Sonerai II project

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Posted

I have had that issue when uploading huge files.  Use paint or some other program to resize pics to say 2000X ?? (it will auto populate the second number to keep it in proportion) and see if that fixes it.  The site is set to unlimited file size uploads but it sometimes will time out on the larger files.

:BC:

 

That will probably fix it. For uploading to web sites I usually use MS Paint (under Windows Accessories usually) to resize to 25% - put 25% in one dimension and the other dimension changes to 25% also automatically.  You can do them different if you want a squished or stretched picture in one dimension, but unless you're doing posters for the circus I don't see much value in that.  Maybe they'll take that option out since this is the last year for the circus.

 

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Posted

Another 2.5 hours today. More drilling and cutting. Pretty boring stuff. The good news is that I other than driving 10 rivets in each spar doubler (only two), I am ready to paint up a little chromate on the surfaces and see how poorly I can rivet everything together! I did some practice ones today and I wasn't happy with them using the Sonex method of using a large bolt with the head ground smooth to drive them in. I got one out of three that I was pretty happy with. I quit and am going to look for an arbor press to drive them in. That way I can assure that I'm not tilting the bolt when driving them with the hammer. Otherwise I'm getting pretty close to being able to finally do some assembly on the wings instead of cutting and drilling all the holes. I think I'm up to almost 750 holes in the wings spars and cap strips already. At least this is all the heavy drilling. When it's time to do the skins it's only .025" thick instead of the 1/8" stuff I've been working with. It should go a bit quicker until I have to deburr every hole and then dimple for countersunk rivets. 

Leni, I had to restart my computer and then use the downsized pictures before it wouldn't give me the error. It still won't allow me upload the full sized ones. They are around 5MB each so maybe that's the problem? Oh well, at least I got in a few of them. 

IMG_3403 (Large).JPG

IMG_3407 (Large).JPG

IMG_3408 (Large).JPG

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Posted

the 5mb files are probably timing out on your end.  I have loaded much larger files than that.  at any rate, glad you got it figured out.  I love all the windows in your shop, looks nice and light and not like working in a dungeon!

:BC:

 

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Posted

the 5mb files are probably timing out on your end.  I have loaded much larger files than that.  at any rate, glad you got it figured out.  I love all the windows in your shop, looks nice and light and not like working in a dungeon!

:BC:

 

Well, since my "shop" is actually the sun room of the rented house it works pretty well for it. Besides it has it's own hvac unit so I can keep it at a comfortable temp while I'm working out there. 

I got 3.5 more hours in today. Not a lot but I figure if I just keep at it every day it is at least progress. Two of those hours were making my own tools though 1.5 of it was finishing up ribs and getting them fluted so I can start working on final assembly. Now I just have to wait for back ordered rivets to start setting the spar caps and ribs all together.

Question for those of you that have used solid rivets. How did you cut them to the proper length? I have an idea in my head of how to do them quickly and don't want to pay $40 for a pair of rivet cutters. Any ideas are appreciated. 

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Posted

I have used side cutter, grinder etc.  It all depends on the diameter of the rivet.  It is a pain in the butt and the 40 bucks is money worth spent if you have a lot of them to do.  A decent pair of wire cutters / strippers will work as well as they normally have a spot on them for cutting off screws as well.  you thread the screw into the handle then cut them.  Those would work if you had a piece of shim stock drilled to give you the exact length you would need if you inserted the rivet into it and put the rivet into the hole and cut it. 

:BC:

 

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Posted

 Maybe I'll quit being cheap and buy the rivet cutter then. I have about 500 of them to cut I think.  It's one of those things I'm not sure if I'll ever build another aluminum wing so I may not ever need them again. 

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Posted

can you order the rivets with the correct grip range?

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Posted

can you order the rivets with the correct grip range?

No I can't. I will need around 7 different sizes and I haven't found one that is close enough for even the longest without cutting every single one of them. 

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Posted

I put in another two hours of deburring holes and then cleaned up and primed the spar caps with a self etching primer. If I had the rivets I would be ready to start assembly now. Sadly the rivets I ordered two weeks ago are back ordered and I have to wait. Guess I will turn my attention back to the fuselage for a few days. 

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Posted

Cant wait to see that thing with the wings on, Sonerai is one of my favorites,

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Posted

Cant wait to see that thing with the wings on, Sonerai is one of my favorites,

You and me both! Hopefully soon I'll have spars set up to a point that I can install them on the folding mechanism and check to fit the folding hold down tube on the outer end of the spar. I'll at least have fun being able to sit in it and know how long the wings are. It is almost exactly the same as my Teenie Two for wingspan though so I'm pretty aware of how short the wings really are. 

Do you have any flight time in the Sonerai? I don't but everyone I've talked to that has flown one really likes them. 

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Posted

Is your sonerai going to be mid or low wing ? I dug my plans out for one and might start looking into building . I plan on changing the shape a little to look more like a extra 300 . 

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Posted

No I don't have any time in one, But there is one flying close to me and I see it every once and a while, I tried to buy one last year but I was waiting on my challenger to sell, When it did the red and black sonerai that I wanted was gone, And now that I am close on the Kitfox I'm not looking for anything for a while,

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Posted

Is your sonerai going to be mid or low wing ? I dug my plans out for one and might start looking into building . I plan on changing the shape a little to look more like a extra 300 . 

This one is going to be set up for low wing. With longer legs it's the only way to go to give a little stretching room in the cockpit. I have built the square tail and lowered the turtle deck so it isn't going to look like the typical Sonerai low wing. I'd guess most people won't have a clue what it is due to the changes. They are actually very slight changed to the fuselage but large changes to the looks. 

I got in very little time on the plane today. Basically I putzed around the shop and got things set up to start on riveting. However the wings are getting very close to having all components ready to assemble once that happens. 

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Posted

Following this build lostman, I just purchased the 2L plans with hopes of starting it as a next project while flying the avid. 

I admire the design idea with lower turtle deck and larger vertical stab. Nice work. Looking forward to more pics. 

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Posted

Following this build lostman, I just purchased the 2L plans with hopes of starting it as a next project while flying the avid. 

I admire the design idea with lower turtle deck and larger vertical stab. Nice work. Looking forward to more pics 

I also have sonerai ll plans and hope to start on it one day . I first saw one when I was a kid and have been hooked ever since . I wanna get another formula V race type league going again for these planes . I am friends with a guy that raced in it and love hearing the stories. 

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Posted

I guess I should close the Sonerai chapter down. Back in April of last year I sold the plane to a retired gentleman that wanted it more than I did. He has been working on it steadily and just rolled it out of the garage this week all painted and I believe ready for inspection with the FAA. 

For whatever reason he really liked my lower turtle deck idea but then ended up changing it to match the plans way later in the build. He also flipped the canopy around backwards, which I always hated the looks of. To each their own. At least the little bird got the attention it needed and will soon take to the sky. 

Finished up.jpg

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Posted

:blink: Never seen that done but I'm with you on the canopy! 

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