Small things getting done

[ksatter26]

Crazy weather and awaiting lift strut inserts to fix the "my bad" reading (or not reading) of the Assembly Manual, I've been doing small things.

(1) mounted the port flaperon plastic tip ... looks nice ... will get pictures once I cleanup the excess epoxy.

(2) Used the Clamptite tool to replace 5 screw-type pipe clamps on the coolant hoses and installed the fill reservoir ... completing the engine install except for the faulty prop nut from Polini. Chris is working that issue. I'll be able to mount the E-Prop once the replacement arrives.

(3) Routed and installed both the port and starboard brake cables and housings.

(3) Trimmed and installed the seat-back. I have custom seat cushion (4" foam to get me a little higher and 3" foam back, tapered and fitted to the seat-back). I ordered these on-line (for a reasonable price) but for some reason the seat came covered in grey material whilst the seat-back is in black.

(4) Completed the installation of the cockpit floorboards and painted them black.

(5) Removed, primed, painted and re-installed my 3/16" rod horizontal stabilizer wires.

(6) I have the port wing trial mounted to the fuselage and supported in place at the proper sweep, dihedral, and washout. I can't finalize this and get on with the port jury struts install until my new lift-strut inserts arrive and I can cut the legs to the proper length. I'll have to re-do all the alignment measurements, but now I have a feel for the method. I also have a new 2" hole-saw for the adapting the rear spar to allow the wing to fold.

(7) Completed all the wiring for the instrument panel except for the reducing coupler for the pitot pressure line from the wing port wing. I have some straight and right angle 1/4" id "push-on" tubing fittings that I hope will provide an easy connect/disconnect method for wing folding.

(8) The "new design" flaperon control horns showed up, (tubing part fits INSIDE the flaperon spar tube) so I was able to trim the spars to the proper length for mounting. Actual drilling and mounting will not get done until the wing is secured in-place and the alignment set using the jig provided by Chris in the kit.

Just got a UPS notification of package delivery by 7PM. The only pkgs expected are my 4 inserts and the prop nut from Polini. Pkg weight 1.25 lbs ... probably my inserts.

More later - hopefully including pictures.

[Badland-F5 Pilot]

We'll have a few warm days, possibly some rain so hopefully the warmth will allow you some time to work more on the plane, not to say you're not making excellent progress! Good to hear the parts are coming in. Need a picture of that instrument panel up and folded down to see what a completed part of the project looks like.

Todd

[ksatter26]

Strange comm problems AGAIN with Frontier and my fiber/internet/WiFi. Been out since noon Monday. Got 3 notices from them thst they are aware of the problem and are working on it ... last msg just 30 minutes ago ... about 9:15am. Strange iartisthat my cell phone service (Verizon) is intermittent. Awaiting the opening of the Wylie Verizon office to get resolution.

Anyway, I'll get pictures and a progress report later today ... hopefully.

BTW, the UPS pkg was not my inserts but rather a 1 foot length of .075" diameter aluminum rod drop shipped by Chris from Aircraft Spruce. I didn't need it and told him do months ago when we were working the new tailwheel spring issue. Will call him once I get service.

[ksatter26]

I may have gone a little overboard on the panel, but it looks like it will work ...

I have the iPad 6 Mini mount installed horizontally. The original plan was to have a split screen display for iFlyGPS map and Compass .. However, I may re-orient the mount to vertical and just use the iFlyGPS display which has a smaller compass display embedded. I can probably easily switch between screens.

Folded down on the wire straps gives pretty good access to the component mounts and wiring. Looks a little busy, but it's really straight-forward.

The final picture shows the fold/mount bracket a little better. I just crimped the end of a small length of 0.5" dia aluminum tubing and bent it over until I got a bout a 90 degree position of the panel. I added a #6 screw rivnut on the panel end. At the firewall end (where most of the fuselage/cabin frame tubes come together, I used the tab that Chris welded in (probably for the panel) to attach the rotating end of the aluminum tube (it also supports the wires that limit the panel travel to be parallel with the cabin floor.)

The additional picture shows the 12v-3A car cigarette lighter USB charger that is wired to the battery power circuit. I added two small bus-bar blocks for power distribution.

[Badland-F5 Pilot]

Strange comm problems AGAIN with Frontier and my fiber/internet/WiFi. Been out since noon Monday. Got 3 notices from them thst they are aware of the problem and are working on it ... last msg just 30 minutes ago ... about 9:15am. Strange iartisthat my cell phone service (Verizon) is intermittent. Awaiting the opening of the Wylie Verizon office to get resolution.

I had a similar issue with Frontier about six months ago. A storm came through, blew out the equipment outside and their support told me “two weeks” before they could come out. I went over to T-Mobile and picked up one of their Cell/WiFi units - $50.00 a month and 30-day free trial. The unit worked OK. I would have kept it except for one thing. I have cameras and other devices that I remote control from my cell phone. The T-Mobile unit doesn't offer an IP address and no way (from T-Mobile) to route back into my home network. There is a workaround, but it takes a PC running some routing software to make it work. I wasn't up for that idea, but figured I'd use the T-Mobile unit until Frontier could get my system back online. At least I could continue working from home. The Frontier tech actually showed up a week early, and in 15 minutes he had the equipment outside replaced, and I was back online. I took the T-Mobile unit back, and turned it in. A few weeks later I received a bill for $50.00. Uh, no, it's a 30-day free trial. I sent them the bill along with a copy (highlighted) of the agreement where it clearly stated – free trial. A couple of weeks later I received a new bill. This one was for about $17.00. Once again I sent that in with a copy of the agreement. I also called their customer support and explained the issue. The support person of course apologized and promised there would be no further bill. A week later, another bill. This time I sent documentation of the other bills I had sent in along with the name/time/date of the person I spoke to on the phone, and I called again, speaking to a supervisor. I hoped this would end the issue, and it appeared to. I received one more letter, this time apologizing (again) for the issue and assuring me that the bill was $0.00 along with a copy of an invoice with $0.00 due. Over 15 years with Verizon and FiOS with only two minor glitches that lasted less than 30 minutes each. Service and quality have dropped dramatically with Frontier, so I get a laugh at their commercials on TV -f lase promises. T-Mobile's Cell/WiFI device is good, well-built, and compact. If they can't get their act together with billing and customer service, they are no better than Frontier. Since I'm retiring and moving this year, I'll stay with Frontier. I may pick up that T-Mobile unit though. It would be pretty nice for travel use. Good luck with Verizon and their Cell/WiFi. The price looks good. Quality of service and customer billing and support hopefully is better than T-Mobile.

[Badland-F5 Pilot]

I may have gone a little overboard on the panel, but it looks like it will work ...

I have the iPad 6 Mini mount installed horizontally. The original plan was to have a split screen display for iFlyGPS map and Compass .. However, I may re-orient the mount to vertical and just use the iFlyGPS display which has a smaller compass display embedded. I can probably easily switch between screens.

Panel01.jpg

Folded down on the wire straps gives pretty good access to the component mounts and wiring. Looks a little busy, but it's really straight-forward.

Panel02.jpg

That panel reminds me of an Aeronca I saw at the 99's Pancake Breakfast last spring. I don't think you went overboard at all on it. It's clean, and I like the white instead of the normal black panel. That seems to make those instruments jump out and grab your attention. I've been using Avare on my tablet when I fly my flight simulator. I'm getting very accustom to it. Though it doesn't have the features of the big names, it does work well. I like that it is somewhat limited. Some software packages are simply too complex. I get lost in them. I think you're right about being able to switch between screens as needed. The wiring looks good to me. Since I work on computer systems I am accustom to having a wire mess behind computers and under desks. It's simple enough to figure out if you know what you're looking for. I don't see your setup any different.

[ksatter26]

Actually the panel is Ford Tractor Grey ... spray can from Tractor Supply. Very light but nicely accents next to my white bones and black floorboards ... by accident it just about matches the seat cushion mistake grey.

Chris says he has little control over the inserts machinist. It could be 2 days or 2 weeks. Bummer as I have the port wing lift struts assembly (too long) tied at the spar ends with cord. All my alignments look good, but as soon as I cut the upper ends, install the inserts, and re-mount; I'll have to do the alignments yet again before riveting in the upper spar mounts.

I'll keep busy with more small stuff until the 4 upper inserts arrive.

[Badland-F5 Pilot]

Actually the panel is Ford Tractor Grey ... spray can from Tractor Supply. Very light but nicely accents next to my white bones and black floorboards ... by accident it just about matches the seat cushion mistake grey.

Chris says he has little control over the inserts' machinist. It could be 2 days or 2 weeks. Bummer as I have the port wing lift struts assembly (too long) tied at the spar ends with cord. All my alignments look good, but as soon as I cut the upper ends, install the inserts, and re-mount; I'll have to do the alignments yet again before riveting in the upper spar mounts.

I'll keep busy with more small stuff until the 4 upper inserts arrive.

Even the gray is plenty nice looking. Sounds like Chris may need to find another machinist or see if he can keep two of them busy enough. You know how a little competition can get someone inspired to do the job a little quicker. Bummer on the wait, but also, there's always a ton of those little things to do. Those things always seem to be in the mind as – oh that's a five-minute job, that turns out to take an hour! I'm getting so jealous of you, Tracy, and Peer having your planes that I fired up the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and took a hop in Florida for about 45 minutes. I wouldn't say the landing was good, but I didn't break anything! Just 21 days left, and I turn in my resignation paperwork for July the 3rd. Sell the house, move to Florida and hope that Chris is close to getting my kit built. I'll have a good 6 months if not more while looking for a nice piece of land and getting a small house built. I'm hoping to have a long enough piece to make a grass strip on. Granted our Badlands have nice folding wings, but I'd rather not have to hangar it or tow it to/from an airfield when I want to fly. It would be much more fun to step into the backyard, pull the plane out of the hangar/garage and go fly. I think there would be a reasonable increase in sales if more UL manufacturers included folding wings at least as an option.

[ksatter26]

In late 2018 I stumbled across an oddly shaped 4.5 acre parcel of land along FM-1778 at the southern edge of Farmersville (just across the road is Copeville). I made the purchase at a good price as it looked like a prospective Aerodrome.

The "runway" is about 680' x 125' and I partitioned off the one acre lot and it sold very quickly (yet has still not been developed). I was able to use these funds to build the 30' x 40' steel building that is now my shop/hangar. At the same time I had a relatively small home built on the property facing FM-1778.

My steel building contractor was a local guy who allowed me much latitude and I designed a 10' x 30' hangar door facing the "strip". He did all the steel framing and welding. I found two nice hydraulic pistons, a 3/4 hp hydraulic pump, and engineered the mounts for actuating the huge door. I managed to get it working with only minimal installation problems. I also installed, on the back wall, an electric winch. The reasoning was to use it to crank in the CH-701 "backwards" into the hangar. The 701 is "just about complete" but at 79 with kidney stones and two stints my medical is just about gone ... hence the F3.

SO your plans for Florida are definitely do-able. The worst part for me was the 18 mo. search for a suitable piece of affordable (in North Texas) parcel of land.

[Badland-F5 Pilot]

SO your plans for Florida are definitely do-able. The worst part for me was the 18 mo. search for a suitable piece of affordable (in North Texas) parcel of land.

This is too freaking familiar. Fall of 1998, learning to fly, 45 hours and life moved me to Las Vegas. Took a few more lessons at North LV but never did test. Life once again jumped in – moved to Texas. 2004, heart attack – first stent. At that time getting through FAA medical would have been very difficult and expensive. Though the rules have been relaxed, it still would have been expensive. Two years ago, two more stents (one through and further down from the first one from 2004). Both very minor, but that's not the way the FAA looks at it. Next up, sleep apnea causing bradycardia (slow heart rate). No fainting, no dizziness, no real issues except my cardiologist didn't like the slow heart rate. Getting past FAA medical would be pretty much impossible at this point. My heart rate is only slow when at rest, otherwise it beats fine. She recommended a pacemaker. That was put in back in January. My only choice now is UL, stay from above congested areas, and enjoy what flying I can do. Funny though, other than occasionally being tired (heck I'm just about 60), I feel fine and do much of what I want to. Again, that's not the way the FAA sees it. Oh well.

I really like the method you did, getting larger than needed property and parceling part of it off. I didn't really think of that as an option, but it's a good one. In Florida, they have parcels that are really strange in shape and size. I asked Chris what's the recommended strip length for Badland aircraft. He suggested 800 feet but admitted that he has no problem with 400. I'm thinking something in the middle, like what you have would be good once I get enough experience flying in/out of a local airport.

I envy your setup! Your land and your build are very much why I'm enjoying your posts. I'm not too far behind you and looking forward to seeing you fly as well as getting excited about my own flights coming soon.

[ksatter26]

My grass strip runs east-west. The west end is at another TX FM road (598). I have a 3.5' fence/gate there and telephone lines across the road. The east end also has a 3.5' fence and 25' beyond that, 25' high trees. I have a low spot on the strip at approximately the mid-point where the neighbor on the north has a drainage ditch from a pond on his property. I'm having a culvert installed and will level out the depression across the 125' runway width.

My stents have worked wonders for my stamina and my tendency to kidney stones has been greatly mitigated with sodium bicarbonate tablets. As you know, none of that means much to the FAA Aeromedical folks.

So looking forward to flying again in the F3. Still hope to get some tailwheel refresher time at Caddo Mills. The old Cessna 140 is the only option around.

[Badland-F5 Pilot]

The strip sounds ideal once the drainage issue is mitigated.

I'll have to look into the sodium bicarbonate. I had a stone pass last year. First time for that and wow – no joke when people say it's the worst pain.

The additional stents didn't make a difference for me. What did though was I went through Flow Therapy (https://flowtherapy.com/) which though not a lot of fun (what therapy is?), the treatment made an amazing difference in stamina and overall health. The doc wanted the pacemaker. I still think I made a mistake allowing that. I am improving, but the pacemaker has had some not so pleasant side effects. Those issues appear to be reducing. Maybe in a few more months all will be back the way or better than it was before the pacemaker.

And yes, the FAA doesn't care about any improvements. When I looked at the requirements to get through the medical after my heart attack, I was shocked by both the requirements and cost. Of course there are those that tell me to get an LSA cert. Except it's very clear in the FARs that if the person applying for an LSA cert knowingly has medical issues that would not allow him/her to get a GA cert, then that's a violation and the LSA cert would be revoked.

That leaves those of us with UL's and their limitations on fuel, weight, and where we can fly. The first one I don't like. Considering that the FAA states that UL restrictions are for public safety, how does limiting fuel do that? Limiting fuel is the reverse of flight safety. Airports/Airfields are close enough to hop across the entire country in an ultralight. Why not allow us to fly further instead of having us hop so much? Weight, OK, so the FAA doesn't want us to have too large of an aircraft. I sort of get that one. Where we can fly is the most important by far. I don't mind not being able to fly into most tower controlled airports. Even that has the exception with call ahead permission, then it is allowed. I don't care that we can't fly over congested areas. Who wants to look at rooftops anyway. The only thing I can see most of these restrictions for is so that UL pilots don't turn UL flying from a hobby and recreation into something more. OK I get that too. However, when they killed the UL CFI's being able to train UL pilots because they killed the dual seat UL's, that's not increasing public safety. That's allowing a bunch of idiots with no flight skills or in many cases no knowledge of flight protocols and procedures to get into the air with a vehicle that gross weight is around 500 Lbs. Again, that's not public safety minded.


I believe the intent was the FAA's attempt to kill UL flight altogether. They say that they figured LSA would take over, because it's cheaper. Uh cheaper? Most LSA aircraft cost nearly as much and in many cases much more than GA aircraft. I call that a fail. OK, off my soap box

I've checked around and not been able to find any CFI's that will provide flight instructions to UL pilots in the Dallas area. The last time I flew was in 1999. I need training for sure. I did find 3 listed in the EAA CFI page for Dallas that showed UL training. One even had a KitFox which of course our Badland planes are smaller but similar versions of. He refused to even take me up. I take it you have someone out at Caddo willing to get you some seat time? The 140 would be better than nothing at all and most likely have good relatable skills to take to your F3. Since I'll be moving to just south of Jacksonville FL later this year when I retire, I found Holladay Aviation (https://www.holladayaviation.com/index. ... ransition/). They are just north of Jacksonville. They train in a J-3 Cub for tail wheel and have a Breese for LSA and Ultralight training. I'm looking forward to learning from them and getting my skills built up again.

A couple of weeks ago I found that Microsoft Flight Simulator had added a J-3 Cub to the aircraft list, so I purchased it. I've only done a few flights in it, but it's speed and power are just slightly above what we have on our Badlands (based on specifications for the Badland since I don't have mine yet). Also, shockingly, I didn't realize that some J-3 Cub's don't have flaps! I've been flying a Savage Cub in the sim, but it's like flying Trent Palmer's Freedom Fox – way too fast and with different flight characteristics than what we'll experience. Fun, but not really relatable to the Badland planes. The sim also has a Top Rudder UL. It's a pretty radical little UL. It flies but reminds me of a stunt plane in how it reacts to control input, very sensitive. At the time it was the closest to the Badland's for flight speed and power as I could find until I got the J-3 Cub.

For entertainment value – here are a few of the videos I've created of flights in the sim. Note that most of the flight time is from outside the aircraft in observation mode. I'm at the controls, but flying from outside is a lot more entertaining for video creation. I've flown all three aircraft from inside the planes:

Flying Trent Palmer's Freedom Fox when the flight model first came out. Note that the pilots legs stick out of the bottom of the plane. That's been fixed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85t05STqTYk

Top Rudder 103. I added in using Avare and a synthetic flight management system.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VvNDp9PBfM

The J-3 Cub. I think this was my third flight. I quickly created this to give Peer an idea of the Cub in MSFS. I had a little trouble with the rudder peddles and missed my runway turnoff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8xQytJT4zA

When I first got MSFS 2020 I was flying the Cessna 172 and was very surprised at how it flew as best I could recall like the 172 I was flying out of Fallon, NV> Way back in 1999 when I was in training, I was using the MSFS back then. That version wasn't even close to as good (both visually and in aircraft flight and control) as MSFS 2020 is. However, my CFI was surprised at how quickly I improved my skills by using the sim. If the aircraft in the sim is created properly with realistic flight modeling, the skills are transferable. It is fun to fly these while I wait for my F5 to be built.

Well, enough dreaming. I hope your weekend was good and you made even more progress. It looks like we're going to get warm here next week, but also rain in the picture.

[ksatter26]

WWW.DallasFlightCenter. Cessna 140. He only instructs on weekends. Full endorsement is about $1700, but if all that's needed is a few hours of refresher practice ... " like riding a bike"?

Really into the great weather ... supposedly 76 today. Will probably use the weather to get the spar doublers, jury strut brackets, new flaperon control horns and other miscellaneous parts/areas primed and painted readyc for installation.

Waiting for my lift strut inserts is almost as bad as waiting for my F3 kit. Knowing it isn't Chris but rather his supplier, only calms me slightly.

BTW, the sodium bicarbonate only helps with the production of acid kidney stones. It seems to really help me. My urologist has actually released me from quarterly checkups to yearly, but everybody's body-chemistry is different.

[Badland-F5 Pilot]

WWW.DallasFlightCenter. Cessna 140. He only instructs on weekends. Full endorsement is about $1700, but if all that's needed is a few hours of refresher practice ... " like riding a bike"?

Really into the great weather ... supposedly 76 today. Will probably use the weather to get the spar doublers, jury strut brackets, new flaperon control horns and other miscellaneous parts/areas primed and painted readyc for installation.

Waiting for my lift strut inserts is almost as bad as waiting for my F3 kit. Knowing it isn't Chris but rather his supplier, only calms me slightly.

BTW, the sodium bicarbonate only helps with the production of acid kidney stones. It seems to really help me. My urologist has actually released me from quarterly checkups to yearly, but everybody's body-chemistry is different.

I'm sure some knowledge will return while in training, but getting the muscle memory reactions back will take some practical seat time. Plus there's no doubt that what the Badland will need in the way of peddle, rudder, and aileron control will be way different from the Cessna's I flew. Yesterday and today were pretty nice, once the rain ended this morning. I can understand the frustration of waiting, especially when it's out of not only your control but also of Chris's. I've got my annual physical coming up in April. I'll check with my doctor on the sodium bicarbonate. The stones I had were 1mm and the second was even smaller, and I've never had them before.

[ksatter26]

4 bouts with stones over 20+ years. 1st bout I was treated via the lithotripter at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans after a stent. 7 years later my 2nd bout, passed after 2 agonizing days on pain killers like candy. Another 7 years and and passed after another 2 days with more pain killers. Final bout 4 years ago another Stent and the calcium bicarbonate ... passed. Since then all my chemistries have indicated a more basic pH pleasing me and my urologist to no end.

Aeromedical hates this history.

Like yours, my taildragger experience is ancient. I do have time in Aeroncas, Stinsons, and some basic aerobatics in a clipped wing cub (which my instructor actually landed across the width of a taxi-way directly into a hangar ... I've had some strange instructors).

[Badland-F5 Pilot]

4 bouts with stones over 20+ years. 1st bout I was treated via the lithotripter at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans after a stent. 7 years later my 2nd bout, passed after 2 agonizing days on pain killers like candy. Another 7 years and and passed after another 2 days with more pain killers. Final bout 4 years ago another Stent and the calcium bicarbonate ... passed. Since then all my chemistries have indicated a more basic pH pleasing me and my urologist to no end.

Aeromedical hates this history.

Like yours, my taildragger experience is ancient. I do have time in Aeroncas, Stinsons, and some basic aerobatics in a clipped wing cub (which my instructor actually landed across the width of a taxi-way directly into a hangar ... I've had some strange instructors).

I'll try and avoid your route with the stones! Doesn't sound like it was fun at all!

I believe that when I did have my medical, the doctor was being kind to pass me. He took my blood pressure, then turned off the lights and told me to relax and think of calming thoughts. He stepped out of the room for about 5 minutes. When he came back in and took my blood pressure again, he still wasn't real happy, but I was within the limits, so I got my medical. That really should have been a warning to me that I needed to get and see a regular family doctor. I was young and stupid. It might have prevented me from having a heart attack and all these heart issues. Oh well.

I would love just to get a ride in a Stinson someday. That's an airplane! My CFI at Fallon was pretty interesting too. His reactions to situations such as sudden down drafts and other unexpected flight events were more instinctive. There was onetime when we were heading down to Barstow from Fallon. I think we were near Mammoth when out of know where we hit a spinning down draft that sucked us over about 60 degrees to the left, and we went nose down. Walt's reaction was so fast that he righted the plane, and we continued on our way. I thought, no big deal, until he mentioned that was unexpected, and he had gone full right rudder and ailerons to max to level us out. He just reacted so fast that I didn't realize just how severe a situation we were in was. My CFI in Las Vegas was good, but not nearly as good as Walt. Walt flew the crew that kept the power plants running east of Reno out and back daily. He had a lot of flight hours and real world experience. Those crews had to be taken out and flown back in all kinds of weather, summer heat, winter snow, didn't matter. He also taught flight because he loved it, not because he was going to be an airline pilot and wanted to log the hours. That seems to be somewhat important – find someone that wants to teach not because they want to reach their objective, but because they simply love to teach.

[ksatter26]

I forgot my few hours of real aerobatic instruction in a Citabria. Aircraft (actually Airbatic spelled backwards). Near the end of my licensing check-ride while under the hood, the NASA FAA guy took over; wrapped us around the sky; put it in a spin; said "hood off ... recover" and sat back. I broke the spin and did a standard stall recovery. He was a little taken aback and told me most don't recover and he uses it as a teaching moment. Back then spin recovery wasn't taught in std flight schools ... FAA reasoning was you had to stall to get into a spin and stall recovery was emphasized. My few hours of aerobatics has stood me well ... but I always did get white knuckles.

Same check-ride, engine out landing setup in south Texas, I knew it was coming after he buzzed the pasture to run the cows off the shell road. He didn’t give me power back until the wheels touched down.

Stinson time in PA. I flew mornings when the weather was good. My " instructor" would ride in the right seat and give the morning traffic reports for the local radio station (Reading, PA). I got to log one take-off and landing free ... luckily my office with the power
company, was in a building just off the end of the runway.

Lots of weird flying adventures. In a C-172, in a long final over the Gulf of Mexico landing at Galveston for an airshow ... tower tells me to come in full-bore onto the 8,000' runway and get off of it ASAP as I have a P-51 behind me doing wide S-turns with everything and the kitchen sink in the slip-stream to slow down to 40 mph above my top speed.