Project move

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

It's nowhere near dramatic as Paul Story's RV arriving at KSGS a couple of weeks ago, but I'm no longer a homebuilder. I guess I'm a hangar builder now.

We used a decidedly low-tech method to bring it to KSGS on Saturday.



Story and pictures on my blog.

For some reason, the fuselage looks "happier" in the hangar. After 7 years, however, my car is claustrophobic since it no longer has to sleep outside.

[Ironflight]

Congratulations Bob!

It is a step in the right direction, and any progress is progress.

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

I wrote about this on a separate blog post but I'll repost here for yucks and giggles value:

-0-

Yesterday, we moved the fuselage out of my garage to the hangar I rent at SGS (South St. Paul's Fleming Field).

My friend, Warren Starkebaum, took some pictures and I hope to upload some as soon as he sends them to me. We used a very high-tech system, given that the plane is not on its gear. I bought four bales of straw, put them on a trailer that David Maib (RV-10 builder) borrowed and the fuselage steps straddled the straw bales. Perfect.

Placed on its familiar sawhorses at the hangar, some RV-building veterans that David has hired to help with his and his wife, Mary's, RV-10 project, stopped by. He has built or helped build 30 RVs. He took a brief look at it and proclaimed, "your project looks really good."

Friends, let me just tell you that words like that can make a lot of frustrating times disappear in a hurry. They can make years of self-doubt melt. And they can provide tremendous motivation to work on the project.

Not more than a few seconds later, I saw Warren on the other side of the hangar, bending down for a side view of the canopy frame, which was on a table.

"Warren, get the (heck) out of there, no looking closely at anything," I yelled, invoking the first rule of Bob's hangar; a rule I'd just come up with.

It was too late.

"What the (heck) did you do to this?" Warren shot back.

Sigh.

[alpinelakespilot2000]

Just a question, and absolutely not criticism intended, Bob...

What led you to move your project to an airport hangar when you (no offense intended) still have so much to do that doesn't require the gear or engine being on? I see that you were short on space, but were you absolutely that short on space? Don't you have a bunch of other things you could work on before installing the engine and mount? Is the airport close enough to you that it's no big deal?

While working on the airframe there were a lot of projects where I could work all day and get a lot done. In that case, the drive to the hangar might make sense. However, at the canopy, wiring, and FWF stage, there's few of those big tasks and a whole lot more small projects that take a little time here and a little time there, all while you wait for multiple boxes of this and that from ACS in order to move forward. Now it's actually tough staying busy for a whole day. Every couple hours I have to stop,wait for parts, do some more thinking, and transition to a new task. Thus, it's the last half of the project that, I think, really benefits from having the project at home. It's here where there are a lot of little projects that are great for weekday evenings. Wiring is especially that way it seems.

Again, not mean as criticism and not trying to second guess you. I know that you can't get the engine on at home. I'm actually posting my comments more for the benefit of other builders who may be asking the exact same question I have been asking: when it will be time to move to the airport? (My name just came up on a county hangar, and I jumped on it, but I'm having to sublet it out until I'm ready.)

Anyway, good luck with your move.

[DeltaRomeo]

Congrats on getting it out to the apt. Any time out there is good time.

b,
d

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

Originally Posted by alpinelakespilot2000

Just a question, and absolutely not criticism intended, Bob...

None taken.

What led you to move your project to an airport hangar when you (no offense intended) still have so much to do that doesn't require the gear or engine being on? I see that you were short on space, but were you absolutely that short on space? Don't you have a bunch of other things you could work on before installing the engine and mount? Is the airport close enough to you that it's no big deal?

I had the hangar already since I came up to the top of the list at SGS last summer and I went ahead and rented it because I didn't want to go back to the bottom of the list (3 year wait).

I've gotten quite a lot done and there is certainly, as you surmise, a lot more to do; mostly electrical.

But the thing that happens when you're building at home in a confined space is that a lot of stuff begins to get spread out all over the place and even though more and more parts are becoming one big one, I've still had trouble finding stuff. In addition, the canopy, which occupied my youngest son's room since he moved out, has now been displaced by my wife's office. So that had to go to the hangar. And I'm really at the point now where it's time to spend money, to get an engine and to really get serious about getting this all together. And I think in the long run having everything in one place AND having fewer distractions will make me more productive. And for sheer motivation, hearing an airplane running up and then taking off is PERFECT.

I also want to get the tail permanently mounted and I can't do that in the garage. That will allow me to run my strobe cables etc.

The other thing that causes problems for me (and a hangar won't solve this) is that the cold weather REALLY hurts productivity. Canopy work? Nope. Fiberglass? Nope. So I've been doing some of the smaller stuff. But you know, after a while it REALLY stinks to fall over the snowblower while trying to maneuver to the strobe power supply. Or not be able to test the gas struts on the canopy because it hits the bikes hanging from the rafters. Or having to spread out my plans on my wife's car hood.

And, worst of all, losing all of my (kerosene heater generated) heat because my wife is going out grocery shopping and opens the garage door.

One good thing about SGS is that Wipaire is based there and they have a parts counter. So if I need some hardware, I can just walk across the field. That should save me some shipping charges. And the terminal has wireless Internet and if need be, with VPN on the laptop and my job now mostly being nothing more than writing, I could -- theoretically -- be somewhat connected to work if I needed to be.

The hangar itself isn't far away; basically just the other side of the (Mississippi) river, 5 miles as the crow flies... 9 miles by car and kinda sorta on the way to-from work. I also find that I'm more focused when I'm at the hangar. And when I'm at home, especially in the summer, you know, there's always weeds to look, lawns to mow. Drywall to fix.

My time at home also is more focused. At this moment, for a second, i just happened to log on to double check something on the B&C Web site, as I slog through Aeroelectric Connection. Having a plane project out the door and in the garage, also tended to call me away from other things that needed my attention. Like designing an electrical system.

Even though it's a t-hangar, it seems like there's still a lot of room in there. I could probably accommodate someone else's project.