15th June 2016 - installing the graphics and starting on the intersection fairings

It has been a very busy day!

My wife's best friend Bonnie is a highly accomplished ceramic artist. However, on this occasion she had her arm twisted to apply her skills to create aerodynamic intersection fairings in clay between the wheel spats and leg fairings and between the leg fairings and fuselage - hardly the most glamorous task and certainly not the best working conditions!
I will then be able to lay up fibreglass over the clay to create then actual fairings. You can just see in the picture (click to expand) sections of aluminium sheet let into the clay which will create a gap in the back of the fairings allowing them to be slotted over the legs. Many thanks Bonnie!

Just when this was underway the gentlemen from thesign and graphics company arrived with the pre-cut vinyl for the aircraft registration lettering and the graphics. This has completely transformed the look of the aircraft however by the time they had finished the sun was in the wrong place to photograph the aircraft properly so pictures will have to wait until tomorrow.

31st May 2016 - Graphics design

Over the last few days I have been communicating with Paul at thesign and graphics company. This is a local firm (Wimbish) who do all sorts of graphics designs and have the machinery to cut vinyl under computer control. Following my confession that artistic flair was not my strong point Paul came up with the pictured design for the aircraft. The sweeping curves should break up the rather boxy shape of the tailwind nicely.

thesign and graphics company also do the installation so no risk of me leaving lots of bubbles under the plastic.

They will also be supplying the registration marks for under the wings - not pictured.

Summer/Autumn/Winter 2015/Spring 2016 - Painting the cowls and wheel and leg spats

For various reasons (laziness?)  the last 12 months have passed with little or no progress on the aircraft. I did get some painting done: the cowls were top-coated and the leg and wheel spats primed and top coated. The spinner was re-painted in a nice bright red.

This gets all the big painting jobs done, my least favourite activity, so with the arrival of some decent weather, the time has come to get the aircraft finished.

24th April 2015 - Priming the cowl

The last few days have been an endless round of spray, sand, fill, re-sand, respray but finally the cowls are ready for top-coating - not perfect but perfectly acceptable. Hopefully the top-coat will go on OK without too many embedded insects!

15th April 2015 - Finishing painting and re-installing the engine

The extra paint arrived this morning so I could complete the painting of the engine. Then I started to re-install the ancillaries doing as much as possible before re-mounting the engine to make access easy.
The engine hoist was then positioned to allow the engine to be bolted back onto the mount. Parallel mount engines are so much easier than dynafocal!
Once back on the airframe the baffles were re-installed and the rest of the plumbing started. I've still got the exhausts and carburettor to go back but things are looking good so far.
That is one more line in the final to-do list ticked off - only took 3 days of solid work!

14th April 2015 - Painting the engine

Massoud at MK Aero Support kindly loaned me his engine hoist so once the engine was disconnected from all the plumbing I could remove it and start the process of masking, cleaning, and spraying. It is amazing how many things there are to disconnect and remove:
Baffles
Magnetos
Vacuum pump
Carburettor
EGT sender
CHT sender
Carburettor temperature sender
Starter motor
Alternator
Primer lines
Exhaust system
Flywheel
Propeller extension
RPM sender
Oil pressure takeoff
Earth strap
Fuel overflow
Fuel inlet
Fuel pump outlet
Engine breather
Heater scat tube
Multiple cables fastened to the sump attach bolts
and finally - the engine mount bolts

With the engine removed I could touch up the accumulated scratches and chips on the engine mount paint. The engine itself is substantially finished but 2 rattle cans is not enough so further progress is on hold waiting for an extra can.

10th April 2015 - It is officially spring, let work on G-CIJY recommence

Finally some warm dry weather to get going again on the build.

First job was to refit the propeller and do an engine run to check the compressions. The Odyssey PC680 battery showed no signs of deterioration despite being left untouched  for 5 months. The same couldn't be said of the left magneto which needed the points drying before it felt like starting the engine. However, once it was cleaned and re-timed the engine started immediately and ran smoothly.
I borrowed a calibrated differential compression tester from my local aircraft engineering company and with the engine warm checked the compressions:

1. 73/80
2. 73/70
3. 75/80
4. 74/80

For an engine that hasn't been run in anger for over 8 years those are definitely OK with no evidence of any serious problem. I did de-glaze the cylinders before installing them so I expect these figures should improve further as the engine is run over the next 50 or so hours.

I also used the engine runs to tweak the vacuum regulator. This put the vacuum nicely into the green arc so the DI and AI should work well. It also proved that the vacuum pump is operating properly.

Next the transponder was re-installed after repair and this time its Mode S code could be configured as the aircraft is now registered with the CAA!

G-CIJY may not be the most interesting call sign but by choosing an in-sequence registration it saved a significant chunk of money compared to a "personalised" registration.

Much of the remaining work on the aircraft is now in the category "finishing" and the next job is to remove the engine, touch up the mount, paint the engine, and refit it ready for flight.