Wildcat Cub
- Thread starter stewartb
- Start date
Dan Gervae
FRIEND
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
What an accomplishment! Congrats guys.
RVBottomly
PATRON
Asotin County Washington (KLWS)
I really hope to see it in action some day. As I'm welding on my fuselage I keep seeing myself heading up to Alaska, maybe tagging along behind Bill Rusk, so I can see such things.
I'll take your words to heart and keep posting, but I think I'm slower than you. But one thing's for sure, the target for build quality has been elevated significantly.
sj
Staff member
Northwest Arkansas
Stewart, my sincere thanks for taking the time to post about your project progress. I know that doing that is a project in itself!
Although the stats say that site activity is at an all time high, Stewart is correct in that the most popular threads are ones like this one and we need more of them! Don't be shy!
sj
As Mike says, the fuel test was successful. It leaks!
Put it together, take it apart, put it back together.
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Put it together, take it apart, put it back together.
Sent from my iPad using SuperCub.Org mobile app
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RaisedByWolves
FRIEND
Tx
And then, all of a sudden you will have an airplane, and nothing else matters as you take off for the first time. Youre really close!
The G3X woes got worked out. Garmin’s G3Xpert tech support is awesome. But then the constant speed prop was unresponsive. Yep, Superior didn’t install the internal crank plug and we never thought to look. Off with the prop to fix that. While doing so we found another unexpected problem. After just a handful of starts my ring gear was destroyed. WTF? Custom Aircraft in Palmer had a new ring gear and installed it on the flywheel while I waited. Kudos to them! Advice from them and others was to retard the timing a little. Done. It turns out there’s a known issue with Skytec’s NL149 starter when used with Superior’s 149 tooth ring gear. It was probably a combination of TDC timing and an unhappy starter-ring gear relationship. Stuff you don’t know about until you’re forced to know about it. An unanticipated day of wrenching and driving to chase parts when days are hard to come by. Sigh.
From Skytec’s website-
“It appears that Superior reverse engineered the 60882-type ring gear support assembly (for 122-tooth ring gears) when they manufactured and PMA certified Superior Ring Gear Support Assembly PN SL77579-1 Rev.11 (for 149-tooth ring gears). Unfortunately, when pairing those ring gear support assemblies with 149-tooth ring gears, the ring gear rests further aft than Lycoming specification and therefore tends to crash the front face of NL-type starters by a mere couple thousandths of an inch. Other starter models tend to stand back sufficiently from the ring gear, so the mismatch is not as problematic. Since the NL “hugs the line” defined by Lycoming, the mismatched ring gear and support assembly causes an interference condition.”
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From Skytec’s website-
“It appears that Superior reverse engineered the 60882-type ring gear support assembly (for 122-tooth ring gears) when they manufactured and PMA certified Superior Ring Gear Support Assembly PN SL77579-1 Rev.11 (for 149-tooth ring gears). Unfortunately, when pairing those ring gear support assemblies with 149-tooth ring gears, the ring gear rests further aft than Lycoming specification and therefore tends to crash the front face of NL-type starters by a mere couple thousandths of an inch. Other starter models tend to stand back sufficiently from the ring gear, so the mismatch is not as problematic. Since the NL “hugs the line” defined by Lycoming, the mismatched ring gear and support assembly causes an interference condition.”
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cubdriver2
FRIEND
upstate NY
When I first looked at the ring gear picture I thought you were doing a Bill Rusk mod at saving weight and only using every third tooth ;-)
Glenn
Glenn
Carey Gray
Registered User
Thun Field, Washington
OK, that was pretty funny.
Nice job Stewart/Mike. Looks great. Can't wait for a pilot report.
Stewart,
I just went through this with my 0-320. I had a 149 tooth ring gear with an old funky Bendix style light weight starter that was no longer available or rebuildable so we changed to the Skytek NL style and it contacted the teeth intermittently which the A&P that installed it did not catch it (was not at home) and when I got the cub back home and found the problem as the starter stayed engaged. Long and short is that we chased our tail through a bunch of parts and finally had to convert to a 122 because the 122 ring gear is significantly thinner than the 149 thus gives more clearance. No issues now but that starter change cost me about $1500 and even the 122 was a tight fit.
Kirby
I just went through this with my 0-320. I had a 149 tooth ring gear with an old funky Bendix style light weight starter that was no longer available or rebuildable so we changed to the Skytek NL style and it contacted the teeth intermittently which the A&P that installed it did not catch it (was not at home) and when I got the cub back home and found the problem as the starter stayed engaged. Long and short is that we chased our tail through a bunch of parts and finally had to convert to a 122 because the 122 ring gear is significantly thinner than the 149 thus gives more clearance. No issues now but that starter change cost me about $1500 and even the 122 was a tight fit.
Kirby
The End of the Innocence. I listened to that tune on the way to Birchwood today and it seemed appropriate. The Wildcat just flew it's first two test flights. Man, what a ride. Gobs of power, crazy rate of climb, an honest straight and level 100 mph at 24/2400, hottest CHT 330*, oil temp 170*, all in ambient temps around 55*. The beast will take some getting used to. Mostly the power and the flaps, but the rigging is good and with only a couple of small items to tidy up? It's time to burn avgas.
Wingwrench
Registered User
Lakeland, Fl
Congrats to you and Mike, nice work.
RVBottomly
PATRON
Asotin County Washington (KLWS)
End of innocence, indeed.
And maybe a wild shout when nobody's around?
Excellent news.
And maybe a wild shout when nobody's around?
Excellent news.
Steve's Aircraft (Brian)
FRIEND
White City, Oregon
Now I'm going to have to put my Enigma CD in on the drive home...
Congrats on the build...
Brian.
Carey Gray
Registered User
Thun Field, Washington
Congratulations!
Good stuff, except I now have that song stuck in my head.
Good stuff, except I now have that song stuck in my head.
mike mcs repair
Registered User
chugiak AK
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mike mcs repair
Registered User
chugiak AK
After being lost in my shop for a year and a half. I of course found the trim switch and stick top bag. After I made new top and bought new switches. It got pushed behind the microwave by where I feed the cat. I blame the cat.
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Ruffair
GONE WEST
Lower Chena
It seems like you just started this project. I just went back to your first page of posts. April 14 2016 I think it was, you posted the arrival of wing and other parts.
Just a little over 2 years start to finish. That may not be a record and am sure you weren’t after one... But still, that’s a real accomplishment !
Congratulations on a beautiful airplane..!
Kem
Just a little over 2 years start to finish. That may not be a record and am sure you weren’t after one... But still, that’s a real accomplishment !
Congratulations on a beautiful airplane..!
Kem
It’s a process. Practice makes perfect. Mike’s good at it.
https://decalprofx.com/Vertical/1_MENU/1a_Home/Aircraft/Aircraft.html
https://decalprofx.com/Vertical/1_MENU/1a_Home/Aircraft/Aircraft.html
mvivion
SPONSOR
Bozeman,MT
Mike's transfer labels look great. I like the red text on black panel. One of many details that make me smile.
View attachment 37603
View attachment 37604
But can you read them at night under red lighting? :lol:
They really do do look nice. Congrats on a great project.
MTV
