Kyle Communications

27/05/23 LE countersinking completed. Prep for anticorrosion paint for tops of ribs and front and rear spar contact areas 1 hr

24/05/23 Countersunk (microstop) main spar to accept LH dimpled upper wing skin. 1.3h

23/05/23 Trimmed stringers to length. Levelled and squared wing spars on aluminium box sections. Formed rolled edge on upper LH wing skin. Clecoed wing skin to ribs and matched drilled main spar. Deburred and dimpled wing leading edge. 3.8h

03/05/23 Riveted ribs 2-11 to front and rear spars. Installed LH wing flap and aileron bell cranks. 2.4h 06/05/23 Installed LH aileron bellcrank pushrod male rod end and aileron cable. Safety wired ferrule in locating slot. Installed LH flap Teleflex cable and safety wired to Teleflex cable mount. Attached male and female rod ends to flap bellcrank. 1.4h 08/05/23 Straightened (fluted) 11 ribs of RH wing. Drilled and deburred 5/8” holes in ribs of LH and RH wings. Added grommets to holes and cable draw string to LH wing ribs. 2.3h 13/05/23 Deburred ribs of RH wing. 1.9h 15/05/23 Routed and supported pitot and static lines in LH wing. Deburred 8 stringers for LH and RH wings. 5.4h

28/04/23 Squared flanges and straightened ribs of LH wing. Clecoed ribs temporarily to spars and shimmed truss to straighten rear spar. Fabricated wing attach angles for both wings and deburred. Deburred aileron and flap hinge brackets for both wings. 5.1h 30/04/23 Set-out aileron and flap hinge arms and rib attach angles. Removed ribs from spars and match drilled for hinge arms etc. Deburred all ribs and riveted hinge arms, flap and aileron bellcrank mounts and attach angles to ribs. Clecoed ribs to spars and positioned wing tie-down angle. 6.3h

This thread will be a copy of the build log for this aircraft 23/4/23 Assembled both flap bell crank and one aileron bell crank assemblies. 1.4h 24/4/23 Riveted all (10) doublers to main and rear spars of LH and RH wing. Removed and replaced 9 rivets that were incorrectly packed in CCPQ-43 packet. (Were actually CCPQ-42….12 wrong size rivets in packet) Updrilled truss attachment holes in main spars to 5/16” and cleared excess powdercoat from bolt holes in wing trusses. 3.4h 25/4/23 Commenced match drilling strut truss fittings to LH and RH truss bosses. 1.3h 25/4/23 Continued match drilling and started reaming strut truss fittings on both trusses. 3.3h 26/4/23 Completed reaming strut truss fittings and bolted same to LH and RH trusses. Reamed spars, doublers and trusses. Bolted LH truss to LH wing main truss. 2.8h

I left all the rear top and both sides about 10mm longer than it needed to be just to make sure I did get it right. I had that trouble on my first build and ended up redrilling the sides. The issue wasnt at the top on the first build though. Doing the main screen by yourself is a PIA but as usual the more you do the more you learn how to do it better. This one isnt perfect fit but good old black silicon fills any tiny gaps at the bottom of the screen where it just misses touchig the boot cowl skins. Got to get some painting done this week then I can continue on. I have to make a cover yet for the twin stick connection control point. Thats also a PIA. But at least its easy working with 16 thou

Got quite a few jobs done on Mabel this weekend. Windscreen and top deck cover cut out and sized and fitted. Made the angle brackets for the flap bracket that ties it back to the crossmember. Have undercoated the support ribs for the top deck and a few other metal parts associated with the polycarb.. Hoped to get some colour sprayed but its too windy and cold here today

Back from my trip over to Thailand. Worked on getting the new control stick shaped around the modified flap lever. This is only necessary due to it being a twin stick install. This is of course only when in full flap position and with my modified flap bracket I never use full flap but it misses the lever fully in all cases I drew up the shape and Danny bent it in his roller. The angle at the top for the grip meant it had to be cut and shut. The main control arm connector for taht stick I removed the std piece of pipe and machined up a piece to go inside so I could slide the new control stick in. It can be easily removed by 2 of 4mm screws if needed and is a good fit. I am using a Ray Allen grip on the stick so I will wire the trim up to the stick. So i have a switch on the panel that doesnt work or I get a filler dot for it. Cut the new windscreen and top cabin cover out of polycarb also this week. Trying to find some decent rubber to fit on it at the bottom but not much around now so tomorrow I will be driving around trying to find something. I have to paint the 2 roof ribs for the roof top and the aim is to get the windscreen installed and the top cabin cover at least all fitted and drilled.

Rotax 912 Parts Trader ,Swap ,sell & After Market Bits | Facebook WWW.FACEBOOK.COM

Here are some pictures that Peter sent of the seats covered and how they fit and the way the seat base is built

The savannah does have parachute fitment instructions and of course is a std fit in most of Europe. RANS has been working on one I believe but it wont matter as mine is a amateur build so can literally install what you like. Factory builts etc especially older ones are a different matter....according to our antiquated and stifled rule system for aircraft

I have a Galaxy chute for Mabel. A chute for a 600kg aircraft weighs around 13kg all up. I imported mine directly from the factory but that was a bit of a mission. I now know a lot more than I did then and would go a slightly different route but still direct import. The boss wants one in the RANS S-21 as well. Specs from memory is the min deployment for the chute is 150ft and the decent rate was 6.5mtrs per sec at 600kg The one for the RANS though needs to be 760kg and is substantially more expensive...twice as expensive as the 600kg one

I will get Peter to send me a couple of pictures of his finished seats

I wish I took a picture of Peter's seats when he was here at xmas time. They look fantastic. Yes the different colours are different densities of foam

This is the way Peter did his seats

Hi Marty I am going to build them up from varying grades of foam then get them upholstered. Peter Bleys made his a similar way...I have some pics somewhere and will post them. This way you can make the seats comfortable..the std sav thin seats are crappy. The way I have done my seat bases I always was going to build my own seats like peters. Peter flew into the farm around xmas time and I was looking at his finished seats and they are really nice. Would be really comfy in bumpy conditions

I have made a few batches now. They go as fast as I make them. need more hours in a day between working and CDI modules and Throttle systems and rebuilding Mabel and building a house at the farm.....I need 60 plus hrs a day

parts are not exempt complete engines are...I have the empty wallet to prove it Its under a different customs code..they knobled me for a big bore kit..and they quoted the paragraph

I am about to make a new stick for my twin stick setup..it will have the Ray Allen grip on it

I love the whole wing/spar design on this aircraft. Apparently its from a old Luscombe design. The centre truss arrangement and front and rear spar just makes sense for ease of build and strength

Great video and so much automation in the processes.....but isnt automation supposed to make things cheaper? 🙂 I would hate to think how much all those robots and CNC machines would be worth. Very impressive. Certainly much more info than that old video of aircraft engine assembly thats been on youtube for a lot of years..would like to have seen more but they also may not have been able to film those tasks or operations

Well its a big week this week. Work has finally started on my S-21 build. RodgerC who had a S-20 with the 141 wing and the round tail ( christened a RANS S-20.5) that came in the container I organised with mine and Greg's S-21 has finished his beautifully built aircraft and it has some 50 odd hours on it now. Rodger asked me if he could help me building my S-21 as I am still finally getting the the finish line with Mabel but still a bit away until I can clear my workshop out by getting Mable to the hangar for assembly. Of course I jumped at the chance to have such a craftsman help me put it together and of course he has already put together a set of 141 wings and they are the same series of itteration of back in 2019 so he knows all the traps in putting them together. This will help shorten my build time a lot seeing its been so long since the kit got here in Oct 2019 I got all the parts for the wings over to his place earlier this week and he has started prep already. I will be heading over there helping him when he needs it or I can get a chance to get over there and annoy him. As soon as Mabel vacates the workshop I will start on either the tailfeathers or fuselage..probably the fuselage I think. I will be away overseas for almost 2 weeks with my very understanding wife from Tuesday for some R&R to a mates wedding. We both need a break I should have Mabel down to the hangar a few weeks after that so can start the S-21 fuselage here. I am excited 🙂 A picture of Rodgers S-20.5 is here as well It is such a lovely built aircraft

I have moved this thread from Other Aircraft into the now available RANS location in the forum

Hot off the press from Eprop This is a great video for how to set it up for any aircraft