EAA Sport Aviation - February 2010

the N-struts. They looked a little too “ultralighty” with the round tubing and the riveted gussets. Streamlined PVC overlays on the tubing and fiberglass at all the junctions and ends fixed that. I figured I might as well add the same to the slave struts, cabanes, and landing gear. That landing gear needed more help yet. Wheelpants with “spats” to cover the brakes and a fiberglass covering on the landing gear “A” frames complete with a tapered trailing edge and an “A” frame to fuselage fairing provided the needed help.

A glass fairing to clean up the tail feathers came next, along with Lexan windshields with fiberglass fairings. The tale of forming the Lexan windshields using the cowling shipping box, a kerosene torpedo heater, and a turkey thermometer is a story in itself. Yes, the wood-shipping box caught on fire. Yes, we had water available just in case it did. Yes, the Lexan windshields came out without distortion. After making a small cover for the exit area on the elevator push-pull tube, the fuselage was complete.

Yes, the wood-shipping box
caught on fire. Yes, we had water
available just in case it did.

The cutout at the rear where the two top wings met above the cockpit was very blunt. A contoured fiberglass insert was made that also holds the upper wing tank fuel gauges. The lower wing needed a fairing at the fuselage juncture, and this was added. Looking outboard I saw the need to smooth the transition between the leading edge and the wingtip bows on all four wings.

The mounting of the engine gave me another area to use my fiberglass skills. I rebuilt the nose bowl of the cowling to what I thought was a more pleasing shape and added a “velocity” lip on the bottom air exit opening.

All in all I added 33 pieces of fiberglass, which were made from molds constructed of foam, modeling clay, and tape. Stainless steel streamlined flying and landing wires were added to complete the new look.

As far as flying, my modifications helped add about 3 to 4 miles per hour in the air. What do you expect from a plane that cruises at 85 mph indicated, which was close to 90 mph true at gross weight, turning 2450 rpm on a Mattituck TMX O-200, swinging a Sensenich propeller, and all those wings, wires, and stuff hanging out in the breeze?

Inside the cockpit I provided what I call my
signature. The front and rear panels are covered
with a walnut veneer that was imported from

Italy. Gauges are the steam type, of course. I continued the walnut theme elsewhere in the cockpit on the throttle quadrant, rudder pedals, and other small items. To further clean up the cockpit I learned how to do leather work while adding a leather coaming around the cockpit entrances. The coaming is held in place with an aluminum cockpit surround that was added to facilitate maintenance and provide a more rounded cockpit look.

Paint is Superflite urethane, which proved a
significant challenge in its application. I wanted to
paint my own plane, and the end result looks good
after many hours of effort. The striping and logos
are decals made locally. My son, Dan, and I
designed them during an Iowa winter. My sister,
Karen, made the logo embroidery. The
embroideries were added to the seats and to the
cockpit covers that my wife and I made. Add the
embroideries to some matching flying jackets and
we have a complete ensemble!

Paul Adams can be reached via e-mail at: DLAdams@ Marshallnet.com

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