Justin's Raven

[Oupa-G]

Justin my cruiser is still a youngster

Cheers Oupa-G

[justin.schoeman]

Justin my cruiser is still a youngster

Cheers Oupa-G

Another 100,000km, and yours will be broken in!

[Boet]

Neeee wat manne, My Parow Prado beats the hell out of you guys LC`s. It`s done well over 500,000 , and still no end in sight! Justin, when is she going to be flying? It seems you are really going places with this aerie now??

[justin.schoeman]

Justin, when is she going to be flying? It seems you are really going places with this aerie now??

I have always said (since January last year) that it will be ready in 3 months.

This time I mean it though . Barring any disasters, it should be ready to fly in 2 months .

[justin.schoeman]

Trial fit of the first bits of upholstery...

[Maybe]

Hi Justin,

How is the progress.....when is your bird flying?

Give up some pics

[justin.schoeman]

At the moment I am discovering the aircraft version of the ancient chinese torture 'death by a thousand cuts'.

Not just the physical cuts from working deep in the guts of the central tunnel, and tailcone, but mentally too. There is so little left to do, but there seem to be a thousand small tasks. Each takes from a few minutes, to a few hours to complete, but when you are done, you seem no closer to finishing!

The internal upholstery and trimmings are just about done, the electric trim is getting there, the wiring is just barely started, finally (i hope) sorted out the brake handle on the stick.

Slow (and not very steady) progress, but I really hope to be airborne within 2 months now.

[justin.schoeman]

PS - How is the Jab 2200 treating you?

[Maybe]

JAB2200 motor is treating us perfectly.

2 things that bothers:

1.) BING carb. for some reason we can't get this carb/engine to be responsive through complete trotlle settings 10%-WOT. Also the altitude compensation don't seem to work all the time. Sometimes I struggle at 8000ft, and running well on the ground....and sometimes its perfect at 8000ft and not so good inbetween.
I've read up about the aerocarb/aeroinjector on the Sonex website. http://www.sonexaircraft.com/eshop/cart ... t_id=16443 or http://www.aeroconversions.com/products/aerocarb/
Its been used with Jab2200 and Jab3300 VERY succesfully accross the globe. Although the Jab factory said if I fit that, the warrantee is void. So don't know what to do...maybe fly it to Springs and let the Jab experts have a look.

2.) Jab Propellor. We can do better on the prop...especially on the climb. Thus we are busy looking at getting a P-Prop to test the difference.

The rest is GREAT....its a great motor! Unfortunately everything costs money...good money...so will have to see what gets done first. In the mean time whe are enjoying to fly her.

Can't wait for you to finish and to get all the Raven's together for a RAVEN tour somewhere!!
Good luck on the finishes.....we had only about 10-15% to do....and even that felt like for ever!!

[Rudix]

My ship has finally come in!

...


OK - I wish that meant that I just received a shed load of money, but unfortunately it doesn't. What it does mean in that the Aerovee parts I had containered from the states are finally here. Or close to here, at least - they should be unloaded at FAKD today. Still trying to make arrangements to pick them up though.

I need to finish with my aluminium work ASAP now, so that I can get the workshop spotless to begin the engine work.

One of these days I will be airborne!

Great news Justin!

I am looking forward to seeing/hearing that Aerovee run, I have only read good things about them!

Who knows, I might find an airframe somewhere to fit one, I like the idea of building my own engine.

Regards,
Rudi

Hi Justin!

How's the Aerovee coming along? Does it use a normal VW engine mount?

I finally found an "Aerovee ready" airframe, looking at bringing an Aerovee kit in.....

Regards,
Rudi

[justin.schoeman]

It _can_ use a standard VW mount, although 2 things count against that:

1) it uses the same bolts as the accesory case mount, so you need to assemble engine, acc case and mount as one.
2) the aerovee is about 10lbs lighter than other VW engines, and you actually want it a couple of cm further forward.

The starter is at 9 o'clock (no way to change that), so you also need a mount that was expecting a stock (diehl) 9'oclock starter. It can't be hand propped, so leaving the starter off is not an option. (If you are desparate, and I have the time, I can build you a replacement ignition controller for the secondary that will allow you to hand prop it.)

I should be assembling Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Feel free to drop in if you are bored (Waverley, Pretoria).

[Rudix]

It _can_ use a standard VW mount, although 2 things count against that:

1) it uses the same bolts as the accesory case mount, so you need to assemble engine, acc case and mount as one.
2) the aerovee is about 10lbs lighter than other VW engines, and you actually want it a couple of cm further forward.

The starter is at 9 o'clock (no way to change that), so you also need a mount that was expecting a stock (diehl) 9'oclock starter. It can't be hand propped, so leaving the starter off is not an option. (If you are desparate, and I have the time, I can build you a replacement ignition controller for the secondary that will allow you to hand prop it.)

I should be assembling Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Feel free to drop in if you are bored (Waverley, Pretoria).

Thanks for the info!

Sounds like it would be better to have a custom mount made. Will see if I can move the engine forward but would prefer not to modify the completed cowl. If needed I could move the battery forward and maybe install a larger one. Hand propping does not sound like a good option so retaining the starter is a must! Thanks for the offer on the ignition controller

Thanks, will see if I can make a plan, will give you a call if I can make it.

I had a look at the engine on the Aerovee page again and I must say it looks great, a real work of art and from what I read it sounds like the owners are happy. Building it myself is a real plus as well.

[justin.schoeman]

Finally... Spent the last two weeks building 3 different iterations of the throttle linkages. Each useless in its own little way. Finally got something workable - and it even fits when the fuel tank is in - there really is not much space up front!

Anyway, with the last of the metal work out of the way, I spent about two days cleaning the workshop - getting rid of every trace of metal shavings/dust from all the metal work - and this evening I finally started putting the engine together.

First step is the dry assembly - to plastiguage all the journal clearances. Crank and cam clearances are spot on - near the top of the VW 'new engine' spec. Cam end float is too tight though, so I will need to sand down the flanges a little (these are 'double thrust' cam bearings - not the stock VW bearings. Only measured one big-end so far, and it was quite tight, but still within the 'new engine' spec. Took 3 times to get it right. It is insanely difficult not to move the rod while torquing/loosening those nuts.

Will finish the other rods tomorrow, and then see how far I get with the final assembly (won't be _that_ far though, as I bought the wrong case nuts).

Plastiguaging the journals:

[Tailspin]

Looking Excellent

Keep plodding away you will get there

[Oupa-G]

Justin,

From my experience assembling an engine, you assemble it bone dry and then the engine must be able to turn by hand I'm talking about the bottom end you actually torque up the whole bottom end . Then if it feels stiff you can take it apart and you can see whatever rubs or is tight. Some times a hard soft-hammer and a tap on the big-end cup helps to free a conrod they must be able to fall freely under their own weight.
The final assembly again is dry and when all is free you put in oil in the feeding channel from oil pump and with oil and compressed air you blow till oil comes out of every journal and then the bottom is finished oiled and ready to accept the cylinders. It is of course necessary the measure everything I have seen the wrong bearing caps come out of a sealed package. In my student years I used to rebuild a motor every 14 days to help pay for studies and to fly. That was 45 years ago.

You can give me a call if you like to. Is it a type 4 ?


Cheers Oupa-G