Getting a handle on it... the control sticks

It took quite a bit of time, but I'm finally finished making the control sticks (aka Torque Tube Controls.) Making them from scratch was an experience... I made several of the pieces over and over and over again... not happy with the first few attempts at making them.

Here's a photo of the finished piece (I still need to put the extended stick in each of the stick sockets... which will be done when I weld it into the fusleage.) Quite a few pieces went into making it... and a total of 80 hours.

On to making the landing gear... already have the fuselage completed, so I'll build it on the inverted fuselage, as many have suggested. I've been onto making the landing gear for a few weeks now... a lot of little things need to be completed before I even start the actual making of the landing gear.

Finally !... a little forward motion.

I hesitate to saying anything out loud... the Murphy Gods may look down and see I'm moving toward completion and put a stop to it.

Tonight I wanted to accomplish one simple thing... drill a straight hole through the center of the second elongated washer that sits at the bottom of the pilot's Stick Socket. (previously I had welded on both elongated washers without first drilling through the first washer and then the second... if you aren't or haven't done this... you won't have a clue as to what I am talking about)

This picture pretty much shows what I just said. You start out with a hole in one side and out the other on the tube. Washers need to be welded on to beef up the area. Weld on the first washer then drill through the hole on the uncovered side and through the pilot hole on the other. I did that on the first five I made... the sixth one I welded over both holes. DAMN ! But success was mine tonight and I was able to drill and straight and centered hole through the other side even though I originally screwed it up. (whew !)

All I need to do is weld the 3/8" tube and two washers onto the pivot area on the passenger's Stick Socket, file it smooth and then it's on to drilling the holes in the Stick Boots then on to putting it all together... can ya believe it ? I won't until it's finished.

Yesterday... and today

eeeeeeeeeeeeeesh !

It's been awhile since I've last been here. Let see... back in August of 2006 I was just starting back in on my Skybolt project. Today... I'm a little over half the way there. Great journey of learning and making new friends... getting reaquainted with old ones.

I've been keeping track of my build progress on another site: http://hammerheadpilotgear.com/skyboltmain.html

Here is a photo of the Jacobs R755-A2, 300 hp Radial Engine I picked up in up state New York. It's a beast that was manufactured back in the 1940's. It's a bullet-proof design that sounds great.

where to from here ?
let's see where tomorrow takes us