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-   -   Going for the worst builder award (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=173318)

Flying Canuck 07-13-2019 10:35 PM

Going for the worst builder award
 
This 2 week adventure that I?m on with son has been one problem after another. My current roster of problems contains:
Lost all brake fluid right side - broken flare
Lost right brake - leaking o-ring
Flat right tire - under inflated
Lost both brakes - misassembly right and leaking o-ring left
Flaky Skyview network - cause unknown
Stranded at no service airport- can?t start, melted/ broken starter cable

The last one happened late this afternoon at International Peace Garden airport after we cleared back into Canada. Up in Brandon now will source a new cable tomorrow with the assistance of the local flying club. This was only a 55 minute flight from our planned stop and the day had gone so well.

I know these are not all my fault but enough of them are that I?m feeling like I am a shoe in for worst builder of the year.

Oh well, it?s only time, money and pride, don?t have much left of any of them. The hair isn?t far behind. I put the amateur in amateur built.

The rest of the big trip experience has been awesome. It?s a great way to travel.

lndwarrior 07-14-2019 12:23 AM

BTDT
 
Took me over two years to get all the bugs out of my plane. I dont think you are alone here!

Vlad 07-14-2019 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flying Canuck (Post 1359350)

..........

snip

....... I put the amateur in amateur built.

The rest of the big trip experience has been awesome. It?s a great way to travel.

You have the right attitude Claude. If you travel extensively many things will happen during first year of flying. Less so in year two. Nearly nothing in year 5 :)


Bill Boyd 07-14-2019 07:11 AM

Dang, Vlad...

I've seen parts of Monument Valley that offered more survivable landing spots than what you're flying over, here. That cityscape looks downright devoid of options from that altitude.

Drop in some time on your travels. Jacob will make sure the Russian gets a burger no matter what anyone else is or isn't having.

Vlad 07-14-2019 07:15 AM

Will do Bill.
PS There is a Sally approach in Montreal :D


9GT 07-14-2019 09:21 AM

Some times these set backs come back to back. After years of virtually trouble free flying, my buddy who owns the Cozy MKIV we built and now lives in Florida, had similiar issues last winter, one after another, including the original pitot/static lines turning to snotty goo inside the tubing! . He got so frustrated and discouraged that his wife called me up on the sly and asked if I could catch a flight down to Venice for a week and help him sort through the issues. I am retired so no problems there, especially coming from Michigan's January weather! Four days in the hanger and back in business. Since that time he and his wife have traveled to the west coast and back. They flew up to Michigan last Friday to visit family a few days, then up to Gladwin tomorrow to help me do some work on my RV-9A for a few days, then on to Holland MI to visit friends, finally back to Venice FL next week. Set back happen but the rewards are definitely worth the angst.

Robin8er 07-14-2019 09:51 AM

Just keep building. The important thing is you find the errors and fix them. My plan have 40 hours on it and in still fixing things.

Flying Canuck 07-14-2019 11:54 AM

I?m over 100 hours on my plane. Do hope to get these snags behind me. I do know that my brakes and ground handling has never been better. I just finished my annual 3 weeks ago, definitely room for doing a better job on that.

I think the thing that brought all these issues out one one trip is that it involves a large variety of different operations than what get flying around my home base. Makes it a great big test phase.

Flying Canuck 07-15-2019 07:03 AM

The starter wire replacement was pretty simple, found a prebuilt 4AWG cable at Canadian Tire, installation was only 20 minutes, not including the travel time. End result was a better start than I?ve ever had. Clearly the 8AWG cable I built was inadequate. Flew 2 legs yesterday and starting my final leg home in a couple of hours.

It does feel good to get the bugs out, every one increases my confidence in the plane. Good to know that my experience isn?t entirely uncommon. I?ll have a few things to do at home, replacing my battery ground cable and alternator cable with heavier gauge, replacing my brake o-rings with the high temp ones, some fairing fixes and improvements. I?ll also see if I can tighten up my baffle seals, I?d like to see my CHT spend less time over 400F.

bruceh 07-15-2019 12:04 PM

The only time my Dynon SV network flaked out was when my autopilot servo had issues (still unexplained). I wrote up that experience on my blog.


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