Previous: More Final Stuff

6/1-7/15/14 - Gear Fairings

Apparently a year has gone by with me not updating the website. I don't know how this happened, but I have a lot of updating to do, so let's get started.

Before we get back to fairings, let me make a quick mention of the parking brake. It leaked. A lot. Also, they stopped making this version so I couldn't just go buy a replacement. Instead, I figured out that Matco sells parts to rebuild it. So that's what I did and now it doesn't leak.

I still sort of wish I hadn't installed this thing. If it leaks again I may just replace it with two elbow connectors.

Back to the gear fairings. Here are a bunch of pictures of the process. I will comment here and there.

As you may recall from previous posts, this is how I raise the airplane.

I bought these years ago whenever there was a group buy on the Matronics list. They are machined aluminum spacers that look a lot better than the stock solution. Anyway, nowadays there are lots of options for replacing the spacer, but I like these.

That's all I got done before heading to Oshkosh '14.

8/1-9/18/14 - More Gear Fairings

I took a lot of pictures of nosewheel fairings at AirVenture this year. So I had a much better idea of how I wanted mine to turn out.

Here is a solution to a problem I've been having in the cockpit. The stick has interference problems with the instrument panel. So after talking with some folks at AirVenture this year, I decided to install a rudder stop.

Basically it limits the rudder travel just enough to keep the stick from hitting the panel.

So there you have it. Gear all dressed up in pants.

Next: inspection and first flight