April 2002
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"Please sir, may I have a table?" |
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"It's a good thing this is the last wing because I'm damn tired of working on wings." |
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This very rugged plastic gas tank was originally intended for a boat. |
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We add a fuel fitting and valve to the bottom. |
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The gas tank has been installed. |
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Closeup of gas tank installation. |
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Another view. |
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Storing completed wings. |
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Clay has done a great job -- so god that we're going to let him use real tools instead of making him do everything with a Swiss Army Knife and a Leatherman. |
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A few of the hundreds of visitors (no kidding) last month. |
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Overhead view of the Independence Aircraft factory main shop. |
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Here five fuselages are having gear installed and firewalls prepared for engine installation. |
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A firewall that's ready for the engine installation. |
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A bunch of rudders waiting for final assembly. |
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Doyle has painted almost every piece of our Nieuports. Here he shows a completed rudder. |
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Here a whole bunch of completed wings await final assembly. |
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One of those conferences. It's amazing how many little things have to be figured out in a scratch built aircraft. |
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Checking the tailwheel mount for bungee installation. |
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Another tailwheel conference. |
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The final wing is covered. |
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Jerry is excited about being almost finished with covering. The only part yet uncovered is one fuselage. |
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The last fuselage is being prepared to go to the fabric shop. |
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One of the engines on the test stand. The wheels on the stand fold out when we run the engine, although we have had discussions about taxi testing the test stand. |
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Details of the engine test stand. |
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More details. |
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A pile of engines -- one ready, the the others almost ready, for installation. |
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The final (for this month) instrument panel. |
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Installing the exhaust pipe muffs for the carb heat. |
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Here the scat tubes are installed to route heated air from the exhaust to the aircleaner. Since the VW downdraft card is susceptable to carb ice, we use full time carb heat. |
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Aileron bellcrank. |
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Pedal for toe brakes being installed. |
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There's a very smnall space to work. Now we know that it would be been a better idea to install the toe brake pedals before the aircraft was assembled. |
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Number one is rigged and almost completed. |
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Some rigging details. |
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The engine has a flywheel installed in place of the prop so we can run it briefly to adjust the ignition and carb. People come from miles to listen to the beautiful sound. |
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The end of a long successful day (Note the long shadows) and builders relax with a cold drink and admire their work. |