SparrowHawk, Hornet Build

[r.coplen]

I am building my second SparrowHawk which is called the Hornet. the Hornet will end up at AAI of Nashville as a training and demo machine. I am one of the partners in that AAI dealership. I finally had time to post some photos so he goes.

1. Hornet is hanger we are using for the final build
2. Side view

[r.coplen]

Aligning the tail with the nose wheel and the rudder peddles.

[r.coplen]

Getting engine ready to paint, painted and assemblies attached, engine on the Hornet, brackets for radiator and battery.

[r.coplen]

Muffler installation, Handgrip for prerotator and throttle assembles, Rotorhead and upper mast, Fully assembled rotorhead.

Note: the rotorhead is fully designed and manufactured by Groen Brother Aviation Inc. out of Salt Lake City.

[Cobra]

Any chance you can weigh the SH without engine and rotor as in the first set of photos?

How much higher is the driven pulley center from the crank pulley center on the redrive?

[r.coplen]

Pod installation (big hole to fill up), Where do all the wires go?, That's where they go, engine harnes complete, building panel and avionics support.

[r.coplen]

Beginning circut breaker and switch panel, Panel inserted intooverhead and viewed from back with wiring about done. Final installation of cabin wiring and running heater-defroster hoses (still need hose clamps)

[r.coplen]

Cobra asked,

Any chance you can weigh the SH without engine and rotor as in the first set of photos? [BToo late to do that

How much higher is the driven pulley center from the crank pulley center on the redrive? I believe the distance is eight inches. I will check tomorrow. The center of the propeller pulley is eight inches below the center of the crankshaft pulley

[Gyrobound]

Nice looking Randy. Did this one go fastere the second time around and did AAi fix a lot of the original problems encountered?
Scott

[r.coplen]

Scott,

I received the very first kit that AAI shipped and I had about 900 hours in it because of a lot of parts that needed to be modified or were missing or hadn't been designed. I will have about 200 hours in this kit. This kit has had only one or two parts missing or wrong and Dan Banks in Salt Lake has sent out those parts out the same day. There are over 4,000 parts. I will have about 200 hours in this kit. Now I have to say I have built one before and it's always easier the second time. I think the average builder would take about 300 hours. We do have a builder assist program and that involves about 40 top 50 hours of the builders time.

[TKorrison]

Randy,
Are you still building your own wire harness or is the one I see in the photo's the Kit Harness?

Tom Korrison
AAI San Diego

[r.coplen]

Hi Tom,

That is the harness that came with the kit. The harness on the kit is working great for us. That's "Dr." Gordons work on the wiring. Tom, you must post some photos of your SparrowHawk. Your's is by far the best looking SparrowHawk I have heard about.

[r.coplen]

Here is an outside shot today. I will post in about 10 days a complete picture. I have been waiting for the transponder that is three weeks late. Should be here Thursday. I am at a stand still until than. I am asking a graphic artist for some Hornet graphics to set it off.
We'll see.

[KenSandyEggo]

Holy cow! I thought I'd be different with a bright yellow paint job and I'm just a number.

[John Conte]

Hey Randy,
Nice looking ! Has Groen considered using a standard instrument pod rather than digital ? I know there was some discussion in other posts about clarity. What has the feedback been from your place ? I see that the guy making those Chayairs has gone to analog instruments.

[r.coplen]

John,

I haven't heard any info back from Groen Brothers about other recommended control insturments. They use the SkyDat with the kit because it has all the needed insturments at an effective cost. I know that some of the kit builders and dealers have gone to higher levels of efis. I know the Spanish Fork dealer is building a SparrowHawk (I think his third) with seperate insturments. He told me he has a lot of folks training for their Light Sport Pilot certificate and their eyesight is not as good as a lot of the younger students so the seperate guages offer easier recognition. I believe they are still didgital and not analog. I would agree that the insturments would be easier to read with an upgraded efis or seperate guages. The issue I am working on is getting the SkyDat brighter. We are working with factory to adjust the brightness.

Higher level insturments certainly can be better. It all comes down to money at that point.

[Hognose]

If Tom doesn't have pictures of his SH to post, I have a couple I took at Sun-n-Fun -- that was his machine, right? A very nice job, what hot rodders used to call "sanitary."

cheers

-=K=-

[r.coplen]

Hognose,

I would love to see some pix of Tom's SparrowHawk. I have been dying to see what his gyro looks like. Let um rip.

[Heather Poe]

Hey Randy,
Nice looking ! Has Groen considered using a standard instrument pod rather than digital ? I know there was some discussion in other posts about clarity. What has the feedback been from your place ? I see that the guy making those Chayairs has gone to analog instruments.


John,
The clarity of the instruments has been improved after some internal adjustments suggested by the Skydat factory on Randy's machine. See the thread at http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=61967#post61967 to see the improved results. Although it is still not optimal, and not what I would want for my own machine, I can use it for training.

[Harry_S.]

i think a properly designed glare-shield would work wonders! ;)


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