Oshkosh Prep
Its the week before AirVenture 2023 and we are finally done with the plane and now have to break-it-down. Aarrgh! Well, we are pretty experienced with trailering the P-36 replica. The trailer isn’t ready - we have to move my daughter’s furniture first before we can fill it with airplane parts. So its crazy time again - again!
We are going to be in the ultralight exhibitor area near the Paradise City grass airfield. Booth 912. So the thing about the ultralight area is: it’s where the action is! Really, it is full of action each day of AirVenture until the airshow starts. then again, right after the airshow ends. All week! We hope to be able to run the engine a few times - so stop by our booth and get all the latest info and times for that. We are planning to have a 3V engine on display - similar to what we did at Sun N Fun. A customer is allowing us to show his engine for the week before he gets to see it himself. That is gracious for sure! Thank you Brian Saunders!
We are going to have the trailer with awning and a small popup tent with the engine in the tent and the P-36 out in front. Its just Scott, my daughter Jennifer and my wife Karen and I for crew this year. That’s enough booth help, but no time for slacking! Im getting excited to be at the show and see the airplanes and crowds. Timber Tiger is going to have two of our Verner radials on display with their aircraft projects. Meyers Aviation will have one or two as well. So Verners are starting to spread and gain in popularity. Love it!
We finished the flaps and landing gear mods. Spent some time designing a flap indicator that is mechanical. Cable operated from the flap drive system. The prototype ended up not working well. It would bind up. So we redesigned it and the parts are printing out now. May not get it done in time. Maybe that goes in at Oshkosh.
I have been meaning to clean and wash the plane for a long time now (since October??). So yesterday (Sunday) I pushed it outside in the middle of a downpour. Got a bucket with a bit of car wash soap in it and scrubbed her down. The rain got so heavy it was like a spray gun at the car wash. I pulled it in a little at a time, drying it off as I went. Wow. clean as a whistle! Spic and Span! We have had just terrible weather so far this summer. Except when I’m at work in the shop.
Scott and I have been working on planning out the next steps after AirVenture. We are having discussions with some airframe kit manufacturers about part or all of our kit production. These companies are top-notch. it will likely be a combination of us making some of the parts and others making some. TBD. The goal is to have the best possible kit as fast as possible. We know some of you have been waiting for too long as it is. We will likely open up kit sales right away and take deposits for production positions. That way we can confirm with our vendors that there is demand and they will gladly jump on it. Stay tuned, we will announce the details shortly. We are planning to have many meetings at Oshkosh. Can’t wait!
So I doubt I will write a blog till after the show, but my daughter may help us edit some short videos for the YouTube channel while we are there. I hope to see some of you at the booth. Keep in touch! Safe Travels!
