Day 22 - February 18, 2012

Week # 22 was "hump week".  This means that Saturday was half-way from the beginning of our build to Oshkosh.  According to the Van's website, the RV-12 takes the average builder around 700-900 hours to build (unpainted).  This equates to 700-900 man/hours.  Think about this for a moment.  There are 15 students in TeenFlight.  If we say that there will be about 40 work sessions (where all 15 students participate) at 6 hours each worksession, this equals a stunning total of 3600 man/hours (and woman/hours).  Anyway, here's "hump week" in pictures:

One of the students cleaning out the SWARF (Definition : fine chips or filings of stone , metal, or other material produced by machining.  The origin of the word seems to be in Old Norse . Dated : mid 16th century . Possible translation : 'file dust' . Foreign forms : svarf .)

The side skins were clecoed and matched drilled to the longeron but were not quite ready for rivets.

Production was also started on the left wing.

 

The map (or glove) box was clecoed and riveted.

Preliminary work was done on the fuel lines and other items relative to that setup.

Later in the day, Mr. Vangrunsven clecoed on the upper-firewall-fuselage section for correct fitting.

My friends and family encouraged me to post a picture of myself (because since I take all of these pictures, I am never in them).  So this is "yours truly" clecoing on a side skin.



Day 21 - February 11,12

According to the flow chart that we use at TeenFlight to track our progress, it claims that Saturday was actually week # 21.  I apoligize for the mistake and will correct it.  When TeenFlight 2 started we had 44 weeks until EAA Oshkosh 2012 (our goal) which means that next week will be "hump" week.  With that said, our build is not quite half-way done, so we will need to pick up our pace.

Build day # 21 in pictures:

The first thing that we did was rivet the bottom skin to the bottom of the fuselage.  The forward lower firewall section was attached soon after that as well.  We also got the steps attached and torqued into place.

The optional autopilot servo brackets were attached.

Most of the rest of the team worked on the forward upper firewall and the attach points.

Some of the empennage attach plates were worked on some more.

After two weeks of struggling, we finally got to the point of attaching the longerons to the sides of the fuselage. 

It is really starting to look like an airplane.  The pieces are coming together with more tangible evidence of what we can see.  The finising kit is on order and is scheduled to arrive in a few weeks!  We are still setting our sights on Oshkosh 2012. 

Day 19 - February 4, 2012

So it is February already, and spring is just around the corner; which means that Oshkosh 2012 is approaching very rapidly.  Beacause of the inevitable speed at which time and life seem to flash by with, the TeenFlight crew is working on picking up the pace of building to meet our goals.

After a flight lesson, a TeenFlight 1 student and a TeenFlight instructor flew the TeenFlight 1 airplane over for us to sit in and drool over.

One of the TeenFlight 2 mentors (Mr. Jerry VanGrunsven) flew his RV-8A over as well.

Back to TeenFlight 2: The seat backs were worked on some more and are nearing their completion.

The "Armadillo skins" that are placed over the corners of the center fuselage section were deburred, fabricated, and riveted onto the frame.



The control column stick brackets were added to the center fuselage section.

Most of the fuselage center section parts were connected and the bottom skin was clecoed on.

I helped to finish the other longeron and then prime them both.

It was a very good and productive day.  Stay tuned for more next week.



Day 18 - January 28, 2012

We finished one longeron today, though it proved a difficult and slightly obscure process.

More work was done on the entrance step and their mounts.

More polysulphite phixiatrophic sealent (Proseal).  It is used to waterproof the canopy entrance steps.

More slow yet steady work on the center bulkhead section.

After my team finished on one of the longerons, we started on the rudder and the brake pedals.

More next week!

Day 17 - January 21, 2012

It was very gusty and cold at KHIO today, but the TeenFlight hanger was warm and alive with activity.  We did not get quite far enough in the construction proccess to mate the fuselage pieces and the tailcone together, but we got closer.  One of our donors and TeenFlight founder, Mr. Ted Millar, flew in to check on our progress.   

The team that I was on last week, finished the forward lower fuselage right after lunch.

A couple of the guys began work on the roll-bar that supports the canopy.  It will eventually be riveted across the fuselage.

The main bulkhead and fuselage section (below) is coming along slightly slower than the other pieces, but there is so much material packed into this area that it is expected to take a little longer.  The most important thing is to build and manufacture each and every piece as close to perfect as it can be, and although it may seem to take longer it always is better to take time doing it right than waste time doing it wrong. 

The "cockpit entrance step" mount was built and fitted to the main fuselage section.

Longerons! The long pieces of metal that provide the lateral structural support and rigidity to both sides of the fuselage.  The team that I am on began construction on these after finishing the forward lower fuselage.