed the next morn.

I had some problems with my camera while there but managed to get a few pics in the slide show below. click it open and you can go to the site where the pics are and flip through them at your own pace. Can't wait to go back another year. This will definitely become a habit. Until then, we'll keep building with more energy and motivation to get this thing done sooner rather than later. Onward....cab

From Many Parts...Come One...A Fuselage!

2011-07-03T20:17:00.002-05:00

Fuselage...upside down, nose in front, firewall at the rear

Big day yesterday! The core of the fuselage started to take shape with the assembly of the fuselage sides and the 3 main bulkheads...the seatback, the instrument panel, and F22. It is really neat to now have something in the garage, I mean aircraft factory, that looks kinda like something you might get in. One day it may actually look like an airplane.

I did not follow the plans method of jigging the fuselage. Instead I used Wayne Hicks method of jigging it upside down on the work table. I believe this was much easier than the plans version. The only difference for me from Wayne was that I had to cut a hole in the table to allow for the top of the IP to stick through. Wayne had used two doors and just slid them apart. My particleboard table top didn't come together in the right place so I just cut the hole. You can also simply add 2x4s on top and assemble on top of them but I thought it easier and more accurate just to cut the hole and replace the top when done.

This step only took about 2 hrs to accomplish but I spent at least 15 hrs preparing for it. You want to make sure everything is correct before the epoxy goes in because it will be heck to cut apart and fix after cure. I fit each bulkhead carefully making sure each one was true, square, and in the correct place. I had a little adjusting to do to each bulkhead but I was generally amazed how it all went together as planned.

Tip: I ran into the same problem many have in that the IP was about 1/4" too short in height). I thought this may have been an issue with the distorted M-drawings which is why I used the additional full size M-drawings but I guess the template is just off. It's an easy fix to add a little foam to the bottom (you did save those foam scraps didn't you?).

After initial fitting, I went back to each bulkhead and filled any gaps with foam for a nice tight fit. Then I went through and figured out how I was going to secure each bulkhead in place while it cured.

Jigged and secured for curing

Finally, (Tip) I disassembled the entire fuselage and rehearsed each step of how I would put it together when I actually put in the epoxy. I even wrote it down so I wouldn't miss anything. I wanted to make sure I knew exactly how I was going to do it so I didn't find myself in the middle, with epoxy on my hands, and run into a problem of some kind. After rehearsal, I took it all apart and did it for real. It all went very smooth. All the bulkheads are true and measurements are pretty much right on except the bottom (top in the picture) of the seatback. For some reason it's about .25" short horizontally. The seat itself measures properly per the template but when installed and aligned from the top longeron to the bottom longeron, it doesn't quite make it to the forward mark. Best I can tell, this shouldn't be an issue. Above is what it looked like while curing.

Screws through boards hold bulkheads in place to cure

Like Wayne, I used dry wall screws and predrilled the holes through the fuselage sides. If your bulkheads fit well, this works great. I also put the screws through a 1x6 board on each side to aid in spreading the pressure across the entire area. The first two boards to the left in the pic (right) are holding the seatback and IP bulkheads. The front board is just holding the foam ends nice and straight with the F22 bulkhead.

Giant rubber bands holding F22 against the end

You can also see the big rubber bands I used to help hold F22 nice and tight against the end. The top and bottom were screwed in to provide a solid hold but I wanted something to provide even pressure along the entire height of the bulkhead to make sure it stayed straight.

Location block for the IP

Tip: I also added a location block to help position the IP. (right pic) . I did this because every time I put a screw in from the side to hold the IP in place, it would move on me. I didn't predrill the holes into the side of the bulkhead as I thought this might not allow the foam to hold the screw as tight. If I had, maybe the IP wouldn't have moved. Instead, I installed a location block on each side that I could move out of the way and then quickly position once the IP was installed. It starts from the forward position of the seatback and extends to where the front of the IP is supposed to be and has a screw at each end. I can easily remove the screw closest to the IP and swing the block out of the way to get the IP in place. With the top (bottom in the pic...remember it's upside down) up against this block, I knew it was in the correct place. I then squared it to 90 degrees, pinned the top with a small nail and then I could install the screws without it wandering on me. It worked great.

Time to go reinforce the joints and install the landing gear bulkheads. Onward.

cab

Only 27 days to Oshkosh 2011...

2011-07-02T09:32:00.002-05:00

I'm making my first trip to aviation paradise this year...Oshkosh 2011...and I can't wait. For me and 650,000 of my closest friends, this is a special year as they will be celebrating Burt Rutan's retirement, the man responsible for canard homebuilt aircraft and so many other unique designs including what is about to become the first commercial space vehicle, Spaceship One and the White Knight Mothership. The legendary Bob Hoover and Gen Chuck Yeager will be there, many different workshops and lectures to attend, I can scope out my future avionics systems, and of course I'll have 100+ other canards to look at and take pictures of design features I want to incorporate into my Cozy. Did I say I was excited...Check out the video below for a sneek peak at the Greatest Aviation Celebration in the World.

Onward.

Ch 6 Begins: Time to Start Making a Fuselage...

2011-06-27T22:17:00.003-05:00

Well it's been a couple of weeks since I finished the fuselage sides and although things have been quiet here, I have been working...just not as fast since I'm back at work now. Unfortunately, I'm just now starting to have something to show for it. Over the last two weeks I've...

- Performed some clean up of the fuse sides: I had some areas I needed to smooth out with micro so it will look better when painted and I had some dry spots left over from some glassing I needed to repair.

Lowered table w/firewall mounted upside down ala Wayne Hicks style

- Spent a really annoying afternoon trying to level the blasted work table: After lowering it to prepare for fuselage assembly, I shimmed it level, came back to check to see if it had settled any, leveled it again, etc. I went through this a few times and then noticed that my level that had just told me the table was high on one end, now told me it was low on that same end...and I hadn't changed anything. After doing some checking, I finally realized my level was bowed! Not much...but enough to affect the SMART Tool digital level...how frustrating! I ordered a new one which came four days later. PS: The SMART Tool digital level is a great tool...but be prepared. If you're as anal as I am, you'll spend whatever time it takes to see 0.0 degrees level on the scale. It doesn't have to be that precise to build the Cozy...but I should have a very straight airplane to for my trouble.

Stir sticks used to secure the final longeron positions

- Finished the Ch 4 temporary firewall by cutting the holes for the longerons: I started by establishing the 23" Water Line and a centerline and then cut the main longeron holes per the paper template. I left some side-to-side wiggle room to make adjustments on assembly. Then I cut the other holes leaving both vertical and horizontal wiggle room. During the dry fit of the fuselage and after the positions were established, checked, rechecked, adjusted, and checked three more times, I glued some epoxy stir sticks on the back of the firewall around the final position of the longerons. The thought is that this will provide an accurate template for mapping the holes to the real firewall and minimize any accidental oversizing. We'll see how well this works out.

- And of course I did start the dry fit of the fuselage. Onward.

cab

Chapter 5 Fuselage Sides...check!

2011-06-14T21:53:00.002-05:00

Wooo Hoooo! Here I am...the proud papa of two new fuselage sides.

The final stage of cutting each side to the proper length was nerve racking to say the least. If you built the sides exactly to plans, it doesn't leave you with much room to trim. I only had a 1/4" of margin so I was worried that any mistake was going to leave me with a short side I would have to figure out how to fix. I thought about it and played with different methods for making the cuts for 2 days before doing it. In the end I believe I have two sides that are the prescribed 101.75" long...and I miraculously seem to still have the 5.5" width in the aft section for the spar cutout. I ended up using the Fien tool with the multipurpose cutter to do the trimming. I love it when a plan comes together.

The sides are a little on the heavy side. I believe them to be about 12.3 lbs each...almost 1 lb heavier than the average (11.5) posted on the Unofficial Cozy Website. I thought it was more like two lbs at first after measuring on my son's fish scale, but after some checking, I found out the scale was off about a lb at the 10 lb mark. I don't have another scale that is capable of fractions of a lb up to about 12-15lbs so right now the 12.3 is my best estimate. The extra weight should be mostly the repair I had to make to the aft section for air specks which added a top layer of BID per repair instructions and some extra UND glass.

Now it starts to get exciting. I get to take all these smaller parts I've been working on and put them together into on bigger one that actually starts to look like something...maybe not an airplane...but definitely something other than just parts. Onward & upward.

cab

LWX & LWY Stringers...

2011-06-06T22:38:00.000-05:00

Step 5 of Ch 5 started with the lower longerons (previous post) and then went on to installing the so-called LWX and LWY wooden stringers in the aft section. These stringers form an important structural section that carries loads from both the center wing spar and the main landing gear.

The biggest issue I had here was that when the two stringers were lined up according to the proper measurements, the angles that were cut to fit the intersection of the two stringers (middle of pic) and the intersection of LWX and the lower longeron (bottom right in pic) didn't fit nice and flush. I'm not blaming the plans here...I'll take the full blame on behalf of my cheapo miter guage.

The important thing was to make sure the 3 key measurements were correct: 5.5" from the aft edge to the vertical support, 8.7" down and parallel to the bottom of the top longeron, and 16.3" from the aft edge to the intersection at the lower longeron. After those were solid, I adjusted the intersecting angles as best I could to get a better fit and let flox fill any minor gaps. The pic shows the wooden stringers in place as well as the beginning work of step 6...which includes securing the electrical conduit cover and filling the voids with foam. Next is securing the foam in place with micro, filling the gaps, sanding the section level, and glassing over this area to make it one solid enclosed structure.

It's not an illusion that my electrical conduit covers are slightly curved. When doing some double checking, I realized that I failed to cut the conduit channel at the "recommended" 14.7" down from the longeron and instead cut them according to the plans 14.5". The problem is that at the plans measurement, the conduit opening at the firewall will likely interfere with the rudder pulley mounted on the firewall. The easy solution was to shape the aft part of the conduit cover with an ever so slight bend in order to exit the firewall below the pulley assembly.

OK. I'm in the last step of Ch 5. I'll have some fuselage sides done very soon.

cab

Nice Curves...The Lower Longerons that Is...

2011-06-01T19:36:00.001-05:00

Curvy Fuselage Bottom

Clamping tool used by many builders

The lower longerons go in pretty easy per plans. The key is to make the necessary relief cuts for each curve of the lower fuselage side so the longerons fit well. You will want plenty of clamps to hold the longerons down in the curves while it cures well. Be sure to use the nails per plans to hold it in the proper location and then the clamps to hold it against the side while curing. These two things working together made this easy. It would be also helpful to make some small wooden tools (here we go again :-) ) for the clamps to mate well to the top of the longeron stock vice trying to clamp the points of the triangular longeron. In the pics, you can see the wooden clamp tools made from a spare 2x4. As always, click the pics to enlarge. My first one came out great. I don't have enough clamps to do both at once so I'm waiting for the right side to dry now.

Clamping the Lower Longeron

TIP: I do want to mention something that the plans does not discuss and may cause you a pause. Assuming you have done everything to plan, you may find that the lower longerons will overhang anywhere from .1" to .3" at the aft half of each fuselage side when placed in the appropriate location. (see graphic below) When I encountered this, I wasn't sure whether to go ahead and place them per the measurements from the upper longeron or line them up with the edge of the foam and just make sure they were the same on each side. The plans clearly says to place the longeron at the specific measurements, but you know you start to second guess the meaning.

Click to Enlarge

Well, I found in the archives someone mentioning the same issue. The answer was basically, don't worry about it. Place the lower longerons at the proper measurements and let them overhang. In a future chapter, when you shape the bottom of the fuselage, some of the bottom longeron will get sanded away anyway. If there are any gaps left in the foam at that point, just fill it with pour foam, shape, and move on. Below is a drawing I made to describe the problem to the Cozy Email Group before I found it in the archives.

Onward,

cab

Glassing the Longerons...

2011-05-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

After spending some time cleaning up the sides after glassing, it was time to glass the longerons. To prep, I first had to fill some surface imperfections left from bubbles in the peel ply from when I glassed the sides. I also rounded the corners of the longerons to help the glass contour better. Another builder recommended this also because your shoulder will be bumping into the top longeron and that square corner will remind you that you didn't round it every time it happens.

TIP: I used a process recommended by a fellow builder, Buly Aliev, to glass the longerons. I started by laying out a plastic sheet, marked it with a sharpie the size I needed for the 4 ply glass to go on the longerons. Then I built up the layup from the top layer to the bottom layer starting with a layer of peel ply. Buly didn't necessarily recommend the peel ply but I like it because of the sanding work it saves. After wetting out the peel ply and the 4 layers of glass, I cut the entire stack to the dimensions marked by the sharpie leaving a neat ready to apply glass layup. Next I brushed some raw epoxy on the longerons and transfered the application over onto the longerons glass side down of course, massaged it into place, squeeged out the air, and voila. A helper makes this easier...my Dad was in town and came in really handy. It wasn't as easy as it is to write about it...I had some dry spots (oversqueeged) to deal with and some difficulty in gettting the glass to stick in some of the tight corners ...but the process Buly recommended worked well.

Just remember, most of the inside layups of the fuselage sides and the inside longerons are visible when comlete and you want them to look good when painted. To look good then, they need to look good now so it would be a good time to fix any inperfections, like peel ply bubbles, now when it's much easier then waiting until time to paint the interior when space inside to sand and work is more cramped.

No pictures this time...wouldn't really show you much. Onward to the lower longerons.

cab

Post Glass inspection....Oops, repair needed.

2011-05-24T22:50:00.001-05:00

After pulling the peel ply off the sides, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The sides looked pretty good and I didn't even have any air bubbles in the control stick depressions that I fully expected.

That's not to say there weren't problems. I did a terrible peel ply job. I should have split the peel ply into two pieces and dealt with one side at a time...too many peel ply wrinkles and bubbles....fortunately those are easy fixes and primarily cosmetic. I also found a couple of air bubbles on the aft edge that were easily fixed with hot epoxy and a syringe. The real issue was the aft area about 2-6 inches forward of the firewall location on both sides....those darn air specks showed up again. :-( Hmmm, how did this happen.

After reviewing my process that day, I think I figured out what happened. I laid out all the raw glass for the second ply before I began to wet it any of it out. The last area I got to with the epoxy was the aft end of both sides. I think that the raw glass may have pulled too much of the epoxy from the underlying first ply which created specks of air. By the time I got to the aft end with epoxy, these specks of air were too dried into the first ply to get out.

I stared at the area for 15 min's or so and then decided the area may not meet the inspection criteria. Since this area is deemed a critical area (per plans "all fuselage areas within 10" of the firewall"), I decided I had to do something about it. So I sanded down the worse areas to the foam on each side and re-glassed with 2-ply of 30 degree UND and the plans called for 1-ply of BID as a repair topper. The repair looks good...onward!

cab

1st Annual Milton Fly-In and Chilli Cookoff

2011-05-21T17:44:00.000-05:00

Went to check out the 1st Milton Fly-In today. It was a small fly-in but a good chance to get out and see some flying airplanes. As luck would have it, of the approximately 20 airplanes that came, 2 of them were Rutan Canards. One Long EZ and one Defiant which happens to be owned by a couple in my local EAA chapter.

There are only about 70 Rutan Defiants worldwide and the owner of this one actually has two but I understand the other is not in flying condition right now. It was a pretty nice looking airplane.

Hopefully this will continue. It would be nice to have a few fly-ins every year almost right in my backyard.

cab

7 Hrs Later...The Inside of the Fuselage Sides Are Glassed...

2011-05-20T22:28:00.000-05:00

Well today was the big glassing day. Wow! As expected, this was a large, somewhat hard to deal with layup. The plans say this is a 3-4 hr job (with a helper)...It took me every bit of 7 hrs working mostly by myself. Below you can see the completed layup with weights along the longerons to make sure they are seated well onto the sides.

I completely understand why the plans have you glass both sides at once but it sure makes adjusting the cloth difficult if you don't lay it down close to right the first time.
That's one place where the plan's recommended helper comes in...highly recommended. Another place a helper would be great is mixing epoxy so you can keep moving. My wife helped me stretch out the long pieces of glass cloth to get them laid correctly and my son helped me lay the longerons just right so I wouldn't have to adjust them much once in place. I might still be there without their help.

As it turned out, I think everything looks pretty good. I won't at all be surprised to find a bubble or two, especially in the control stick depressions. Those are hard to get the cloth to lay down well. So I'll probably have a few fixes to do but it all looked pretty good when I covered it with peel ply. I tried to make sure to use plenty of epoxy to make sure everything wet out well and I used a heat gun to help it along. We'll see how it comes out tomorrow afternoon.

cab

A Day for Foam Cutting...

2011-05-18T22:28:00.016-05:00

Last steps before glassing the sides. I had to dish out extra room for the stick and the fuel gauges. I already had them marked, now to figure out how to dish out the necessary foam neatly and accurately. So I thought...I don't have a router, but I do have a Dremel tool. I just need to make a tool to control the depth of the cut. So I used a small piece of wood with a hole in it large enough for the cutter but small enough the hold the Dremel tool up.

We'll I managed to screw that up. Let's just say my impromptu tool wasn't as good as the concept. It was very uneven and I even went all the way through the foam in two places...a very bad job. I ended up cutting a complete new circle of foam from my scrap and replacing it with 5 min epoxy for a fresh start. Now what? Then it occurred to me that they must make a similar tool (that works) designed specifically for rotory tools...sure enough...Lowes, $15, a Dremel cutting set with a depth gauge and 3 cutting bits. It even fit my 25 year old Dremel tool.

This tool (above) plus a wider radius cutting bit than the ones that came with it made quick work of removing the foam to the proper depth. I just sanded down the edges to allow the glass to lay down and I was done.

I used the same thing on the areas for the fuel sight gauges. The Vance Atkinson Gauges are an addition to the plans version which is just a simple glassed window. I went ahead and followed the basic plans approach but made the area flat instead of beveled since the Atkinson gauges can be seen from 180 degrees. I made the cutout .5" longer than the gauge to allow for adjustment when installed. You want to put the bottom hole of the gauge as close to the bottom of the tank as possible which according to the plans should wind up at 8.7" down from the bottom of the longeron. We'll see in a few years....in Ch. 21 this area will be opened back up from the inside, the foam removed up to the outer skin, and the gauges installed per Vance's instructions.

The picture above also shows the channels for the electrical conduits back to the firewall that I also cut today. After reviewing the Cozy FAQs from Marc Z's page, I put them 14.7" down from the top of the fuselage side vice the 14.5 in the plans to avoid running into the pulley assembly in the firewall.

Now then, ready to glass the interior of the fuselage sides after one more thing...checking the fit of the longerons. I laid them into the appropriate place, lined them up appropriately, and viola, they seemed to fit nicely...just a little weight in the center when epoxied in place will help ensure they mold perfectly to the sides. The only thing that worried me was how to make sure the alignment was good and each fuselage side was identical. The foam and spacers had enough tolerance build up along the edges that the gap between the two sides had some variation in it. If I lined up the longerons assuming they needed to be lined up with the edge of the foam, they may not come out flat or level with the fuselage side What to do....I know...another tool!

Tip: The plans actually call for you to use a 7/8" wood spacer. Withe the glue that's oozed out under the foam and the minor variations in the foam as it was built up, a board that goes all the way down to the work table wasn't going to work correctly. My version of this tool not only allowed the gap to be accurately maintained but was also self supporting...resting on the longerons themselves...and didn't extend beyond the bottom of the longerons which allowed me to place them accurately regardless of the foam situation underneath. See the picture but basically it is just a piece of 2x4 cut with a 7/8" T section, and cut into 4 pieces so I can spread them along the longeron. I already test drove these and they work great. I can ensure the gap is correct and by taking measurements from the longeron to the bottom of each side, I can make sure both sides match perfectly.

Now it's time to glass.

cab

Aircraft Spruce adds Cozy builder support team | General Aviation News

2011-05-18T09:33:00.001-05:00

Aircraft Spruce adds Cozy builder support team | General Aviation News

Click the link for the article.

This is great for the Cozy community. The Cozy Group email list on Google is already a fantastic source for support and questions but this makes it official and in my mind says the Cozy is here to stay a while.

Congrats Marc and Burrall.

cab

Things to Do in My Cozy...Bahamas!

2011-05-17T08:43:00.004-05:00

Once in a while you need to remember why your taking on this challenge. I'm sure frustrating times are ahead, especially when I get to the engine and electrical....not my specialty.

Just the opportunity to fly something you actually built will be great satisfaction but it's the places you can go, the things you can see, the fun you can have, and the people you do it with that is the real reward for the effort.

So, every once in a while I'll add some motivation that I can review during those times when the building gets slow and it seems like I'll never get there.

Click the link to the right to visit one of the places the Baker-Cozy can take us...Bahamas

cab

Time for some fuselage sides...

2011-05-16T22:11:00.000-05:00

The 2nd step in Ch 5 is to re-align the jigs to build the sides. This time the jigs will be turned vertically in two rows per side to allow for the proper compound curvature of the sides. Below you can see the setup.

TIP: I used a chalkline to mark the centerline of my workbench and then used two 2.5" blocks marked with a centerline to get the center jigs lined up and 14.5" blocks for the outer two jigs. 14.5" is derived from the distance between the outer sides of the inner and outer jig (16") as called out in the plans, minus the thickness of the two jigs (1.5" total). You can see both blocks, the 2.5" in the center and the 14.5" in the back to the left, in the picture to the right.

I followed the plans method of using Bondo to secure the jigs to the table. This was my first time using Bondo and it was very easy. If you haven't used it, mix up fairly small amounts at a time as it starts to set up to a rubbery state pretty quickly...similarly to 5 min epoxy.

TIP: Change the order of the process in this step and wait to secure the jig to your table until you have shaped the masonite and foam for the sides first...that is unless you have more work space than most of us. Once I had the jig up and Bondo'd to the table, I had no good place but the garage floor to layout those large pieces, get the foam glued together, and then cut out. Had I done this first, I could have used the work table and then put the jig up. Instead I had to revert to the garage floor. Some builders have secured the jig together in a frame so it could be moved but I didn't plan on moving it until I was finished so i didn't go to that trouble.

Here are the two jigs set up complete with masonite to help make the curve and the matching foam to start the the fuselage sides.

After getting to this point, you now start the process of cutting and carving foam spacers to provide a more convex shape interior to the fuselage. This last picture below shows how it looks as the micro on the last spacer is drying. The many clamps are there to hold the foam in it's shape as it curves around the bottom curve of the fuselage side..

Near the front, you can see sharpie markings in a circle. This will be carved out and nicely sanded to provide additional movement room for the control stick. Ultimately I probably wont need it because the Cozy Girrrl Strakes modification I intend to take advantage of will have this area mostly cut out providing complete freedom of movement for the stick.

The sharpie marks in the rear (you can just barely see) are marking where the Vance Atkinson Fuel Sight Gauges will go. This area will be carved out as well but the gauges will not be installed until Ch 21. I intend to have electronic fuel probes as primary fuel level gauges but the sight gauges will serve as a nice backup. Almost ready to glass these puppies.

cab

Hey, You Can Now Get Email Updates...

2011-05-13T22:18:00.005-05:00

The Google Blogger has a new gadget that allows you to submit your email and receive notification when I've made an new entry to MyCozyAdventure. I'm testing it now but you can see it at the left side of the page.

Just type in your email, put in the text verification to prove your not a computer, then go to your email and click on the verification email you get sent. It's that easy.

Just below it, you can also subscribe via one of the RSS feeds if that's more your speed.

cab

Chapter 5 Begins...

2011-05-13T21:35:00.000-05:00

Chapter 5 is where the fuselage sides are built. First, the jig for the sides have to be built from 1x8s. There are 12 pieces of the jig all together...5 different parts, 2 each of 4 of them and 4 of the last one.

3 of the pieces are used on their sides to shape the longerons...the top wooden hardpoints that run the length and define the top of the fuselage up to the bottom of the canopy. Nothing really different from the plans here but be sure to read and understand the Cozy FAQs for Ch 5 on the Unofficial Cozy Builders Web Site. You should do this for every chapter before beginning. There is some key info there about the overhang for the longerons that will help make things all come together well in Ch 6.

Here are pictures of the jig ready to shape the longerons (left) and of the longerons after epoxying them into shape (held in place with nailed blocks), floxing (epoxy with flocked cotton added for structure) in the doublers in three places, and curing (right).

Below are the finished products ready to be glassed into the fuselage sides. The boys hopped in to demonstrate size.

Ready to jig up to make the fuselage sides now.

cab

9 Months After Starting, Finally....Bulkheads

2011-05-07T17:44:00.000-05:00

I've finally gotten the bulkheads done. It took me longer than average 60hrs...not just because I'm slower than the average bear...but I rebuilt F-28 and the IP from scratch. I made F-28 using the low profile but realized I would need the higher profile for extra support mounting the hinges for the forward hinged canopy. The original IP, well I just wasn't happy with due to large amounts of small air bubbles in the layup. I'm much happier with second one.

It also took me about 7 months longer than it should have. Many reasons...one of which was missing the past 3 mths due to preparing to deploy, another 2.5 mths in a class in Ohio. Since I'm no longer deploying, I'll be able to make up that lost time and not loose the other 6 mths I would have lost being in Afghanistan.

All my bulkheads were looked at by the closest thing I have to a tech advisor...a fellow builder and Cozy mentor who''s 80% complete...Ron M. He will have a beautiful Cozy when completed. Thanks for all the advice and support Ron!

Here are all the bulkheads, laid out in the order they will be assembled, ready to fit between two fuselage sides to be built in Ch 5. I still need to build the firewall which goes at the far end just behind the aft landing gear bulkhead.

The picture above gives you an idea of the relative position of the bulkheads in the aircraft. If you channel Barney and use your imaaaaagination, you can almost see a Cozy taking shape below.

On to cut out the fake and real firewall parts to close out Ch 4.

Back In Action...

2011-04-24T20:00:00.002-05:00

Well....after a week in the hospital, I am now NOT deploying and will be able to refocus on my Cozy Project.

I've been put on 8 weeks of convalecent leave while the Dr's monitor my blood count, so I plan to get a lot done on the Cozy before I go back to work. I hope to get some good momentum going so stay tuned for updates.

Chad

Operational Pause...

2011-03-27T10:22:00.001-05:00

Well, nothing has been happening since mid Jan when I found out I'm heading to Afghanistan for 5 months. I don't leave until early May but the list of things to do to prepare combined with the mental distraction of leaving for 5mths hasn't left me with much motivation to work on the Cozy.

Rest assured I'll be raring to go when I get back in Nov. I'm taking a copy of Bob K's AeroElectric book with me to try and learn something while I'm gone. With any luck, I might just get Ch 4 finished before I leave...but I won't hold my breath.

cab

Landing Gear Bulkheads

2011-01-16T21:02:00.003-06:00

A major step in preparing the landing gear bulkheads is the creation of 4 hardpoints (LG-1, LG-2) that get attached to the foam bulkheads before they get glassed. You do this by laying up enough fiberglass to create a 1/4 inch plate of fiberglass in an 8x12 rectangle. The plate is 1/4 inch thick to match the thickness of the foam where they will be attached. Below is the cured 1/4 inch plate after trimming off the excess glass cloth.

The task took me 23 layers of glass and 4 hrs just to get it all layed up and wet out. Once it's layed up, you weight it down with about 60lbs to form a nice 1/4 inch plate when cured. The thicker black lines you see in the picture are just sharpie marks I had on some of the glass cloth. The thinner lines are the outlines for the parts I'm making.

Once cured, you trace the shapes of the parts and cut them out with a table saw, sabre saw, etc. Above are the finished parts ready to be epoxied to the foam part of the bulkhead to form the full bulkhead.

Below, cutouts are made in the foam bulkheads and the hardpoints attached. Finally, each bulkhead will be fiberglassed front and back and installed when the fuselage is built up.

cab

Fun With Tail Draggers

2011-01-16T18:09:00.001-06:00

Saturday was the first EAA Chapter meeting of the year and I was invited to spend the afternoon with my neighbor an his friend at his private airfield. This was a 2000 ft grass field once used a as a cropduster strip. He has two hangars that house several of his own aircraft as well as some of his friends.

The best part was the great man cave attached to the hangar. The gentlemen is a retired BGen from the USAF and had a 3 story control tower-like hangout full of memorabilia, a kitchen for snacks, drinks, etc. It was great. I tagged along in a Bakeng Duece, a homebuilt open cockpit monoplane, owned by a former fighter pilot and his neighbor. What a blast I had! It was cold...but worth every minute of air time I got. I've informed the spouse that this is my new favorite hangout. See the slide show below.

cab

If at first you don't succeed...

2011-01-09T19:09:00.005-06:00

Well, after inspecting my instrument panel (IP) I decided there were too many air bubbles in the layup and I wasn't happy with it. I thought of taking to a friend to look at in the hope he would say it was ok, but after more thought...I knew I just wouldn't be satisfied. I knew I could and must do better getting the air out of the layups so I decided to redo the IP. You can see the worst of it in the pics below.

So while watching the Saturday Wildcard Football games, I traced and cut out a new IP which will be glassed in the coming week...but only after reviewing all the plans info and Rutan video on glassing technique.

As I think about my technique and review the lessons, I believe I have a couple of problems.
1. I'm too slow. I need to get the epoxy on and spread much quicker while its still warm and able to wet out quicker.
2. I realized I haven't been using a brush to stipple the layup and help bring air to the top. I've been relying on the squeege for all the air removal and perhaps it just can't get it all.
3. I'm not using enough epoxy up front to wet out the layup. I need to pay attention to use more than I need up front until it's all wet out and know that I can remove what I don't need.
4. I have to work harder to find the air bubbles during the layup...perhaps a work light that I can use at different angles to help find them all.

We'll see what happens...

cab

Combating Old Man Winter...

2010-12-29T18:41:00.003-06:00

Believe it or not, some parts of Florida do get cold in the winter. Sure, we don't get snow, and hardly ever any ice, but we still get temperatures that prevent glassing work from about Nov through Feb/Mar.

I had to find a way to keep working so I took a page from other builder logs and built a heat tent to enable glassed parts to cure at a proper temp. Combined with my semi-heated garage, I should be able to work through the winter and keep making progress.

My solution was simple...1/2" PVC attached to the workbench in 4 places creating a tent structure to support 4 mil plastic. Inside the tent is a small, oscillating ceramic heater capable of keeping the tent above 80 degrees. Pic

The PVC is secured at the bottom with a wood screw so it can pivot. The upper portion (of the bottom) is secured in place with a large nail used as a pin. Pop the horizontal pieces on, cover in heavy plastic, and your in business. When you pull the top horizontal pieces off, the vertical supports fold down out of the way when not needed.

It's also adjustable for the job. With 4 supports running the length of the bench, I can make it the size I need for the parts that are curing. I can also easily put an extention on one or multiple sets of supports to make a portion taller if needed.

The whole project took about 1.5 hrs not counting the trip to Lowes.

Back to building.
cab

More Bulkheads...

2010-11-07T17:59:00.001-06:00

I spent about 5 hrs this weekend cutting out, shaping, and glassing one side of the instrument panel (IP) as well as tracing and cutting out the landing gear bulkheads. It will be next week before anything else gets done because I'll be traveling all week and weekend. After completing these bulkheads, I'll just have the firewall to go to finish up Ch 4.

cab

Let's see...What was I doing? Oh yeah...Ch 4 Bulkheads.

2010-11-01T17:20:00.005-05:00

Well I'm back from 10 weeks in Ohio and ready to make some good progress on the Cozy. (Oh yeah.. I also spent some time getting to know the family again too!)

I just finished the F22 bulkhead. This is the forward most bulkhead about where the rudder peddals will go. It took a good while, about 7 hrs, just to glass both sides. None of it was hard, it just took a while because of the number of plys on the front side. On the fwd and aft side there are 2 plys of BID and 1 ply of UND. On the front however, there are an additional 9 plys of alternating BID & UND placed up to 5 inches in from both the left and right. All total, 24 plys for entire bulkhead. My back hurts from bending over the work bench for all that. The picture shows the fwd side of the bulkhead, peel ply'd and curing before I knife trim the excess.

F22 Bulkhead w/peel ply

Post Script...final weight after completion: 2.375 lbs...just a little above average :-)
cab

2010 Rough River Canard Fly-In

2010-10-05T21:40:00.012-05:00

The one thing I was really looking forward to by being captured in Ohio for 10 weeks was the chance to attend the annual Canard Fly-In at Rough River State Park in Kentucky. It is thought to be the largest gathering of canard aircraft in the world. At least nobody has challenged that yet. This year there were approximately 68 aircraft on hand with the farthest flown from New Mexico. The non-flying attendees that came the farthest were from Australia!

It was really the first time I had ever been around any significant numbers of canard owners and builders. What a great group to be associated with! Each one willing to answer questions and explain thier approach to solving various challenges. There were some wonderful planes to look at and great learning and inspiration to be had for a builder. Before I left I grabbed a reservation in the last cottage available for next years event.

I can't offer enough thanks to my new friend Nick Ugolini for showing me around. He advertised for a roommate to split expenses and ended up showing me around and introducing me to others. He probably felt like he had found a lost puppy and wasn't sure how to get rid of him. Nick was was extremely patient and even offered me valuable "Nick's Nugget's" of advice to help my build. To top it all off, Nick gave me my first official canard flight in his Long EZ. What a blast ! That ride will stick with me a long time. Thanks Nick!

Here are some more pictures of the great weekend.

Chad

Road Trip to Sporty's

2010-09-25T15:08:00.002-05:00

Today was a beautiful day. 70 degrees, blue sky...a perfect day to fly. Having nothing else but homework to do, I took a road trip to the largest pilot supply store in the nation, actually the world...Sporty's. Sporty's is located at Clermont County Airport, in Batavia, OH. It was a very nice place but the actual walk-in store was smaller than I expected. There was a cafe on the second floor, a barber in the building, and I believe an aviation medical examiner where you can get your medical onsite. After picking up a 2011 FAR/AIM, I sat on a bench in the sun and watched as the planes came and went wishing I was in each and every one of them.

2010 WACO Fly-In

2010-09-18T22:13:00.004-05:00

Day 26 of my captivity. This weekend was the WACO (Weaver Aircraft Company) annual Fly-In at the historic WACO Airfield and 1920's-40's WACO factory in Troy, OH. It was a little like walking back in time being around those old classic airplanes. There's a museum on site with lots of pictures from the factory days. WACO was even the prime contractor for the old WWII gliders. Here are some pics from the trip.

2010 MERFI

2010-09-11T15:55:00.007-05:00

While stranded in Ohio I've found a few things to do when I'm not doing homework or doing actual work from Florida. This weekend was the Experimental Aircraft Association's Mid-East Regional Fly-In in Urbana, OH. There were approximately 75 aircraft in attendance representing a good mix of homebuilts, certified, and a few warbird aircraft. In attendance, and I think based there at a museum, was the only flying Pitcairn Autogiro from the 30's. This was the predecessor of the modern helicopter. Click hear to read about what its like to fly. the Pitcairn Autogiro made an appearance in the movie " It Happened One Night " staring Clark Gable. Here are some pics.

On Hold...

2010-08-21T22:00:00.001-05:00

Everything has to go on hold while I attend a 10 week class for work. I'll return to work on the bulkheads in November.

cab

Instrument Panel

2010-08-15T18:03:00.012-05:00

The IP is made from multiple pieces of foam and pieced together before glassing. I used the full size plans I bought as a template and a seamstress pattern marker to transfer the template to the foam. I did run into one small problem...

As I mentioned before, the plans kit comes with a set of drawings but some of the bulkheads templates are only half drawings and you have to make the mirror image. That's not that big a deal but I thought it would be easier just to have the full sized drawings. The full size set was provided by a former builder. Just in case there could be differences between the two, my process involved checking the full sized drawings against the plans drawings to make sure any changes had been picked up. In the process of checking the IP, I noticed a 1/4" difference in the height of the two sets of drawings. Which one was correct?

After consulting with the Cozy mailing list I decided to go with the larger dimension as I could always trim excess if needed. After a little more checking of different drawings and actually measuring the distance between WL marks, I actually found that it was the plans drawings that were distorted in the vertical axis...presumably from the copying process. This may explain why several builders report having IPs that were 1/4" short when they went to install. I've decided to stick first with dimensions as called out in the instructions and second, with the full size plans for any measurements I need to take from the drawings.

PICTURES COMING

cab

Here We Go...The Seatback Bulkhead

2010-08-15T17:52:00.021-05:00

Well, at long last, it's time to start building real aircraft parts. The long journey ahead starts with the fairly straight forward building of the front seat back. It's made out of 3/4" medium density foam, glassed on both sides, and becomes one of several structural bulkheads running from one end to another in the fuselage. At this point I went ahead and purchased a small 10" table saw from Lowes. It was perfect for cutting the 45 degree beveled edges at the top and bottom of the seat. I'm sure it will come in handy more. The beveled edges are necessary because the seat reclines 45 degrees when installed in the aircraft making for a relaxed seating position while flying.

Glassing the front went very well. I am peel plying everything. Peel ply is a process of applying a dacron fabric over the completed wet glass until it cures. When you pull it off, it leaves a surface that doesn't need any sanding or other prep to be able to bond another piece to it. Otherwise, fiberglass parts that must be bonded to other parts must be sanded with very course sandpaper to eliminate any smooth areas that won't adhere well. The sanding process will cut fibers in the glass--not the best situation. With the peel ply process, I don't have to worry about where I might have to bond something in the future, it will already be prepared. The peel ply also works really well to hide transition areas between two layers of glass.

Seatback, glassed on both sides now and
positioned approx like it will sit in the Cozy

The back side of the seat back didn't go as well. I ended up with several lean (dry) spots under the surface as well as a few bubble type voids. At first I was pretty dissapointed. I can only guess that I got in a hurry and didn't do an adequate job of wetting the glass cloth and moving the air out of it. After a close inspection and a review of the inspection criteria in the plans, I decided that none if it, even taken as a whole, was severe enough to force rejection or repair. I couldn't just leave it though, everytime I saw it I would be reminded that I could have done much better. Besides, this would be a good opportunity to practice some of the repair techniques. In order to fill the voids, I puchased a couple of the largest syringes CVS pharmacy had in stock and carefully injected expoxy into the voids. This worked great ! Then I thought...this might work on the lean areas? Sure enough it did. The trick was to poke an air relief hole on one side of the dry patch, then inject from the other side. A little heat from a heat gun made this process a breeze. I was able to cure most of the larger lean areas and make I then felt much better about the part. Next time I won't let myself get rushed.

cab

Tools for Composite Building

2010-08-02T19:38:00.003-05:00

Chapter 3 introduces the builder to a number of items that are needed to build with composites, provides an education on fiberglass techniques and the different terms and processes you will use, and walks you through some exercises to practice those techniques before you start on real parts. First the tools and equipment.

1. You will need a flat top workbench that is at least 11ft x 3ft. The length is to support the lenght of a wing or canard when you perform the assembly and layups. These are obviously parts that need to be built true, without twist or curve, so the top must be extremely flat. I built mine to be 12 x 4 like many others. I followed the recommendation of a few other builders and purchased I Level TJI Engineered Floor Joist to use as beams for the workbench. There happend to be a millwork place about an hour from me that carried them. They are very solid and will keep your bench from twisting. I used 4x4s for legs and installed levelers to aid in leveling the entire table. The biggest problem I had was getting the tops of the beams all lined up to make a flat top. One of the beams was not as flat at the others on top so I had to shim under it until I got the partical board I used on top nice and flat. I worked for a few hours but finally got the top within .1% of level no matter where I checked it. Then I placed masonite over the top to provide a clean surface that would be easy and cheap to replace when needed.

Epoxy pump and insulated
heated cabinet

2. An epoxy pump will make your mixing much quicker and easier. Like most builders, I also built a heated epoxy cabinet to keep the epoxy at a good working temperature. I used an old shelf cabinet I already had, installed foam insulation inside, and outfitted it with a light for a heat source and a dimmer to make the temps adjustable.

3. You also need to keep your fiberglass cloth from getting dust or any contaminant on it. I used the same idea that other builders used and constructed a wall mounted cabinet that folds up from the bottom to protect the cloth. It has two sections that unfold into an approx. 6ft cutting table. Although it works well, it's probably not the design I would use if I did it again as I've pinched my fingers twice now by holding it in the wrong place when I unfold it. I've now marked the end of the table with "NO GRIP" markings to remind me to hold it on the sides when unfolding the table so the outside legs don't catch my fingers when they fall into position.

Glass cabinet closed to keep cloth clean

Glass cloth cabinet open for cutting

4. One other tool I'll need is a foam cutter. Chapter 3 shows you how to make one but I've decided to wait on building it since I won't need it for a while anyway.

Chapter 3 gives you a full list of recommended tools, both hand tools and things like a band saw, table saw, and drill press which will make some things easier. I purchased the tools package from Wicks Aircraft Supply as well as their special package of Cozy Girrls tools.

cab

The CAF Emerges

2010-08-01T15:27:00.003-05:00

Since the end of May, I've been focused on converting the garage into what I call the Cozy Aircraft Factory (CAF).

New lighting...I replaced the poor lights with 2 sets of 4-bulb, 48" floresent lights giving me much more light for which to see the Cozy.

I insulated the garage door with Prodex Total Reflective Insulation. My garage gets the direct sun until 1100am and can really warm up the CAF fast in the summer mornings.

To make the CAF a more year round fabrication facility, I insulated the attic above and 2 exterior walls with lose fill insulation. In the pic below you can see the holes drilled to pour in the insulation. Then I purchased a portable air conditioner/ heater/dehumidifier which I'm sure will help make things much more tolerable in the extreme seasons. Working well with epoxy and fiberglass is very temperature dependant. You need a warm place, warm parts, and warm epoxy, perferably 80 degrees or more, to give you good results.

I had to install utility shelving high on the back wall to get much of my storage up and out of the way and completely reorganized the place to make as floor space as I could.

Here is what it looked like after I finished. In this picture you can see the overhead utility shelves on the back wall. Note this picture was taken after I had also built the required 12ft long work bench and other items you need to fabricate the larger parts. I'll discuss those more in Ch. 3.

The Cozy Aircraft Factory Ready for Action

cab

Learning to Work With Fiberglass - Exercise #3

2010-07-25T17:07:00.004-05:00

In the last exercise, I built a bookend. The process of building the bookend gives you experience with glass on glass, corners, flox, and other techniques neccessary for the entire building process. It's not the prettiest thing in the world when complete, since it's not painted or anything, but the exercise gives you a boost in confidence in your ability to actually build something useful.

Fiberglass practice bookend

Time to try my hand at the real thing.

cab

Learning to Work With Fiberglass - Exercise #2

2010-07-18T16:53:00.010-05:00

In exercise #2, I built a tapered beam made of a piece of medium density foam sandwiched between layers of fiberglass. This is designed to demonstrate the strength of composites and introduces you to working around curves. After the part cured, I had each of my two oldest sons stand on each end (~100 lbs each) while balancing it across a broomstick...This stuff is strong. The lesson learned here was that it's easy to get air bubbles in places where the fiblerglass is difficult to keep down...like tight inside corners. Oh yea...and did I mention how strong it was?

cab

Learning to Work With Fiberglass - Exercise #1

2010-07-10T16:42:00.002-05:00

Chapter 3 provides all the education you need to build with composites...even some practice.

The primary purpose of Ch 3 is to educate the builder about fiberglass types and techniques, epoxy, and how to identify problems in your fiberglass layups. The chapter even guides you through practice exercises so you can learn the process without the stress of trying to learn on real parts. The Rutan video on building with composites is really helpful. It is a must-watch video just as chapter 3 is a must-read. As you get deeper into the project, the plans will stop telling you everything you need to do and assume you are using what you've learned and applying it. I went through it several times and still went back to reference it as I started real parts.

Exercise #1 is a simple flat plate layup of fiberglass to learn how to wet out fiberglass and knife trim it at the right time (which is a sanding saver!). I thought it was simple enough when I performed the exercise but after it cured I found that it had some dry spots in it...not enough that you would throw it a way if it were a real part, but it still suprised me. If you look close in the 2nd picture you can see the cloudy areas that were a little dry. A fellow builder recommended using a heat gun during the process to make the epoxy more workable and allow air bubbles to rise up easier. Boy that worked great and I will use a heat gun as a part of all my layups now. Thanks Ron!

Wetted out, untrimmed layup drying on the bench

Finished fiberglass plate being held by my youngest mechanic

On to Exercise #2

cab

They're Heeeree!

2010-06-11T16:15:00.034-05:00

The plans arrive !!! I am now the proud owner of Cozy Mk IV plans serial number #1606.

Included in the plans are 2 volumes of spiral bound plans (26 chapters), a set of drawings (full sized but the bulkheads are only half sheets), a DVD of a 70's vintage Burt Rutan video on working with composites, and a Cozy MkIV Pilots Operating Handbook. For another $50 I purchased an additional set of full sized drawings. These drawings are not just full sized but full width so you don't have to make mirror images of the bulkheads on your own.

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Where to Build??

2010-05-22T14:59:00.003-05:00

If you're going to build an airplane, you have to have a place to build it. I chose to convert my two car garage into an aircaft factory. I know that if the airplane isn't close, then I won't work on it as much as I could, which of course means it will take a lot longer. My goal is to do something every day, no matter how small, toward the completion of the Cozy. Here is what the garage looked like as I started.

Before - still not completely cleaned out
from the move last summer

You can build all the major components in the space of the garage. You can't attach the wings (which are designed to be removable if needed) but you can build them and then rent a T-hanger at the airport for final assembly and checkout prior to first flight.

As you can see I had stuff all over the place. It had actually already been cleaned some. The fiberglass you see in the floor was to go in the attic above the garage as part of insulating the garage for winter building. Still quite a bit of other work to go to make a suitable building area.

cab