Crescendo Build

Manchego said:

Congratulatios for your new project, Bryan.

Can I ask you what technique do you use to finish/remove the scratches on the plane cut? In other words, how to pass from pic1 to pic2.

I have been trying several techniques, however, I always end up deforming the saw cut -when I put a square to check the result I see the backlight leakeage in some points-.

I know it is just a cosmetic think, but it drives me mad.

Thank you. Keep it up!

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Hi Manchego.

I'm still figuring that out myself I'm probably more fanatical about it than would normally be needed because most of the edging will be chrome plated (requires a 2-part build-up). So keeping the edge surfacing true, square, flat and smooth is challenging. I use a honing stone quite a bit but only if it can be held square on the edge of a table, or aligned with the part. It's hard to keep from rounding over the edge corners irregularly when doing it freehand. Curves, especially concave ones, seem to require the most patience. So there's not any one technique, as it depends on the shape of the part and how you are able to support the finishing tool. Others here may have some better ideas that could teach us both.

Edited to read "concave" instead of "convex"

Been a while since I posted progress, which has been at a trickle these past weeks mostly due to lack of motivation. It's been hard mustering the positive energy needed to persevere on such a laborious project as building a gyro. The current state of our country between Covid and chaos has pulled my attention away from building for a while, but I'm forging my way through this mental funk of depression and getting some things accomplished now.

1. Received seat tank from Calumet Manufacturing - This replaces the original seat I had intended to use and eliminates need to design and fabricate custom fuel tanks.

2. Received seat cover from Calumet Manufacturing and test-fit. Very nicely made. I ordered it with red side panels to match the other red accents on the final ship.

3. Have been wrestling with numerous design candidates for the upper landing gear mast connection. CNC is no longer an option for these parts so I have worked out a great design that can be made with the tools I already have and integrates nicely with the existing airframe.

4. Purchased and received a new foam hotwire cutter from these guys:
Tested it last night and very impressed with the build quality and quality of cut. I had planned to build one of these from scratch using the Rutan plans but decided my time was better spent building planes, not tools.

5. Compiled a list of all the bits, blades and materials that will be needed for the next several operations and ordering them all today. Once I get on a roll I don't want there to be any obstacles to progress. Included in the list are things like an indexed swiveling / tilting vise for the milling machine and a live center for the lathe.

I won't wax philosophic about months turning into years. I just want it done, but done right. I made a promise that this ship would be built to the best of my ability, so I can't complain about the time penalty of the meticulous details.

Oh, and I suppose there's a #6: I traded in the old car for a vehicle that can tow the gyro and trailer.

Brian

You and I both.

Plow on.

They will fly.

The paucity of paperwork is definitely your friend JM. We will watch with envy.

Thank you, JM & Resasi.

JM, I'm hoping to see pictures of your rudder installation. Please share when you can post some.

Resasi, I have been following your build thread with great interest. Anxious to see Blue fly.

Got the Rocky music going behind me again. Gearing up to receive the aluminum billets for machining the landing gear vertical strut / mast connections. They will be similar, larger versions of the lower vertical strut clevis', requiring lathe and mill work. Have wanted to get the ship on her gear finally and these are the last connections needed to do that. I still have to fabricate the nosewheel but have been weighing all options (so to speak). Waiting to verify position and behavior of main gear suspension before proceeding.

Have also been having a lot of fun with the hotwire cutter. A lot of very interestingly shaped scrap foam pieces laying on the shop floor at the moment. Happy to report this cutter is quite nicely made and plenty of power, which is variable between 12~24 V depending on wire length. Glad also that the smell isn't too bad. I expected to need a ventilation system but it's not noxious enough to be required.

Interesting observation about the hotwire bow I'd not anticipated; The wire sounds like a dulcimer and makes a C# note, until you turn it on and it drops a perfect fifth due to heat expansion. I could play a country song on this!

Brian

jm-urbani said:

I can't show irrelevant 1.6 ton tube stress tests anymore and I can't leave pictures of a gyro frame which has not been designed by a structural expert Leigh , you know it

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I think we accidentally got into a misunderstanding here.

The 'paucity of paperwork' in my previous post, refers to the comparative ease of an experimental build in France and their relaxed approach to the required paperwork, as opposed to the rather more serious paperwork requirements USA, and excessively egregious demands of the UK LAA/CAA.

I am quite sure that your build is of a high standard.

Brian, I am quite sure that no-one is looking forward more to flying Blue than I. The present wait seems interminable.

JM: a fine point of English which is often missed by french speakers is the difference between "say/said" and "tell/told". "Tell" essentially means "say to". I think both english verbs are expressed by "dire/dit" in french.
So I am guessing that you meant to say, "I simply wanted to tell Leigh that, as I had been told that my stress test was irrelevant..."

De rien!
A similar thing that trips up english speakers is the french word "chercher". It is cognate with the english word "search". However in english, "search" requires a preposition, i.e. "search for" (or "look for"), which makes english speakers want to say "cherche pour", which is wrong.
I tell them to think of "chercher" as translating to "seek", instead, which requires no preposition (although "seek" is not as common a word).

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

We have unfortunately inadvertently been scribbling on Brians build log, apologies for that Brian.

In the beginning you had said this would be based on the Bumble Bee, but with initially 2X3 six galls it was not going to be ultralight? The seat tank I think will hold around 7.5

Were you aiming for under AUW 254 lbs? I know that when my son and I started the Hornet we intended to try, but in the end gave up on that.

What engine are you intending to have on her? I was very happy with the 503 but realised my rather optimistic 10galls was asking too much at our final empty weight of I think around 350lbs. She was fine with 5galls and even slightly slightly above but the ambient temp did have to be watched.

In retrospect, although I had dreaded the build, in the end learned a lot from it, and certainly was never at the level you seem to be at. Impressed with your attention to streamlining. I feel a lot of unnecessary drag could be avoided with more attention to that aspect of a build.

We do despair sometimes at life's interruptions, but there is a prize, had to smile at your musical discoveries.

The revelations on new light engines available on this thread were interesting.

Been a while since I posted on my build thread. Glad not to get side-tracked with politics anymore and focus on building an airplane.

Today I got the order started with Gyro-Tech of Poland (maker of my carbon fiber blades) to fabricate the rotor head. I also consulted their engineering team to discuss replacing my teeter block with their new style block that uses bearings instead of bushings. These two items are being ordered as a matched set to integrate with the existing blades and hub bar. The head is machined from a solid billet and is really a work of art. Very excited to receive it. Had originally planned to build the rotor head myself, but seeing this will be my first flying gyro I thought it best left to the professionals.

The ship is about 2/3 finished and build speed has accelerated somewhat. Very pleased with how all the pieces and lathed bits are fitting together. Last week was the first time all the parts were assembled together at once, and it was quite an emotional experience. I didn't think build time would be measured in years when I started this, but so be it. I hope the end result is worthy of the effort that has gone into it.

Would love to see pictures if you get the time mate.

wolfy

wolfy said:

Would love to see pictures if you get the time mate.

wolfy

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Will do. Have a few items to install and will share pics.

My wife is making the bank transfer to Poland today for the rotorhead. Hard to believe it's at that stage of construction. The rear portion and cross bar that normally attaches to the control rods may be removed. There are no control rods in this design. It is an overhead stick with a reversing mechanism to accomplish 2 things: lessen the ratio of the stick swing to rotor tilt which is too great with a mast as tall as a Gyrobee. And 2: replicate the input directions of a standard control stick.

Rotorhead is currently in Customs in Cincinnati. Tracked the package from Poland but had to talk with a rep from DHL shipping company. I am expecting a call-back in the next 2 hours with further instructions. I can't imagine what they are, but then again I don't believe I've ever bought something directly from an overseas manufacturer. Will post when I find out.

Definite progress Brian, has to be good.

Resasi said:

Definite progress Brian, has to be good.

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Most definitely. I'm trying to have the ship mostly finished by late summer/fall... before Thanksgiving.

I did receive an email from DHL Customs:

Hello Brian,

We require the following to facilitate clearance of your shipment.

· Your federal tax id number if business or your social security number if personal, with name and complete address associated to the federal tax id or social security number.

· HTS/harmonized number or detailed description

· What is a hub bar block w/ bearings?

· what is it used for?

· what is it made of ?

Without this information customs entry is delayed. DHL is only allowed 10 calendar days from the arrival date into the US to make entry. The deadline is April 12th. I will follow up with you tomorrow, April 8th by 5:00PM PST.

Storage of $31.00 a day begins 3 days after initial contact when a shipment is held for needed information or documentation.

For further inquiries, please contact 866-600-0014.

*If I see your shipment has been released or is with a courier for delivery, I will close our Imports file with no further follow up.

Thank you for contacting DHL.

I replied as accurately as I could without explaining the physics of powered flight. Hopefully that satisfies customs and they can continue the shipment. But I have no idea what an HTS/harmonized number is. Hopefully a rotorhead shows up instead of a case of sausage.

So they know how to charge applicable Tariff. But, Aircraft and parts are exempt but you might have trouble convincing them.

Under Sect 88 aircraft/parts are tarif free under ICAO agreement...

Sv.grainne said:

Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

So they know how to charge applicable Tariff. But, Aircraft and parts are exempt but you might have trouble convincing them.

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Thank you for the educational link. I'm hoping they don't require additional money to deliver because I won't be home when it arrives. I guess we'll find out.

Brian Jackson said:

Thank you for the educational link. I'm hoping they don't require additional money to deliver because I won't be home when it arrives. I guess we'll find out.

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Brian: The last three times I've ordered something that was shipped DHL, the pkg. has been delivered to the US Post Office, who then brought the pkg. to my door from our regular postal worker.
If you're away-from-home hrs. occur while your mail is delivered by the postman/woman/beluga whale, you can make arrangements to have it held @ the post office until you can pick it up there.

Kevin_Richey said:

Brian: The last three times I've ordered something that was shipped DHL, the pkg. has been delivered to the US Post Office, who then brought the pkg. to my door from our regular postal worker.
If you're away-from-home hrs. occur while your mail is delivered by the postman/woman/beluga whale, you can make arrangements to have it held @ the post office until you can pick it up there.

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Good to know, Kevin. Thank you. Oh, and I see what you did there.