Howdy Everyone,                                            7-6-95

Third in the series.

I've had a few folks ask me when the next update was going out, well I've
finally was able to do it.  The big delay was due to having my PC
vaporized by a lightening strike that came in through the phone line.  The
megga-surge suppressor for the 120V is there but the phone line doesn't go
through it.  I found all sort of parts scattered around the inside of the
case.  So I was force to upgrade!

I would like to be able to rattle off a list of things completed, but so
far nothing is completed!  We get anywhere from 70% to 92% done with a
sub-part only to be stuck because of lack of information, skill or parts. 
All three are curable, but does seem like nothing is really getting done
when all you do is a bunch of 1/2 jobs.

The latest trip to Oshkosh fixed a little of all 3 problems.  We got more
stainless steel pop rivets, and an air driven pop rivet gun.  These rivets
are killers on the hands.  The show stopper for the first wing was getting
the lights.  So we bought $550 worth of Wheelan multi-strike wing tip
strobes and power pack.  Now after I get my harness wired in, we can
finish the top section.  Most of the machine work is done for the wings,
and tail section and we are 1/2 done on the flaps and ailerons.  So far
nothing has been done on the fuselage.

Being a family of Engineers and talking to other builders we have made our
own mods.  The first big mod was adding a third hinge to both the flaps
and ailerons.  The only thing about making a kit plane better is now you
have to do the designing and tooling instead of just following the
drawings and assembling.  Adding the third hinge is prime example.  We
have approximately an extra weeks worth of work doing the extra carbon
fiber lay-up and routering with a harder than diamond abrasive router
bit.  By the way, that is the hot ticket for trimming and machining carbon
composite is by a $150 abrasive bit.  Have not tried it on the Kevlar yet,
but I think it should work there also.

Most of the machine work is done, but now I have a dozen little parts that
I have to TIG weld together.  Been a while sense I last played with the
TIG welder so I've been making stands for a work lamp and next a I will do
a remote stand for the power hacksaw.  Does it make you nervous that a guy
who has never had a welding class is going to build an airplane?  Naw,
this is just like the space shuttle, the parts always come from the lowest
bidder, hmmm now that I think about it, I think I will practice a few more
feet of welding!  I guess that is what the EXPERIMENTAL sticker is for!

PS I drove through a rainbow.  I saw the rainbow ahead 1/2 mile with one
side of it smack dab in the road.  I assumed that optically the rainbow
would move as I got closer to it, but it just stood there.  It took about
100 feet to get totally into and out of it and it was about 700 or 800
feet deep.  On the inside of the rainbow it was like a fog, but with all
sorts of colors and sparkles!  Totally cool!!!  If it wasn't for the
traffic I would have just stopped in the middle of it just to enjoy the
effect.

Jim  and yes it really is 2:00am Tuesday morning, but I can't sleep.

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