LEXL-D25

[Flyguyeddy]

Now that i have finally gotten myself motivated to work on this bird, i might as well start a thread about it.  

I purchased this partially completed kit from Jim Wright last year.  It came with a mostly complete fuselage, spars, ribs , and extra wood and steel for one hell of an awesome price.  You can find his build thread here https://www.eaglersnest.com/forum/index.php?topic=241.0

I have decided to run the pushrod elevator setup done by several others on here.   I will also be attempting to graft the folding wing stuff from the airbike onto this plane, along with a center top mounted fuel tank and fiberglass rod tailwheel spring ala flitplane and others.  

My engine will be an ultravair with 92mm cylinders and pistons from SPA and heads are being done by tom knoblauch at american flat 6.  Carbs will be mikuni vm26’s and I’ll probably run a prop from frank.  Ignition via cheap slick 2220

I will be using round tube struts with foam fairings around them as found here http://chrusion.com/BJ7/Streamline/fairings.html

Heres some progress i have made. 

first picture is the tail post bottom part cut and sleeved, awaiting welding
next picture is post welding of above
third picture is of the dutchman clamp for the spring mount
4th picture is the pushrod pivot mounts before installation
pushrod pivot mounts installed are next two

[Flyguyeddy]

can a mod please move this to the xl subforum?  thanks!

[Hugh Sistrunk]

Good plan - should be a lot of fun to build - if you rename your photos to describe the shot, it will help us pinpoint what we are seeing, just a thought - have fun.

[Flyguyeddy]

Couldnt figure out how to rename the pictures but i made a short summary of what they are.   

Installed my shoulder strap mount tube today. 

I plan to mount the control stick underneath the aircraft instead of inside the cabin area, mainly to gain some seat lowering capability to get my head out of the tank/wing area.

Scottiniowa, what say you about doing a drop sump in the overhead tank at the front of the tank instead of the rear, tapered from rear to front?   

[Flyguyeddy]

Im told that last picture weld might have issues.  Someone please tell me if i should be concerned

[scottiniowa]

Couldnt figure out how to rename the pictures but i made a short summary of what they are.  

Installed my shoulder strap mount tube today.  

I plan to mount the control stick underneath the aircraft instead of inside the cabin area, mainly to gain some seat lowering capability to get my head out of the tank/wing area.

Scottiniowa, what say you about doing a drop sump in the overhead tank at the front of the tank instead of the rear, tapered from rear to front?  

As most of you know, I don't comment to often any more, as I have taken on some pretty large projects, not XL related.  but this one needs addressed.

So "Flyguyeddy" as a few have indicated, your questions might need to be better explained, in order to get better or more pertinent answers and I will show that in your photo marked up.

On your fuel tank, question, there are so many details unknown to your question so I will just spell them out here.. and your answers could change the " summation " greatly.

• header tank included or not?
• so with the drop sump, I presume you mean the front of the tank is larger than the rear? How much? with a 5 gal tank, we don't have a lot to play with, but could be done.
• with this design, and your at max pull out angle, are you planning this "dropped sump to be the lowest point yet?
• two fuel outlets in the tank or just one? i.e. front and back or just front in sump?
• Do you plan on doing a fuel flow test? and max angle? this requires, ditch of sorts, time watch, and doing it.  And then adjustments if not good enough.

As you can see, so many things involved here that need to be addressed before declaring " this will work" 

[Flyguyeddy]

I apologize for my lack of clarity on things.  I will try to be better about that in the future.   Marking up pictures, for me at least, is difficult as i do almost all of my posting from a phone and its not easy to do that kind of thing from an iphone but i will try. 

The drop sump idea i have attached a picture to better explain it.   (You may recognize the photo from a thread about a center mounted fuel tank). I was originally thinking of just one tap on the tank at the front drop part but after watching putt putt’s climbout angles on youtube videos, i have to assume that my idea wont work without a huge dip in the tank.   So disregard that part.   

The weld photo i posted:

None of the areas have been thinned any that i can tell, it just looks bad.  The rough edges are what concerned me.   Im pretty sure i had too much oxygen on these welds and i will do some more practicing/adjusting before i weld any more stuff on to my fuselage.  It has been a long time since i did any oxy/acetylene welding and i thought i could jump right back into it (like riding a bike, perhaps).   Not so.   

[Flyguyeddy]

I will have to get myself a stylus to assist with my drawings

[Flyguyeddy]

Mounted my wheelbarrow tires to my 3” wide rims.  Will be using hubs from hummel aviation and 160mm rotors with cable calipers for brakes.