The airplane is still progressing. I voted to work on the plane vs. write an update after each work period.
Since the last plane update, the right wing has had all patches, tapes, and exit rings attached. In addition, the brushed on coat of EkoFill was applied.
The next step is to get the left wing mounted and prepped to cover. This will entail cleaning all the dust and bugs off the frame, applying anti-chafe tape to sharp edges, and getting the fuel cap screws sealed up. Then we will get it mounted into the rotating stand and get to covering.
A few things that I found from last time will hopefully make this wing go better. First is the coat of glue applied to the root skins and the leading edge skin. On the right wing I used a normal brush and I got a lot of bubbles and streaks. This will definitely show through the paint, but I wasn’t too concerned with it since I think it will not detract from the look overall. My options for the left wing are thinning the EkoBond down, using a different brush, or forgoing the coat of glue all together (need to call Stewart’s on this one). Hopefully that will eliminate the bubbles.
The engine monitor project is coming along pretty well. Not much to show at the moment since I’m just coding (very slowly due to a lot of work and school), but I’ve started adapting a configuration file so the limits of the gauges will be configurable. My coding as of now is geared towards the Rotax 912ULS, but I’m trying to keep it as configurable as I can where it is somewhat simple. If this thing keeps moving on and someone else wants to use it with another engine, then I figure we can cross that bridge then. I did find a new source for a lot of bright, industrial screens. They are pricier than the other outlets I found and the smallest screen seems to be 8.4″. Not a deal breaker overall, but I don’t know if an engine monitor needs to be 8″. I found a 6.5″ screen for around $140. It’s not the brightest, but it is close to the requirements I had decided on and some of the soaring community are using it with apparently good results.
(12 h)