Landing gear leg fairings done

I got 3 coats of black enamel on the V-77’s landing gear leg fairings late this morning.  That finishes them up except for installation.  I’ll let them sit for a week or so to make sure they are really dry.

All done

Gear fairings primed

I spent some time today removing the landing gear leg fairings, cleaning them, and then spraying them with epoxy primer, inside and out.  I had to repair the ceiling of the paint booth while I waited for the epoxy primer to set up….guess duct tape will only hold so long.  Next up is spraying the black enamel.

Right gear leg fairing finished

I spent several hours today in the hangar working on the V-77’s right side landing gear leg fairing.  I decided to use some of the Timmerman nuts and screws from the left side that I finished yesterday…they all need to come off for painting anyway.  I’ll get the replacements Monday.  Like the left side, the fairing was on and off several times as I marked additional holes and drilled them.  The last step was to cut the trailing edge and get that drilled and fitted.  Below is the result.  I will hopefully epoxy prime both fairings tomorrow.

Right side landing gear leg fairing

Making a list, checking it twice

I spent a few hours this afternoon finishing the landing gear fairing on the left side.  I had to drill a few more holes and do some trimming of the metal.  The last step was to join the trailing edge together.  I have run out of Timmerman nuts as well as sheet metal screws, so I’ll be making a trip to Air Parts Monday morning.  Wade suggested a few weeks ago I get a white board to track things we need to do on the V-77 before it is done.  That seemed like a good idea so I populated it with everything I could think of at the time.  Wade has added a few other items.  Some items on the list can happen relatively quickly, like installing the prop, other things take some time, like making the landing gear fairings.  It is always fun to check something off!

The white board “to do” list

Left side gear fairing finished

Prop installed

Earl Long came over this afternoon with a few helpers to install the prop on the V-77.  Wade was also here as well as Steve….so we had plenty of help.  We used an engine hoist to get the prop high enough.  It took a few tries to get all of the tiny parts on the shaft and get the prop bolt to thread on, but we finally made it.  Here are a few pictures:

Alec, Earl, Spence, Wade, and Steve (L to R)

Alec torques the prop to 350 foot pounds

Wade gets an over the shoulder view of the operation

Earl doing all the detail work

Working the prop onto the engine shaft

Right gear leg fairing mostly finished

Steve was over again today to help on the right landing gear leg fairing.  We spent some time rolling the metal to get the proper curvature and then spent the rest of the day getting the fairing mounted.  It did not turnout as good as the left side, but that is probably one of those things most will not notice.  We still have to work the trailing edge holes on both sides, but I need to get the excess cut off first.  I really appreciated Steve’s help on this as it takes several hands to hold stuff in place and drill holes.  Thanks!

Both gear leg fairings mostly finished

Steve as we roll the fairing

Fuel flow test successful

Today we tested the flow rate of the new Andair fuel valve we installed in the V-77.  Wade needed that info for the field approval paperwork he would be submitting to the FAA.  We put about 2 gallons of fuel in the right fuel tank.  The tank holds about 39 gallons…..so almost empty to minimize the head pressure of the fuel.  Wade operated the valve in the cockpit while I timed the filling of a 64 once container.  We did the test 3 times and averaged the time….14.89 seconds.  If you round that to 15 seconds, that would be one gallon every 30 seconds, or 2 gallons a minute, or 120 gallons an hour.  Maximum fuel flow on takeoff of the V-77 with the Lycoming R680 300 hp engine is around 30 gallons per hour.  So, plenty of margin.  In other news, Steve has been helping me get the pilot side landing gear leg fairing installed yesterday and today.  I need to take it back to Jim’s for trimming, but we are essentially done.  Tomorrow we will start the right side…with a few lessons learned to apply.

Gear leg fairing almost done

Fuel came out the rubber hose into the large measuring cup

Randy and Steve working the fairing yesterday 

How to spend the longest day of the year

Yesterday was the first day of summer and the day had the greatest amount of sunlight….the longest day of the year.  On Friday afternoon and evening, I took United Airlines to Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C.  The mission….help Jody fly his V-77 back home.  He was invited to display it at the Udvar-Hazy wing of the Smithsonian Museum located at Dulles on Father’s Day weekend as part of a celebration of WW II ending.  But then the weather went south for the return trip and he took the airlines home so he could get back to work.  We were up early Saturday morning with a flight plan filed to depart the D.C. Special Flight Rule Area at 7:30 AM, basically heading west out the Jasen gate.  Everything went like clockwork with great air traffic controllers and we were soon on our own flying over the Appalachian hills.  The weather was great….no clouds and great visibility.  As we headed west into southern Indiana, there were scattered clouds and the wind also started kicking up, so it was good landing practice.  We made 3 stops for fuel along the way and arrived at Stearman Field last evening about 8:00 PM after 11.9 hours of flying fun.  There was enough sunlight left for Jody and friend Joel to make it home to Tulsa, but with the fuel pump inop at Stearman, they elected to spend the night with us.  Flying a V-77 was a great way to take advantage of all the sunlight.  I am glad the weather cooperated despite some headwinds.

Our neighbor, Tammy, took this nicely framed shot

The flying trio, Randy, Joel, and Jody (L to R)

We are flying straight west though the V-77s nose is pointed about
30 degrees south to correct for wind drift

Climbing above small clouds over Illinois 

The Appalachian hills

The V-77 was tiny compared to the business jet parked with it

Landing at Dulles Friday evening in a 757

Boot cowl inspection covers completed

Wade was over yesterday and installed the remainder of the nut plates in the boot cowl.  This morning, I glued the rubber gaskets to the back of the metal inspection covers and then screwed the covers onto the boot cowls.  I also went in search of a larger container with graduation marks so we can test the flow rate of the fuel selector valve.  This data is needed for the field approval paperwork.  Maybe do that test next week.

We’ll see if this is big enough

Covers screwed onto boot cowls

Rubber gaskets glued to inside of covers

Parts arrive

About a month ago, we found cracks in the spinner bulkhead and also discovered the brass cone for the prop was not in the box of parts from Radial Engines.  I got a box today from them with the repaired bulkheads and the brass cone.  So, on to installing the prop.

Bulkheads surrounding the brass cone

Boot cowl covers

Wade was over this afternoon installing new nut plates instead of the 1/4 turn fasteners.  Apparently the 1/4 turn fasteners can leak water.  Using these nut plates we can install a gasket to prevent the leaks.  Since this is behind the instrument panel, it is good to keep it as dry as possible.  We did not have enough nut plates so Wade will get more.  He also brought a sheet of rubber to make the gaskets from….so that kept me busy for a bit.

This is where we ran out of nut plates…9 to go

Cover in place but not screwed on

Rubber gasket

Nut plates installed on one half of boot cowl

Getting the bends

I worked the landing gear fairings around a saw horse covered with blankets to get an initial bend in them.  Then I wrapped a bungee cord around them and will let them set overnight.  Hopefully they will retain enough of the bend to get them in place and drilled.

Landing gear leg fairings cut and bent

I went to Valley Center this morning and my friend Jim used his aluminum chopper and bending brake to help shape the V-77 landing gear leg fairings.  I need to do some filing yet, but it was great progress.  Thanks Jim!  In other news, my friend Bret bought a V-77 in Minnesota and has it about 15 miles south at Cook Field.  We flew together yesterday morning as Bret learned to fly the V-77 from the left seat.  He did great.  Also, the twins were here earlier in the week and spent some time investigating my V-77 interior.  It got their seal of approval.

Gear leg fairings

Jim using the bending brake

Bret and his V-77

Emma checks out the copilot seat

Amelia stretches out and reads in the back seat

The grand adventure

David, who bought the Stinson Voyager I restored a few years ago, is passing through on his way from Idaho to Washington, D.C.  He and his friend Patrick are riding motorcycles and his other friend, Melanie, is flying her Piper J-3 Cub.  It has been quite the adventure so far between weather and flat tires.  They came over this afternoon to see the Gullwing Stinson.  While David most recently saw it at Christmas, this was Melanie’s first time.  She was impressed by the size!  She also appreciated both the wing shape and the similarities in color scheme and interior appointments to the Voyager David has.  It is always fun to show the airplane and even better to a fellow pilot / antique airplane owner.

David and Melanie

Melanie tries the pilot seat for size 

Melanie’s Cub

Cub at night

Patrick, David, and Melanie (L to R)

V-77 current

My friend Jody flew his V-77 to Stearman Field Thursday evening.  He picked up Jeremy in Tulsa on the way.  Bret also joined the fun starting Friday morning.  All three of us are about to start flying V-77s, and Jody was nice enough to provide us some takeoff and landing practice.  We did a 4.5 hour ground school Friday morning on operation and maintenance tips, and then started the flying fun the rest of Friday and most of Saturday.  We visited several different area airports in the process.  The weather was great the whole weekend!  I feel really good now about my ability and am ready to get mine finished and start flying.  Thanks Jody!!

Jody’s V-77 at KEWK

Randy, Jody, Bret, and Jeremy

Just after takeoff late Friday