Thumbnails and Narrative

	One is the old seat showing the new seat belts. Original belt was only a lap belt on pilot's side.
	Panel shot that shows the instruments. This pic is before dual stick conversion.
	Here is a look without the seat, of the RR dual sticks installed. This is how it was configured for final inspection and still is.
	The sling seats right after sewing them, prior to reinforcing eyelets, and mounting.
	Special tool for dis-assembling a brake master cylinder. Get a "metric" adjustable wrench from the knowledgeable sales person at Lowes.
	Drill a hole in each side and secure with nuts.
	Alternator installed
	left side view of spin on adapter rear of engine
	looking down on Cavalier alternator
	new belt installed with tensioner alt in place
	New canopy opening
	Cut out and hinged in place
	Made the cut on an angle so the canopy door could not recess into the cockpit
	New Corvair motor

	side view of belt installed and tensioner
	spin on adapter and electric oil pressure and temp sensors
	view from bottom, new belt
	These first 3 shots are taken by my wife Beverly as I taxi back up to the FBO after a successful first flight.
	It was definetly interesting since the airspeed indicator quit working midflight, and the electronic ignition wasn't working at all.
	The Slick magneto was so it climbed slowly but did good in cruise.
	These next 2 shots are right after the airworthiness inspection was complete and I am holding the brand new pink slip!
	Very proud day!
	The inside shot show the registration, airworthiness, and operating limitations together and displayed where they can readily be seen from the entry point of the cockpit, just like the FAA Regs call for.
	The next 2 pics are what 96TA looked like the day we bought her in Oklahoma.
	The black prop was a hand cut climb prop and was unknown as to what pitch it was.
	The next series of pictures are illustrating the changes we made to the plane to fit us, and to update for our airspace.
	I also did away with the elevator cables and installed a pushtube from the stick all the way back to the elevator.
	The bellcrank shown "de-tuned" the elevator by increasing the required stick movement for the same amount of elevator movement, unlike the previous setting with cables which was 1 to 1. I am set at 2 to 1.
	1/2inch results in only a 1/4inch at the elevator. My feelings after the first flight are that it worked out very well, and was easy to transition to.







	The pictures of the wing and me poking it, are when I installed a piece of outdoor conduit into the wing so that I could run the wiring for the nav lights and strobes.






	The last pic is me glassing the antenna in on the vertical stab, after soldering the cable connection. I used deck cloth for the glassing to minimize the amount of finish work to paint.
	This an automotive fuse panel adapted to the KR. I pre-installed the spade terminals to make it easy to tell if I had enough to do what I thought I needed.
	I also made a grounding lug on the bottom of the mounting panel, so that I could make a common ground point for all the accessories, since Mark and you have stated that is important to prevent electrical "noise".
I also eliminated the extra high voltage wires under the panel, by running them through the fuse panel preventing a direct short, and hopefully any wire fire.	Power is now fed directly to the panel from one switch, which in turn feeds power every where else. NOTHING works now without the master on, which was not the case before. Alot of stuff could be turned on without the master on, kinda of defeating the point, wouldn't you say?
I doubled the 1/8" plywood so that the bolt head of the ground would not hold the wood off the side and prevent a good bond.	I used hot glue on the ends to provide for an immediate hold, with T88 providing the long term bond in the center. The relay pictured is an auto relay, 30 amp, and is used to control the alternator power to the battery in case of overcharge.
I use a 5amp toggle in the panel to control the relay on the firewall, which in turn send the power directly to the battery.	This keeps all the high amperage power out in the engine compartment, except the one wire feeding the fuse panel.
	If I get flex in this thing, I have serious problems! This is 4 pounds of stable pushtube;
	1 inch with short 3/4" adapters inside to bring it down to the 5/8" tubing.
	I left the full length of the 5/8 tubing so I would not be wrong on the length, and just bolted the 1 inch over top.
	The new locks we installed for parking the plane at the airport and discouraging the casual thief.
	Here is the new larger shelf we installed for greater baggage area, and better aesthetics.
	Another shot of installing
	The stick is a 1", with, I believe a .058 wall, instead of the 5/8" stick with like a .023 wall. Not much heavier but ALOT stronger!
	The final installation of the radio; transponder will be the same position on the other side.
	I replaced the original AN3 bolt with an AN4 bolt that was predrilled from AS&S. It has less flex and just feels better.
	The brackets as installed. You can also see the additional gusset support for the front for strength.
	Me bolting up the angle aluminum bracket for securing the shoulder belts.
	Me installing the clevis style pins for mounting the shoulder belts. Note just below my finger is the top clip to prevent the pin from dropping too far and allowing only the head to prevent it from being pulled through, instead of the whole pin. This also allows for swivel of the belt bracket for size variation in people.
	A view of the final assembly of the top with the seat back removed. Note the notches in the old shelf allowing the belts to travel straight through to the bracket. The belts will appear to "disappear" under the removable vertical panel once installation work is complete.
	The lower mounting bar that I fashioned to mount the lap belts. The washers are over sized to allow use of AN4 bolts, and spread the load across the board.
	The belt brackets fastened to the board.
	The lower mounting bar that I fashioned to mount the lap belts. The washers are over sized to allow use of AN4 bolts, and spread the load across the board.
	The belt brackets fastened to the board.
	The board/bracket assembly being glued in and weighted until tomorrow for the lap belts.
	Close-up of additional gusset supports added to increase surface area of contact of the mounting board. Also shows proximity to the belly board control mechanism.
	Here is the after glue curing the next morning. I couldn't wait, even Bev is fussing because I need to get ready for work. You can see how the belts will attach in the final assembly.
	Showing this from two different angles.
	The seat back still installed and being marked for cuts to clear the new belts.
	After removal and notching, then filling with cotton flox. Now to just let them cure overnight. I then removed the belts completely so Bev could wiggle in to the plane and urethane the bare wood to protect it.
	Where I have installed the transponder antenna. I may at some point enclose it, but that is it for now.
	Inside the plane transponder antenna with ground plane (care of Maxwell House).
	The forward load supports added to take the horizontal loads from the lap belt attach bracket. You can also see the plywood doubler suggested by Scott Cable on the rear of the spar.
	Another view of the reinforcements added to the lap belt install.
	Closing up of the wings to protect the power supply for the strobes. I located them there due to Mark Langford's interference problem initially on his strobes, hoping mine won't cause problems.
	The vertical load members added to take the twisting and lifting loads exerted by the bracket. These are tied to the upper shelf which is integrated into the shoulder belts. This prevents one set of belts from being isolated and receiving all of the stress, but rather distributes the loads throughout the belt assembly.
	We sit much straighter than the plans seats, so our belts are in proper alignment with the loads. We are also going to certify for only normal loads, i.e. less than 2.5 g's pos, 1.5 neg. Even spins will only be possible by certification solo, and then only for flight test purposes.
	This is where I have primered and painted the antenna mounting to the vertical stabilizer. It is glassed under 2 layers of deck cloth and then sanded smooth, primer and painted gloss white. 2 layers of primer followed by 3 layers of paint to cover completely (really thin). I didn't want it to run.
	This shows where I touched up the glassing of the ram air block off to the fuel vent to allow only static venting of the fuel tank. This is so the fuel gauge tubing will read accurately at all times.
	I engraved and installed the ID plate on the rear of the empennage yesterday! That felt SOOOO good!
	The soldering committee, Brian doing, I am supervising, Haha!
	Load up to go home
	Me taking a picture, green with envy as Brian leaves.
	The cable opening enlarged for adequate clearance. Previously cables were hitting and dragging on the wood.
	Recycling a toilet roll cardboard for a mold for the cable fairing.
	The cutout for the fairing to be glassed onto the plane.
	The cardboard cutout glassed on the inside to stiffen prior to installation on the fuselage.
	The fairing trimmed for installation, glassed only on the inside at this point.
	You see me here hot gluing the fairing in place, glassed on fuselage side, but bare on this side.
	Glassing the fairing in place with deck cloth, west epoxy. I used about 3 layers of deck cloth.
	Bev installing one of the covers near the identification plate.
	Me right after installing the second cover for the passenger side of the airplane. These are Lexan in order to facilitate easy pre-flighting without removal of the elevator controls and other tail areas such as the tailwheel mounts inside. The green looks different, and kinda neat!
	Installing the mounting tabs for the landing light covers, complete with my cold weather bandana on. Bald heads get cold when the wind blows!
	Soldering the molex plug connectors. I didn't trust just crimping for a good, weather tight connection.
	Aiming the lights in the front yard. It is hard to tell but they have a good pattern for such small lights.
	Me standing next to it while making the adjustments. You can see the support battery added to the motorcycle battery, out on the stub wing.
	You can see from this picture that the glare is increased showing that I got the aiming correct and the lights are now illuminating to the sides as well as out in front of the plane.
	The second relay installed for the landing lights. Again this is done to keep the actual high amp/volt switching out in the cowling area instead of behind the panel. Standard 12volt Bosch relay is used.
	The lexan cover installed, with small gaps front and back for drainage and air circulation. They actually fit slightly recessed, in most places.
	The light installed and just needing to run the wires.
	The new sending unit and gauge just out of the package.
	The mounting mold with glass curing to mount the sending unit in the tank. My thought is to have it slide in from the top near one side and bond to that side and the 3 remaining edges of the top of the tank.
	The finished mount with the foam core removed which had been covered with duct tape ala Mark Langford method of release device, and the opening for the sending unit cut open, drilled for screws.
	Bev holding the unit up for a side view.
	Initial trial fit of the cutout and holes.
	Me using the mount as a template for the cutout in the tank top. I planned to cut it out small so that I could enlarge as necessary to give the best chance for all sides to meet.
	Lifting out the piece cutout.
	Trimming the opening for flat edges and straightness.
	Trial fitting of the mount. I found as expected that it was too tall. I wanted to cut it down to just what I needed instead of coming short, and falling into the tank.
	Marking the mount for cutting to size it for the tank install.
	Measuring of the tank depth relative to the mount so I would know how long the float and sending unit needed to be. I bought one that could be sized to fit tanks from 5 inches to 27 inches. I came up with a tank depth of 9 1/4 inches. The adjustments went for 9 1/2, and inches, so I chose 9 in, figuring that empty would mean very little left instead of not quite reaching empty.
	A trial fit of the sending unit.
	Trimming the unit up to fit the tank.
	Double checking the final result. Good to go!
	Cutting in the recess for the wiring that had to exit the mount area for the sending unit.
	Checking the fit for the gap needed to let the wires in to the mount area to attach to the sending unit.
	Floxing the nut plates onto the back of the mount. Plates are held on ala Larry Flesner's method of using nylon screws that flox wont stick to to protect the threads, and be able to remove later for the real screws install.
	Floxing in the mount into the tank top.
	The mount in correctly, and the wiring in its recess floxed in place and curing. I left the area unfloxed right at the joint of the wiring to the mount so that I could install the removed piece of tank to take up most of the open area and flox in the rest. If flox was in the joint, it might hold the top up and not let it seat. A good long cure of about a week while I wrap up other assemblies and such, and the tank should be as good as new with a safer tank gauge.
	The cover floxed in, the lines floxed in and the block off ramp eliminated on the front deck area. The fittings for the sight tube are also now blocked off.
	The outside handle sanded to shape with the bolt securely floxed into place. The little square of foam is added to create a layer over the flox material holding the bolt.
	The glassed handle curing. The ends were hollow which I later filled with cotton flox to strengthen and streamline more.
	The flox added for streamlining prior to sanding to shape.
	The final sanded piece test fitting as the new outside handle. All that's left to do is paint.
	The new outside canopy handle drying after priming and painting.
	The angle aluminum with the foam initially applied to it before sanding to shape for the exterior handle. This is being done for better aerodynamics and to prevent flutter that Larry Flesner talked about recently.
	The rear pin fully through the bracket by at least 1/4" inch. That makes me feel so much better about its ability to hold the canopy closed. My new handle increased the throw of the pins from 3/4" to a full 2 inch travel, allowing me to get this penetration through the brackets.
	Doing the finish work on a new canopy handle that I fabricated like Larry Flesner's because I did not like the one going down that Tommy had made. It had the handle going down which was very awkward to twist. This one is very easy.
	Checking the relationship of the outside handle to the inside handle for the assembly. The idea being if I could make the outside handle rigid, then I could insert through the canopy, tighten, and the outside and inside would move together. The angle aluminum would later be covered by foam and glass.
	The handle trail fitted on the inside of the canopy.
	The relationship between the pushpins and the handle. As you can see the rods do not pass through their brackets very far in the fixed part of the frame for canopy lock. This bothered me. In fact the back one was unacceptable.
	This shows how the pin to the rear did not acceptably pass into the bracket. Truthfully, it did not even engage it well. So, I set about correcting it with new pins as well.



	Marine type hatch support.
	Bev writing down figures from our weight & balance for the left main.
	Me standing beside her after she has been weighed totally, with her wings on.
	Shutting down the lights I had turned on for the previous picture. We will put her wheel pants and brake hardware fairings on after the test phase is over.


	Ready for inspection.