Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.
Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/254584
EAA Experimenter 35 upgrades that were relevant to our project. We purchased those wing upgrade items at the factory and hauled them back to our project hangar at KCLW. We are fortunate in having a lot of interested EAA Chap- ter 282 members who have pitched in to restore the project hangar, disassemble the wings, clean and corrosion-proof parts, and help with essentially anything else we need. I see this can-do attitude by our members as typical of the Chap- ter 282 culture. As a team, we are trying to strike a balance between doing those upgrades that will enhance integrity of the aircraft and not going overboard on bells and whistles. It's going to be a functional, reliable, fun airplane, but it probably won't win best of show. There are lots of individual decisions to be made as the restoration progresses, but we will make those decisions as we approach each item. While the rest of our team focuses on the restoration of the wings, I have the lead on dealing with all electrical/wiring/avi- onics work. I've started on restoring the nav/strobe/wing wiring. Other big tasks or decisions facing us include: • Aluminum corrosion protection. We realize that extensive corrosion protection will add weight, but this aircraft is going to live in a Florida coastal environment where, for six months of the year, it will be subject to 90-plus-degree tem- peratures and 90-plus-percent relative humidity. • Instrument panel. We will rearrange the panel layout to allow an iPad mini in the center of the panel for GPS/moving map display. • Main landing gear retraction. Will we convert it from manual to electric? • Bow cover. Should we convert it to "quick access" for easier ser- vicing of the electrical system and instrument/avionics panel? • Engine. We have not yet test-run (or opened) the engine, so we are not sure of the extent of work required to return it to service. • New prop. The old prop is too worn/damaged to return it to service. Newer props are also lighter and more ef cient. • Panel-mount avionics. Are our old Terra radios reliable enough to use, or will we be chasing nuisance problems? • Tail boom. Full inspection: repair/replace? With lots of help from our fellow Chapter 282 members, we might be able to have Hull Number 1 ready for test flights (and sea trials) by January 2015. Once operational, we will probably have to start purchasing WD-40 in 5-gallon drums! You can follow our progress by reading a monthly installment in the EAA Chapter 282 Newsletter at www.EAA282.org . Why an amphibian? We live in Florida with 30,000 lakes and surrounded by 1,350 miles of coastline on the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, so why not an amphibian? (L-R) Bob Gibson, Jim Porter, and Cindy Hardeman have joined forces to restore SeaRey Hull No. 1. E A A E X P _ F e b 1 4 . i n d d 3 5 EAAEXP_Feb14.indd 35 2 / 3 / 1 4 3 : 1 8 P M 2/3/14 3:18 PM