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cookwithgas(at)HOTMAIL.CO
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 Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 5:39 am Post subject: Building as a way......+BRS + Cost, Update, etc... |
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Hi guys:
Scott Laughlin here. I've been reading all the text about building, cost and BRS from the digest version. I haven't posted anything to my website lately so first here's an update. The airplane is finished. I had the FAA come out to take a look. It took them six weeks to get around to it even though they are only 20 miles away. The guy made me re-do all of my electrical wiring and safety wires so I've been working on that. With the airplane being at the hangar I can't fiddle with it in the evenings anymore and that is a real shame. I get about four hours each weekend to work on it. I'm just about ready for another inspection and hopefully first flight.
Build-to-learn-to-fly: That is me. I took my first lesson in a pitiful Cherokee rental. The seat didn't adjust right and I was wondering the entire flight what else didn't work. I can build something and maintain it well and not "hope" someone else didn't neglect something in a rental that I'm trusting my life with. I started building soon after that first flight. I've done most of my training in a Fight Design CT. An $80,000 toy-of-an-airplane. I haven't finished all my training hours so I plan to finish them in my own airplane. First flight will be by an experienced pilot - a retired SR71 pilot that flies a lot and has test-flown many aircraft. He charges $30 an hour for this service.
BRS: The first time I heard of a BRS it made sense to me. I started building an airplane because the BRS was available. It is a no-brainer to me and I have one installed on my 601XL. I'm afraid of heights so it gives me great piece of mind. Plus the rocket is very cool.
Cost: I have under $20K in my airplane and I have every receipt to prove it. Even the little bits and pieces. I'm a real scrounger though so don't try this at home. It's like beer money when you spread it over 5 years (and don't drink). I haven't missed it and it hasn't put a strain on the family finances.
Plans-building: I must make things. It is who I am. I have a deep desire to continually create. This started when I was 2 years old. My mother has a picture of me in a diaper at 2-years-old with a screwdriver standing over a lawn mower. I LOVE to build things and see how things work. If you are not insane like this, then buy a kit or a pre-built airplane.
Scott Laughlin
http://www.cooknwithgas.com/
Search "Experimental 601" on Youtube.com to see some of my latest videos.
Get news, entertainment and everything you care about at Live.com. Check it out! [quote][b]
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DaveG601XL
Joined: 27 Oct 2006
Posts: 351
Location: Cincinnati, Oh
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| Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 5:47 am Post subject: Re: Building as a way......+BRS + Cost, Update, etc... |
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Scott,
I have followed your build with much interest. Thanks for sharing. I am wondering about your comment that the FAA is making you re-do all of your electrical wiring. I am just starting the wiring phase and that concerns me. What was the major FAA gripe that we here can learn from?
Thanks and good luck,
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David Gallagher
Cincinnati, OH area |
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naumuk(at)alltel.net
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| Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 2:55 pm Post subject: Building as a way......+BRS + Cost, Update, etc... |
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Scott-
I've seen your taxi tests through your development. If I tried that (And I live out in the woods) I'd be in jail as soon as I yelled "Clear"! Either that or I wouldn't have any room to move in the shop with all the "Helpers". Probably the latter.
You have the best neighbors in the world for a homebuilder. Always wanted to know who the poor guy was who's truck was right in the prop blast during your first engine run.
If it was yours, did you add in the cost of a new paint job for the truck?
do not archive
Bill Naumuk
HDS Fuse/Corvair
Townville, Pa
[quote] ---
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cookwithgas(at)HOTMAIL.CO
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:47 am Post subject: Building as a way......+BRS + Cost, Update, etc... |
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Bill Naumuk:
The truck is mine and I must have a clean driveway because I didn't get a scratch on it. The ground at the hangar has a lot of pebbles and debris so I did fill the hangar up with a run-up a few months ago and spent an hour sweeping it out. I point the nose differently now. Concerning the street taxi-test, I live in a pretty quiet place (except for me) so nobody really noticed the few times I rambled down the street way back when and I only did it a few times but the video lives forever. If you click on "more for this user" on Youtube you can see some taxis at the airport with the wings on. Nobody complained about that either.
Dave Gallagher:
I left my camera in a rental car last week in Pittsburgh so I didn't get any pictures yesterday. I'll try to bring a backup camera today to the hangar and show you some examples of where I went wrong on my wiring and how I fixed it. Basically if you can wiggle your wires too much or if they can touch any metal, you need to secure them. There are several other examples like tie-wrapping a metal cable to the engine mount, not securing spark plug wires well, etc. I'll try to put a list of items on my website when I get a minute.
I want to thank Dave Miller and Brad Saffron (fellow 601XL builders) for their help yesterday. Dave has been a huge help to me in this finishing process so if you get a chance to talk to him, he can tell you as much about my FAA inspection and how we solved the problems as I can. Dave was at the hangar yesterday (and many other days) with me and worked as hard as I did on making corrections to my safety-wiring and wiring.
Go out there and build something today.
Scott Laughlin
http://www.cooknwithgas.com/
Time: 03:55:35 PM PST US
From: "Bill Naumuk" <naumuk(at)alltel.net>
Subject: Re: Building as a way......+BRS + Cost, Update, etc..
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