Smooth Pilot

After another day of flying, I noticed two things. First, and really scary, was that two of the screws holding the motor to the firewall had vibrated loose and fallen into the cowl. I checked the other two and they were also loose. Fortunate that I found that before the motor came completely off and destroyed the nose of the aircraft. I took it home and replaced the existing screws with some that are slightly longer checking to make sure the ends of the crews did not contact the windings and using thread locker to prevent this happening again. I thought I had already used some thread locker, but I could not see any evidence. So be forewarned to double check the mounting arrangement.

Second, the canopy flange at the front was starting to separate as that is were the battery connection is made. A small piece of 1/8-inch lite ply was cut and glued to the flange with medium CA. I have attached a photo show the location and the clamps where the reinforcement was made.

Still making radio and trim adjustments and dialing the airplane in. It just keeps getting better and better the more I fly it.


Sheldon