Cotton Waiex 191 - N191YX

[Bryan Cotton]

Here is my autoclave setup for the main axles.

The ceramic heater makes a lot more heat than the old toaster element version and I had to move it away a bit.

[Bryan Cotton]

Axles are cooked. Came out good.

Tonight I set up the wheelpant mounting plate, bleeder ports, brake line port, and I got it all bolted up hopefully for keeps.


Here is the bolted up picture. Not to worry about the cotter pin for the axle mount, I put them in after the picture. It seemed right to hold off on the O-rings, pistons, pads and brake fluid until after I have the master mounted and the plumbing in.


Tomorrow should be grease the bearings and chuck the wheels on day. So maybe I am not quite ready to call in the FAA yet I am enthused anyway!

[vwglenn]

Flippin sweet! Keep it up.

[Bryan Cotton]

Thanks Glenn!

Forgot to point out that my preheater is in that last picture. I keep it set for 40 and bump it to 55 when I am there.

[ScottM-Sonex1629]

-- pack bearings...check

-- install wheels...check

-- flip the darn airframe over already and get this baby on its landing gear................

Bryan, keep up the good work...check

[Bryan Cotton]

Msg received. Kilroy was here:

He packed the bearings, greased the tailwheel pivot, installed all the wheels and cotters. Now I just need a 13 year old on the tail and we are off the horses.

[ScottM-Sonex1629]

:mrgreen:

[Rynoth]

Lol. Awesome.

[LarryEWaiex121]

Bryan,

Never poked my head in on your project. I have a couple of quick ideas for you since your at a stage where they could easily be incorporated.
Obviously, your building the re-inforced tail as part of the kit. Back when the SB came out on the tail I had only been flying about 4 months. It was a son of a gun to get in and do what needed to be done.
Now I just finished my rudder cable SB and that was an even bigger hassle. Soooooooo!.
My suggestion is to build in access to the things your not dreaming of now. An example would be right where the inspection hole(on bottom of plane) is shown under the front of the hockey sticks on the SB. I'm not certain it's shown on current plans since your building the stronger attachments right from the beginning?
If I was to do this over I would make a rectangular inspection hole, smaller, but very similar to the cover under the mixer.
Hopefully, I've not lost you here? LOL
If you ever need access to the ferrules in the tail, you would find a slightly larger access to be very beneficial. Getting the rings back on the ferrules with only access reaching through the tail and that little 4 inch hole on the bottom is like building a ship in a bottle. Not really all that fun.
Same for the area just ahead of the former in front of the mixer.
If you ever need to access the lower pully's you are out of luck unless you crawl into the tail from the front. Even then your working blind because you can't see the bottoms of the bolts with the naked eye. The process involves inspection mirrors and going by brail to put it all back together.
These planes were designed to be simple and that makes for some compromises to future access. Unfortunately, things pop up over time you never dreamed would be an issue and fore thought now will save some possible grief later. And maybe a screwed up paint job also. The accesses are on the bottom and visually it will do nothing to the plane. If its pretty sitting on the gear it will still be pretty; only easier to work on when the day comes.

Larry
Waiex 121YX

[Bryan Cotton]

Thanks Larry! I have made a few structural access panels in my day and will keep that in mind.

Meanwhile: