Legal Eagle XL in Pennsylvania

[Pilotarix]

Hi all,

This might have the chance to become a thread about a Legal Eagle build in Pennsylvania. Likely not the first, I assume.

Anyhow, I have been close to starting a project before twice, If I recall this correctly. Around 2000 a Vans RV9 and 2016 a Zenith 750, both times life had different plans.
Now a new approach.
I got the plans as well as the supplemental wing plans from Iron design. 
I am about to source some of the wood. The cap strips for the ribs from Aircraft Spruce, and I am still waiting on feedback from my local lumber yard; they were convinced that they could source clear straight grain spruce. That was 2 days ago, and I have not heard anything, so it might not work out. The shipping cost for the plywood is insane, so I try local, but that is even less likely.

I will start with the wings. I have talked to John Bolding about a welded fuselage. I will very likely go this route to give the project a better chance to succeed. My welding skills are really subpar, probably worse, so I will improve them for the next fuselage, not for this one. 
My goal is not to monkey around, stick to the plans and get it done.
Certainly, the journey is an important part of the destination, but I will stay on paved roads.

Thanks,
Christoph

[Pilotarix]

Hi all,

I ordered Sitka Spruce  and 0.8mm Plywood from Aircraft Spruce to start with the wing ribs.
I have the supplemental wing plans from Irondesign. Currently I am prepearing a straight board for the wing rip jig. I have worked many times on RC planes plans and covered the plans with two layers of the ususal kitchen foil. That was enough and worked fine but typically that is only to make one or two parts and not twenty-six. So I was looking for a clear slightly thicker plastic foil but I could not find something that really seem to fit. That stuff must be out there, I probably don't search the right way. Any suggestions on what to use?

[Poorman2]

I went to my local print shop and had them laminate a clear plastic (possibly mylar) over my rib drawing.

[Pilotarix]

That is an excellent idea. I have a Staples close by and will see if they offer anything like that.
I have some clear vinyl, which is left over from making a Bimini top for our sailboat. It might be a little thick (almost 0.0125") and I am not sure if T88 will stick to vinyl, I guess I have to make a test.

[Kamcoman77]

I used two layers of clear self-adhesive shelf paper from the grocery store. Worked great.

[Pilotarix]

Great Idea with the shelf contact paper.
I also like that idea with the clothespins. That will avoid staples and the work to get them out later. Also nice the excenter wedges to keep the pieces in place, I assume they make it easier to get the glued rib off the jig. 

[Chuck in Indiana]

I just varnished the plans and put a couple of coats of paste wax on everything.
If you haven't seen it, I have pretty much documented the build in "a little progress XL-58."

[DA Miller]

Christoph, I'm building a Legal Eagle XL in Waynesboro, VA just down I81.  If you want to talk XL's give me a call.  DA Miller 540-480-0315

[Pilotarix]

I just varnished the plans and put a couple of coats of paste wax on everything.
If you haven't seen it, I have pretty much documented the build in "a little progress XL-58."

I saw your thread, excellent I like it. Many good pictures that help a newbie builder like me connect the plans with reality, which I think is sometimes not easy.

I got my wing plan laminated at a Staples store. Looks pretty good, clear, has no wrinkles, and the lamination will withstand a beating. I still have some 1/4" Delrin plate from another project that I can use to realize a clamping mechanism. I also have an adhesive-backed thin neoprene rubber sheet that will definitely not stick to the epoxy that I could use on plywood for the clamping mechanism.
I want to do both gussets at the same time if possible. I think I read that some people have done that.
 

[Pilotarix]

Christoph, I'm building a Legal Eagle XL in Waynesboro, VA just down I81.  If you want to talk XL's give me a call.  DA Miller 540-480-0315

That sounds like a very good idea. Currently, I am still a little bit confused by so much information. I hope to get my jig finished next week. My wood for the ribs should arrive tomorrow.
How far are you in to your project?

I did send you a pm with my email and phone number.
Thanks
Christoph

[Chuck in Indiana]

Many good pictures that help a newbie builder like me connect the plans with reality, which I think is sometimes not easy.

That was the idea.  I hope it helps. I've been an EAA tech counselor since the 80s. One of "my guys" has a Lindy on his mantle, and said.. "I just couldn't wrap my head around those plans."  So, you are not alone. Keep studying and it will (mostly) become clear.

[Pilotarix]

That was the idea.  I hope it helps. ...

It definitely helps, thank you. A picture is worth a thousand words.


Not much is happening here.

I got the order from my "administration" to finish the School Desk Project for our son before doing anything else. I think I have to comply with that to keep everybody happy



My plywood arrived yesterday evening. The box definitely took a beating during transport.  Unfortunately, all of the three plywood sheets have slight damage on one side and a corner. 
No cap strips yet. They were marked as in-stock when I ordered them, and the order is now for 5 days on "preparing for shipment."  I called Aircraft Spruce today and asked how things going, and they told me that they are still cutting them, so no definite delivery date yet. Not a problem, now I can start with cutting gussets, enough to do.

[Pilotarix]

I just saw the email from Aircraft Spruce. Cap strips to be shipped within a “couple of weeks”. I am on position 9 or 10. Oh well, enough time for the school desk and the gussets I guess.

[CHARLES DEBOER]

Some of our members have requested that their plywood be rolled and shipped in a tube.  Don't know if ACS still provides this service but it might be worth asking for future purchases.

[Pilotarix]

Some of our members have requested that their plywood be rolled and shipped in a tube.  Don't know if ACS still provides this service but it might be worth asking for future purchases.

Thanks, I will try that the next time.

It looks like I have to start the built from the tail end.

The wood will need a couple of weeks and whether or not I am going to build the fuselage myself is still undecided. Recently a couple of people encouraged me to try, so I am on the fence with that.
The other big piece to attack is on the tail end of the plane, the stabilizer, and the rudder. So I will start there.
A while ago, I was told by people who should know better that there is no metal supply store in our area. So I went online and checked prices. Online metal offered all aluminum tubing for about 450$ plus 390$ shipping. Crazy. I canceled that and went on to the lumber yard to order two 14' I-joists for the table. The lumber yard is an area where I normally don't go to. On my way, I came across a small sign pointing towards a company High Tech Metal. It did not look like a lot from the road, but in the back of their compound, there was a warehouse, and they had a pretty good amount of different metal pieces on their shelves. I pulled up the material list on my phone, and the guy was not impressed. I have all of that, was his response. So he gave me a quote of about 350$ for the aluminum tubing, 100 less than online, and obviously no shipping. They have all the different 4130 tubings as well.
So tomorrow, I will get the aluminum tubing and a quote on the 4130 tubings.

One quick question, I assume the the SQ on the 4130 material list stands for square - meaning square tubing?