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F1 Build Status - It’ll Fly on Tuesday…..

Ironflight

Ironflight

VAF Moderator / Line Boy
Mentor
I keep getting asked how the Rocket project is progressing, so I guess I’ll post a little update. I tend to post little building shop notes on the Kitplanes website, but haven’t done a lot of updating here. AS you can see in the pictures, I recently finished the tail (putting fiberglass tips off until warmer weather), and this week I fit the canopy frame. I was ready to start carving up the canopy, but discovered a deep depression in the crown of the canopy - it has been stored for over twenty years, and at some point something got placed on top while it was warm, and after consulting with Jeff at Airplane Plastics, its really not fixable, so we’ve got a new canopy being boxed up in Ohio for shipment. Fuselage wiring (aft of firewall) is finished, built-in O2 is complete, panel complete, everything in the cockpit is functional. Seats showed up from DJ with beautiful sheepskin on the sittin’ surface - but they are now stored away from where they can get dirty. Wings are still basically untouched - but soon will be on deck. I’m trying not to put it on the gear until the canopy is finished - it’s so much easier to work on when its low!

Making good progress, but there are other airplanes to fly, mountains to ski, and places to go…so it’ll be done when it’s done!

Paul

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Looks good, nice progress. Seeing your updates is pushes me on my HRII build so keep them coming. Like you and every other builder, we get asked when it will be done all the time. My answer is always the same, it will be ready by Oshkosh. I just do not tell them which one.
 
Thanks for the update, Paul. It's good to see how that thing is coming. And I'm glad that you folks are permitting yourselves some occasional distractions, too.

Dave
 
Looks great Paul. Might want to reconsider those knobs and switches on that RH panel…. I realize we have differing physical dimensions but if I had those switches in my Rocket I would have broken most off just getting in and out. That, and that’s exactly where my knees
rest when going cross country.
 
Toobuilder said:
Looks great Paul. Might want to reconsider those knobs and switches on that RH panel…. I realize we have differing physical dimensions but if I had those switches in my Rocket I would have broken most off just getting in and out. That, and that’s exactly where my knees
rest when going cross country.
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Good point - which is why I’ve got all those switch guards….right now I bang those clecos every time I get in and out! 😉
 
Ironflight said:
Good point - which is why I’ve got all those switch guards..
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The guards may help with damage to the switch, but also consider where your knees are going to rest after 2 hours in the seat. I positioned my prop control on the left side in approximately the same position as your switches, and what seemed logical in the hangar turned out to be a mistake in practice. One of my things to do is make a new composite cover plate that is dished out for more “leg splay” room to accommodate my inevitable Lay-z-boy slouch.

One of the best features of the Rocket ergonomics is the width of the front pit. I’d encourage you to think long and hard about installing hard, protruding and uncomfortable bits into that valuable real estate.
 
Ironflight said:
I keep getting asked how the Rocket project is progressing, so I guess I’ll post a little update. I tend to post little building shop notes on the Kitplanes website, but haven’t done a lot of updating here. AS you can see in the pictures, I recently finished the tail (putting fiberglass tips off until warmer weather), and this week I fit the canopy frame. I was ready to start carving up the canopy, but discovered a deep depression in the crown of the canopy - it has been stored for over twenty years, and at some point something got placed on top while it was warm, and after consulting with Jeff at Airplane Plastics, its really not fixable, so we’ve got a new canopy being boxed up in Ohio for shipment. Fuselage wiring (aft of firewall) is finished, built-in O2 is complete, panel complete, everything in the cockpit is functional. Seats showed up from DJ with beautiful sheepskin on the sittin’ surface - but they are now stored away from where they can get dirty. Wings are still basically untouched - but soon will be on deck. I’m trying not to put it on the gear until the canopy is finished - it’s so much easier to work on when its low!

Making good progress, but there are other airplanes to fly, mountains to ski, and places to go…so it’ll be done when it’s done!

Paul

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Very accurate statement on the completion date. I always like when a guy answers with a definite date.
 
As they say, If I had a dime for every time someone asked that question. I also reply "Tuesday". They always get this excited look and ask if they can watch. Then they quickly realize they asked a stupid question.

My favorite answer another builder suggested...
"I would be finished already, if I didn't have to bury the last guy that asked me that question!"

Sorry, if that's not allowed.
 
Toobuilder said:
The guards may help with damage to the switch, but also consider where your knees are going to rest after 2 hours in the seat. I positioned my prop control on the left side in approximately the same position as your switches, and what seemed logical in the hangar turned out to be a mistake in practice. One of my things to do is make a new composite cover plate that is dished out for more “leg splay” room to accommodate my inevitable Lay-z-boy slouch.

One of the best features of the Rocket ergonomics is the width of the front pit. I’d encourage you to think long and hard about installing hard, protruding and uncomfortable bits into that valuable real estate.
Click to expand...
You have a valid thing to think about Michael, and I also encourage every builder to think hard about all aspects of their own cockpit design, and how their design will impact every aspect of flying. I have designed quite a few cockpits for myself already, and have validated this one against my own criteria - and am quite happy with it. This design obviously wouldn’t work for you, and might not work for others, but it has proven to work for me in very similar cockpits - so I’m good with it.
 
Nice layout, I like the cockpit design. You have what looks like an interesting throttle handle or am I looking at something else? It almost looks like one of the Fatboy handles I use to see. Are they still available or did you roll your own?
 
olyolson said:
Nice layout, I like the cockpit design. You have what looks like an interesting throttle handle or am I looking at something else? It almost looks like one of the Fatboy handles I use to see. Are they still available or did you roll your own?
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That’s a DJM throttle quadrant, and Dayton made it for me with an AR-15 grip. He did the same thing for me on other planes. I don’t think “Fatboy” stayed in the business more than a couple years.
 
Ironflight said:
You have a valid thing to think about Michael, and I also encourage every builder to think hard about all aspects of their own cockpit design, and how their design will impact every aspect of flying.
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I spent MONTHS figuring out how I wanted SuzieQ's front office to look. In those days it was a posterboard cutout of the panel and instrument-sized cutouts that I could move around. That way I could sit in the (not quite finished) cockpit and try things out. After 'freezing' the design, I set about making the posterboard a real panel. Once I got to the flying stage, found I did not want to change ANYthing! I really liked my design; still do! I still like what the Air Force would call a 'Round-dial' panel! (Ref: T-38A) Since: I updated things with a Dynon D10A (back when it was 'cutting edge'), and more recently a uAvionix AV-30, (two thumbs up!). I removed the old Trimble GPS and replaced it with an iFly portable on a RAM mount setup that I use in both SuzieQ and the Cub. Hard-wired the hookup for the helmet ANR, replaced the single CHT/EGT with a switch for all 4 cylinders; and added an oxygen system. Other than those changes, it is the same as the original design. With the serous planning involved in making sure it was exactly how I wanted it in the beginning, the cockpit of SuzieQ is still one of my favorite places on the planet to be............for multiple reasons! ☺️
 
Great progress Paul. I really like your CAWS panel! In that location, make sure you can dim the lights or it will blind you at night. One of my Navy F-14 squadron commanders had a helmet with plain duct tape stuck to the back. I asked him why, and he said it was to cover the caution lights at night. :D He flew F8 Crusaders.
 
swaneymj said:
Great progress Paul. I really like your CAWS panel! In that location, make sure you can dim the lights or it will blind you at night. One of my Navy F-14 squadron commanders had a helmet with plain duct tape stuck to the back. I asked him why, and he said it was to cover the caution lights at night. :D He flew F8 Crusaders.
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^^ This ^^

I flew at night in a buddies RV-14 which had "extra" LED's for things like [Fuel Pump], [Starter On], etc. All was fine until we turned on to downwind and he flipped on the fuel boost pump --- I thought we were being lased by some a--hole on the ground, or about to be abducted by an alien spacecraft ("...we were bathed in a cold blue light, and felt weightless...").

After the "welding spots" cleared from my vision, I had to laugh at the contra-utility of the overly bright LEDs and the total lack of illumination on the toggle switches.
 
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swaneymj said:
Great progress Paul. I really like your CAWS panel! In that location, make sure you can dim the lights or it will blind you at night. One of my Navy F-14 squadron commanders had a helmet with plain duct tape stuck to the back. I asked him why, and he said it was to cover the caution lights at night. :D He flew F8 Crusaders.
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I’ve got similar panels in all of our (piston) airplanes - and if you look close, you’ll see a “bright/Dim” switch. And from experience, the “dim” is REALLY dim……
 
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