Jorge and Ethan attach the final bracket to the horizontal stabilizer, and the tail kit is complete! ON TO THE WINGS!
Mr. North stopped by as Jorge and Ethan worked on finishing the rudder.
Mentor Alan Muhs can often be found with a smile on his face. Even the menial things make him smile!
Pablo, Jeffrey and Sebastian show their pride in a finished bulkhead.
Mr. Sanchez looks over a completed part.
Rudder complete, the group now starts on the horizontal stabilator, a much more complex part.
A little help from Mr. Sanchez.
Ethan's group starts to assemble the rudder skin for riveting. Only problem, they forgot to pull the protective blue plastic off first. A few minutes later they were ready to go, but our time was up for the evening.
Student signatures inside the tailcone show "The Favorite" and "Real Airplane Parts" guy.
Tedious hand filing by Jeffrey and Nick.
If Mr. Muhs says "make it big", better do so! ;)
Jorge, Chase, Ethan and Andrew have completed their rudder "skeleton."
The tailbone is near completion.
The group gets ready to match the V.S. to the rudder.
Work sessions from April 30th and May 1st.
A happy group shows off a finished rudder!
The work days of May 21st and 22nd marked the final sessions before our summer break. Both the tail section and stabilator are within a few hours of being finished by the end of day two. A few students wanted to schedule extra sessions to finish, but a few would not be able to attend due to vacations. It was therefore felt that we started as a group, and we should end this segment of work as a group. Enjoy these pictures of our final work sessions before we resume in August.
We took Mother's Day off and just had one work session this week on May 15th.
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Mr. Brasch helps out with the stabilator group while Mr. Jordan does the same in the background with the tailcone workers.
Work Sessions May 7th and 8th, 1017.
Ethan and Chase compare the plans to the real thing.
Doc Miller offers a quick class in aerodynamic flutter.
Program supporter and aircraft builder Bob S. (on right) stopped by to take a look at the project.
The "Tail" Section. The students will be working in two groups of four. One group working on the rudder, the other on the vertical stabilizer. Every work session each student will rotate into a supervisor position.
Work Sessions April 9th and 10th, 2017
Volunteer Mentors Brasch and Miller look on as the students continue work on the very complex horizontal stabilator.
The group moves on to the servo tab on April 24th.
Reflections in the stabilator.
Mel Jordan teaches a class on "Bolt Basics" since the students are now starting to use hardware. They also learned there is a difference between aviation grade and hardware store bought!
The team of Jorge, Andrew, Chase and Ethan continue the task of fitting the skins on the stabilator.
We are back for school year 2017-18!
We decided to start the new year off with a BBQ for our students, family, friends and donors on our "official" first meeting day of August 13th, 2017. Below are a few shots from that get together. Special thanks to Mr. Northcutt who brought the grill and did most of the cooking, and a strike against the webmaster for not getting his picture.
Our first real work night for the new school year was on August 14th, 2017. We started with an opening talk by Mr. Muhs, and an introduction to the group of our newest student, Brian. Mr. Jordan worked with Brian to catch him up on the skills needed to build an RV airplane, while the rest of the group continued the final finishing of the tail section.
Mentor Glenn Brasch introduces a new tool to Jorge and Chase, Fluting Pliers.
Ethan is tonight's supervisor of his group.
Pablo and Sebastian have the first completed riveted part.
Problem Solved. Tie a string to the nutplate after feeding the string through the nutplate hole, then draw the nutplate in place and then center with a long finger reaching in. As good as new. Thank you Mr. North for the creative suggestion.
Family member Emily gets a lesson on "pulling a rivet" from Nick as Mr. Muhs looks on.
Jeffrey, Nick, Pablo and Andrew continue the final work on the tail cone section.
Andrew, Chase, Ethan and Jorge work on finishing the rudder.
Lots of protective blue plastic to remove from this horizontal stabilizer skin.
Jorge's little brother watches him and his group.
Pitot tube going in.
Since it had been awhile, the "old guys" review the work from last year before moving on.
Mr. Muhs and Northcutt take a few minutes to talk aerodynamics to a few students.
Thank You Mrs. North!!!
(PS-They didn't last long!)
Alan Muhs oversees some early riveting.
Problem Solving. One of the students over tightened a bolt that holds the rudder horn in place, a critical flight control issue. The bolt would not loosen or tighten after being stripped. The bolt was drilled out, and nutplate removed. But how to reinstall a new nutplate with limited access to the area?
Skin fits tight the first time on the stabilator for Andrew, Jorge and Chase.
Mr. Sanchez teaches a briefing for an upcoming Young Eagles Flight.
The tailcone is done, Nick and Sebastian show off the completed servo motor.
Mr. Jordan looks on after the end of day shop clean up.
Last clecos get put in place by Emily holding the V.S.together, as Nick and Mr. Jordan watch on.
It's not all blood pressure elevating, exciting work. Here Ethan catches a yawn, and Chase is about to fall asleep as the group takes on the boring task of filing down ribs.
That's it folks, at least until August 13th. Here is the group in their final shot for the season (we missed Sebastian who had to study for finals, and Chase). Please consider a donation to keep this worthwhile project going.
The last item to finish in the tail cone section is the trim servo motor, which involves learning a new skill, wiring.
Ethan and Jorge concentrate on the stabilator.
This group begins work on the larger parts that make up the tail cone.
April 17th. While the other group continues work on the stabilator. The vertical "stab" gets completed! Nick, Jeffrey and Pablo show off their work.
With a little luck we will have the tail section done in the next work session, and will move on the the wing kit!
The tail cone group, Sebastian, Pablo, Jeffrey and Nick finally have some big parts to show off. Above, Sebastian does what he loves doing best, holding "real airplane parts."
Andrew and Jorge continues to work on the horizontal stabilator.
At the end of the work session, each student got a SATA embroidered shirt.