Another random update and some musings
I'm waiting for my order of additional materials for the landing gear to arrive--should be here tomorrow. I spent time tweaking and checking the fuselage alignment and finishing off missed weld spots, etc. I was pleased with what I had. I measured from a tight string marking the horizontal reference line to all sorts of locations, and the measurements were very close to what they should be. Eyeballing the line straight from tailpost to the firewall showed it to be at the center of every station.
So I welded the x brace in the tail and, without really noticing it until later, I ended up with lower longerons bowed in.
Picture shows the fuselage upside down:
So now I have more to do at the tail end... and it got me wondering if the x-brace really strengthens things. I'm sure it does, but it seems odd to have it tying into the middle of the braces like that. I'm half tempted to weld up shapes with 1/16 rod and try twisting them with a light torque wrench to see the failure modes.
But I'm also looking ahead and starting to calculate wing materials. So many questions are popping up; and so many rabbit-trails beckon. I end up musing a whole bunch.
I'm still trying to pin down flap forces in various configurations.
Lately I've been flying a rented 180hp C-172 with a constant speed prop. It is quite a performer. I've taken to studying its flaps carefully. It has the manual style that go up to 40 degrees. Pretty effective, it seems to me. I'm wondering if something like that would be nearly as effective as the Keller flaps. But the forces involved, it looks like a lot of twisting leverage?
So that leads me to ponder the little rear spar of the Piper design. I don't have a PA 14 drawing, but the Wag Aero metal wing kit uses the same spar dimensions as the Northland drawings. I wonder why not use one with a wider web and trim the rib capstrips to fit? Or is it necessary? I've been drawing various ideas for compression struts that would double as ribs at the flap hangars.
I don't even want to bring up my idea for a combination AOA indicator and low airspeed indicator that looks suspiciously like a trolling speed log.
Or variable pressure inflatable bushwheels that you could pump up or down from the comfort of the cockpit.
I think I have it bad, but at least these diversions generally occur at night before bed, instead of when I'm working on the project.