Count-down!
Shame on me, I have not been keeping up with the blog. We are sprinting to Oshkosh with much to do yet. It is important to keep all of you up to speed on the project and plans. Aaron has updated our website recently and I hope you enjoy it. I’m getting good reviews/comments. There is a lot of content we will be adding as time allows us. I understand that we are a little shy on the project info. Will be addressed!
Sun N Fun was better than we thought it would be. I would guess about 70% of the crowd and vendors were there. They are saying record crowd on Saturday. I would agree. We did not bring the P-36 as it was too close to being done to take it apart and risk the road rash, and too far from done to really show it off. So we went with the Verner Motor only booth setup. We still had at least 8 customers who stopped in specifically to see the P-36. Many more were interested when they found out about it. Verner engine interest was strong and as good as any year we’ve been.
Project update: we have installed the new engine, it’s systems and are finishing up the electrical and avionics systems. Aaron is putting his robotics build experience to the test with the wiring. Doing great! We have installed the aileron controls in the center-section of the wing. The control stick had too much side to side play. We fixed that with milling out the welded-in tube and welding in a new, larger tube that uses flanged bushings. We also 3D printed an Army style stick grip and are installing it onto the control stick. Looks and feels great! We added the radio, transponder, ELT and electrical switches, breakers and ignition system controls onto a new panel, beneath the instrument panel. Very much like a P-40 has - the P-36 had it’s switches on the side panels and that is not good for in-advertent bumping with your leg. We had the leg room to spare with the panel so there it went. We will add an arm rest for the throttle on the left side and a COM box and panel on the right side of the cockpit.
Along with the switch and radios panel, we have run all of the antenna, trim and lighting wiring and installed the components. We also ran the engine sensors and ignition wiring, voltage regulator, battery, solenoid, buses, wired up the panel and gauges too. Big job! Not as big as some of you folks do with the RV’s and fast glass for sure. We installed the fuel lines to the carburetor, installed the fire-proof poke-thru’s in the stainless firewall. Ran the oil hoses, cooler, separator and breather line too. We are right at the point of closing up the belly of the aircraft for the last time and finishing the fairings along the bottom of the wings. We are also about to tackle the cowling and it’s support frame - as well as the cowl flaps. The three blade ground adjustable prop is ordered and we are holding our breath it gets done in time. They are promising it will be here on time, so it will be a nail-biter! We went with NR Prop in Ukraine. Good things are being said and they have the right shape and diameter. For direct-drive, higher hp engines, they make the blade of carbon fiber. Our backup is the Warp Drive which is excellent - it’s just not the WW2 shape. Rounding the tips helps though. We may buy one to be sure to have a prop at AirVenture 2021 and to compare in-flight performance after the show. Still deciding on that, but time is running out.
We are currently working the throttle and choke cable connections, painting the smaller components and panels, and completing the 3D modeling of the cowling and sub-frame with the latest thinking. Our welder is catching up on engine mounts and exhausts for our customers and will jump on our exhaust right away for the show. I am hoping to have the cowl, cowl flaps, wing root fairings and tail fairings ready to paint by 4th of July. Decals and paint stencils after that. The count-down is on to Oshkosh! Our crew is on it!
