FIRST ENGINE START!!; 24 - Wing Tip (finished); 12 - Emp. fairings (almost finished); 44 - Spinner & Prop (almost finished); Other (lots of misc. finished)

Big milestone:  FIRST ENGINE START!  Thanks to Ken B. and Glenn M., who were with me for 5 hrs that morning to do a number of tasks prior to the first start.  After we had Sal Capra from On-Site Weight and Balance perform the W&B, we performed a fuel flow test for both tanks (~45gph) to confirm fuel flow and rid the lines of any debris, and we pre-oiled the engine by removing the top plugs and running the starter 3-4 times for 10sec each until oil pressure registered on the G3X.  I then reinstalled the plugs, we chocked the tires, and I started her up - looks like about 3 blades until she caught (see video, below) ... and the engine ran very smoothly, and the prop cycled well at ~1800rpm.  The next day, CE Avionics performed the IFR certification for the transponder and pitot/static system.  There aren't too many tasks left until the Airworthiness Condition inspection!

As always, here is a detailed list of tasks that were completed during the past ~3.5 weeks (also click "read more" for additional pics):

- finished trimming, drilling etc. left tip lens; started AeroLEDs Sunspot LX Nav light (red for left side)

- a few different sections, so I’ll put that under “other” - installed BSR landing light lenses; installed wing tips and finished wiring lights; started working on rudder bottom fairing (up to attaching the nutplates)

- installed VS fairing; floxed rear AeroLED light doubler for bottom rudder fairing; worked on left elevator fairing

- installed left elevator fairing, worked on right elevator fairing; installed tail light and lower rudder fairing; checked Nav/strobe lights (worked!); played with G3X a lot to calibrate ADAHRS, setup autopilot, and figure out trim system and how it integrates (or not) with autopilot servos.  I need to calibrate magnetometer first

- finished right elevator fairing; started working on HS tip fairings (cut, sanded, drilled #40, made 2 bi-layer fiberglass patches)

- floxed/epoxied patches to HS tip fairings; started working on metal rear emp. fairings

- floxed and glassed inside of patches for both HS tip fairings; figuring out p-mag; leveled pitch on G5; started emp fairing

- Worked on HS tip fairings (sanded and micro-epoxied); figured out p-mag setup mode (has to be “off”, i.e. p-lead grounded); figured out mounting location for VIRB camera

- worked on flaps, which won’t detent (i.e. press once and it goes from -3 to 0deg, twice to 15deg, thrice to 30deg); called SteinAir and worked with Tim D. 

- worked on flaps, which still aren’t working correctly; rewired POS-12 sensor connection with d-sub pins; figured out wiring with Tim D.; no dice - still won’t work

- HS tip fairings (sanded the micro-balloons and painted with filler primer); figured out flaps, sorta (had to reverse wire for flap motor; detents work, but have to press up for flaps down and vice versa - may rewire later, or just keep as-is and get used to it - NOTE: - Ken B. and Glenn M. told me I can't leave it like this, so I will reverse the switch wires; micro-molex pin extractor is being sent from SteinAir); mounted VIRB camera; confirmed traffic ADS-B works (pulled bird out of hangar)

- finished and installed the HS tip fairings; timed Emag and Slick mag (thanks, Joe D., for the help!); redid safety wire for one pair of prop bolts; added hole and redid safety wire for remote oil filter; recalibrated flaps; attached left baggage side carpet

- installed seat harnesses (mostly); redid 8ga cable from bup alternator to ANL fuse; put dollop of silicone adhesive to tip of ELT ant (to secure to rear window

- prepped for W&B; W&B (Sal Capra); first oil pressure (run starter w/o top plugs for ~30-40 sec); fuel; fuel test (approx. 45gph each side); first start!; magnetometer calibration

- IFR certs. completed by CE Avionics (Transponder, Alt, pitot/static); fixed a few items brought up by Ken B., Glenn M., and Joe D.; fixed G3X settings for RPM and fuel pressure

- removed seats, seat pans, control sticks; finished wire-tying all avionics wires under the seats; started spinner (drilled #30 holes, drilled #40 holes for spacers)

Here is the video of the first engine start (thanks, Ken B., for taking the vid!):

41 - Wing Attach (finished); OP52A - AeroLEDs Sunspot LX (finished); Other (lots o' stuff); 24 - Wing tip (mostly finished)

It's been a month since I last posted, but I have been working as diligently as possible on the bird.  I had a little (well, it was yuuuge) snafu at work that I have been spending an inordinate amount of time dealing with, so working on the plane has been good therapy.  I hope to finish in a couple months, and there are still tons of items on my to-do list.  Nevertheless, I accomplished quite a bit during the past month:

- Attached fuel lines between wing and fuselage; continued working on left lower wing root fairing

- worked on wing root fairing fit (left upper and lower) to clear fuselage by at least 0.040”; riveted root fairing stiffeners to upper left root fairing

- finished most of the wing root fairings, except for lower right; attached OAT probe; wired OAT probe (spliced to pigtail at wing root)

- finished lower right wing root fairing; RTV-attached UHMW spacers to both wing roots (using instead of proseal; will keep an eye on it when removing upper root fairings; rigged ailerons (the control stick moves like buttah); attached flaps and started rigging flaps (need to file a bit off the edge of the right flap) 

- removed lower cowl and two landing light lenses; started working on landing light brackets; attached magnetometer; other misc. stuff

- worked some on landing light brackets (mostly painting); final-attached and checked canopy switch; routed and attached Pitot and AOA tubes to G3X and G5; tidied wires under panel some more; attached brake modification (thanks, Mark A. and Shane B.!) which affords a spring-return to not accidentally drag brakes

- finished attaching and wiring landing lights (AeroLED Sunspot LX); the two adel clamps were a pain, since they were on the inboard side

- fueled left tank with 20gal (no leaks so far), and started to calibrate fuel sender in G3X; added canopy latch warning from Van’s; played with G3X settings; installed and painted canopy guide pins

- drained left fuel tank, filled right tank with 20gal, calibrated both fuel senders; programmed G3X limits and calibrated aileron trim and flaps; tried to calibrate elevator trim servo, but couldn’t get a voltage reading (I’ll redo micromolex connector with D-sub pins, as recommended by Ken B.); painted seatbacks

- added 7qt of oil to engine (Aeroshell 100 mineral oil); worked on tail light wires; drained 20gal of fuel from right tank (no leaks so far!); attached seatback interior to metal painted seatbacks

- attached wingwalk pads to both wing roots, so I stop scuffing the aluminum (or slip); finished tail light wires, and tucked under rudder so I can do the fiberglass; started playing with brake bleeder, but the container won’t prime - needs new seals, or I need to buy a new pressure vessel

- bled brakes after fixing container; re-did elevator trim wiring again, this time with d-sub pins (thanks for suggestion, Ken B.!) - successful calibration

- Completed much of the right wing tip up to installing the nutplates; also started installing Archer tip antenna (for VOR/ILS)

- finished right wing tip, including nav light lens and wired nav lights (started)

- started left wing tip, finished Archer tip antenna (floxed/micro’d to inside of wing tip), finished nav lights

- finished 2/3 of left wing tip up to installing nutplates and installing wing tip rib

- sanded trailing edge of left wing tip, sanded nav light area; cut and trimmed left tip lens to size (what a pain)  

There are approx. 50 pictures that follow, but unfortunately they are not in order - I'll still annotate each.  Here are the seat backs, after priming and painting: