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WDYDWYRTW? Sept 13-14, 2025

Scott, Tim & I had our own rendezvous at Capital City KY FFT. Why there? A Bourbon run. It was Blantons for sale day.
Upon return to PXE my nose tire deflated requiring a tow. Then had to listen to my fellow RVrs advise, that wouldn’t have happened if ya had a tailwheel. 🤨IMG_0502.jpegIMG_0503.jpegIMG_3850.jpeg
 
Finished populating the new panel and starting working on configuring all the new components. Hope to have it back in the air within a week or so. My 4-6 week project is approaching week 12 lol.
 

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I spent a little time fabricating an updated headset jack panel for my new-to-me Rocket. This is hidden beneath a panel near midship on the right hand side. This will probably be the last time anyone even sees this panel! (But at least it’s labeled!)

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Old version…

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New version… I basically just added LEMO jacks for front and back.
 
Even though I’m still flying around with no pants on (wheels pants and gear fairings are at the paint shop), EAA Chapter 663 assigned two fine young lads to 748PK for Young Eagle flights out of KLVK on 13 Sep.

Happy to say I touched down on the 25R centerline _within_ the airport boundary both times. Amazing how well the plane flies when the engine can breathe!
 
RWoodard said:
A neighbor of mine was flying that Beech 18. He had a lot to do with getting it spiffed up to its current condition. He offered me a ride up there with him, but I declined because I’ve got way too many unfinished projects at my house these days!
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Beech 18s are cool! The A&P school I attended had 2 and it was hard to stay away from them!
danny
 
lucas2696 said:
Finished populating the new panel and starting working on configuring all the new components. Hope to have it back in the air within a week or so. My 4-6 week project is approaching week 12 lol.
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Very nice. If I was building a panel from scratch, I’d also go with two G5s, an autopilot, and a GPS navigator. The “bang for the buck” from that combination is just huge.
 
Dugaru said:
Very nice. If I was building a panel from scratch, I’d also go with two G5s, an autopilot, and a GPS navigator. The “bang for the buck” from that combination is just huge.
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It’s a lot of capability in a concise package. The G5 is dated but the interface is actually really nice to use and preferable to a touchscreen IMO. The new Comm radios have standby frequency monitoring so you don’t have to go off freq to check weather. Two boxes (GNX375, GTR205), and you have a WAAS GPS, ADSB in and out TPDR, Comm (with ability to monitor two frequencies), and two place intercom with aux inputs and Bluetooth. I can’t wait to put lots of hours in behind that set up.
 
Oil door fitting with hidden hinge and Hartwell .125 latch. Had to get creative to make it latch correctly with thicknesses, iteration after iteration. happy with it now. Doing epoxy with micro to make perimeter of oil door look good. Used all hinges around the cowl and glad I did, but didn't like the idea of inserting upper pins through oil door.....so I got a few ideas off of here and fabbed up my own little rectangular removal of top cowl hinge pin cover.
 

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lucas2696 said:
It’s a lot of capability in a concise package. The G5 is dated but the interface is actually really nice to use and preferable to a touchscreen IMO. The new Comm radios have standby frequency monitoring so you don’t have to go off freq to check weather. Two boxes (GNX375, GTR205), and you have a WAAS GPS, ADSB in and out TPDR, Comm (with ability to monitor two frequencies), and two place intercom with aux inputs and Bluetooth. I can’t wait to put lots of hours in behind that set up.
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I predict you are going to be super happy with it. Throw in an iPad with Foreflight, Garmin Pilot, etc. and you've got a robust IFR setup that I would have killed for back when I was flying the old Warrior in clouds. A G5 isn't dated compared to my old steam gauges, a non-WAAS 430, and a 396! Oh and don't forget standby vac!! 🤣

Agree completely on touchscreens, I find them frustrating in turbulence.
 
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