ben87r

For anyone interested this thread continues here http://www.recreationalflying.com/threads/thatcher-cx4-build.43045/ Cheers

So for anyone who has been following my other thread here, http://www.recreationalflying.com/threads/hummel-bird-build.38274/ The Hummel has been dropped in favor of the Thatcher CX4 and work has begun. Im just in the process of ordering my materials and have built the recommended table and started making a few forming blocks and jigs. Not going to have to much to keep me occupied until I can land some gear. Here is a few photos of the workshop and progress so far You can see the table here and the spar forming jigs, haven't got any of the forming block as yet but not much to see really, Oh. And that's my off sider Simba!

Spot on i reckon

I do have one but im using a Mac, does it on pretty much everything.Otherwise i would be stuffed!

And would weigh double with some models (VW Golf) from all the Sat nav, airbags ect that has become standard over the years, and still such an improvement. My HX 1 tonner (253) was around 30 LPH before i pull it off the road. Modern V8 Ute 12-15 LPH easy enough

Maybe a stupid question but was wanting to know how everyone was tracing off the plans to mark their forming blocks? The only way i can think of doing it is baking paper then on to cardboard which would be cut to size then marked on to the ply but this doesnt seem very accurate. Any tips or ideas? Cheers

Right!! After speaking to a guy today who has built both, decision is made!! CX4 is on the go. In the garage now building the table. Hour 1! thousand or so to go!

Hey Ruffas, Is that you that you that you that i emailed the other day off the yahoo group? It just seems like a much more confusing build, I don't think it would be much more harder but the Hummel is much better laid out, more full size parts on the plans and a step by step "dummies" manual. I at this point cant work out how to start apart from make the work table. There is no doubt that $$ and build difficulty aside the CX would be a bigger, faster better plane but not sure if i could build it with my knowledge and experience Thanks Riley! Much appreciated

I now have my hands on both sets of plans (the correct ones), although the DVD still hasn't arrived from Hummel I have gone over the plans and manual for it and all seems well explained in a step by step kind of way so i would feel comfortable enough building it. I have had a brief look over the CX4's plans and have found them, well, confusing. There is allot of colour photos throughout the builders manual but seems to lack "method", but like its only been brief. For example, the spar and wing construction is listed on the first two pages of the manual and isn't to much more descriptive then " the wing spar and center section spar are clamped, drilled and set for the 7" dihedral" then starts with fitting the ribs. I haven't ruled out it yet but at this stage the hummel plans are much better written and drawn, but i do prefer the CX4 as an AC. If anyone has built a CX that can give me some info or feedback would be great AGGGH! Decisions

I think a "skilled" driver without ABS using the correct breaking will out break an ABS equipped vehicle but, If you break like the Ex and put the brake peddle past the firewall and leave it there until stopped the ABS will win every time

I told mine that her 80k vw conertable had to go in the driveway so I could start my build. Ended up I had to have her and the vw out the driveway to start the build!!

Welcome Dave, Good to see another member from FNQ!

I thought that the insurance would still pay and recoup their losses from the at fault party. May be mistaken

PIC. or associated insurance.

Ah ok see what you mean. No i don't think the the criminal side would be much fun..

The problem here is you can do all of what you are saying but at the and of the day you will still be at fault. Anyone who is being irresponsible in regards to site security ect i believe to be genuinely at fault. But the other thing is if you read the regulations and legislation, the building industry is held to a separate set of rules to other business in regards to OH&S and public liability to compared to say a factory or a store ect ect. There is no common sense left in it, Where there is negligence to it i believe that the system is fair but duty of care has got to far

Turbo, Im a self employed builder. If ANYTHING happens on my site i am responsible FULL STOP END OF STORY. Its a scary thought cause i can meet all regulations, codes of practice and legislation and if anything should happen im still at fault because i "Need to take all appropriate action" So example, I have a job and i get subcontractors in, I tell them what needs to be done and what safety measures need to be in place then leave site and they do not do what has been asked of them its my fault. I needed to make it so they didn't have another choice but do what was required and if that means babysitting every trade on every job all day myself they are happy with that. Another i could put up 16' fences out the front but a 16yr old boy climbs over at midnight and brakes his leg..... MY fault. It has got so far out of hand these days its not funny. You can NOT legislate common sense but they are trying to legislate against others stupidity and it is now costing the consumer a fortune .RANT over.

Cheers FV! I have been going through the plans over the last few days( Yes they arrived this time but the construction DVD still never came) and the build process seems less complicated then what i was thinking and i think with a few weeks going over the plans to get my head around it all i would be comfortable enough to start. The CX4 plans are yet to arrive so i haven't had any comparison but look forward to them arriving. The extra cost is what is holding me back from the cx4 and without that i think my choice would be made

how much time investment do you think this would require Ian?

Terry from Hummel returned my emails over the weekend and to his credit came up with this Show Details Ben, I was out of town when I rec’d your message about the wrong plans. I sent an email from my phone, but it would not send................ Enough about my problems. As I said in the email, I don’t know how I put the wrong plans in with the right manual. Keep the UC plans, give them away, sell them, whatever. I sent another HB plan set on Wed, Express mail. 3-5 business days delivery. Tracking # EI *36*770**US (That EI is Echo Indigo). I will not be charging anything to your card for this mess. Please accept my apologies, Terry Hallett Hummel Aviation So now it looks like im going to end up with three sets of plans (should the Hbird actually arrive this time) so its made the decision a little harder but i think it will come down to which plan seem better in person. I do like that Dave has returned my emails within the hour so far ans the fact that there is alot more CX4's being built locally but, i think the Hb is a beautiful looking AC.... Also now have a set of UltraCruiser plans for sale if anyone is intrested

Cheers guys, So i emailed thatcher about the cx4 today asking for information like materials list ect ect and this was the reply about 10 min later Hi Ben, Thank you for your interest in the CX4. Other than my web site at: ThatcherCX4.com, there is no other information except what can be seen on the Yahoo group site: CX4. I am willing to send you a set of plans that include the information you are looking for. You can look it over and if it is what you are looking for in an airplane like the CX4 you can just send me the $360 for the plans or send them back. I will need you address and phone number, of course. Very best regards, Dave Thatcher What a change to what i have been dealing with, Think that might be the decision maker

And there is a heap more that i havent posted as well, Just more times where i have chased them up. My question is how long would it take to get prefab parts if i chose to use them.... I want to stick with the all alloy idea as ive done allot of research into this build and Tooled up for this as well so i see it better to keep with a similar idea. Designs would be... Teenie 2, Thatcher CX4, or Zenith 601... And one last one of the sonari 2 Im in a few minds. The CX4 is closest matching tto the overall goal to the HBird i think, The Teenie would be closer to the original economic goal, And, The 601 was going to be the second build if i made it through the first OK, So i think i need to do more research into these three but would take any advice

SO THE PLANS ARRIVED!!!! I think you all could imagine my excitement since i have not had a response from hummel to any of the emails i have sent regarding, well, anything at all. Couldnt wait to get them open and have a look, i noticed that the DVD hadn't arrived but not to big of a deal. Then drama struck, they have sent me the Ultra Cruiser plans. I have had just about enough of dealing with Hummel Aviation, this has been going on for months now and it was only last night before the UC plans arrived that i had given up and started looking for another design. What i have come across has been nothing but a disappointment, I only just received a reply to an email the other day that i had sent in mid April, I would hate to think how long i would wait to a question once the build had started that could cause me to have to put it on hold. So now back to the start by the looks of it...

How come its $0.50 km?? I can fly from cairns to sydney for about $160 or cheaper with the specials... Much less the $0.50 a km

You wont get enough thrust out of it to get off the ground