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Building a Javron Cub

Thats a nice looking cub. Painting is such a PITA. Oratex seem to be a very good alternative for those like me hating the painting process.
 
Thats a nice looking cub. Painting is such a PITA. Oratex seem to be a very good alternative for those like me hating the painting process.
I was really on the fence about the Oratex fabric until I went over to help Larry when he was getting the fabric laid out around the vertical stabilizer. The Oratex has plenty of shrink to it, you just can't be sloppy about it quite the way you can with traditional fabric.
The only real drawback that I can see is the translucency of it. You can see a shadow where there is a tube or structure behind the fabric. However, I think this would be greatly reduced with a darker color. I was (and still am) a big Stits fan, but after seeing this stuff, I personally wouldn't even consider anything else. My 2 cents.
 
Update (sorta)

Spent last weekend at a family gathering down in Texas. I am so very Blessed to have a great family. Family is so important, when people are seeing the end of their time on earth they almost always say "I wish I had spent more time with my family" So....learn from them....spend more time with your family....

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L to R - My Mom, Uncle and Aunt. Three of the greatest people I know. Thank you!!!

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The little church I went to as a kid. It is still where we have our reunions. It is 170 years old. Lots of history there. Small town America......its a great and wonderful thing.

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My home town....thats it....thats all.....and its all good.




So this weekend it is back to work on the Cub. Sorta.


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First we took the skis off MMR's PA-12 and put the Bushwheels back on. Ski season is over for this year. :-(


This weekends project was building the paint booth. I prefer to have a rigid wall paint booth. Plastic gets static electricity and collects all kinds of dust. Then when you turn on your exhaust fan that plastic sheet flaps, sucks in, and billows out, and in the process slings all that dust everywhere. Also, many years ago I was painting a car in a plastic sheeting booth, was kneeling down doing the rocker panel, and when I stood up I momentarily lost my balance, and reached out to steady myself. Basically I pulled the whole booth down on my fresh paint job because there was no real structure there. That was a really bad week. Re-sanded the whole car......
So I prefer real walls. Cost a little more but worth it, to me.
Home Depot sells a product called Thrifty White Panel Board. It is pretty thin, about 1/8th inch, smooth bright white Melamine finish, and relatively cheep at 12 bucks a 4x8 sheet. So I make 8' x 8' blocks, and 4' x 8' blocks, using 2x4's that are then screwed together. This way you can take it all apart and stack it out of the way until you build your next Cub, or lend it to your neighbors.....

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An 8' x 8' panel going together.

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Mark and Cal came over and helped out. Makes a BIG difference. Thanks guys.

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12' x 24' is the size. I used plywood and OSB for the roof part. The Melamine board just does not have enough rigidity for the ceiling.

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Door wall with the intake filters. The exhaust fan is on the far wall through a window.

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This wandered into my hangar. It is non-flyable and will be used for static display, EAA events, etc. Purchased for that purpose by Buck. Good on you, Buck.

So I will do some more work tomorrow on the booth. Next weekend it is off to Minneapolis for the First Annual Minnesota Pilots Association gathering - founded by our very own hero Dr Windonhisnose. Then on Saturday I head North with my good friend Mike Woodson tooooo............wait for it..................

GET MY WINGS from Jay at Javron. So sometime after next weekend we should have a wing report. Yahoo!!!!!!!!

As always.....Hope this helps

Bill
 
Bill,

Good idea...last one I built I used OSB spray painted with white semi-gloss latex and it holds the dust too. Had to blow it down before using it each time. I need to build another soon so I think I'll follow your lead. Keep up the great ideas!!
 
Bill, Great and very useful information for me. Thank you so much for the posts on the paint booth. Im very excited you are getting your wings. Greg
 
I like your booth Bill.

I have painted plenty of airplanes in a visqueen/plastic-sheeting booth. Have had some excellent outcomes....but every once in a while stories like yours' come to light.

A couple of times I have been able to blame a not-perfect paint job on the booth :)
 
I like your booth Bill.

I have painted plenty of airplanes in a visqueen/plastic-sheeting booth. Have had some excellent outcomes....but every once in a while stories like yours' come to light.

A couple of times I have been able to blame a not-perfect paint job on the booth :)

...am waiting for a coat of paint to dry right now.....silver mettalic........the first coat went on great.....
.....let's hope then second coat goes as well........

...visqueen/plastic-sheeting booth.
 
Dave

You have to remember the Lords prayer when enterering the booth...please Lord don't let me mess up!!! :)

Matt
 
Matt, I try not to make any of this work a "science experiment"...........what I mean is that following instructions usually works great. ...and I pray in the morning and in the night, and when I go out the gate, and when I go in the gate..... again, it is working so far.

Mike, I am glad to hear your fabric is holding up. I still like shooting Aerothane. Those stabs of yours turned out like glass....absolutely perfect gloss.....must have been the wetsanding......and praying! I shot my 180 wings in that booth last year.....put up new plastic and went at it...they are quite nice....PPG stuff.

...sorry to get OT, Bill. This is a community, and a conversation, right? :)
 
Knowing Bill and seeing his shop and project first hand I understand and appreciate his efforts delivering exactly what he wants, his perfect super cub and the extra efforts like these that are producing it. I'm not sure of his finish standard but he's definitely not building a "10 footer" and it shows!
 
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Bill thanks for the tip... I was looking into something like this for a takedown boot. I came out with the idea of using tie-warps for holding the panel in pace or even a snap both to fit a loop hole screw and get it to hold. Unfortunate for me, painting is a still to-do list... never get to it for some reason (well, I might really really really suck at it!!!)
 
...sorry to get OT, Bill. This is a community, and a conversation, right? :smile:

Dave - Absolutely. I love it. I have seen guys get incredible paint jobs in a Visqueen booth. I'm not that good. I have to control as many variables as I can just to get a mediocre finish.

Kirby - Thank you for your nice words. Some of us have to work twice as hard to be half as good. I'm working as hard as I can. I am hopeful for a nice, light, great flying Cub.

You have to remember the Lords prayer when enterering the booth...please Lord don't let me mess up!!! :smile:

Matt

Matt - Haha, I love it.

Bill
 
Just a couple of teaser photos. I'll give a full report in a day or two when I get home.

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Mike getting the wings ready to load. And a huge Thanks to him for helping me get the wings home.

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On the truck. Drive home tomorrow.

More later

Bill
 
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Home. It might be a day or two before I can add to the wing info but I wanted to post a few quick pictures. I'm very pleased with my wings.


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I am Blessed to live in a great community. My friends (and neighbors) all came over to look at the wings and help unload the truck.
L-R Glenn, Mike (from Seattle, helped my bring them home), Tim, Robin
Normally the leading edge will be done by Javron and in place but I am doing Carbon Fiber Leading edges Vs the normal aluminum, so mine are left off for me to do that. I'll post about how and why I am using CF in a few days.

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Wing tip bow attach fitting. Nice

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Another wing tip bow attach fitting

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Rear spar reinforcement plate

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Jay makes up a nice mounting tree for transportation. Works great.

Great trip but I got/had a cold and probably gave it to everyone I met. Looking forward to some rest and recovery.
More in a day or two.

Bill
 
1943A Aileron, std length at 102" Flap, extended in to fuselage, 88" (estimated, too cold to walk out there to measure it)

Folks

Still in the recovery mode so did not get anything done today except weigh the wing tanks. Should I put that 5 minutes entry in my builders log? Anyway, here are a couple of pictures of the wing tanks.

Stock SC 18 gallon wing tank = 9.5 pds (took from another SC.org member post, I can't vouch for the accuracy of his scale)
Javron 18 gallon wing tank = 9.9 pds (one at 9.91 and one at 9.89)
Dakota 24 gallon wing tank = 13.2 (took from another SC.org member post, I can't vouch for the accuracy of his scale)
Back Country 24 gallon tank = 16.9 (took from another SC.org member post, I can't vouch for the accuracy of his scale)

Also the 18 gallon tank is held in the wing with 2 straps Vs the 24 gallon tank has 3 straps. So the total difference between 18 and 24 gal tanks is probably about 9 to 10 pounds. (the increased tank bay lid size will also add weight)

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I will explain the extra threaded bung tomorrow.



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Bill
 
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Javron 18 gallon wing tank = 9.9 pds (one at 9.91 and one at 9.89)
Dakota 24 gallon wing tank = 13.2 (took from another SC.org member post, I can't vouch for the accuracy of his scale)

Also the 18 gallon tank is held in the wing with 2 straps Vs the 24 gallon tank has 3 straps. So the total difference between 18 and 24 gal tanks is probably about 9 to 10 pounds. (the lid size may also be a factor?)

Looks like their weight is exactly the same, per gallon of capacity. My 24 gallon tanks only have two straps.

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I will explain the extra threaded bung tomorrow.

Bill

That is a good way to connect the fuel transfer from the belly tank.
 
Bill, i dont see it but maybe there is one, get a ground strap tab welded on the tank. [personal opinion] And dont forget a pinhole slosh eliminator for your site gauge. And some nice felts to go on the rod that goes through the tank. Just a reminder, hope you dont mind. doug
 
Nice wings Bill, can't wait to read up your weigh in report!!!
BTW, did Jay share with you the rib load testing on that design? How much do they weigh?


I am with Skywagon on what that extra bung is good for, nice and clever to get it on there beforehand.
 
Bill,
If you are planning on using a Facet type of pulse pump to transfer gas up to that main tank, be aware that the gas can drain down through the pump by gravity. Don't depend on the pump to act as a check valve. You should plan on using a separate check valve or an anti-siphon loop in the fuel line.
 
Just weighed my BC 24 gallon wing tank, an ugly 16 pounds 14 oz each without caps, or guages. Tell me again about carbon fiber tanks!
 
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