My First Homebuilt

I bought a started Homebuilt project from a Guy who passed on before finishing the build. His work is Top Notch and I don't think I will have any trouble getting his work accepted when I have the EAA people inspect the project. I believe that getting someone to look things over now is the best way to start out, then I can start my own documentation from this point on because I am going for the Experimental Certificate instead of the Part 103 route. After reading all I could find on the Banty, I do not think a 28 HP engine will be enough power and getting in under the 254 lb weight limit would be tough, because I will be using solid spars instead of the built up type shown on the plans. Going to modify the landing gear also, whats on the plans looks weak. My Fuse is 90% built and the Tail feathers are complete except for Hinging and covering and all the Ribs are built up and ready to slide onto the spar. This is my first attempt at building an airplane and any comments about my plan of attack would be welcome, I am going to need all the help I can get. Does anyone have any suggestions about which Powerplant to use or any Wing Mods for better strength or Safety concerns. I have started sanding on the Fuse as the Spar varnish has started to show some age and needs freshining up. Any Comments?

On Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:18:25 +0000, choptopjim
wrote:


I bought a started Homebuilt project from a Guy who passed on before
finishing the build. His work is Top Notch and I don't think I will
have any trouble getting his work accepted when I have the EAA people
inspect the project. I believe that getting someone to look things over
now is the best way to start out, then I can start my own documentation
from this point on because I am going for the Experimental Certificate
instead of the Part 103 route. After reading all I could find on the
Banty, I do not think a 28 HP engine will be enough power and getting
in under the 254 lb weight limit would be tough, because I will be
using solid spars instead of the built up type shown on the plans.
Going to modify the landing gear also, whats on the plans looks weak.
My Fuse is 90% built and the Tail feathers are complete except for
Hinging and covering and all the Ribs are built up and ready to slide
onto the spar. This is my first attempt at building an airplane and any
comments about my plan of attack would be welcome, I am going to need
all the help I can get. Does anyone have any suggestions about which
Powerplant to use or any Wing Mods for better strength or Safety
concerns. I have started sanding on the Fuse as the Spar varnish has
started to show some age and needs freshining up. Any Comments?




--
choptopjim

Congradulations on your new plane. I'm not familiar with the Banty but
will offer some general suggestions. Contact the designer to let him
know you're the plansholder so that any service bulletins can be
passed on to you. Try to find a Banty specific builders group and get
on the mailing list. Join your local EAA chapter, invite any builder
that's interested to come have a look.
The landing gear might be designed weak on purpose. It's a lot easier
to repair it after a hard landing than it is to rebuild the fuselage.
It's easy to make things stronger but that almost always adds extra
weight and if the part is already strong enough there's no good reason
to do it.

Originally Posted by Drew Dalgleish

On Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:18:25 +0000, choptopjim
wrote:


I bought a started Homebuilt project from a Guy who passed on before
finishing the build. His work is Top Notch and I don't think I will
have any trouble getting his work accepted when I have the EAA people
inspect the project. I believe that getting someone to look things over
now is the best way to start out, then I can start my own documentation
from this point on because I am going for the Experimental Certificate
instead of the Part 103 route. After reading all I could find on the
Banty, I do not think a 28 HP engine will be enough power and getting
in under the 254 lb weight limit would be tough, because I will be
using solid spars instead of the built up type shown on the plans.
Going to modify the landing gear also, whats on the plans looks weak.
My Fuse is 90% built and the Tail feathers are complete except for
Hinging and covering and all the Ribs are built up and ready to slide
onto the spar. This is my first attempt at building an airplane and any
comments about my plan of attack would be welcome, I am going to need
all the help I can get. Does anyone have any suggestions about which
Powerplant to use or any Wing Mods for better strength or Safety
concerns. I have started sanding on the Fuse as the Spar varnish has
started to show some age and needs freshining up. Any Comments?




--
choptopjim

Congradulations on your new plane. I'm not familiar with the Banty but
will offer some general suggestions. Contact the designer to let him
know you're the plansholder so that any service bulletins can be
passed on to you. Try to find a Banty specific builders group and get
on the mailing list. Join your local EAA chapter, invite any builder
that's interested to come have a look.
The landing gear might be designed weak on purpose. It's a lot easier
to repair it after a hard landing than it is to rebuild the fuselage.
It's easy to make things stronger but that almost always adds extra
weight and if the part is already strong enough there's no good reason
to do it.

Thanks for the insite Drew, I have already contacted the Designer and today I connected with another builder who is coming over this weekend to take a look at my project. I downloaded the forms for both the EAA and the local EAA chapter to join up.
I started sanding on the Fuse today to remove some of the Epoxy runout at the joints and whatnot and to remove some of the pencil lines on the Plywood left over from the layout. Does anybody have any suggestions as to what kind of Spar Varnish I should use? It needs to be able to go over what has already been used and I have no idea what the previous builder applied. It's Amber in color and hard to sand, some kind of Urathane I suspect. I will study the Landing gear again, your right Drew, I have to watch the weight and not overbuild anything. Choptopjim

(snip) I have to watch the weight and not overbuild anything.

Repeat this mantra every time you even *think* about changing
anything!!!!

"Follow the plans, add only lightness.

Follow the plans, add only lightness.

Follow the plans, add only lightness."

Rich S.

On Dec 10, 6:18*pm, choptopjim
wrote:
...
After reading all I could find on the
Banty, I do not think a 28 HP engine will be enough power and getting

More horsepower gives you the potential to fly faster.
Flying faster means more drag. More drag means more
stress. Can you do the requisite stress analysis to
assure you stay within an acceptable margin of
safety?

in under the 254 lb weight limit would be tough, because I will be
using solid spars instead of the built up type shown on the plans.
Going to modify the landing gear also, whats on the plans looks weak....

Unless you have a formal understanding strength of materials,
such as taught to civil or mechanical engineers, I suggest you
do not vary from the plans.

Looks can be deceiving.

Life is precious.

--

FF

On Dec 11, 7:40*pm, choptopjim
wrote:
Drew Dalgleish;673927 Wrote:





On Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:18:25 +0000, choptopjim
wrote:
-

I bought a started Homebuilt project from a Guy who passed on before
finishing the build. His work is Top Notch and I don't think I will
have any trouble getting his work accepted when I have the EAA people
inspect the project. I believe that getting someone to look things
over
now is the best way to start out, then I can start my own
documentation
from this point on because I am going for the Experimental Certificate
instead of the Part 103 route. After reading all I could find on the
Banty, I do not think a 28 HP engine will be enough power and getting
in under the 254 lb weight limit would be tough, because I will be
using solid spars instead of the built up type shown on the plans.
Going to modify the landing gear also, whats on the plans looks weak.
My Fuse is 90% built and the Tail feathers are complete except for
Hinging and covering and all the Ribs are built up and ready to slide
onto the spar. This is my first attempt at building an airplane and
any
comments about my plan of attack would be welcome, I am going to need
all the help I can get. Does anyone have any suggestions about which
Powerplant to use or any Wing Mods for better strength or Safety
concerns. * I have started sanding on the Fuse as the Spar varnish has
started to show some age and needs freshining up. Any Comments?

--
choptopjim-

Congradulations on your new plane. I'm not familiar with the Banty but
will offer some general suggestions. Contact the designer to let him
know you're the plansholder so that any service bulletins can be
passed on to you. Try to find a Banty specific builders group and get
on the mailing list. Join your local EAA chapter, invite any builder
that's interested to come have a look.
The landing gear might be designed weak on purpose. It's a lot easier
to repair it after a hard landing than it is to rebuild the fuselage.
It's easy to make things stronger but that almost always adds extra
weight and if the part is already strong enough there's no good reason
to do it.

Thanks for the insite Drew, I have already contacted the
Designer and today I connected with another builder who is coming over
this weekend to take a look at my project. I downloaded the forms for
both the EAA and the local EAA chapter to join up.
I started sanding on the Fuse today to remove some of the
Epoxy runout at the joints and whatnot and to remove some of the pencil
lines on the Plywood left over from the layout. *Does anybody have any
suggestions as to what kind of Spar Varnish I should use? It needs to
be able to go over what has already been used and I have no idea what
the previous builder applied. It's Amber in color and hard to sand,
some kind of Urathane I suspect. I will study the Landing gear again,
your right Drew, I have to watch the weight and not overbuild anything.
Choptopjim

--
choptopjim- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The glue sounds like it's T-88. A System Three product.
Are you saying that the varnish needs to go over the glue you're
seeing or it's already varnished ?

http://www.systemthree.com/index_2.asp

Jerry

Originally Posted by usav8or

On Dec 11, 7:40*pm, choptopjim
wrote:
Drew Dalgleish;673927 Wrote:





On Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:18:25 +0000, choptopjim
wrote:
-

I bought a started Homebuilt project from a Guy who passed on before
finishing the build. His work is Top Notch and I don't think I will
have any trouble getting his work accepted when I have the EAA people
inspect the project. I believe that getting someone to look things
over
now is the best way to start out, then I can start my own
documentation
from this point on because I am going for the Experimental Certificate
instead of the Part 103 route. After reading all I could find on the
Banty, I do not think a 28 HP engine will be enough power and getting
in under the 254 lb weight limit would be tough, because I will be
using solid spars instead of the built up type shown on the plans.
Going to modify the landing gear also, whats on the plans looks weak.
My Fuse is 90% built and the Tail feathers are complete except for
Hinging and covering and all the Ribs are built up and ready to slide
onto the spar. This is my first attempt at building an airplane and
any
comments about my plan of attack would be welcome, I am going to need
all the help I can get. Does anyone have any suggestions about which
Powerplant to use or any Wing Mods for better strength or Safety
concerns. * I have started sanding on the Fuse as the Spar varnish has
started to show some age and needs freshining up. Any Comments?

--
choptopjim-

Congradulations on your new plane. I'm not familiar with the Banty but
will offer some general suggestions. Contact the designer to let him
know you're the plansholder so that any service bulletins can be
passed on to you. Try to find a Banty specific builders group and get
on the mailing list. Join your local EAA chapter, invite any builder
that's interested to come have a look.
The landing gear might be designed weak on purpose. It's a lot easier
to repair it after a hard landing than it is to rebuild the fuselage.
It's easy to make things stronger but that almost always adds extra
weight and if the part is already strong enough there's no good reason
to do it.

Thanks for the insite Drew, I have already contacted the
Designer and today I connected with another builder who is coming over
this weekend to take a look at my project. I downloaded the forms for
both the EAA and the local EAA chapter to join up.
I started sanding on the Fuse today to remove some of the
Epoxy runout at the joints and whatnot and to remove some of the pencil
lines on the Plywood left over from the layout. *Does anybody have any
suggestions as to what kind of Spar Varnish I should use? It needs to
be able to go over what has already been used and I have no idea what
the previous builder applied. It's Amber in color and hard to sand,
some kind of Urathane I suspect. I will study the Landing gear again,
your right Drew, I have to watch the weight and not overbuild anything.
Choptopjim

--
choptopjim- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The glue sounds like it's T-88. A System Three product.
Are you saying that the varnish needs to go over the glue you're
seeing or it's already varnished ?

http://www.systemthree.com/index_2.asp

Jerry

Yes, T-88 is what was used and I will continue to use it with the rest of the build. The Fuse sides were not completely Varnished, just along the nail tracks and all the Spruce was covered. I sanded the Fuse sides to remove any greying and need to seal it now. I was trying to figure out what kind of finishing Varnish to use that would safely go over what was applied along the edges.
After studying what I have, it looks like I have a Banty Fuse with some added sticks, mostly in the tail section for added strength. The Tail Feathers are not whats on the plans. They were built Square instead of the rounded shape on the plans. Same size overall but with a little more area. The Fuse looks to me to be plenty strong for an engine up to 40 hp. I do not like the way the Banty wing was designed, it is just fine for an Ultralight I'm sure, but I am not going that route. I also do not want to use the folding wing feature and will be changing the wing center section to a solid type with the wings bolted to each side. I am not going to use any foam board for the false ribs and will add a leading edge and cover it for a D tube type construction. I will be adding some compression Ribs to the wing but I will use the geodectic construction as shown on the plans for the Drag, antidrag. Also will be using solid spars instead of the built up type, they will be a bit smaller in size probably, I have not done the math yet for the exact size needed. I will be changing the entry of the wing from 7% to a lesser angle ( as yet to be determinded). The Landing gear will need to be taller for the needed Prop clerance and to give the Plane a better stance. Still do not know what Power plant I will use, after I get my wing loading figured out I will decide on an engine and get the CG located in the proper place. Basicly, it is no longer a Banty but will be something of my own design. I bet this scares the Hell out of some of you out there. I do have the help of an Acft. structural engineer and some people that have been building Airplanes for over 30 years. They are making me do the work myself with any corrections needed from them at the right times. What's better than that? I wll continue to write about my project. Thank you all for your input, this so far has been alot of fun. Choptopjim