---------------------------------------------------------- Lightning-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Mon 02/04/08: 14 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 06:17 AM - Re: Gear legs (nick otterback) 2. 06:18 AM - Re: The Lightning Builder's Manual (N1BZRich@aol.com) 3. 09:20 AM - Gear legs - flipside (jeynon) 4. 09:35 AM - Round the world trip (EAFerguson@aol.com) 5. 10:09 AM - Building update for kit #49 in Tucson (Sales Email Account) 6. 10:47 AM - Re: Gear legs - flipside (Robert Ames) 7. 10:49 AM - Re: Gear legs - flipside (sttwig@wabroadband.com) 8. 10:55 AM - Re: Gear legs - flipside (jeynon) 9. 11:06 AM - Re: Round the world trip (Charles Dewey) 10. 11:23 AM - Re: Building update for kit #49 in Tucson (nick otterback) 11. 11:55 AM - Re: Round the world trip (Jim Langley) 12. 04:19 PM - Re: Round the world trip (Brian Whittingham) 13. 05:29 PM - Re: Gear legs (Colin J. Kennedy) 14. 07:40 PM - Re: Building update for kit #49 in Tucson (N1BZRich@aol.com) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 06:17:06 AM PST US From: nick otterback Subject: RE: Lightning-List: Gear legs Steve, I will call teh weld shop this morning...this is not the intended fit of these parts, and has not been for the first 40 kits or so... Nick Steven Sundquist wrote: v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} I spent a lot of time sanding both the spar box tubes and the gear legs to get them to fit and that was before the spar box was fit in the fuselage. They are a tight fit. I think that all the welding around the bottom end of the tube in the spar box distorts it a bit. If I was going to do it again, I would take the legs to a machine shop and have them put them into a lathe and remove enough to make them fit. The bottom ends are the same situation. If they are to bottom out in the wheel and brake weldment, a significant amount needs to be removed there, too. Steve Kit # 48 --------------------------------- From: owner-lightning-list-server@matronics.com [mailto:owner-lightning-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of nick otterback Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2008 5:46 PM Subject: Re: Lightning-List: Gear legs John, Normally we do not have this much trouble with the legs...make sure the the hole in the bottom of the fuselage is at the correct angle to allow 1/8" gap around the leg ...they will bind and go in crooked if they touch just a bit...otherwise sanding is ok but take your time and do not go to the grinder... nick jeynon wrote: Is there some trick to inserting the gear legs into the spar box. I've sanded the paint out of the tube, and loosened the nuts holding the spar box to the fuselage. I've also done some sanding on the gear leg. I can get it about halfway in with some difficulty, and back out with more difficulty. I assume the answer is keep sanding the gear leg until it http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Lightning-List http://forums.matronics.com http://www.matronics.com/contribution --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 06:18:09 AM PST US From: N1BZRich@aol.com Subject: Re: Lightning-List: The Lightning Builder's Manual Hi Bill, This may not be a timely response to your message, as others have already answered, but I have been out of touch for a few days working on another project in NC. However, reading your message about the Lightning builder's manual, I have to ask which other kit aircraft have you built or which other kit builder's manuals you see as being better than the Lightning? Looking back on my 34 years of being involved in EAA, having built three airplanes, and having visited numerous different aircraft projects as an EAA Technical Counselor, I have only seen one that I would consider better, and that airplane is not available now. That one was the Christen Eagle (aerobatic bi-plane) which you may or may not remember. It certainly was not a quick build airplane, but the marketing, packaging, and all other builder information materials were outstanding. My opinion (and that may be worth exactly what you paid for it) is that for quick build kits, the Lightning's build manual is the best out there at the moment. Sure, there is always room for making the Lightning build manual better and Arion's goal of constantly updating it by using feedback provided by builders is the best way to accomplish that. I am sure they will appreciate any suggestions to make the manual more current and user friendly. As to wasting a weekend because no one could take your call because of an engine seminar, I would think there would have been lots of other parts of the airplane that you could have worked on -that is unless everything else was completed. To really build a quick built kit "quickly" the key is time management. Develop a plan that efficiently uses your time whenever you are "in the shop" just like you have a plan every time you launch on a test flight. Good luck in your efforts to get your Lightning up and flying. Everyone on the list is pulling for you and would enjoy regular updates on your progress. Your experiences building and flying your Lightning will likely result in more readers of this list deciding to build. And that goes for all other current Lightning builders and those that are already flying your Lightning. Give the list an update ever so often as to how things are going. Earl, when is your "round the world" flight? Blue Skies, Buz **************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp003000000025 48) ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 09:20:03 AM PST US Subject: Lightning-List: Gear legs - flipside From: "jeynon" First off, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone participating on this forum. You are an invaluable resource to the lone builder (cue: coyote howling in distance). With a satisfied sigh of relief, my gear legs have slipped into their respective tubes. I'm now at the - fit gear legs into axle weldments until they bottom out - step. Here the difficulty seems to be that the taper on the gear leg begins about 1/2" before the leg bottoms. I don't think sanding is going to fix this one. So now my question is: Machine shop?, Don't worry about bottoming?, Some other insightful solution I haven't thought of? Thanks again. John Eynon Lightning #53 Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=162337#162337 ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 09:35:50 AM PST US From: EAFerguson@aol.com Subject: Lightning-List: Round the world trip Buz stuck in a one line comment to me at the very end of his last posting on the build manual. I almost missed it, and some others probably did too. He ask about a possible round-the-world flight. As it happens, I was looking at a recent round the world done in a Europa, so I had looked at the possibility. The challenges are daunting. Check out the Europa trip on www.Thomas.Schrerer.com Alas, the 600+ NM overwater legs from Newfoundland or Labrador across the G-I-UK gap will be difficult with my 450 NM range (w/o reserve). I would need roughly a consistent 50K tailwind. Also, as Buz knows, VFR overwater at night is an ICAO no-no which adds another minor problem. Incidentally, I didn't know that there are (were) no private aircraft in Mongolia. I think I'll pass for now. Earl Ferguson N17EF World Record Holder ************** Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp00300000002548) ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 10:09:00 AM PST US From: Sales Email Account Subject: Lightning-List: Building update for kit #49 in Tucson Hi Buz, Thanks for your input. The last kit manual I worked with was that of the Kitfox model 7 and it was a quick build version also. The manual was quite explicit. Time management is very important in the build process and there are always things you can do if you are stymied with something else. I have worked in quite a number of areas and I will list them for you here and the problems I had to resolve. Fuselage: sanded and join seams filled, windows holes cut out and gel coat removed for window bonding with the new formed windows (very nice). No updated manual info on installing these new windows. Will hold off installing these until very close to painting as they are very easily scratched or marred. Created and Installed the brackets for the mid elevator bell crank and recommend that the aluminum elevator trim hook be formed and installed at this time so you won't need to remove it later in the build process where it is currently called for in the build manual. Wings: installed wing tip vents, called about which way the 45 degree bevel should face regarding the relative wind. Glued and floxed them in and then read that the guidance provided by my dealer was incorrect and had to redo them. My dealer tries very hard to be helpful but, this time he didn't get it right. Have installed the gas caps and the fuel sending units. The sending units where the first installed in the field with the new larger tanks and they have a baffle that isn't placed consistently within the tank and the hole that they must pass through in the baffle was not placed at the same point in each tank. So I spent lots of hours carefully bending the probes to get them installed properly. They are in now and when current is applied appear to work OK. Rudder install: Put the bearings in the rudder brackets and installed them in the vertical stab. This was a very time consuming process with a great deal of trial and error. You are working in a very limited access area and it is extremely difficult to mark the position of the holes for drilling in the stab spar. However, the rudder is installed and centered perfectly in the vertical spar and swings back and forth like greased lightning (pun intended). However, the bolt and castle nut combination is problematic for the lower hinge bolt install as one size bolt is too short and the other too long so this will need to be worked out in the final install. Swidged fittings on the rudder cables are stressed were the cable meets the fitting during side to side rudder movement. This is because there is no moveable bearing at the rudder cable attach point. I have not been able to find a suitable bearing to mitigate this issue. Spar Box Install: This was accomplished after seemingly countless wings on wings off efforts. The incidence on the wings are within a tenth of a degree (digital level) and the wings match up well with the fuselage wing fillets except on the center upper edge of the right wing were the wing had to be built up with bondo. I have elected to drill and tap each of the incidence washers with 4 6-32 stainless machine screws as I did not like the stainless steel pop rivets for securing them at the wing attach point. We had one builder in Tucson who had a problem with this mounting method because the rivets pulled out and the washer could not be tightened or unscrewed. He had to cut a hole in the wing so he could grab the washer. Right wing is .25 inches longer than the left wing but Arion says this is OK. Gear legs needed to be sanded after removing and sanding inside of spar box mounting tubes. They are still a very tight fit. They require future work to get them right. Stab install: brackets installed and stab installed into them and bolted securely. Bolts installed from inside the stab. Left stab is .25 inches longer than the right stab. Stab is installed 90 degrees to the vertical fin and dead level with the wings. Stab incidence is equal on both sides and lies at .4 degrees positive. No incidence setting enumerated in the build manual. Stab in prepped for bonding to the fuselage. Stab incidence bolts come in contact with seat belt cables as they lie in the same plain with each other. However, I don't believe this to be an issue. Rudder pedal and master cylinder install: Completed. Rudder cable bracket holes had to be moved as the rudder cables rubbed across each other or the bottom of the spar box after they were initially installed. Would recommend that these holes be drilled after you determine the clearance issues related to the spar and nylon guides for the rudder pedals are determined. This is a two person process. One person puts tension on the cables after they pass through the guides while the other marks the hole in the firewall flange at its required spacing from the center of the fuselage carefully noting where they need to be placed so that they don't touch the spar or each other. Elevator and push rod install: Hinges on stab and aligned after cutting and drilling them. Elevator hinges attached to elevators. Holes go through fiberglass and then a metal backer inside the elevator. Have fabricated the elevator push/pull tube and installed same to mid elevator bell crank. Have installed the elevator bell crank twice and its still not right. Either the rudder rubs on the cross tube part of the bell crank or the bell crank elevator horn rubs on the rudder. I did not recognize that the rudder is designed to rub up against the sides of the vertical fin and that they form the physical stop to limit rudder travel. This is not the case with the elevator pitch control module which has physical stops installed. Seems like there should be a better way to do this to prevent paint marring but, the rudder probably won't go there during typical operation anyway. The build manual does not address his fact. What next? Fix the elevator bell crank install and begin working on the canopy (I have the new one and that, according to Arion, should be completed before the firewall install). Section 41 calls for forming 4 mounting brackets according to the drawing at the end of this section in the builder's manual. There is no drawing. I asked, via Email on the 29th of January, for a drawing but have not heard back from them as yet. I don't have the parts for the new canopy frame (pins and latch) but have requested them. That's where I stand right now in the build process.............Bill in Tucson with kit #49. N1BZRich@aol.com wrote: > Hi Bill, > This may not be a timely response to your message, as others have > already answered, but I have been out of touch for a few days working > on another project in NC. However, reading your message about the > Lightning builder's manual, I have to ask which other kit > aircraft have you built or which other kit builder's manuals you see > as being better than the Lightning? Looking back on my 34 years of > being involved in EAA, having built three airplanes, and having > visited numerous different aircraft projects as an EAA Technical > Counselor, I have only seen one that I would consider better, and that > airplane is not available now. That one was the Christen Eagle > (aerobatic bi-plane) which you may or may not remember. It certainly > was not a quick build airplane, but the marketing, packaging, and all > other builder information materials were outstanding. > My opinion (and that may be worth exactly what you paid for it) is > that for quick build kits, the Lightning's build manual is the best > out there at the moment. Sure, there is always room for making the > Lightning build manual better and Arion's goal of constantly updating > it by using feedback provided by builders is the best way to > accomplish that. I am sure they will appreciate any suggestions to > make the manual more current and user friendly. As to wasting a > weekend because no one could take your call because of an engine > seminar, I would think there would have been lots of other parts of > the airplane that you could have worked on -that is unless everything > else was completed. To really build a quick built kit "quickly" the > key is time management. Develop a plan that efficiently uses your > time whenever you are "in the shop" just like you have a plan every > time you launch on a test flight. > Good luck in your efforts to get your Lightning up and flying. > Everyone on the list is pulling for you and would enjoy regular > updates on your progress. Your experiences building and flying your > Lightning will likely result in more readers of this list deciding to > build. And that goes for all other current Lightning builders and > those that are already flying your Lightning. Give the list an update > ever so often as to how things are going. Earl, when is your "round > the world" flight? > Blue Skies, > Buz > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL > Music. > > > ________________________________ Message 6 _____________________________________ Time: 10:47:44 AM PST US From: "Robert Ames" Subject: Re: Lightning-List: Gear legs - flipside This is from experience, first step, make sure that there is no ring of paint around the inside start of the taper socket of the axel weldment. BA ----- Original Message ----- From: "jeynon" Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 11:17 AM Subject: Lightning-List: Gear legs - flipside > > First off, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone > participating on this forum. You are an invaluable resource to the lone > builder (cue: coyote howling in distance). > > With a satisfied sigh of relief, my gear legs have slipped into their > respective tubes. I'm now at the - fit gear legs into axle weldments until > they bottom out - step. Here the difficulty seems to be that the taper on > the gear leg begins about 1/2" before the leg bottoms. I don't think > sanding is going to fix this one. > > So now my question is: Machine shop?, Don't worry about bottoming?, Some > other insightful solution I haven't thought of? > > Thanks again. > > John Eynon > Lightning #53 > > > Read this topic online here: > > http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=162337#162337 > > > ________________________________ Message 7 _____________________________________ Time: 10:49:34 AM PST US Subject: Re: Lightning-List: Gear legs - flipside From: sttwig@wabroadband.com John, I have the same observation with the bottom of the gear legs. I thought there was two ways to interpret the "bottom out" statement. One is to make sure they actually hit the bottom of the weldment socket and the other is to just make sure they were in as far as they would go. Right or wrong I chose to go the latter after spending considerable time sanding and not making any head way. The same was true for the bottom end of the nose gear. Steve Kit #48 > > First off, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone > participating on this forum. You are an invaluable resource to the lone > builder (cue: coyote howling in distance). > > With a satisfied sigh of relief, my gear legs have slipped into their > respective tubes. I'm now at the - fit gear legs into axle weldments until > they bottom out - step. Here the difficulty seems to be that the taper on > the gear leg begins about 1/2" before the leg bottoms. I don't think > sanding is going to fix this one. > > So now my question is: Machine shop?, Don't worry about bottoming?, Some > other insightful solution I haven't thought of? > > Thanks again. > > John Eynon > Lightning #53 > > > Read this topic online here: > > http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=162337#162337 > > ________________________________ Message 8 _____________________________________ Time: 10:55:18 AM PST US Subject: Lightning-List: Re: Gear legs - flipside From: "jeynon" Just wanted to correct my last post. The bottom of the gear legs are not as far off as I thought. With a good night's sleep and fresh sanding muscles, the wheel side of the gear legs are sand-able. I've sanded. They're sanded. They've bottomed. I'm good. My baby's going to walk. John Eynon Lightning #53 Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=162359#162359 ________________________________ Message 9 _____________________________________ Time: 11:06:12 AM PST US From: Charles Dewey Subject: Re: Lightning-List: Round the world trip Earl- The link is not wroking. Cd --- EAFerguson@aol.com wrote: > Buz stuck in a one line comment to me at the very > end of his last posting on > the build manual. I almost missed it, and some > others probably did too. He ask > about a possible round-the-world flight. > > As it happens, I was looking at a recent round the > world done in a Europa, so > I had looked at the possibility. The challenges are > daunting. Check out the > Europa trip on www.Thomas.Schrerer.com > > Alas, the 600+ NM overwater legs from Newfoundland > or Labrador across the > G-I-UK gap will be difficult with my 450 NM range > (w/o reserve). I would need > roughly a consistent 50K tailwind. Also, as Buz > knows, VFR overwater at night is > an ICAO no-no which adds another minor problem. > Incidentally, I didn't know > that there are (were) no private aircraft in > Mongolia. > > I think I'll pass for now. > > Earl Ferguson > N17EF World Record Holder > > > ************** > Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all > time on AOL Music. > > (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp00300000002548) > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs ________________________________ Message 10 ____________________________________ Time: 11:23:11 AM PST US From: nick otterback Subject: Re: Lightning-List: Building update for kit #49 in Tucson This is a much more informitive email and can be made useful. Thank you nick Sales Email Account wrote: Hi Buz, Thanks for your input. The last kit manual I worked with was that of the Kitfox model 7 and it was a quick build version also. The manual was quite explicit. Time management is very important in the build process and there are always things you can do if you are stymied with something else. I have worked in quite a number of areas and I will list them for you here and the problems I had to resolve. Fuselage: sanded and join seams filled, windows holes cut out and gel coat removed for window bonding with the new formed windows (very nice). No updated manual info on installing these new windows. Will hold off installing these until very close to painting as they are very easily scratched or marred. Created and Installed the brackets for the mid elevator bell crank and recommend that the aluminum elevator trim hook be formed and installed at this time so you won't need to remove it later in the build process where it is currently called for in the build manual. Wings: installed wing tip vents, called about which way the 45 degree bevel should face regarding the relative wind. Glued and floxed them in and then read that the guidance provided by my dealer was incorrect and had to redo them. My dealer tries very hard to be helpful but, this time he didn't get it right. Have installed the gas caps and the fuel sending units. The sending units where the first installed in the field with the new larger tanks and they have a baffle that isn't placed consistently within the tank and the hole that they must pass through in the baffle was not placed at the same point in each tank. So I spent lots of hours carefully bending the probes to get them installed properly. They are in now and when current is applied appear to work OK. Rudder install: Put the bearings in the rudder brackets and installed them in the vertical stab. This was a very time consuming process with a great deal of trial and error. You are working in a very limited access area and it is extremely difficult to mark the position of the holes for drilling in the stab spar. However, the rudder is installed and centered perfectly in the vertical spar and swings back and forth like greased lightning (pun intended). However, the bolt and castle nut combination is problematic for the lower hinge bolt install as one size bolt is too short and the other too long so this will need to be worked out in the final install. Swidged fittings on the rudder cables are stressed were the cable meets the fitting during side to side rudder movement. This is because there is no moveable bearing at the rudder cable attach point. I have not been able to find a suitable bearing to mitigate this issue. Spar Box Install: This was accomplished after seemingly countless wings on wings off efforts. The incidence on the wings are within a tenth of a degree (digital level) and the wings match up well with the fuselage wing fillets except on the center upper edge of the right wing were the wing had to be built up with bondo. I have elected to drill and tap each of the incidence washers with 4 6-32 stainless machine screws as I did not like the stainless steel pop rivets for securing them at the wing attach point. We had one builder in Tucson who had a problem with this mounting method because the rivets pulled out and the washer could not be tightened or unscrewed. He had to cut a hole in the wing so he could grab the washer. Right wing is .25 inches longer than the left wing but Arion says this is OK. Gear legs needed to be sanded after removing and sanding inside of spar box mounting tubes. They are still a very tight fit. They require future work to get them right. Stab install: brackets installed and stab installed into them and bolted securely. Bolts installed from inside the stab. Left stab is .25 inches longer than the right stab. Stab is installed 90 degrees to the vertical fin and dead level with the wings. Stab incidence is equal on both sides and lies at .4 degrees positive. No incidence setting enumerated in the build manual. Stab in prepped for bonding to the fuselage. Stab incidence bolts come in contact with seat belt cables as they lie in the same plain with each other. However, I don't believe this to be an issue. Rudder pedal and master cylinder install: Completed. Rudder cable bracket holes had to be moved as the rudder cables rubbed across each other or the bottom of the spar box after they were initially installed. Would recommend that these holes be drilled after you determine the clearance issues related to the spar and nylon guides for the rudder pedals are determined. This is a two person process. One person puts tension on the cables after they pass through the guides while the other marks the hole in the firewall flange at its required spacing from the center of the fuselage carefully noting where they need to be placed so that they don't touch the spar or each other. Elevator and push rod install: Hinges on stab and aligned after cutting and drilling them. Elevator hinges attached to elevators. Holes go through fiberglass and then a metal backer inside the elevator. Have fabricated the elevator push/pull tube and installed same to mid elevator bell crank. Have installed the elevator bell crank twice and its still not right. Either the rudder rubs on the cross tube part of the bell crank or the bell crank elevator horn rubs on the rudder. I did not recognize that the rudder is designed to rub up against the sides of the vertical fin and that they form the physical stop to limit rudder travel. This is not the case with the elevator pitch control module which has physical stops installed. Seems like there should be a better way to do this to prevent paint marring but, the rudder probably won't go there during typical operation anyway. The build manual does not address his fact. What next? Fix the elevator bell crank install and begin working on the canopy (I have the new one and that, according to Arion, should be completed before the firewall install). Section 41 calls for forming 4 mounting brackets according to the drawing at the end of this section in the builder's manual. There is no drawing. I asked, via Email on the 29th of January, for a drawing but have not heard back from them as yet. I don't have the parts for the new canopy frame (pins and latch) but have requested them. That's where I stand right now in the build process.............Bill in Tucson with kit #49. N1BZRich@aol.com wrote: Hi Bill, This may not be a timely response to your message, as others have already answered, but I have been out of touch for a few days working on another project in NC. However, reading your message about the Lightning builder's manual, I have to ask which other kit aircraft have you built or which other kit builder's manuals you see as being better than the Lightning? Looking back on my 34 years of being involved in EAA, having built three airplanes, and having visited numerous different aircraft projects as an EAA Technical Counselor, I have only seen one that I would consider better, and that airplane is not available now. That one was the Christen Eagle (aerobatic bi-plane) which you may or may not remember. It certainly was not a quick build airplane, but the marketing, packaging, and all other builder information materials were outstanding. My opinion (and that may be worth exactly what you paid for it) is that for quick build kits, the Lightning's build manual is the best out there at the moment. Sure, there is always room for making the Lightning build manual better and Arion's goal of constantly updating it by using feedback provided by builders is the best way to accomplish that. I am sure they will appreciate any suggestions to make the manual more current and user friendly. As to wasting a weekend because no one could take your call because of an engine seminar, I would think there would have been lots of other parts of the airplane that you could have worked on -that is unless everything else was completed. To really build a quick built kit "quickly" the key is time management. Develop a plan that efficiently uses your time whenever you are "in the shop" just like you have a plan every time you launch on a test flight. Good luck in your efforts to get your Lightning up and flying. Everyone on the list is pulling for you and would enjoy regular updates on your progress. Your experiences building and flying your Lightning will likely result in more readers of this list deciding to build. And that goes for all other current Lightning builders and those that are already flying your Lightning. Give the list an update ever so often as to how things are going. Earl, when is your "round the world" flight? Blue Skies, Buz --------------------------------- Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. ________________________________ Message 11 ____________________________________ Time: 11:55:33 AM PST US From: "Jim Langley" Subject: Re: Lightning-List: Round the world trip Charles: try http://www.thomas.scherer.com/ Jim! On 2/4/08, Charles Dewey wrote: > > > Earl- The link is not wroking. Cd > --- EAFerguson@aol.com wrote: > > > Buz stuck in a one line comment to me at the very > > end of his last posting on > > the build manual. I almost missed it, and some > > others probably did too. He ask > > about a possible round-the-world flight. > > > > As it happens, I was looking at a recent round the > > world done in a Europa, so > > I had looked at the possibility. The challenges are > > daunting. Check out the > > Europa trip on www.Thomas.Schrerer.com > > > > Alas, the 600+ NM overwater legs from Newfoundland > > or Labrador across the > > G-I-UK gap will be difficult with my 450 NM range > > (w/o reserve). I would need > > roughly a consistent 50K tailwind. Also, as Buz > > knows, VFR overwater at night is > > an ICAO no-no which adds another minor problem. > > Incidentally, I didn't know > > that there are (were) no private aircraft in > > Mongolia. > > > > I think I'll pass for now. > > > > Earl Ferguson > > N17EF World Record Holder > > > > > > ************** > > Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all > > time on AOL Music. > > > > > ( > http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp00300000002548 > ) > > > > > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. > http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs > > ________________________________ Message 12 ____________________________________ Time: 04:19:12 PM PST US From: Brian Whittingham Subject: RE: Lightning-List: Round the world trip If any of you guys (or gals) get ready to try an around the world trip give me a holler. The company that I work for has a couple round the globes goi ng right now and one that will be coming out that will be a huge promotiona l for a new and well known aircraft. Overflights, landing permissions, rea l-time weather and flight following available. Probably would need a small aux fuel tank to make sure that you have enough fuel. Typically these typ es of flights are also shadowed by one or two other aircraft that have a wi de range of radios so that help can be called for if needed. There's also all kinds of special rules and regs that you have to be aware of. Brian W. P.S. you can always try a polar route instead of equitorial! From: EAFerguson@aol.comDate: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 12:33:16 -0500Subject: Lightn ing-List: Round the world tripTo: Lightning-List@matronics.comBuz stuck in a one line comment to me at the very end of his last posting on the build m anual. I almost missed it, and some others probably did too. He ask about a possible round-the-world flight.As it happens, I was looking at a recent r ound the world done in a Europa, so I had looked at the possibility. The ch allenges are daunting. Check out the Europa trip on www.Thomas.Schrerer.com Alas, the 600+ NM overwater legs from Newfoundland or Labrador across the G -I-UK gap will be difficult with my 450 NM range (w/o reserve). I would nee d roughly a consistent 50K tailwind. Also, as Buz knows, VFR overwater at n ight is an ICAO no-no which adds another minor problem. Incidentally, I di dn't know that there are (were) no private aircraft in Mongolia. I think I' ll pass for now.Earl FergusonN17EF World Record Holder**************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.(http://music.aol.com/gram mys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp00300000002548) _________________________________________________________________ Connect and share in new ways with Windows Live. http://www.windowslive.com/share.html?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_Wave2_sharelife_0120 08 ________________________________ Message 13 ____________________________________ Time: 05:29:17 PM PST US From: "Colin J. Kennedy" Subject: RE: Lightning-List: Gear legs I have not fitted my spar box, engine mount or gear legs Nick, so I was able to try fitting the gear legs to the appropriate holes today, with no impact of them being attached to the fuselage. First the bottom weldments: all three went on to within an inch of bottoming with little effort, so I am guessing that when I clean off the paint, they will go fully home. The main gear legs go into the spar box about 2 inches with some effort .. The outside diameter of the top of the main gear legs is 1 3/8". As the tubes are cut off at an angle, I need to get something deeper inside to measure the inside diameter and I don't have a good tool for that. I think something more than removing the paint will have to be done, but this is the next thing I will try. The nose gear leg will not go into the engine mount at all. The outside diameter of the top of the nose gear leg is 1 3/8". The inside diameter of the tube measures at 1 3/8" too, so no clearance. I think something more than removing the paint will have to be done, but again, this is the next thing I will try. I am a working at a slower rate as compared to some of the other builders, so I will not take any drastic measures until you come to a conclusion. By the way, great engine seminar this weekend! I'm sorry if I was one of the people keeping you from taking calls! I'm sure we can all work together to resolve these challenges! Colin K. OK http://www.mykitlog.com/cojaken -----Original Message----- From: owner-lightning-list-server@matronics.com [mailto:owner-lightning-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of nick otterback Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 8:14 AM Subject: RE: Lightning-List: Gear legs Steve, I will call teh weld shop this morning...this is not the intended fit of these parts, and has not been for the first 40 kits or so... Nick Steven Sundquist wrote: I spent a lot of time sanding both the spar box tubes and the gear legs to get them to fit and that was before the spar box was fit in the fuselage. They are a tight fit. I think that all the welding around the bottom end of the tube in the spar box distorts it a bit. If I was going to do it again, I would take the legs to a machine shop and have them put them into a lathe and remove enough to make them fit. The bottom ends are the same situation. If they are to "bottom out" in the wheel and brake weldment, a significant amount needs to be removed there, too. Steve Kit # 48 _____ From: owner-lightning-list-server@matronics.com [mailto:owner-lightning-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of nick otterback Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2008 5:46 PM Subject: Re: Lightning-List: Gear legs John, Normally we do not have this much trouble with the legs...make sure the the hole in the bottom of the fuselage is at the correct angle to allow 1/8" gap around the leg ...they will bind and go in crooked if they touch just a bit...otherwise sanding is ok but take your time and do not go to the grinder... nick jeynon wrote: Is there some trick to inserting the gear legs into the spar box. I've sanded the paint out of the tube, and loosened the nuts holding the spar box to the fuselage. I've also done some sanding on the gear leg. I can get it about halfway in with some difficulty, and back out with more difficulty. I assume the answer is keep sanding the gear leg until it http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Lightning-List http://forums.matronics.com http://www.matronics.com/contribution _____ Be a better friend, newshound, and ________________________________ Message 14 ____________________________________ Time: 07:40:53 PM PST US From: N1BZRich@aol.com Subject: Re: Lightning-List: Building update for kit #49 in Tucson Bill, Great run down and just the type of feedback that is needed to insure an accurate, quality build manual. I know the SYI guys appreciate this type of effort. Other builders will certainly benefit from what you provided as well. This is the type of info sharing that this group needs. By the way, that is also the type of "record" keeping that you will need to show your local FSDO when you go for your FAA repairman's certificate. Some of us have been using Kit Log Pro, but the type of write up you have (with dates and photos) will suffice to show them that you actually did the work yourself. Good work. As to the Kitfox, it has been about a year since I visited a quick build project for it and looked over it's build manual. This was the second aircraft this person had built and he said that the quick build kit was basically an assembly project since very little building had to be done. His previous experience probably helped him this second time around, but he had very high words of praise for the kit and build manual. He is retired and I think he said it had taken him about a year. Blue Skies, Buz **************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp003000000025 48) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message lightning-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/Lightning-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/lightning-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/lightning-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.