This is proper aircraft building - look mom a rib

Okay, I know I have made about thirty parts for this Jodel already, all of metal and still to be finished off. However this is the rib jib for one of the seven rudder ribs. Its the first wood part I have made and to me marks the start of the airframe and that means I have now built the first proper part. So from Idea to first part construction only took about 2 years... lets hope the other parts come along a bit quicker.

The rib is made from 12mm by 6.5mm stika spruce. It is held by three pieces of 1.5mm GL1 birch plywood.

The Jig is consrtucted for a flat piece of pine with the rib dimension transferred to it, covered in plastic and then blocks are used to locate the main structures. Its then glued with Aerodux and clamped.

Nearly there

A lot going on here, the floor is down, and I have constructed two work tables. The one at the back is temporary and is only about 8ft by 2ft. The main table is on the right it measures 4ft by 24ft and will be used to build most of the structures on. It took three days for me to level the table. I could have done it in one but apparently I was being fussy.

The fuselage will fit in the gap on the left of the long table, there is over 20ft x 8ft of space even though it does not look like it.

It's not very tidy as I was in the middle of bring in my gear from the garage. Note to self tidy hangar.

Laying the floor

Once covered I could get on an lay the floor, the floor frame had been completed for over two months and the water proof lining had become a bit of a swimming pool with the rain we had been having. It took two days to bail out the water and for the lining to dry out before I could start laying the floor.

That gate and brick wall you can see will have to be demolished to let me get the Jodel out. Luckly I have pointed the hangar at the exit so no unnecessary manouvering of a 28ft wing.

Back to construction

So after two months off I was able to get back to the construction of the hangar where I will be able to complete the build. It only took me a day to cover the structure and have it secured. As you can see I have now found the camera.

My good lady suddenly realised how big '30ft' was. Like anything else she has got used to it but I think the sooner I build the Jodel and the sooner the hangar is gone the better.

Its not that big!!

Well it looks like a long gap between posts and indeed it is. The summer has been and interesting time for me. the first task to do over the longer holiday and good weather was to construct a larger 'shed' to enable me to move out of the rather cramped garage. I had considered building a brick structure but planning permission would have been a problem.

I then considered a wooden shed, at 30ft by 14ft I was just inside the planning permission but outside of the budget. The quote I got was for over £4,000, way too much so I sought a cheaper alternative.

Bingo I went to visit some other pilots who used what was essentially a large polytunnel to 'hangar' their aircraft in. So a bit of time on ebay and I had secured myself a second hand polytunnel frame for £60. Next the suppliers of polytunnels have a hangar plastic (Its really for mushroom polytunnels) total cost less than £100.

Then the task it to construct it, went well frame erected easily, floor frame was no problem.... then a bent to pick up a screw and my back went.... off work for 3 weeks .... of construction for two months...