Technology updates..

I've had to redo a lot of things on the gear/engine mount deal...I've really had to work the pedal on the big gray welder...I end up with excess heat into the CM tubing.Last december I went to Airgas in Salinas and got a sweet deal on a Lincoln Invertec 160 DC pulse tig welder...Oh My God!!! This machine makes welding CM tubing easy! The heat and pulse can be set to get welds just right without warping things. I used the new machine to do the supports for the metal sides on the S2-S
The cool thing is that I don't trip the 20 amp breaker that supplies my hangar with 110volts,yet i get enough current to weld most aircraft CM tubing projects..

Currently building spray booth in my garage in Prunedale..The S2-s fuse is covered and ready to paint..Have to bring it home More photos to come..Also have a lead on a cherry set of stick-built S1-S wings for the rebuild project..

Time really flys1

Haven't taken much time on this blog.

The flying S1-S was sold in May 2010 to a nice young lady from Socal...She really enjoys it.
The engine is done on the S2-s and installed..Prop has been back from Whirlwind since March..
I devised a spray booth at work and have stripped,etched , alodined and repainted all of the sheet metal.Many hours of tedious striping layed out
We got right down to "let's put it back together and i had a change of heart. We were going to just spot in the chips on the dope with auto primer and reshoot the fuse....But ..smoke oil and leaking master cylinders have really oiled up the fabric on the belly so, off came the fabric..While i'm at it..I decided to metal side the fuse back to my elbows..( the same as a s2-b has..) So this week I formed and welded the supports on to the fuse and nut plated everything.I have 3 of the 6 sheet metal pieces fit on to the fuse..Today I'm making a die for the sheetmetal brake to form the radius I need on the bottom of the fuse sides..I'm lucky to have Sean Tuckers old plane close by to go look at..It's saved me from having to reinvent the wheel!
Picked up paint to spot the fuse in ..Jeanie is going to sew an envelope for me out of ceonite101 .. that will save me from doing the 3 piece method on the fuse..Should be able to put fabric on day after Halloween..

That's it for now...photos later.

General Update on Pitts' stuff

The engine parts should be here from AERO tomorrow...Jeanie will take them over to the machine shop in Los Banos on tuesday..I had the pushrod tubes and engine mount powder coated here in Salinas for the engine in the S2-S.. Sean did a great job.. powder coating is really cool nowadays. I had to move one of the tubes on the engine mount over an inch to make room for the B&C sd-8 alternator to clear...I'm tired of the battery charger routine and want a somewhat more normal setup..My aerobatic experience level won't be able to tell the 3 extra lbs.....
I finally finished the crate to fit the Whirlwind prop in...I'll have that dropped off at the freight company tomorrow..Should take a month or so to get it back..I'm thinking the budget will allow me to switch it from a 400 Rocket to a 400C...
I've been selling "treasures" on Ebay ...With those funds I bought my own powder coating setup..I have to get all of the lower wing parts beadblasted and coated to send to a builder in N.M. Also going to pickup a used oven to do the parts curing/ cooking in tomorrow off of Craigslist...

RV-3 gear in Straight!

I had to make a new assembly, the first one was too wide due to using the wrong blueprint..
the first one I had drilled the tubes and the gearlegs at the same time and then welded ...When I had finished the assembly I had gotten too much heat into it and messed up the alignment of the gear legs.That created a impossible to get straight situation with the gear/fuselage alignment..
The new assy. I welded a little at a time to keep from warping the assy. Then I drilled one hole in the top assy, installed the legs and jigged them straight and centered.I filed the hole to match the gearleg holes...Then chucked up the assy. in the drill press and used the gear legs to line up the back hole...Everything turned out straight this time..
This time I clamped the assy. into place and measured off of the tail post...less than a 1/16th in. difference !!the assembly also sits perfectly in the middle of the fuse centerline! I'll go with it! I tacked it into place and have to tack the remaining 4 support tubes in place, then remove the engine mount and finish weld a little at a time to keep from heat warping/moving anything around.

The New Machine

I've been having a hard time borrowing welding machines back and forth with my buddy Jack due to his hectic schedule ,so I bought this machine from a friend of a friend...400$ and it works perfect..

S2 and S1 work

The S2 is down..560 hours on the plane and engine.Engine just didn't run as smooth as i'd like..Found 2 blades were loose on prop..Prop on it's way back to whirlwind for overhaul...Compressions were down into the 60's on 4 cylinders...removed cylinders to find surface rust spots aren't going to allow High 70's....New P10 pistons on the way and cylinders are being ground and ohauled..

Had to redoRV gear mount on S1 project..was made too wide per following the wrong drawing.My Buddy Jack and I borrow welders back and forth..he's grumpy from night shift at powerplant..Went and bought used Tig300 Lincoln to resume production repair...

Finished up new assy. last nite..have to line up in motor mount and tack in place..

Flying S1 has found a new home.. 2hangar doors down .

Things Change...

Well,It's funny how things can change..I closed the deal on a Pitts S2-S...All of the S1 stuff is now for sale...This project on this blog will be put back together bone stock instead of a with fancy upgrades..