As with .any aircraft you get ‘hanger rash.. the odd little dink here and mark there… some just washes out some might need polish and some more

The secondary cowl was painted using a matt black spray .. which incidentally heats up hugely in sunshine … over the year I have used it about 1/3 of the time.. opting to use the main gloss painted cowl normally

When not in use it sits in the back of the hanger and sometimes gets blown by various prop wash if the doors are left open

So .. a year or so on .. I re touched the matt black up

The 9th May marks 75 years since Jersey was liberated following the occupation in the war.

Sadly it seems that celebrations will be very much curtailed due to virus worries and social distancing but I’m sure something will be planned by the Bailiff post release

In the meantime, a slight addition to my previous ‘commemorative cowling’ which I want to use, post lockdown, on my flight through France to Cherbourg, Caen, Deauville and Abbeville …

I had to scale up the image to get a suitable size and then split the numbers across the curve of the cowl .. a bit of edge tidying still to do ..

It’s always nice to show the ‘plane to interested people .. especially little ones 😊

And a chance to sit in the much flown PA28 G-ATOT

Whilst cleaning the oil down and covering her up for the unknown time associated with Covid19 epidemic I noticed that a couple of the tail rigging wires didnt seem to have the twang they used to …

The construction has a really neat way of getting these just right in the tail .. using packing washers

You have 8 cables 2 each side top and 2 each side under providing a nice tight geometric taught support for the tail plane

Slight problem is .. there are no turnbuckle.. as this would not only weight but also drag ..

So you make each of the 8 wires to ‘exact’ length with thimble and crimps and use 2-3 washers to pack ..

Once in situ .. you hopefully have it all nice and rigid .. problem is that moving any 1 affects ALL in the setup .. beautifull engineering and geometry.. but a pain 😊

Anyway .. removing 1 washer from 2 and bingo .. the whole setup was making a nice ping noise again when flicked with a finger .. the acid test

When you go around Duxford you see all the beautiful old aircraft like Spits, Mustangs, Hellcats etc all with small metal drip trays under their engines catching the inevitable oil leaks and drips post engine runs…

My engine is pretty ckean having done less than 90 hours but … if I use smoke .. no matter how much I wipe down afterwards.. I get the excess dripping in a neat line on the hanger floor .. going to have to think of something for those days I use smoke 😊

The slight downside to using the smoke is that it doesn’t quite burn everything… I’ve been using a setting of 1.5 turns on the mixture and the first time the smoke density was really full but left quote a lot of wet on the underside afterwards

Because of where the exhaust stacks end and the associated airflow around the body and rear wards.. the underside gets a film from the wing trailing edge backwards

It wipes off really easily but the undercarriage is also smack in line as well and the leather boots around the bungees catch quite a bit

I’m going to try a slightly different mixture setting.. say 1.4 .. then 1.3 but I also think I need to test this in different ambient temps as well .. last test it actually rained so not a great day for testing!

I guess with any build .. this being my first.. you have absolutely tons of paperwork and guides and plans and pictures and write ups and research ..

It culminates in you writing to the LAA – Light Aircraft Association – asking for approval of the paperwork and signed papers BUT also specifying WHO is actually going to perform the test flight …

I, for one, couldn’t contemplate handing over the inaugural test flight to someone else … call it pride.. call it worry .. putting someone else’s life on YOUR construction!

So .. I requested me as test pilot … based on my previous .. but very old 5 years of Stampe biplane experience

The LAAs Chief Engineer, Francis Donaldson sends a carefully worded letter which is supportive but also says things as they are …