shovelguy79
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Joined: Oct/27/2009
Location: Miami, Oklahoma USA
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Posts: 32
 Acroduster Too SA-750
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   Topic: New builder plans reading and tips?
Posted: Oct/27/2009 at 04:28 |
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I have never built an aircraft in my life and have just started to study my Acroduster plans. They seem confusing to me as a beginner, how do the plans stack up against other plans such as the Skybolt and can any of you guys point me towards some good books, videos and the like to help me get started? When I purchased the plans, Starduster was still in business and I figured that I could just buy the parts and materials as needed, but now I will have to do a little more thinking to get my project going. How did you guys get started? Does anyone know if Aircraft Spruce has any plans to make more components available for the Acroduster or are they just selling what is left of the Starduster inventory. Any tips are greatly appreciated.
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macwolf
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Joined: Aug/18/2006
Location: New Zealand
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Posts: 931
Pitts S1-SS
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Posted: Oct/27/2009 at 04:44 |
Get all the Tony Bingelis books.
If you are fabricating your own fuselage, I definitely found Construction of Tubular Steel Fuselages (from actechbooks or aircraftspruce) is a great resource, as is this website, and the multiple builder websites and resources on the internet.
If you join EAA they have a lot of homebuilding articles/resources, and a great new collection of videos that I wish I had access too before I started.
GOOD LUCK!
Edited by macwolf - Oct/27/2009 at 04:48
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Stuart Mackereth
ZK-MPH
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jgnunn
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Location: Austin, Texas
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Skybolt S. IO-360 200HP
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Posted: Oct/27/2009 at 05:46 |
The Skybolt Builders Manual on here is also helpful for rag and tube builders, not just the 'bolt.
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John'Beej'Nunn Blog Skybolt S 200HP. Always go the extra mile. The road won't be crowded...
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shovelguy79
Established Member
Joined: Oct/27/2009
Location: Miami, Oklahoma USA
Online Status:
Posts: 32
Acroduster Too SA-750
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Posted: Oct/27/2009 at 06:34 |
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Thank you for the tips, I think my biggest problem is being overwhelmed by the total project wrather than taking it a part at a time. Thanks again guys.
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ronwalker
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Joined: Jun/21/2008
Location: San Carlos CA
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Posts: 25
Stardusters
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Posted: Jul/20/2010 at 19:35 |
If you need some advise on your project I will help you via e mail, no charge for advice, Ron Walker Walker Airplane Ent.
650-593-5010 8-5 m-f shop
650-365-2285 anytime FAX
101WW and 9283Q
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PB Schafer
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Location: United States
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Posts: 41
bi-planes
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Posted: Jul/27/2010 at 18:44 |
Originally posted by shovelguy79
Thank you for the tips, I think my biggest problem is being overwhelmed by the total project wrather than taking it a part at a time. Thanks again guys.
Shovelguy. You must remember to eat the elephant one bite at a time. It is easy to get overwhelmed when you try to take on the entire project at one time. The main thing is to do something every day. Even if it is just to clean up and reorganize, and perhaps plan for something to do in the next session. Stay on the forum regularly as well. Don't get discouraged.
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"Those who say it cannot be done,
shouldn't bother the one doing it."
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Xavier
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Location: FRANCE
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S1SS
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Posted: Jul/28/2010 at 06:17 |
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And don't hesitate to take plenty of time to read and study the plans toroughly. I spent personnaly over a month studying the wings related sheets of the Pitts before I even order a single piece of spruce. They seemed ununderstandable (can say that in english?) to me at the beginning, but I kept reading them trying to figure out how the whole thing was made until they look simple and obvious.
As said by others before, you'll be greatly helped in this task by working with pictures, construction logs... you'll find here and there on the web. Skybolt construction manual on this site definitely worth 100 times what is asked for it...
As for the availability of parts, sorry but dunno about that
Xav
Edited by Xavier - Jul/28/2010 at 06:18
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Proud member of the Biplane Forum French Connexion (out of... 4?)
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macwolf
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Pitts S1-SS
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Posted: Jul/28/2010 at 12:52 |
I agree.. I found my plans just gibberish in the beginning, but slowly they came together. They key for me was having a plethora of pictures collected off the internet that I could cross compare with to work out what the plans mean.
Most plan sets now seem to come with a bunch of high res pictures detailing everything.
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Stuart Mackereth
ZK-MPH
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Dave Baxter
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Tech' Advisor
Joined: Nov/14/2007
Location: St. Helens, Oregon
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Posts: 57
Building a Skybolt with a 540
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Posted: Jul/29/2010 at 15:26 |
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Shovel Guy One other thing you might try, is to find another Biplane builder in your area that is currently building or has built a Biplane. These guys can be of great help especially the older ones. Dave
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Dave Baxter
Building a 540 powered Skybolt
Finished Two Stardusters
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