| Chapter 838 Builder's Workshop
We have a large hangar open to the membership
with a wide variety of hand tools and test equipment for the repair and maintenance of aircraft. These include
a drill press, welding shop, metal break and shears, and media blaster.
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Cozy IVSaturday, July 24, 2004
Well after 11 years we did it. Cozy N797DL took off this afternoon for our
first flight. I ended up doing it myself after sending 2.5 hours with Chris
Essylten in his Cozy III. I did 5 landings this morning with Chris, and it
felt pretty good. Went to our hangar and got ready. Not a big crowd, just
family. Then the local EAA guys starting hanging around. My tech
counselor, Gene Zabler, came by. I went over our plan once more with the
ground crew, and then taxied out. I never got the nose to rotate with my
high speed taxi tests. That's because I never gave it enough elevator to do
so. Today I gave the gas and hung on. The nose lifted off at about 60 - 70
kts. I did the classic over rotate, then lower the nose, then raise it
again. One more time to lower it, that was just to get the crowd on the
ground nervous. By the time I was at mid-field I settled down and off we
went. I had intended on staying over the field but before I knew it I was
alittle west of the airport. I climbed up to 3K ft and held 110 kts. At 3k
I leveled out and reduced power to stay below 140kts. All engine temps and
pressures were good. The old "Lycosaurus" ran great. Thanks Aerosport
Power!
I checked the controls, rudders and ailerons. The right rudder didn't have
the authority that the left did. The ailerons are still stiff (because the
bearings are all new????). I did a 2 practice approaches and then decided
to head back to the field. I made numerous calls back to my ground crew
with temps and to let them know that everything was fine.
Back to the field I needed to get into the pattern. Flew at 110 kts to
enter the pattern, slowed her down to 90 on downwind. A Falcon jet was
coming straight in on the cross runway about 10 miles out. I announced that
I was on final for the cross runway "first flight, first landing" and the
Falcon pilot said take your time, I'll circle if I have too! This was a
Johnson Wax jet, and I know Sam Johnson would have been proud of his crews
doing that.
The landing was pretty good. I raised the nose a little too much after
getting her down, so there was a little bounce, but not bad.
Thanks to my family, Kim, my Dad, my son Steve and daughter Jenny. My
stepkids, Eric, Steph and Matt. They all helped with the glass and "white
stuff". Thanks to Ron Tremel for his help. Nat for the calls and emails
and everyone on this list.
See you at OSH.... no I'm driving.
Daryl and Kim
Cozy IV N797DL
See pictures # 1,
2, 3, 4,
5, 6,
7, 8,
9, 10,
11, 12
Cozy builders mailing list:
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Wright Flyer Model
In celebration of the Wright Brothers Powered Flight Centennial,
Chapter 838 is building a 1/3 scale model of the 1903 Flyer.
The kit was purchased from Arizona Models. After inventorying the parts, the
lazer cut ribs were carefully removed from the wood sheets and sorted.
The 5 drawings which are up to 8 feet in length, are used as templates
for assembly, much like the smaller bulsa wood kits.
At this point, the
drawing for the upper wing has been laid out, and the assembly begun.
The elevator frames have been completed and are ready for covering. It
was decided to use a polyester fabric for covering rather than cotten
linen. Brass tubes used for the propeller mounts and chain guides will
require some brazing work for assembly.
A small plastic model of the
flyer not only serves as a static exhibit of the event, but will be a
reference to rigging and parts locations for the builders. The project
is anticipated to be completed by the end of June. It will then be
featured on the chapter's float for
Racine's 4th of July parade. Check
back for more pictures as work progresses.
 The completed cradle for the flyer waiting for the lower wing.
 Frank Hay and Lee Farnsworth, the principle builders for the project,
approximate the completed elevators at the front of the cradle.
The top wing frame.
The Wrong Brothers (Frank and Lee) did it wright, seen here modelling their new instructional T-shirts.
| 
Jerry Bovitz is in charge of builder's night and activities in the hangar. He gives impromptu talks about general maintenance and upkeep of aircraft and is
generally available to answer questions regarding your aircraft.
| Piper Pacer
The current project for builder's night is conversion of a piper Tri-pacer into a Pacer. The
wings are currently on display in the museum.
| Bob Orre and Scott Althoff's Stewart 51 project
| The Crew
Here's people at work (or is it play?)
Becareful with that torch, Ramon!
Count your fingers, Frank!
Are you sure you want to cut that, George?
| Lancair ES
November 16, 2007 Update: Steve Myers Test Flying the Lancair
We are happy to report that Steve Myers has completed construction of his Lancair, and it’s a real beauty. We will be posting pictures and a full pilot’s / builder’s report shortly. In the meantime, Steve is flying off his hours and making the inevitable adjustments to bits like flaperons and more. In the meantime, check out the October 2007 issue of Contact for more information.
 Steve Myers has been fulfilling his life's dream; building his own
airplane. He has been involved with aircraft design and construction
for many years, including a stint at the Skunkworks. Now it's his turn
to do it for himself. His project is a Lancair ES which will have a
200+ knot cruise, 1200 NM range and a service ceiling of 15,000 ft.
With over 3 years into the project, Steve has 3000 hours of work into
it, including the time to build the jigs, tables, and stands to support
the aircraft assembly. To help make his construction go smoothly, Steve
has a well stocked tool bench as seen behind the tail, a heated hangar, and a
privy with a "home touch" dcor. So far, he has not been told by
his wife Judy that he may need a couch in the hangar. Occasionally, he
needs to rent a tool to complete a project section. Being a
perfectionist, he used a laser sight to make sure critical items were
straight and balanced. Now and then, he enlists the aid of some of the
838 members to help with the heavy stuff. He is about 2/3 of the way
through the building manuals. According to Steve, there will be plenty
of room for he and Judy to take those long cross country trips in
comfort. There's even enough room for Judy's extra shoes which,
according to Steve, is her standard baggage.
From Murphy's Book of Natural Laws: Dick Strassman thought his Lancair project was going well when......
They were in the process of gluing the skin onto the wings.
After which they did the coin tap test to determine if the glue bonded
properly, and it didn't. Normally, the tapping of a coin along the
surface over the ribs and spars should be dull indicating a good bond.
During the test, they found pockets of some muffled rings of the coin sound,
indicating something was amiss. The next job was to remove the skin,
but how? Carefully, one edge of the skin was separated with a wedge.
A small board was inserted underneath, and gently tapped along the wing,
separating the skin from the wing members. The inspection revealed
that in fact, there were areas of poor bonding. It has yet to be determined
what went wrong, but everything to the amount of pressure on the bonding
surfaces to the environmental factors during the gluing will be looked at.
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Steve Meyers Flips Over His Plane
 Dont worry! It isnt
what it sounds like!  Steve
Meyers Lancair project has progressed to the point where he hopes he has
flipped his plane over for the last time. With the belly work complete in
March 2002, he
enlisted the aid of a number of chapter members to put the fuselage in a
normal attitude. With steady hands and feet, the years invested in his project
were allowed to remain intact.  He can
now concentrate on installing the landing gear and begin working on the
interior.  Thanks to all that gave him a hand.....or two.
| Mooney M20A
 
Carl Bumpars has been occupying his spare time in the restoration of a 1959 Mooney M20A.
Actually the project involves 2 Mooney M20As. Carl, along with Bob Zembinski obtained the aircraft
from Gary Bymers of Madison, Wisconsin. The wing structure pictured is currently Carls portion of
the project being undertaken at Chapter 838. The wood structure had a moderate amount of damage to
it.  Repairs included replacement of a section of sparcap and spar facing.
 There were a number of
joints that had become debonded requiring regluing. The project is at the point of were the skin
will soon be applied. The skin is made from 5 ply plywood. With the help of Frank Hay, Carl will
be forming the skin in jigs made up from original Mooney plans. So far, there is about 500 hours
of work into the wing. Once it is completed, the wing will go onto another M20A fuselage. Carl and
Frank will then have the opportunity to do another wing for the second airplane.
Once completed,
the plane should have around a 148 kt cruise. Carls project affords the members of the chapter to
get some education in another vanishing art of restoration... wood aircraft structures.
Carl has started to apply the wood skin to the wing.
The wood sheets are steamed in a process that Carl says resembles "A Door County fish boil." The softened sheet is then placed in the jig seen below the wing to form and harden.
It then applied to the wing frame.
As Carl has found out, there is a learning curve in mastering the process.
| Bill Wolffs Hummel Bird
Bill was bored with retirement
so last January he started on his Hummel Bird project. So far he has 300 actual work hours in it,
plus another 300 hours "To study the #$@!* drawings." When done, it will fall into the Sport
Aviation category. At 138"
long and a 21' wingspan, it will cruise at 100 mph sucking 1.8 gph of 87 octane
mogas using a VW 900cc 30 hp engine. Empty weight will be 290# with a gross of 530#.
Bills wife, Sue was quoted as
saying, "If I had known how much he enjoyed building that little
airplane, I would have encouraged him to have started it years earlier." All we can say to you Bill is, youd better
hang on to her!
| Stayed Tuned for more...
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