Disassembly Blues

[Ironflight]

One of the few things that slows me down when working in the shop is a little malady I have come to call the “Disassembly Blues”. It goes like this – I have spent a couple of days cutting, trimming, fussing and fitting the seat pan into the RV-3. Bending, drilling, trimming some more, and finally, the odd-shaped piece of aluminum has succumbed to my will (and Van’s contours)to form the place in which I hope we will spend many happy hours aloft. Next comes the seat back (which Louise was building at the same time) – sliding in the hinge pins, we now have a cockpit!

Pulling a few strategically inconvenient clecos, we can set an old set of RV upholstery in place, climb in, and make airplane noises! We can invite the neighbors (also builders) over to “Ooh” and “Ahh”. Dinner on the ramp in front of our hangar lets us look at the work we have accomplished, enjoying the fruits of our labors as we gaze at our carefully crafted parts. And yet…..

In order to make any more progress, it all needs to come apart. We have to drill the holes to final size (I like to start with 40’s on all fabrication). We have to remove EVERYTHING to do some priming. The stick mixer needs to come out so I can rivet in the crotch strap anchor. All of these tasks are fairly easy and on the list of things that need to be done….but for now, isn’t it cool to have a cockpit in which to sit?

See? This is what I mean by the “Disassembly Blues”. Like the Sirens beckoning ancient sailors to their shore - diverted from their necessary course and dashed upon the rocks of inactivity - we can easily lose days or weeks of progress because we don’t want to undo those hard-won battles of fabrication. It takes a conscious act of will to grab the Cleco pliers and start pulling the pieces out, to carefully store these gems of construction until they once again can enjoy their rightful place in the gestating thing that is to become an airplane.

Yet maybe these slow times truly are necessary. It is in these times that I sit on the shop stool for an hour in the evening, staring at the project and thinking my way through the tasks to come. My gaze shifts from the cockpit to the aft deck, then up to the firewall, and back to the panel. I shuffle across the hangar to the wing stand and contemplate how we will determine the length of the aileron pushrods before the wings slide in to place. Thinking your way through the build is an important part of the project – as important as being able to drill a nice round hole – and to think, you need time. Maybe these “Blues” are just a counterpoint in the melody of the shop – a chance to stop and admire our accomplishments while developing the plans for our next campaign….

Paul

[rzbill]

Paul,
I just passed a recent episode of said malady.
New construction. Panel.
All instruments mounted, so there was plenty of seat time occuring and no metal chips falling on the floor.
I kept staring and thinking of every last little bit I could do before ripping it all out, to do the finish prep and ultimate riveting.

The holiday was a godsend. I started Sat AM and by Monday PM I was riveting the upper forward fuselage. I have been wiring for so long that it took a few rivets to get the hang of it again.

Of course, the best part is that after taking the leap, you sit back and think "why didn't I just jump in and get this done before?"

[Paul Thomas]

There is nothing that slows me down like the thought of taking everything apart to de-burr and dimple... I abhor it.

[robertahegy]

All planes are assembled and disassembled at least four times before finally finished and often that is not enough. But alas, we get our money's worth of entertainment and it keeps us off the streets.\

Roberta

[frankh]

Very well written Paul, I think you captured the emotion that everyone of us goes through when we get to that point.

As for me I am now doing a LOT of business travel for my new job..Most of the trips I could have flown faster myself and of course on every trip I fantasise about the entire crew "eatin' the fish" and the cabin call of.."If there are any experienced instrument rated pilots on board, please make yourself known"..."BING..Please hand this pilot license to the semi concous captain Ma'am"...

if only...

Frank

[BSwayze]

Boy, does this ever ring a bell. I have felt that way a few times, but never so much as after assembling an entire fuselage. It all looked so great, and then it all had to come apart. When I got down to the last of the clecos coming out and that baggage area bulkhead coming out of the plane, I was suddenly staring at things the way they were months before and it really felt like I was taking a huge step backwards.

My dad likes to come over and hang out with me and help me with the project. He has really fallen in love with this project over the last couple of years. But he still shakes his head in disbelief when I tell him it all has to come apart. He never in his life spent so much time and work building something only to dismantle it and it's hard for him to understand how I can stand it.

I just kept telling myself that when it does go back together, it's for good this time. Riveting things together permanently is such a joy.

[N282S]

Paul,

If you are tired of disassembly then leave it together. Go inside, sit down at your pc and for the rest of us, write a book.

PLEASE !!

[Ironflight]

Originally Posted by N282S

Go inside, sit down at your pc and for the rest of us, write a book.

Books take time - will you settle for a monthly column for the time being?

[mike newall]

Our 'blue days' are when my Bro and I spend a long, hard day doing some task or other and you survey the scene and........ nothing. No change, it looked just like it did in the morning.

Now, contrast that to wing tip days, or canopy days, or empennage days when, for a relatively small amount of repetitive work, you glance and see a HUGE leap forward

You still know it has to come apart, but those are the up days that make you grab the camera and remind you that you still don't know how to post photos on the forum......

Got my Go-Pro HD this week though so I am playing with that - might post some 330 approaches on YouTube to practice.