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/96284
S t e w a r t H e a d w in d cockpit including the rear wing fittings and seat position. Spend a little time studying the drawings, and most people can build the jig and start cutting tubing the first weekend. Progress is very quick. If someone is afraid of welding, they can always have Bill weld up a fuselage for them, which I think they can do and still stay within the 51-percent requirement. However, the nature of the structure is such that only a few welds are critical, and those have enough weld length involved that they have a large safety margin included." The landing gear is another area where low cost and simplicity is involved. "I made the gear sort of an outrigger arrangement so the shock struts would be super simple to build and gear alignment would be easy," he said. "The shock absorption system is a stack of wafers that are cut from a sheet of one-inch, 50 durometer rubber sheet with a hole saw—it cuts easier and cleaner if you freeze it first—or a stack of Chevy motor mounts. The part number is in the plans." Don built the prototype to be light and simple, which included no brakes on the former 800 x 4 Cub wheels, but few builders have gone that route. Te fuselage structure features a triangular cross section with the top longeron running from the main wing fttings to the rudder post. Te motor mount is integral to the fuselage. 18 NO. 4/ DECEMBE R 2012 "Builders have used every size of wheel and brake available with 600 x 6 being the most popular," he said.