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SteveCH640
Joined: 20 Jul 2008
Posts: 4
Location: San Diego, CA
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 Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 9:28 pm Post subject: Re: 640 Builders Check-In |
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Stating the facts and nothing but the facts. Good and Bad.
The lower rudder skin was bent during shipping. Zenith did offer to replace it. I decided to try to fix it my self. If it didn't work then ask for a replacement. I got the kink out just grate.
The lip on the third rib up appeared to be bent wrong. If I put the rivets in the middle of the rib lip and to the mark on the spar, the rib flanges were too high for the skin rivets. I cracked the lip trying to bend a kink in it to lower the rib. Made some tools and made a new rib to the drawing spec's. It fit much better.
The lower rudder skin had a 1/2 inch radius on the trailing edge. It was supposed to go into the upper skin. The upper skin had a 1/8 inch radius.
This is unacceptable quality. I had to spend a tremendous amount of time to expand one radius and shrink the other. Basically I spent a lot of time making special tools to un-crimping one radius and crimp the other. It would have been quicker to crimp correctly from flat sheets.
The lower rudder skin had some pre-drilled holes on the top edge against the #3 rib. The top skin goes over the lower skin, so how are you supposed to see or use these holes when they are covered by the top skin. Also I had to mark their location and with lines coming out from under the skin so I didn't drill partially into them.
The dimension inside the spar doublers was 116 mm. The lower rib was 119. Lot's of bending to get 119 mm into a 116 mm space. There were a few other problems.
Figuring out what the problems were and figuring out how to solve it took a lot of time. Making tools and fixing or making new parts took even more time. It was about 30 hours of problem solving. After that it was 16 hours to assemble the, now correct, parts. A tremendous amount of time just for the rudder. Extrapolating this rudder time out, the whole plane should only take 10,000 hours. :>)
I wanted a kit I could assemble in a reasonable amount of time. I wanted to carefully measure, drill and rivet and have an airplane. Buying the rudder parts and following the instructions didn't work very well.
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n640bw
Joined: 12 Mar 2010
Posts: 1
Location: Las Vegas, NV
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| Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 6:46 am Post subject: Re: 640 Builders Check-In |
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Thought I would revive this thread to see how many CH640 builders are still out there and to see if any new builders have joined. I started my CH640 slow build kit in summer of 2003 - plans s/n 0040. The wings, HT, and rudder are done and hanging in the garage. The fuselage is on it 's landing gear. Engine mount is installed. My AeroSport IO-360 will be delivered this month. Working on the wiring diagram and plan for the systems installation now. Will go with a dual GRT HXr system. Zenith in Canada is working on a new mold for the 640/801 cowling that will work with either the IO-360 or IO-375 engines. Should have my cowling by Christmas. Would like to hear how other CH640 projects are progressing out there. Thanks !
Brian Walker
Las Vegas, NV
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Brian Walker |
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Scott Stewart
Joined: 29 Jul 2008
Posts: 30
Location: Windsor, California
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| Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 9:31 am Post subject: Re: 640 Builders Check-In |
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Hi Brian and All,
I started building my CH640 from plans in Feb. 2008. The only things purchased from Zenith were the complex fiberglass pieces and canopy, doors, and front windows - things I could not mold on my own. I took two years off to make an RV-9A for a friend, but I am now back on the 640. The firewall-back fuselage is 99% complete, the empennage is complete. The wings are 90% complete. I'm working on the wiring now, and I expect to have everything except the firewall-forward complete in a month, or so.
I'm shopping around for a mid-time used O-360 now, so if anyone has any good leads, please let me know.
| | - The Matronics Zenith640-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
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Scott Stewart
CH-640 built from plans
Flying since August 2014 |
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pilot4pay
Joined: 01 Jan 2007
Posts: 171
Location: Louisville, KY
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| Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 12:25 pm Post subject: Re: 640 Builders Check-In |
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I'm still working on my 640. Had to move from Michigan to Kentucky and a few other things going on that made it difficult to spend time on the project.
We are back to progress. Have the tail surfaces done, the ailerons and flaps are done. The right wing spar is on the bench, have added the extra rib attach uprights for double fuel tanks, and am getting ready to drill the rib attachments.
Still planning on a Mazda 13b rotary powerplant.
| | - The Matronics Zenith640-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Zenith640-List |
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Craig Smith
CH640 builder
SN: 0078
"Just think how stupid the average person is,
and then realize that half of them are even stupider!"
--George Carlin |
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jstruhar
Joined: 05 Mar 2012
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 3:04 pm Post subject: Re: 640 Builders Check-In |
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I bought plans s/n 0022 early this year along with a partially completed wing kit. My wife and I are closing this week (hopefully) on an adjoining property on which we intend to build a shop/garage. Meanwhile, the wings are in storage while I build small parts in my small garage. Like Craig Smith, I am planning on a Mazda 13b powerplant.
| | - The Matronics Zenith640-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Zenith640-List |
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John Struhar
CH640 s/n 0022 |
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