Ian's Savannah Project

[Wingless Nut]

Ian, how many build hours to date?

[Ian]

Thanks Capt Biggles, yes used plenty clecos, I was impressed how it all lines up when you take the extra bit of prep time before reaching for the rivet gun...

I watched your build on Avcom with great interest and admiration !

I dont have the bucks for the Dynon etc, the dash certainly looks very impressive... What did the empty weight come out at ?

Hi Wingless Nut, build hours to date are:

Build time = 580
Logistics = 132 (making car ports, benches, finding thingies etc)

Build time is long due to my fussy nature and I have customised the dash and fitted a cubby hole, also used completely new wiring.

Also I'm in no hurry to get airborne as I am very fortunate to have a T-Bird at the mo.

Got my reg the other day, I worked out I was > 75% complete..

I'll post some pics this weekend.

Cheers ian

[Ian]

An update:

I made some PTT holders



I decided to use LEDs instead of incandescent globes, fitted the resistor in the holder, then filled it with silicone..



This is what we had on Friday...



So.. got to work to get the dash fitted..

Here its about to go in..



All done, powered up and all...



The cubby hole ..



Cheers ian

[Captain Biggles]

Ian LED's are a nice way to go the Push in bulb system supplied in the kit are a heap of crap, for ever popping out on landing or a small dimple on the rwy. Just remember the last 10% will constitute the remaining 90 % of the build. The finishing off seemed to take for ever, one more week to go, another week to go, the weeks never seemed to end, always something to finish off. THEN all the niggly things to do after the fisst flight.
These take forever as you just want to fly and will keep putting them off till later.

[Griffin]

looking good Ian. I know you need an AP to sign off but is it necessary to do a CAT scan as well?

[Ian]

looking good Ian. I know you need an AP to sign off but is it necessary to do a CAT scan as well?

he he :D , yep she smells a 'rat' very quickly..

[swiftprop]

:D Hats off to all of you who have had the guts to build kit! Must be very satifying!

[Ian]

:D Hats off to all of you who have had the guts to build kit! !

Hi there, I dont think it was guts, it was insanity

Actually its a whole heap of fun as long as you are not in a hurry.

And Capt Biggles - so true, just as you think you are around the last corner ... the 'to do' list grows..

Spent the weekend dressing all the wiring, if it moved it got a cable tie... Thank goodness someone invented cable ties :D

Also drilled the Dzuz fastner holes on the cowling (was sorely tempted to do as Boet sugested with rivnuts though)



Cheers

[Tailspin]

Hi Ian

She is looking really great, need to make an appointment and some and see.

No Worries about the meeting.

[FAWGie]

Ian, it's looking great...Nice panel job

[Ian]

Ian, it's looking great...Nice panel job

Thanks Steve, tried to keep it simple, pity I had already bought the Icom by the time I saw the Garmin Sl40, although at less than half the price I am happy to press a button to hear the 2nd channel. The reception is fantastic in my garage. The PS Engineering intercom is wonderful, the right amount and slope of attenuation between talking, reception and iPod is just right !

An update:

What I find amazing is you spend an huge fortune on a Rotax 912S and they dont even think its necessary to supply you with the choke cable fixing nipples
So I used the brass pins of a 15A plug to make cable 2 anchors (nipples ?). I made 4, 2 for Waldo in PTA who is also building a Savannah and will have the same challenge..



Fitted the choke cable, bent the wire from the choke lever in the 'mixer' but at first pull the whole cable come out....
So had to make a 'proper' anchor for the cable in the mixer (brass from a 15 plug turns very nicely, this time the earth pin !, so for all you quantity surveyers, 1 * 15 A plug can make 4 choke anchors and 1 choke mixer cable puller )



Above shows the turned part before it seats into the nylon part.

My friend Magda donated her Kia Tuscon luggage holding net to hold loose thingies in the cargo bay at the back of the cabin, works very nice !



I had the pleasure of hosting some good friends this afternoon to 'inspect' the build, which is almost ready to take outside to fit flying surfaces etc.

Below shows Trevor Davies, and some Crosswinds gangsters including Dup and Tailspin...



Here we have Andrew (Sonex 711) with John (not only a great assistant but a wizard with thin fixing pieces of 6061 which get stood on by you guess who... :D )



Here the builder is explaining newtons 4th law (?) to 2 highly respected fellow aviators Tony and Rob ..



Last pic of the finished panel, complete with all CAA required warnings et al..



Cheers ian

[Tailspin]

Ian

The Build to date looks fantastic. the attention to detail is really wow I am definately going to have to redo my wiring to get anywhere near your neat installation.

Thanks LOOKING GOOD

[Ian]

Easter weekends are great for building....

Got the cowling back from the painters, not too shabby, now gotta get some more Dzuz fastners.



Made the Pilot side seat inspection cover outta Lexan, one can then quickly check the state of the non standard filter (installed to be before the fuel flow sensor)



Then the 'great escape' of the fuselage from the garage (about *&%$# time too)



Fitted the horizontal stab and elevator first..



Finished the weekend after dark with all tail feathers installed, with aerie weather proofed till I get some more build time...



Will post some detailed pics of the tail next time..

Cheers ian

[Ian]

Here's the tail feathers almost complete.



Here you can see the motorised trim , it even sounds like the servos on big tin !



What is nice is all hinges in the control levers and surfaces etc have a brass bush in between the metal and the bolt.



So you end up with no play but light movement..

I didnt want to 'force' any bushes in, so I made this bush 'horn'.



The OD of the RH tip is exactly the same as the hole. The LH side is the inside dia of the bush..



Then you slide the 'horn' in between the pieces and the bush goes in like magic.

Below is the hinge point of the rudder complete with a 2mm stainless split pin (a bit of grease mess too)..



Later

ian

[RudiGreyling]

Looking Good Ian.