I like your parts wall! Good Idea for keeping everything accessible and easily identifiable.

Thanks. We have a set of bins on the other side for the bits and bobs. It is extensive. I will get a pic up. Rans does a pretty good job of cataloging. My partner, the engineer, has gone a step further and organized parts alphabetically with corresponding priority number on a spreadsheet. It was quite a time consuming endeavor, but man it was so worth it! Offered to share with factory, kind of got a blank stare. Anyway, anybody wants it let me know. Have both for S7S and S20.



Edited to ad pic.

Looking good so far. And I agree in the organization, great idea. Might take you up on the S7S offer, I have wanted to build one since I first visited the factory in Hays (used to live a couple hours away). Have always lacked a place to build, guess I need to stay put for awhile

Any update on getting the wing shipping damage resolved?

Not yet. 2 freight companies involved, the first denied claim now working on second. Round and round she goes...

I pity the poor fool, I mean the poor kit company, that tries to come up with a reasonable estimate of the amount of time it takes to build their product. Like mentioned earlier, most laymen could not build the S20 in the time stated. Then again, some may take 5000 hrs and never finish the damn thing. I think RANS and others who come up with a time based on how long it takes THEM, is about the best we can hope for. And how does one keep track of the time spent during a build? Time spent in the shop, including drinking coffee and cogitating on the instructions, and then re doing what you screwed up ? Or... actual productive hands on work? Then all the little details, laying out the panel etc. , some count that, some don't.

That quick build S-20 looks about ready to fly to me, a month or so of anti social family unfriendly hard work and it'd be done, maybe a quick divorce also would also speed things up. Barring that, I'd bet you'll have it flying mid summer at latest, partially thanks to your S-7S build experience, cool

Some of the front end going on. The boot cowl is a 4 piece CNC cut and drilled aluminum affair. Way less cutting and fitting than the S7S, but you do have to roll the 4 corners which would be a bit of a challenge without access to a slip roll.

Wow there are a LOT of screw tabs on the back of that instrument panel!!
I hope you're not installing nut plates on all of them!

Pop rivets. We are going to screw one of the side panels for easy removal for radio maintenance access.

Partner ordered up the Steve's gascolator today. Thanks to Brian for taking good care of the old chap.

gbflyer wrote:Pop rivets. We are going to screw one of the side panels for easy removal for radio maintenance access.

Partner ordered up the Steve's gascolator today. Thanks to Brian for taking good care of the old chap.

GB,

You partner is a real nice guy... Had a great conversation about parts damaged by shipping companies...
Look forward to more pics of your build..

Brian.

What's the latest progress?

gbflyer wrote:The damage occurred between Kansas and Seattle with Conway. Both wings wasted. They couldn't have done any more damage if they tried! Fuselage is OK. Thank God the engine isn't ready yet.

Man that stinks. Hopefully they take care of you.

We had some panels damaged on a temporary housing unit recently and they reimbursed us $200.00 for about $4000.00 in damage. We don't have the resource (time, money and effort) to go after them any further. Need to keep moving forward...

Been awhile since last update. I've been convalescing from an unexpected back surgery. In my absence the boys plugged away at wiring, controls, and panel work. Then a 3 week hiatus as my dad went to Rotax school in Mississippi, picked up our new big bore there, and then on to Kansas to pick up wing set #2. He's on the ferry to Juneau right now.

The shipping Co. has agreed to pay up. Only took a couple of letters from my pard's attorney. Guess you can't blame them for trying.

Replied to a bunch of PM's. Sorry about that. I use Tapatalk mostly and PM's are a little sketchy with it.

Pics to come in a day or two.

Flap lever. Notice extra notch that you don't get with S7S



Front sticks



Header tank. We will ditch plastic paper cartridge in lines after test run. Lots of crap in the tanks.



Rudder pedals



Firewall, custom EarthX battery tray, etc.



Shameless plug for Steve's Aircraft Gascolator

gbflyer wrote:


Shameless plug for Steve's Aircraft Gascolator

[emoji1]

I like it... No shame at all...

Brian

Very nice Gbflyer. It may be a kit with a lot of work done but there is a hell of a lot to do. All that wiring makes me dizzy. I consider a full electrical system two magneto "P" leads.

As to that extra flap notch, you saying it has a greater flap deflection when at max flaps? Or is it the same and just another notch in between the others? Same wing as the S7 of course, I don't know my max flap angle right off hand, but have always found them more then adequate, until now Looks like you're making great progress.

Yes cg, it has greater deflection. My pard who flew the demo in Hayes says it comes down like a stone with them all out. It uses the same length of cable throw. Randy told my dad when he was in Hayes a couple weeks ago that there is no reason why you couldn't do the same on the S7S if you felt like making a new bracket.

I guess there are some big changes coming on the S7s as well. My dad got a peek at it. It will have a real baggage area, a couple changes with the control tube, gas tank vents on top of the wing, a header tank, and the biggie is it will have the same flat aluminum Cessna style landing gear setup like the S20. Apparently factory monster gear will be off the table, although they might weld the fittings in the fuselage for you. He's also thinking about making the left hand opening door an option, which would allow placing the GD flap handle where it belongs. I think he said a different engine mount is in the works too but I could be wrong about that. I was on info overload.

He said Randy was extremely laid back and happy. They had an excellent visit.

I can see more flap offering more drag, and higher rate of descent, but the real question for me is will it let me land slower? With my tail and wing vg's I seem to have more then adequate pitch control, and can really milk that wing (I think) for all it is worth, usually when I land it is flat done flying. I can see more drag on the rollout helping a bit, but again I'm already going so slow that would be minimal.

BUT, on the other hand, every little bit helps, and hey that extra notch could be considered as a another lightening detail! So, like the BigBore engine mod getting more, for a bit less weight, that's a win/win in my book. New flap brackets is on my list of things to do, thanks. Maybe Randy will offer a retro kit? I'll start bugging him about that.

Forgot one. This is the better way to keep your wings straight. Not too proud of the POS that's under them yet, but we are going to throw $$$$ at it until it's almost as good as a Chevy. [emoji1]

Panel progress