Day 34 - December 19, 2015

Today was another great day at the hangar.  TeenFlight 4 worked on the engine, the engine cowling, the wings, and the canopy fiberglass.  As for the engine, the parts were inventoried and the battery holder and cooling system subassemblies were worked on.  The left wing tip was also riveted and the wing is very close to being fully complete.

 

 

 Also, students were exposed to a new type of material and process: fiberglass.  Mr. VanGrunsven led a workshop to practice the skills necessary for this type of work.  This included the epoxy and hardener ratios, how to cut fiberglass cloth, as well as how to apply it to the desired work surface.  After some time, work began on the canopy fiberglass.

 

 

The multiple layers of fiberglass were cut to the different shapes and were then glued to the sides and top of the forward upper fuselage using epoxy resin.  After the fiberglass hardens, it will be time to sand in order to achieve the smooth contours. 

 

 

The engine cowling was sanded and drilled to align with the hinges and other parts of the firewall. 

 

 

 

Have a great Christmas and TF4 will see you in a couple weeks!   

Day 33 - December 12, 2015

TF4 is making great progress!  The main tasks that were worked on at today's class include the right wing, both sets of flaperons, and the forward upper fuselage.  

As for the wings, the forward and aft spar were riveted to the ribs, and the wing has started to be wired for the lights.

Work on the flaperons has also resumed.  The main flaperon ribs have been riveted to the flaperon spar, and the end brackets were riveted.  The counterbalance assembly was also installed.

Work continued on the forward upper fuselage.  The stack angles and the support brackets were prepared and assembled.  The support brackets were also riveted to the panel base, and the flaperon handle is starting to function properly. 

Stay tuned for next week!

Day 32 - December 5, 2015 & Day 31 - November 28, 2015

Today was another great day at the hangar.  Progress continued on the TF4 wings and flaperons, the control systems and the engine cowling.  The left wing is almost fully complete with the finishing of the wing tip that still needs to be done.  On the other hand, the right wing started its  riveting of the main ribs and the positioning of the aft and forward spar.  The flaperons also started their assembly after deburring and clecoing parts.

 

 

 

 

As for the engine cowling, the lower and upper halves were clecoed and aligned with the hinges and firewall.  They were then match-drilled to line up with the cowling hinges and made for a nice fit.  Also, the controls were further worked on and the fuselage is being slightly adjusted in order to fit the tail cone. 

 

 

See you next week!

 

 

        

 

Day 30 - November 21, 2015

Today was yet another productive day for TF4 out at the hangar.  Work continued on the canopy, wings, and internal controls.  As for the wings, the left one is very close to completion with more work to be done on the wing tip and wiring, and the right wing skins have started to be deburred.  After many rivets, they are coming along great.

 

 

 

The canopy and internal fuselage were also worked on.  The canopy was masked with high strength tape in order to protect the plexi-glass during future sanding of fiberglass.  High density foam was also adhered to the canopy which will later be sanded for the appropriate contour. 

 

As for the internal fuselage, the control systems and pulley systems were installed and other cables have been attached.  The fuel tank was also Pro-Sealed and hopefully will hold any leaks.    

 

 

 

See you next time, and hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!

Day 29 - November 14, 2015

TF4 is making great progress!  This week, work continued on the canopy, fuel tank, wing skins, and internal control systems.  As for the canopy, it has been riveted and mounted to the canopy frame, achieving the right fit.  The latch was also installed and fits great.  The fuel tank was also tested for leaks, and leaks have still been found.  This will call for more Pro-Seal in order to seal the tank. 

 

As for the left wing, the process of skinning has been started and the stall warning was tested and works well with the flip of the switch.  The majority of the skin has been riveted on and is coming together nicely.  The control systems are still undergoing assembly and the wiring was also worked on today. 

 

  

Check back soon for more updates!

Day 28 - November 6, 2015 & Day 27 - October 31, 2015

Over the past two weeks, many tasks have been worked on including the fuel tank, engine cowling, canopy frame, the wing skins and wiring.  As for the fuel tank, it has been continued to be sealed and tested for leaks.  The engine cowling has still been undergoing the tedious work of trimming and sanding for the proper fit.  The work has been paying off with a great fit between the upper and lower halves.  

 

 



As for the canopy frame, the holes in the plexiglass have been drilled and the canopy latch has been undergoing many intricate details.  The canopy is also starting to be mounted to the fuselage.  The wings are in the stage of being skinned which has been an exciting phase so far.  The internal wiring was continued, as well as the flight control systems.

 

 

Stay tuned!

     

Day 26 - October 24, 2015

Today was another productive day at the hangar with progress being made on the fuselage wiring, engine cowling, fuel tank, wing spar, and canopy frame.  As for the engine cowling, more trimming has been done in order to obtain the proper fit.  The fuel tank was also tested for leaks and was then sealed to stop the leaking. 

 

 

 

As for the wings, the left wing was further riveted and wired for lights and the stall warning.  Within the next week or two, we will probably be skinning the wing.  The canopy frame underwent more fitting to the fuselage and the wires in the fuselage were re-wired between the rudder pedals.

 

 

Also today, TeenFlight mentor, Mr. Dan Benua, gave a very informative presentation on electrical systems and wiring.  We all learned a lot! 

 

 

Stay tuned for next week!

     

Day 25 - October 17, 2015

TF4 accomplished many tasks at the hangar today which included work on the engine cowling, the canopy, and the wings.  As for the engine cowling, this was the first day of work on the fiberglass.  The work that was done included sanding, drilling and cutting to make the cowling the right size in order to eventually fit around the firewall. 

 



The wings underwent a lot of progress today.  Most of the ribs and plates on the left wing were final drilled and riveted.  They are coming together well and skinning is not too far away.  Also, the left rear spar assembly is being prepared for riveting and is currently in position.

 

 



Work on the canopy and frame was fairly tedious.  The plexi-glass canopy involved sanding and trimming in order to align with the frame that is in the process of being fitted to the fuselage.  This process is mainly trial and error until the canopy frame lines up to the fuselage within one eighth of an inch.      

 

 

 

Stay tuned for next week!

 

Day 24 - October 10, 2015

Today was another great day at the hangar.  Many tasks were worked on, including the fuel tank, the wings, the canopy frame, and the forward fuselage.  As for the wings, the rib doublers and the rest of the ribs were prepared for assembly.  Also, the hinge assemblies for the flaperon were riveted to the corresponding ribs. 

 

 

The fuel tank mainly underwent the somewhat messy job of using Pro-Seal.  The tank was double checked for finished work, Pro-Sealed, and then riveted together.  The fuel return line was also fabricated and prepared for installation. 

 

 

 

As for the wiring and upper fuselage, the headset audio jacks were installed and the panel attach strips were riveted to the forward upper fuselage skin.

 

Canopy preparation on the skins.

 



    

Stay tuned for next week!

 

 

Day 23 - October 3, 2015

Today was the first day back for TeenFlight 4 after the summer break.  It felt nice to be back at the hangar and we made a lot of progress on the airplane.

We mainly worked on the assembly of the wings, the canopy frame, wiring, and the fuel tank.  After planning the wing building, we dove into the project and started by clecoing and trimming the forward and aft ribs.  We then clecoed them and they were all a good fit. 

As for the canopy frame, the gas struts were drilled, the frame was filed down to allow clearance for the later-installed canopy, and the forward and aft attach angles were drilled and lined up on the frame. 

The fuel tank was also worked on and mainly involved an inspection to remember what had been done on it during the previous class.  Many wires and harnesses were routed through the fuselage from the forward end to the aft end in order for the avionics to function correctly. 

Overall, this was a great first day back at the hangar!

Summer 2015

The TF4 class has been on a summer break, but there have still been some great events going on. 

First of all, the awesome TeenFlight 3 Van's Aircraft RV-12 (N113TF) has been sold!  To a buyer who lives in Australia.

In July, the TF1 RV-12 and the TF4 RV-12 fuselage were on display at the Oregon Airshow.  It was a great way for people to hear about TeenFlight and Airway Science for Kids.  Also in July, TF3 flew all the way to Oshkosh, Wisconsin and back for the World's Largest Air Show, EAA AirVenture 2015!  TF3 was on display all week.  People from around the world were able to see the work we do at TeenFlight.

Check back soon for more updates!

Day 22 - June 13, 2015

Today was a very exciting day for TF4 before we break for the summer.
Our work session was followed by a tour with Hillsboro Aviation and Hillsboro Aero Academy, a TeenFlight 3 Graduation and Airway Science for Kids Celebration!

At the hangar, TF4 made a lot of progress and worked on the landing gear, fuel tank and wing parts.  As for the landing gear, the nose fork was partly primed and attached to the nose strut.  The fork was tightened and the main gear legs were also bolted into place.

The stub spar assemblies were clecoed, countersunk and riveted together.  Once the wings are further along, these assemblies will be ready for installation. 

The TF3 aircraft was also worked on today with the completion of the black pinstripes lining the paint lines.  This allows for a great visual effect on the freshly-painted plane.  TF3 looks stunning!

After class today, we had a great tour with Hillsboro Aviation and Hillsboro Aero Academy and awesome helicopter rides were given to the TeenFlight students!  At the end of the day, there was a TeenFlight 3 Graduation and Airway Science for Kids Celebration!

 A big thank you to Hillsboro Aviation, Hillsboro Aero Academy, Airway Science for Kids and TeenFlight.  Have a great summer!