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jakecrause(at)yahoo.com
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 Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 10:32 am Post subject: Fuselage First? |
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Greetings listers,
My name is Jake Crause and my family and I are very close to starting a CH-801 project. Let me tell you...we are pretty darn excited about it too. This comes after many years of indecision and a couple of false starts. I've been following the list for awhile but I'm still 493 emails in the hole before I'm up to date! Hopefully this topic has not been discussed already in the recent past.
I'm in the Military and expect to deploy for the second time within the next year or so. I'm trying to plan the build in such a way that I can still make progress while on deployment and in a way that will fit our cash flow projections. Here is my question:
Conventional wisdom is to build the tail kit first. Is there any precedence for building the rudder first to gain some experience then skipping over the rest of the tail kit to build the Fuselage? I'm thinking I'd like to save the rest of the tail kit for while I'm on deployment. After one deployment under my belt I can imagine comfortably being able to complete the tail in my spare time over the course of a year. If work stops every time I deploy I'll never get anything done.
I almost started an RV tail kit on my last deployment but the need for the pneumatic rivet gun made working on it in my living area impossible. Also, since I was already overseas when I looked into it purchasing the kit, getting it shipped there was going to cost more than the kit itself. Looking back I'm pleased I did not start on the RV because our goals have changed significantly since then. That's another topic for another time.
We may stick with the conventional order of build but your input would be helpful in our decision making process. Thanks in advance.
Jake and Belle Crause
Pooler, GA
[quote][b]
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Chuck Chappell
Joined: 22 May 2006
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:20 am Post subject: Fuselage First? |
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Jake, I have very little done on my 701, but I have built another metal airplane. I say if you can make the shop space and have the tools to work with while deployed, go for it. Any progress is better than no progress and would certainly be more fun than most forms of entertainment available while deployed. I would bet your biggest problem will be keeping all your friends out of your hair while you are building.
By the way, thanks for what you do.
Charles Chappell
From: owner-zenith701801-list-server(at)matronics.com [mailto:owner-zenith701801-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of Jake Crause
Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 2008 10:30 AM
To: zenith701801-list(at)matronics.com
Subject: Zenith701801-List: Fuselage First?
Greetings listers,
My name is Jake Crause and my family and I are very close to starting a CH-801 project. Let me tell you...we are pretty darn excited about it too. This comes after many years of indecision and a couple of false starts. I've been following the list for awhile but I'm still 493 emails in the hole before I'm up to date! Hopefully this topic has not been discussed already in the recent past.
I'm in the Military and expect to deploy for the second time within the next year or so. I'm trying to plan the build in such a way that I can still make progress while on deployment and in a way that will fit our cash flow projections. Here is my question:
Conventional wisdom is to build the tail kit first. Is there any precedence for building the rudder first to gain some experience then skipping over the rest of the tail kit to build the Fuselage? I'm thinking I'd like to save the rest of the tail kit for while I'm on deployment. After one deployment under my belt I can imagine comfortably being able to complete the tail in my spare time over the course of a year. If work stops every time I deploy I'll never get anything done.
[b]I almost started an RV tail kit on my last deployment but the need for the pneumatic rivet gun made working on it in my living area impossible. Also, since I was already overseas when I looked into it purchasing the kit, getting it shipped there was going to cost more than the kit itself. Looking back I'm pleased I did not start on the RV because our goals have changed significantly since then. That's another topic for another time. [/b]
We may stick with the conventional order of build but your input would be helpful in our decision making process. Thanks in advance.
Jake and Belle Crause
Pooler, GA
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[quote][b]
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JohnDRead(at)aol.com
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| Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 2:12 pm Post subject: Fuselage First? |
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Hi Jake;
Best to build the tail group then the wings, the slats and flaps could be left to later. Then build the fuselage. The 701 requires that the wing attach points on the fuselage are located from measurements made on the wing attach points. I would imagine that the 801 is similar. Have fun building.
Stay safe on the deployment.
John Read
CH701 - Elbert CO - Jabiru 3300
Phone: 303-648-3261
Fax: 303-648-3262
Cell: 719-494-4567
Stay up-to-da news - from fashion trends to celebrity break-ups and everything in between.
[quote][b]
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jimcarriere
Joined: 27 Aug 2006
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 2:32 pm Post subject: Re: Fuselage First? |
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Jake, first off my disclaimer is that I have a half finished (and 90% to go) Kitfox- not a Zenith product. The Zenith lists are just one of the places I lurk on the Matronics website. Anyway, a couple thoughts on building to share with you:
No matter what order you build the components, keep in mind that sooner or later you'll make a bad part and have to do the part over again. The first time you get over that mental hump of having to throw away a piece of your hard work, self-confidence goes up building gets a lot more enjoyable. The tail feathers are a good starting point not just because they're cheap but because being simple they're harder to mess up.
As for building your airplane around deployments and duty station moves, my kit has survived a PCS move (I'm Navy). I DITY moved the parts myself in a Penske rental truck, simply not worth the risk of contract movers. One of the guys in my old EAA chapter was Air Force and he completed an RV over several years and two or three moves. I'll second that any work you get done is good work. Not sure about the logistics of packing sub-kits inside toughboxes and quadcons for a deployment, guys sometimes bring stranger things, but working on a kitplane while in-country would be pretty sweet if you pull it off.
I looked up Pooler, GA and I suspect we might know some of the same people or more likely there are just a few degrees of separation. I had the privilege of serving with a 3ID unit in Iraq this year (I was at Falcon), so thanks for what you do.
Jim
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jakecrause(at)yahoo.com
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| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 6:24 pm Post subject: Fuselage First? |
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Phil, Charles, John, Jim, and Chane,
Thanks very much for your comments and insight. You brought up some good points that I had not considered. After some thought and number crunching I think we are going to complete the entire tail and then move on to the wings.
I may still work on the project during my next deployment though. Possibly the Flaperons and or the slats. We are an aviation unit with quite a bit of excess container space so acquiring some extra room coming and going won't be too much of a problem.
Chane: SERE? They keep threatening to send me to camp slappy. SERE B+ was "inconvenient" enough for me thank you very much!!
Jim: FOB Falcon? Looks like we were pretty close to one another. I was right around the corner from you at Baghdad International Airport and just left there in June. I fly OH-58Ds (little helicopter with a big ball above the rotor) and we supported guys out of Falcon on a daily basis.
Thanks guys....
Jake Crause
Pooler, GA
www.homebuiltairplanes.com
[quote][b]
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n85ae
Joined: 14 Mar 2007
Posts: 403
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| Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 7:12 am Post subject: Re: Fuselage First? |
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I'm most of the way done with my 801. You could build it in any order. The
real issue is to make sure that you keep the wing attach fittings on the
fuselage the same distance apart as the spars. If you build the fues. first
there's enough fudge factor in the wings to adjust the width easily enough.
Flaperons are non critical, since the flaperon arms have plenty of flex
so a couple mm here and there won't hurt anything.
For what it's worth I built my slats, and flaperons first, and then built the
wing. I clamped them in place when assembling the wing, and this allowed
more accurate adjustment of the rib spacing to match the respective attach
point.
An advantage to building the fues. last is that by the time you get to
this step, you'll be used to the poor Zenith documentation and will have
developed your clairvoyance to a greater degree ...
I have built a Kitfox as well, and I can tell you for a certainty that the
Kitfox documentation is much better than the Zenith 801 documentation.
At this point I view the Zenith docs as a rough guide, and I use my own
experience for figuring out what to do. The Zenith procedures don't
always work out well if followed to the letter.
Regards,
Jeff
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