Today was the Day! NIXIE FLEW!

After four years of blood, sweat, tears, and bags of cash (that I didn't have),... the project took flight!

 Getting her put together

Robert getting a test fit before we roll her out to the line.

Sharing a stick of Beemans gum before the test flight!

Rolling Robert out to the center line before hookup.

Hooked up and ready to roll!

Nixie is off!

She really does fly!!

Back on the ground, safe and sound!

The Team that made it possible!

 Nixie was christened with Champagne.

My flight is next week.... I will be saying the "Shepard's" prayer ... Alan Shepard that is ;-)

 

 

I can't seem to keep anything nice for more than 30 minutes

We are two weeks past the deadline I was hoping we would have met for first flight, but one thing after another has hampered the finishing progress.

We finally got the glider together and started the weights and balances.

 

Fully loaded, we are within limits  but we need to reweigh it with me in it. The tail seems too heavy and the flight CG is still a couple of inches to far aft of the safe limit datum. Then comes the fun. When we worked on the adjusting the travel. there was a bit of confusion on the setting of the travel on the ailerons. but after three hours of deliberation, we got it set.

Next, we started to take the wings off, but forgot we were not on the dolly, and after starting
the removal of the left wing, the fuselage started to slip out from under me, which I caught before falling over and hitting the horizontal. But not after the wing chipped the paint on the top of the fairing. Joseph got pissed on that one.. but he really threw in the towel after the FUBAR with the horizontal.

So after that drama, we tried to adjust the travel of the elevator, only to find that the elevator bracket was hanging up on the back of the notch in the tail.

The movement was hindered to stop up at about 10 degrees. We discovered that my aircraft has been flying with reduced elevator control since 1976. The elevator travel on a 201B is 18 degrees +/-1 degree in both directions (up/down) The travel down was 18'ish, up motion stopped at about 10 degrees. The problem is that the back of the vertical wall on the horizontal insert did not allow the travel.

After looking at photos of the original control horn, looked thinner at the riveted sleeve in the center. It looks like my original control horn was sent to Streifeneder to have the welded supports added, and

Streifeneder sent them a new one which was designed bulkier for the newer Libelles manufactured after 1975.

Now after scrapping the inside of the horizontal stabilizer shelf, and building up the inside.. now it works. And more paint patchup. I now have to keep sharp objects away from Joseph

This weekend, we will button up the control bolts, and get another set of weights and balances with me in it... I hope this weekend goes better than the last.

 

 

 

Count Down to First Flight!

The count down has begun!

Over this past weekend, Robert became current in the Libelle 201B after flying the clubs glider.

Joseph showed up on Saturday to put the mylar on the control surfaces, while I continued working on the trim out of the cockpit.

Sunday, I finished the cockpit! All the padding is in and the plastic is off!

The electronics are working!

All that is left to do is the final weights and balance, and the verification of the travel on the control surfaces, which I was told will be done on Tuesday!

The transponder needs to be certified, and the compass needs a correction card, but all is looking good (weather permitting) for a test flight next Saturday!

Cameras are charging and the Champagne is chilling!

So, here she is before, ...4 years ago!

 And here she is now!!

A Brighter Image!

Today, I was able to get the Antenna/balun connected to the radio COAX, and tested it!. The speaker is now wired up and I secured any loose wiring.

I finished connecting the aileron linkage and airbrake controls. The airframe is now ready to be assembled for testing of the control surfaces. Robert told me today that he will have the W/B on the control surfaces finished this week.

I set the main gear doors and have the bungees in place, tested the gear retracts and all looks good.

Finally, I peeled away the plexi protective coating,

... and inspected the canopy.

There are a few scratched inside, near the aft area near the frame, but it is light, and can be polished out.














So, this week, I believe all that is left is up to Robert now. The control surfaces still need to have their weights and moments calculated. After that is done,  I can finish sealing the wings, rudder and elevators. Drop in the seat pan, seatback, and get the final W/B on the bird! All of this can be done on Saturday!

We are just about ready for that first test flight!

The Devil is in the Details

Over the past week poor Joseph was polishing and touching up the paint on the winglets and the cockpit. I told him to stay home this weekend and to not worry about the glider.

When I came in on Saturday, the glider was waiting for me in the booth, ready for me to start trimming out the details.

The first thing I noticed was the painted registration and tail letters were blended smoothly into the white paint.

My first task was to add the Libelle logo to the tail, which I had vinyl transfers made at Fastsigns.

The transfers were better than the decals I bought. They too looked like they were painted on.

My next tasks was to rivet the serial number plate back on, and grind down the screw ends in the hat shelf cover.

A happy milestone since the plate was removed four years ago!

I then added the speaker, and GRP straps to the inside to secure the speaker wires.

I adjusted the release cable under Roberts guidance, secured the turnbuckle with safetly wire, swedged the T-handles for the Release and Pedal adjustment.

I also spent most of the day cleaning the bearings and removing the years of dust and grime that have been collecting on them.

The water ballast dump system controls were added ....

... and tested.

As I was walking out of the booth this evening, this is what I see!

Sunday, I will be finishing getting the antenna reconnected and tested, and continue the clean out of dust and grime build up.

 

Getting Closer and Closer!!!!

Last week, Joseph and I spent nine days working to finish painting the glider and put a dent in polishing it out!.
 
Saturday both wings were brought back into the shop.

They were cleaned and then sanded down with 400 grit to get them prepped for painting.

 
Saturday and Sunday we painted the wings.

 

Monday it was snowing and too cold to paint, so we started polishing out the top of the right wing, and prepped the area of the bottom to get it ready to paint the competition letters. Also, the horizontal, rudder, and ailerons were painted

We also brought in the fuselage, and prep sanded the primer for painting on Tuesday

Tuesday morning, the fuselage was moved into the booth, and was painted.

We had another set back when I found out that the blue accents were not in compliance with the type certification of the Libelle, and the blue paint that was on one of the winglets had to be removed. We had to repaint the rudder due to some moisture contamination in a couple of areas.

Wednesday, yet another set back, Robert wanted us to move the wings back into the trailer to make room for a cleanup and repair on another glider.

We were able to bring in the right wing to get the bottom prepped for the competition letters. Later in the day, we moved the fuselage back into the booth and we masked the registration numbers and the competition letters.

By late afternoon, the blue paint was applied.

Thursday and Friday were pretty much the same as Wednesday. There were a couple of setbacks with painting and cleanup. The wing spar stubs needed to be painted, and the horizontal need another coat.

Saturday and Sunday, we did nothing but remove the masks and fine sanded the wings and fuselage for the final polishing

Joseph did the final polishing on the wings! They are like mirrors!

Although it was no milestone event, the wingtip wheels were finished and painted too!













All that was left after nine days of work is the fuselage, horizontal and rudder need to be polished.

If all goes well, the glider will be ready for me to finish the interal linkage inspection with Robert and perform the final trim out of the cockpit this next weekend. Then assembly, W&M,W&B, and then out to test fly!

The week to finish the painting

This is the WEEK!... We are finally able to paint!!!!. OMG after 4 years the glider is white again!

Photos to follow!

I will update this post at the end of the week, I took this week off from work to get this plane done.

As it goes, we just finished painting the wings. They are awesome! All that is left to paint is the fuselage, canopy, ailerons, and rudder!.


Mid-week update

I was told that the blue markings that were originally planned, cannot be used due to the fact that they are a violation of the Type Certification of the glider. There was even a question on whether or not I could use the blue on the registration and competition letters.