The Velocity Project - Page 24

The first task this session was the fitting of the engine cowl and spinner.  Most of this work had been done previously, but the cowl had to be trimmed around the propeller.

It was almost a perfect fit, fortunately.  A very slight deviation in the mounting position of the engine can make this step difficult.

The cables in the wing root were terminated with connectors for attachment to the wings.  These cables go to the two antennas in each wing, the wing tip strobe lights, and the navigation lights.

A temporary radio antenna was made (shown attached with a clamp) to test the radios prior to the installation of the wings.

The canard is installed and the elevator push rod is fitted and connected.  This rod connects directly to the control stick in the center keel.

Prior to installing the canard, weights were attached to the elevator mechanism and the system was balanced to prevent flutter.

Here we go again!  I still wasn't happy with the fuel shut off valve, so I made yet another one.  Here is version three!  I think I got it right this time.

I also had to remove the sump tank to reposition it.  In the original position, the fuel strainer could have been broken off in a gear-up landing.  Velocity personnel caught that error on preliminary inspection. 

More plumbing!  Aircraft instruments use ram air pressure and ambient pressure to determine airspeed, rate of climb, and altitude.  Ambient pressure is detected through tiny holes in the aircraft skin.  An aluminum tube is embedded in the fiberglass to connect to these holes (A).  Ram air pressure is obtained from a forward-facing tube, called a pitot tube, connected at point (B).  At the "T" connector, ram air is routed to a pressure switch that prevents the gear from being raised unless the aircraft is in flight.

One of the nice things about fiberglass airplanes is the ease with which you can make an antenna.  You simply glue a wire, copper foil, or a metal braid to the skin and cover it with a piece of fiberglass cloth.

Here is the dipole antenna for the Emergency Locator Beacon.  A short piece of coaxial cable (black) connects this to the transmitter, located in the rear of the aircraft.

Completion Details, October 17, 2003
Day 248, 1767.0 hours

With the assistance of Velocity staff, many preflight details were completed during this session.

In this picture, the necessary check list items have been completed and the aircraft is ready for the first engine test.

The engine started immediately and ran flawlessly on the first try.  There were some minor problems noted with the instrumentation that will need to be de-bugged, but nothing major.

The propeller isn't visible in this picture because it is turning about 1500 RPM during an engine test session.