Radio failure (on the ground)

 Lousy weather but good enough for a short IFR flight. The goal was to confirm or adjust the Intercom squelch level in preparation for a planned flight with my wife next week. The radio just died during the run-up while programming the GTN....

At least it is the best season to be grounded on...

LEMO-jack

Got around to installing the LEMO-jack for the right side. I decided to keep the traditional headset jacks as a backup. I also found the intercom squelch settings, now working perfectly on the ground, I hope to do a flight test tomorrow. 

TOGA button installed

Decided to yet again redo some radio wiring, I will shorten the headset wiring by placing the jacks in the panel instead of the standard RV-14 position (beside the seats). This is still work in progress as I did not bring all needed tools to the airport.

I also installed the TOGA switch and configured the GTN 625 for "remote go around", works great.

Panel version 3, mandatory extra annual in preparation for permanent permit to fly, started

Ordered some expensive but nice looking printed aluminium pieces for marking the switches and breakers.

Some screws are missing as they needed to be replaced, the Seat heat switch is not connected and installed and the same is thru for the TOGA button. Apart from that I can present the third version of the panel below:

Do not worry, the mag switches were just temporary hot while torquing the nuts.

The engine compartment part of the annual is done, some anti-chaffing improvements, all looks good. Still not enough rubbing from the baffling to clearly see where one should add some epoxy protection on the cowls. Probably at next annual.

 

50 Hours done

Another fuel calibration and two more flights and I am up to the necessary 50 hours :D

POH and test protocols are written. 

Left to do is:

- a mandatory extra annual/100-inspection

- mark all the switches again (ordered small 20x10mm signs yesterday. Before placing these, I will paint the center and right panel as I liked how the left panel turned out)

Then I will send in my material and request for a permanent permit to fly, our EAA organisation will send out an inspector to do a final certification inspection and then it will be done.

1000 Hours

Another great flight today. This evening i realized that I had 997.6 hours in my logbook. Time for a longer flight!

And an amazing flight it was, started with some formation flying, then 30 minutes of IMC followed by a tour around ESSB (Bromma) control zone, got 2.5 hours block time so my total flight time is now 1000.1 hours :D Tested in the flight was the new iPad min flush mount, worked great!

Update: another video for nerds only, now that I got the external camera home:

Flight 43 and new place for the iPad mini

Another video, trying out some pic in pic video layouts:

The flush iPad mount will not fit next to the 7´´ G3X Touch screen without major modifications. I give up and will place it next to the G5 instead. Removed the left panel after the flight, at home with me now for the mount installation.

A morning flight, Flight 42

Sat myself in the car a few minutes after 5am and headed for the airport. Block off at 6:03 and airborne at 6:14, living closer to the airport is great! I am now in the air before I would have arrived at the airport if living at my old adress :D

Today's flight was just a another flight to verify that the G5 works as it should. My radio interception is now much improved and I listened to Sweden Control for most of the flight, happy to hear some traffic again, it sure has been silent on the radio for many weeks now.

I was hoping to do some IMC flying but I am not sure the cloud flying I did at the end of this video even qualifies for logging IMC... When flying in IMC with the pitot heat on at 11 degrees Celsius with all normal equipment on and a camera on the USB interface, my total system draw is only 15 Amps. Flying at -40 celsius should make the GAP 26 draw a maximum of another 6 amps, feels great to have lots of marginal :D

Was home at 8:05 the kids had just woken up and my wife's greeting included "...perfect tajming, the coffee is just ready to be served". Life is great!

  

To-do/squak list

Done

- Install Garmin G5

- Wrap center panel

- Clean up the wiring behind the panel (some minor stuff left to do)

- Fix/replace the non working canopy fan

To-do

- Install new TOGA switch

- Re-label the center panel

- Forgot mounting the light regulators in the panel, a 5 minute job

- Connect the canopy warning switch (not sure if I will)

- Provide a USB connector at, at least one external camera postions

- Install the new access doors/covers

- Install Wheelpant access doors (to be able to fill up the tires without having to dismantle the fairings)

- Install flush iPad mini holder in the panel

Twilight flight, panel version 2.5

Spent many hours with improving the wire management, wrapping the center panel section and installing the new Garmin G5. Below is panel version 2.5 (version three will be with the soon to be installed iPad flush mount)

 I was tired and local time was way past 10PM but I could not skip testing out the G5 and this was also a great opportunity to check the landing light height adjustment.

Twilight ended at 23:26 at ESSU last night, I landed at 23:16, perfect! This was also the first flight with a working pitot heat. I turned off the heat when vacating the runway, it was still warm 6-8 minutes later when I had gotten out of the cockpit and checked it.

I need to tune the back light settings in the GMC507 and the ICOM. In real life, it is the G5, 625 and 470 that has a good brightness setting.
 

New toys for Panel version 3

Got this in the mail today :D

When installed I will feel comfortable flying into IMC.

Squak/to-do status:

Done
- Flip the flap switch
- Fix the co-pilot trim down switch
- Install Pitot heat switch (and breaker)
- Complete Pitot heat wiring
- New tail wheel axle
- New Tail wheel stearing link

- Connect the canopy fans, Done but one fan does not work...

To-do
- Install Garmin G5
- Install new TOGA switch
- Wrap center panel
- Connect the canopy warning switch (not sure if I will)
- Clean up the wiring behind the panel
- Provide a USB connector at, at least one external camera postions
- Install the new access doors/covers
- Install Wheelpant access doors (to be able to fill up the tires without having to dismantle the fairings)
- Install flush iPad mini holder in the panel

Flight 34, Fixed radio

Got out to the airport to continue dismantling the radio, I got out the tray and decided to just try it in my lap before removing all wiring. I then realized that I could push the radio in another millimeter into the tray compared to when it was in the panel! Now I got reception from inside the hangar :D

I then tried turning on the intercom using the key on the radio (hold in dual for 2 seconds), I had not done this before as I have a dedicated intercom switch, another win, the intercom is working.

With this, I reconnected the G3X sound into the radio, mounted the tray into the panel, further out and went for a test flight. I am still not happy with the sound quality but everything is much improved.

Made two touch & go, all three landnings was good today, basically no bounce on any.

New panel center section

The plan for yesterday was to get the noice certification tests done but the weather did not cooperate.

I then decided to install the new center section of the panel so I would no longer have to fly with the GMC 507 autopilot controller in my lap.

I managed to flip the flap switch upside down so I will have to correct that at the next session.

A squak/to-do list to make me remember:
- Flip the flap switch
- Wrap the center panel
- Label the center panel
- Fix the co-pilot trim down switch
- Connect the canopy fans
- Connect the canopy warning switch
- Install the Pitot heat switch
- Clean up the wiring behind the panel
- Provide a USB connector at, at least one external camera postions
- Install the new tail wheel axle
- Install te new tail wheel staring link
- Install the new access doors/covers

Flight 15

Another beautiful flight over a snow covered landscape. I sorted out a GPS-EFIS problem that have haunted me for many months. I could not get the flightplans to transfer.

The problem was that while I correctly had only the PFD active in the G3X settings, I somehow managed to have an RS232 setting active for the non-existing MFD. This non-existing MFD got priority over the PFD from the GTN625 resulting in that I got no MapMX communication between the boxes.

After the flight I removed the tail area cover and last night I made a more permanent "Experimental" marking.

Flight 11

Finally another flight. I planned to start the autopilot installation but I had forgotten to bring the plans.

It was also very cold in the hangar so I settled for exchanging the masters switch to the type that you have to pull over the center. I also installed two USB ports on the right panel. No video or pictures from this flight.

Did another lean test:

FF 7.9gph / 29.9lph
TAS 155
RPM 2150 MAP 25.5 Engine power according to G3X 56%

Landed with the highest crosswind so far: 11kt, 70 degrees from the side.

Panel version 2

Started on the next version of the Panel. I think climbing with the AP set on IAS will become my favourite.

Not many wires left

I need to wire the sticks and a few other wires but basically I am just 2-3 work sessions away from being ready to transport everything to the airport :)

One fall to many... my GoPro is dead

Decided to temporary attach my OAT sensor and magnetometer in hope of getting the transponder to give me a green tick-box. Got some encouraging info from Chris, thanx :) Not done with the connections yet, it has been a busy weekend.

My fallen Hero who has served me very well

Fairings done

Done with the fairings. Still having problem with the transponder configuration. It just sits there "updating"...

Transponder configurations and fairing adjustment

Started configuring the transponder, not working yet. Then I checked the clearance for the elevator-stabilizer fairing. Not enough on the right side. Decided to add another layer on the inside so that I can sand the outside some more tomorrow.

Finished the 35R wiring

and did the inside glass work on the fairings.