Trimmed the tip of VS

Used cutters and vixen file to trim the VS tip (0.5 inch from the rib). Tried the fiberglass tip, and it fitted almost perfect.

The wires arrived last friday.

Finished drilling the VS skin

Finished drilling the skin. When I took the skin off again, everything looked OK, no holes in the wrong place. Need to drill the two fore-most holes at the tip, but I have to take the skeleton off the jig first.

Drilling the VS skin

Finished marking on the jig and the ruler. Transfered the markings to the skin and started drilling.

Markings for drilling

Continued marking lines and holes and flutings for the drilling process. Drilling holes in the skin is next.

Visit to Praha, Czech Republic

In June we (Olaug and I) visited Praha, or Prague, in the Czech Republic. One morning we went to Kbely Aviation museum just outside the city center. It is a very interresting museum with lots of very rare aircrafts (several one offs in the entire world), but it is also very crowded with aircrafts, making it difficult to take pictures.

I have includes a few pictures here. One geared radial Walter Mira II-R (95 HP). A few very nice light aircrafts from Zlin. The only two seat Me-109 in the world today (Me 109G-14). An Me-262. One La-7, probably the best Russian WWII fighter. One Yak-17 (the resemblence to the Focke-Wulf Ta-183 and Me P1101 prototypes is rather striking).

Further adjustments and trimming of skin

Adjusted the jig/skeleton more precise. Added another fastener to hold the fwd rib. Trimmed the skin further. I think I have cut of 5 or 6 slices on the tip now to make the overhang not too large.

Started marking the rivet lines for drilling holes. This is actually a bit time consuming, and requires attention, since it is not possible to see where to drill when the skin is on. I have to rely on markings on the jig and the ruler.

The VS skin seems to be cut and bended much more precise than the HS ones. All that is needed of trimming here is to cut off material at the tip. And Vans told me they were not able to cut/bend the HS skin with more precision than they did? Somehow I find this a bit strange, but who am I to tell?

It is good to be building again. To see that all the pieces starts to form larger components of a plane that I am going to fly sometime in the future, is a strange feeling sometimes.

Adjusting the skin on the VS

Riveted together the VS skeleton. Postioned the skeleton in the jig and and started to adjust the skin

Primed the VS skeleton

Jig changed

Changed the jig for skinning the VS. Repositioned hinges and temporary vertical member. Need to prime the skeleton and rivet together before skinning. Wires are in the mail.

Changing the jig, ordered wires

Started changing the jig for skinning the VS. I ordered the standard wiring kit, the only one avaiilable for the -4.

Wires

Have to order wires for the lighting (needed before skinning of the VS). I will go with the standard Van's wires kit. I want simplicity, so I will probably go with LED for marking, but LEDs are very expensive compared with ordinary flash. Light power (candela??) per dollar for LED must be way down compared with flash, but simplicity and weight also adds in here... Landing/Taxi lights is also something I want, but I'm not sure I really need it. That decision has to wait.

I have had a break in the building process, but I am by no means giving up. The reason for the break is a new job, fixing up my software in the evenings (a simulation program, more or less in relation to the new job) + some more personal happenings. Altogether the available spare time and the mental surplus capacity has just been too low to think about building. But - things are looking better.