Next, I attached the 2 Gussets (the middle and right side pieces) and the Axle Bracket (the left piece). All 3 units have a slot in the middle where the Frame Rail fits inside, and are attached underneath the Frame Plate with bolts on ends. On top of this, the Gussets are also attached to the sides of the Frame Plate through pre-drilled holes on the side of the Frame Plate. The slots on all 3 units were not wide enough to slide over the Frame Rail, so I needed to do a bit of filing on each side of the slots to make it wider until it fit over the Frame Rail (I used a vise with wooden jaws to file the slot sides). I attached the Gussets to the bottom of the Frame Plate first with short bolts, washers, and nuts that would work for the time being. The manual did not say to do this, but I thought it best to attach then to the bottom of the Frame Plate first. Be sure to face the flange side of the Gussets to the rear. Then took a square and lightly tapped the upright portion of the Gusset ends using a block of wood to make sure the Gussets were 90 degrees to the Frame Plate before I drilled the holes into the end tabs of the Gussets. To drill the holes into the Gusset side tabs, I used the pre-drilled holes in the side of the Frame Plate as a guide. Just a note... The Gusset end tabs should be taller as there was just barely enough material to drill through so the hole didn't break through the top of the tabs.
And there you go... One custom made Ebony Steering Stick Grip with a PTT button. Nothing is hooked up yet, it's just on the stick for now.
I put U Brackets on the Frame Plate in the holes just in front of the big hole in the Frame Plate. The ends of the Engine Tube go in these U Brackets and get a bolt with washers on both sides and a nut.
Today is the day I was waiting for... Airworthiness Inspection time! I had to take my PPC to a local church parking lot, because the City Street crew were re-surfacing the road in front of my house. I met Tom Gierhart, a DAR for the FAA, and we completed the Airworthiness Certification! What a wonderful feeling knowing that my PPC is now ready to fly!
Start with a piece of angle aluminum.
I needed to drill holes for wiring through my Pod Mount (top and bottom) and through my upper and lower Pods.
Put together the fuel pumps and mounted them under the Frame Plate. Going in is 1/4" fittings and hose on the left of the pumps. Going out is 1/2" fitting and hose, then to 1/4" hose.
I met with Kent Price, my CFI, who helped me rig my Chute. Next step is to have him test fly my PPC.
Upper Outrigger Support Tubes attached.
I lined the Bracket with the fuzzy side of Velcro to act as a cushion.
Before mounting the Engine, I aligned and set up the Engine Mounting Brackets. Then, with the help of some good neighbors, we lifted the Engine and mounted it. It took all of 10 minutes, and it went on without a hitch.
Final picture of the day... Outrigger Assembly completed.
September 1, 2018
Flying my PPC has been going exceptionally well! I have been flying like crazy... Mostly because I need to fly off 40 hours of Phase 1 (test flying on this brand new PPC) so I can take my PPC to different locations and so I can take up passengers. Anyways, 40 hours and Phase 1 is complete! Today is the day I planned to take up my 1st passengers. I did my pre-flight inspection as usual, and I found 2 problems.
June 7, 2018
I spent 4 hours doing Wiring today. I got all the wiring coming from the engine wrapped in flexible split tubing wire casing and routed it to the front.
Starting to wire the back side of the Switches and Circuit Breakers.
Hard to tell, but I already installed the Outrigger Tube into the Bracket on the right and installed a U Bracket and bolt.
July 20-26, 2018
After the build and Airworthiness Certification, on July 20, 2018, I took my oral testing with CFI Dennis Stanley for my PPC add on Endorsement and passed. Then, on July 21, 2018, I went to the Cedar Valley Airport (U10), and did my Check Ride, in Kent Price's PPC, with CFI Dennis Stanley and passed! Now I have to do a 6-7 hour break in engine before I fly my PPC.
February 15, 2018
In the build manual, one part said the bolts that go through the Spindle Brackets and Spindle Tubes as shown below are AN4-17A... Another part says they are AN4-21A...They are AN4-21A.
I can't wait to give it a try!
Tapping holes to mount the Radiator
My Six Chuter Paragon AM Build
N417PC
Finished installing the Upper Shock Brackets with Engine Cross Tube mounted.
I plan on using my MGL V6 in the Pod/Dash mounted Radio & my MGL EFIS for my PPC. However, this Radio with its wiring harness is a bit too deep for the Pod I got from Six Chuter, so I decided to look around for a bigger Pod/Dash and found a good one on Ebay for $90. I wanted to mound this Pod a bit higher than just mounting it on top of the Paragon's dash between the Steering Stick and Front Forks. To do this, I bought a piece of 4" x 4" square aluminum and cut it to the configuration of my liking.
I finished assembling the Steering Stick... I like how it turned out with the Oilite Bearing and Nylon Washers added.
I thought it would only take me about 6 hours to finish up all of this wiring... 18 straight hours later, at 0400 hrs., I finished.
I put a saddle over the dimple and made sure it was in the middle. I held it there as I started to drill the hole (in order to take this picture, I was not able to hold the saddle in place). After I started the hole, I removed the saddle and drilled through one side and repeated the same process on the other side.
November 15, 2017
I am officially announcing that my Six Chuter Paragon AM build has begun!
Today, I received from Six Chuter the following Manuals and Packet in order to start my PPC build. Now all I need are some parts to put together!
Final Pictures of the day.
There are 3 Circuit Breakers that come from the ECU wiring bundle. You are suppose to mount them somewhere where the Pilot can reach them. I made a bracket and mounted them under the passenger seat. I can easily turn around and reset them if needed.
Everything is now Connected... Just add water!
Here is where I'm at now at the end of the day.
Here is the Upper Linkage arm coming up through the hole in the Frame Plate and how it connects to the Steering Stick which is mounted to the Steering Bracket that's mounted to the Frame Plate in front of the Pilot Seat. I still have to drill and put a bolt through the Steering Stick Bracket to the Linkage Rod attaches to.
I'm drilling through the pre-drilled Pylon Tube holes into the Engine Mount Plate to insert a bolt to secure the two together.
Home Of
N90135 - N417PC - N395SC
And there you have it... The Engine is mounted!
All in a days work... 12 hours worth and 2 hours afterwards posting this information!
I mounted the Muffler Bracket Mount to the Cross Tube, and then mounted the Muffler.
In an earlier post, I connected the Fuel Filter (the one after the fuel pumps). Anyways, Fuel Filters for fuel injection systems have this ring on the tube where a connection fitting goes. At first I just put the hose to the ring fitting and put on clamps... Well, I did not feel good about it. I called Mark from Aeromomentum, and he said to put hose past the ring fitting... Well, that just can't be done. I have a good Auto Mechanic friend who told me how to do it. First, sand the ring down to half the diameter, that's all that's needed. Second, use Vasalene on the outside of the ring fitting and tube. Third, use a heat gun to heat the hose a bit. Well what do you know... It slipped on so easily!
I ordered my Aeromomentum AM13 engine back in November... Well, I went and picked it up today. It's a real thing of beauty!
Setting the Radiator in place.
Here is what the Engine Tubes look like attached to the Pylon and Frame Plate U Brackets.
I installed and wired up the Fuel Pressure Sender.
The Oil Pressure Sender Unit all wired up.
I put the bracket on the Gascolator.
Here is the Left (red flashing) Side Light mounted.
I temporarily fitted the Brake Lever on the Steering Stick. I will need to shorten the brake line later once the Dash and Pod are on and I determine the route for line.
Huston, we have power... All systems are go!
Hard to see, but the wooden blocks are behind the Passender Seat. Also, here is the Passender Seat sitting on the tape so it doesn't move so easily. Pushing down on the seat while drilling up through the underneath side of the 2 front pre-drilled Platform holes was simple. There are 2 more holes to the rear of the Platform, but you do not use these holes. I will drill 2 more holes from the top of the Seat down through the Platform later once I call Six Chuter to see where to place these to them.
I put my cell phone mount on the left side of the Pod Platform mount.
I mounted this radiator so that it is sandwiched between the upper and lower aluminum brackets, held in place only by the single middle upper, and the 2 lower vibration dampening bushings. Mounting the aluminum angle brackets to the PPC was done the same as the original ones.
I mounted it on the right side of the Frame Plate.
I am very pleased with this new Throttle Lever. When I'm seated, it's in a very comfortable place, and feels very smooth.
Laying out the positions for the Gauges and Switches.
There are 4 pre-drilled holes in the Frame Plate that straddle the Axle Bracket. I drilled these 3/16" holes through the Frame Plate and Axle Bracket using the Frame Plate holes as a guide.
Several Spindle Tube ends would not fit in the U Brackets so I made another wooden wedge to fit these brackets and tapped them in to widen the brackets.
I made a Battery Bracket to keep my Battery from moving around.
Drilling holes to mount the Radiator
These machine screw heads now sit flush with the Frame Plate as directed by the manual.
I mounted it underneath the fender to the Steering bolt.
I pulled the Axle Bolt out a bit to access the right side of the Wheel and Fork Tube. Then I attached the Rotor to the Axle Hub of the Brake assembly, but then I could not put it on because the space was too tight to fit it in. So I had to take the Rotor off the Axle Hub. The process to putting it together became... 1) Take the Axle Bolt and Wheel off; 2) Bolt the Brake Hub on to the Wheel with (3) 5/16" bolts; 3) Push the Axle Bolt back in a bit, and with the Rotor not attached, and the right side Wheel aluminum Tube Spacer in the Axle Brake Hub, continue to push the Axle Bolt in; 4) Stick an allen wrench into the Axle Bolt hole of the Fork to align the Tube Spacer so the Axle Bolt could go through, and then once aligned, push the Axle Bolt in all the way through; 5) Attach the Rotor to the Axle Brake Hub with (6) allen bolts.
May 25-28, 2018
Mounted the ECU and did the wiring for the ECU and Strobes.
I turned the Frame Plate and Frame Rail upside down, and making sure the Spindle Brackets with the Spindle Tubes attached were upside down, I attached them to the Frame Rail U Brackets using AN4-17A bolts, regular washers, and snug fitting the nuts on. I put a level (only using it for a straight edge) on the Spindle Brackets to check the Spindle Bolts for straightness. Without the 2nd bolt put in the Spindle Bracket through the Spindle Tube, I was able to line up the Spindle Bolts so they are in a straight line with each other.
Now that the Spindle Bolts on each side are in a straight line with each other, I was able to drill 1/2 way through each Spindel Tube and put a bolt in it to keep it in alignment. I taped the bolts in place so they would not fall out and I turned everything right side up again. Note: The Spindle Bolt is still backwards.
Attached the Pilot Seat Hinge Bracket to the Frame Plate and underneath the front of the Pilot seat.
November 1, 2019 *************** Installed New Oil Pressure Guage & Sender & Relocated Sender ************
In June 2019, at 70.6 logged hrs., I developed a stress fracture oil leak on the brass Oil Sender fitting that goes into the engine. Basically, the vibration of the Oil Sender as I originally mounted it was the cause of the stress fracture. I caught the leak just before the fitting broke off. If it had broke off in flight, my engine would have been toast.
I changed out the brass fitting that goes in the engine, and connected the Sender with a flexible brake hose custom made by House Of Hose, and secured the Sender to the engine with a bracked I made. Unfortunately, the vibrations from the engine at high RPM's caused both my Gauge and Sender to fail over time... I bought new ones and they failed also. I then bought a new UMA Gauge and matching UMA Sender ($300 for both) and using another custom made brake hose, I made a new bracket and mounted the Sender to the Engine Angle Mounting Bracket. I also put a fire protection sleeve on the hose to protect it from the heat of the exhaust pipes.
Putting the Rudder Plates on was pretty simple. I attached them by putting in the left 2 bolts first, and after tightening them I drilled a hole through the right pre-drilled hole of the Rudder plates and through the Nose Gear and put in the correct bolt. Again, I always drill 1/2 way on one side, then 1/2 way from the other side. There should always be 2 to 3 bolt threads sticking out of each nut... But no more than 5 or 6 threads.
March 19-24, 2018
While I'm waiting for my Aeromomentum AM13 engine to come... I've been working on my Pod/Dash.
Attached the Rudder Tube U Brackets.
Installed the Harness Tube to the Pivot Brackets. I put the Seatbelt Shoulder Straps on before bolting it together.
July 6, 2018
Task by task... I'm winding down on my PPC build!
All but 1 gauge is installed, but not connected. I'm waiting on the Water Temperature Gauge to come in.
Prop Guard ring is assembled and installed. It was a 2 man job. Thanks to a good friend and neighbor David Yandow!
February 20, 2018
I've got a Pilot seat!
July 2, 2018
I have been waiting for parts, ie., Fuel Sender, Fuel Pressure Gauge, Oil Sender, Oil Pressure Gauge, Fittings, and Radiator to arrive... And for a break in work and vacation. Today, I finally got my parts, and had time to work on my PPC!
Explanation Needed: Attaching the Nose Gear to the Frame Rail was a bit tricky, so here's what I did. I put the Acetal insert (it's what is holding the 2 pieces together inside the Frame Rail and Nose Gear with the bolts... It is mentioned as an Insert in the assembly manual... Sorry, I didn't take a picture of it before I put it in place) into the Nose Gear first, putting it all the way in with the angled portion of the insert flat against the bottom of the inside Nose Gear (sorry I didn't get a picture of this). Doing this wedged the insert in place (at least for me it did). Then, I carefully slid the other end of the insert that sticks out of the Nose Gear piece into the Frame Rail opening and checked the fit. I made sure the bottom end of this insert fit flat against the bottom of the inside Frame Rail. However, in doing so, the Frame Rail and Nose Gear angled ends did not butt together as shown in the picture above... There was an angled gap. To fix this, I carefully pulled the insert out from the Nose Gear side just about 1/16" and tried again. It fit as shown in the picture with both ends butting together perfectly without any angled gap. Next, I took off the Nose Gear with the Insert inside, from the Frame Rail, and because the insert was a tight fit in the Nose Gear side, I kept it there holding it in place, and drilled a hole through one of the pre-drilled Nose Gear holes... Going about 1/2 way though one side, I put a short bolt in the hole to keep it from shifting, then turning it over and doing the same through the other side. Once drilled, I put a bolt all the way through the hole to keep it from shifting, and while carefully keeping the insert in the same angled position, I drilled and put another bolt through the 2nd pre-drilled hole. Now that the Acetal insert is secured in the Nose Gear with bolts, I put the other end inside the Frame Rail end again, and holding the insert edge flat against the bottom of the inside of the Frame Rail so that the angled ends of both pieces fit tightly against each other, I drilled a hole 1/2 way through one of the bottom pre-drilled holes of the Frame Rail as I did with the Nose Gear. I put a short bolt in the hole to keep it from shifting and after drilling the other side, I put a bolt through this hole and being careful to make sure that the angled ends were still butting together perfectly, I drilled a hole in the other bottom pre-drilled hole of the Frame Rail and inserted another bolt. Then, I drilled the 3rd pre-drilled hole through the side. The last hole I drilled was the pre-drilled one on the top of the Frame Rail, again all holes were first drilled half way through one end, and then through the other end... Then I put a bolt through the hole with the required large washer.
Putting the 4 U Brackets on the Frame Rail was easy. I always run a 1/4" drill bit through the pre-drilled holes and U Bracket and Frame Rail holes first as the powder coating makes the holes too tight to put a bolt through. Then, I put the proper length bolt through the proper U Bracket (there are several different sizes of U Brackets), then put the bolt through the Frame Rail, put on another U Bracket, the correct size washer, and the correct size nut.
I had to do the same with the upper bolt as well. Note: There is a Cable Tab that goes on the bolt side first. Then when it came to the right side, I ran into a different problem. The upper hole in the right side Pylon did not line up with the Axle Bracket holes centered vertically. I needed to run a 1/4" drill bit through the Pylon holes using the Axle Bracket holes as a guide so the bolt would go through. Note: I could not drill the hole through the Pylon Tube in a straight line with a short drill bit... So I had to use a drill bit extention. This upper hole is too close to the Frame Plate and my Drill got in the way.
Front Wheel mounted after I cut the Axle Bolt to length.
This picture shows the (4) Angled Engine Mounts attached to the top of the Angled Engine Plate Mounts.
2 things going on here. First, I installed the Diagonal Support Tubes to the end of the Engine Tubes connecting them to the end of the Frame Rail U Brackets. Second, I installed the Engine Cross Tube using 1 1/4" U Brackets. There are 1 5/8" Saddles between the Engine Tubes and U Brackets.
Both Outrigger Tubes installed into the Brackets with U Brackets attached.
I made this mount for the Right (green flashing) Side Light.
To install the Passenger Seat to the Platform, I put blue painters tape, sticky side up and taped it to the top of the Platform. Then I placed 3/4" wooden blocks, taped to the front side of the Harness Bracket so that when I put the Passenger Seat on the platform, it would not slide around when I drilled through the Seat from the underneath side of the Platform. The wooden blocks act as a spacer so that there is a 3/4" space between the back of the Seat and the Harness Tube
Here is the new mount for my Front Light and Antenna. I made it from left over 4" x 4" square tubing.
February 10, 2018
I got everything organized and set-up inside my trailer/hangar/build center to start putting the pieces together... Tools, heater, vacuum, lighting, manual. I put the Frame Rail and the Nose Gear piece together, and then put on the 4 sets of U-Brackets on the Frame Rail. Not a whole lot, but a great start.
I finally got around to putting the Rivetnut into the end of the Frame Rail.
July 7, 2018
The Radiator is mounted and Hoses are connected! NOTE: See the above inserted post March 4, 2020 for the new Radiator Install.
Here is the Linkage arms that connect to the Bell Crank... The one on the upper left going to the Steering Stick, and the one on the lower right going to the Front Fork Steering Bracket.
I put the Front Gear Fender on. Then I put together the Front Gear Wheel together. It was just like the Rear Wheels. I put the Front Gear Wheel Axle Bolt the the left side Fort Tube, followed by an aluminum tube spacer, the wheel, another spacer and then through the right side Axle.
This is the lower Steering Linkage connected to the lower Bell Crank going to the Front Fork Steering Bracket which Braclet is also connected to the fender.
February 12, 2018
I put the rudder plates on the sides of the Frame Rail and Nose Gear. I put the Frame Plate on the Frame Rrail. I put the (2) Gussets on the bottom of the Frame Plate. I put the Axle Bracket on the bottom of the Frame Plate.
May 8, 2018
While I'm waiting for my Aeromomentum AM13 engine to come...
Started off the day by putting on the Reservoir Plate on the Pylon. Put 1 1/4" U Brackets on front and rear, and on the Left and Right sides.
I finished attaching all 4 diagonal Engine Support Tubes to the Frame Rail.
As much as I like the Steering Stick Grip that came with my PPC (as pictured in several previous posts), I have decided once and for all (I was vacillating a bit for a while) to use my MGL V6, in the dash/pod mounted radio I was using with my Gyro instead of a handheld portable radio. As such, I want to use a Steering Stick Grip that has a PTT (push to talk) button as well. I checked online with CPS (california power systems) for one... They cost $130 for the one I would like. If I haven't mentioned it, I'm a woodworker and can pretty much make anything out of wood, and I have the wood shop and tools to do just that. Years and years ago, when Ebony was cheaper, I bought some and holed it away for a special occasion... Well, the special occasion is now here! I had to glue up 2 peices to make a square big enough, and then after the glue dried, I rounded the square stock and drilled the Steering Stick hole (I know, it's hard to see the hole).
I routed these cables and wiring through the gap between the Frame Rail and lower Pod Frame Plate Shroud.
February 21, 2018
Working on the Outriggers.
Fist problem is I found the Alternator Adjustment Tension Bar cracked in half. This Bar puts tension on the Alternator belt that runs it. Second, I found the Muffler end plate weld cracked about 1/2 way around. Because of these problems, it was a no fly day. As soon as I get these things fixed, I'll make an entry on this build blog.
February 19, 2018
I've got a Passenger seat!
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Both sides mounted... I only hand tightened the nuts on the upper Shock mounting bolt as I will need to take it off later to install the Engine Angle Mounting Bars (which I don't have yet) to the hole just under the Shock mounting bolt.
The fuel goes out from the bottom of the Fuel Tank through a Stop Valve Fitting. Then goes to the Gascolator which has a filter in it. Then it goes to another pre-filter (not installed yet), and to the Fuel Pumps. Going out from the Fuel Pumps to another Filter (the big black vertical one) and then to the Fuel Pressuer Sender (not installed yet), and to the Fuel Injector intake port.
I decided to make a custom Throttle Lever. The one that came with my kit, though fine, is situated too close to my right thigh. As such, I did not care too much for it. Here is the original Throttle Lever, and the Aluminum piece that I will make into a new Throttle Lever.
I made an angled bracket and attached it to the Frame Rail so I could put on zip tie standoffs to hold the Antenna cable, the Front Light wiring, and the Front Brake cable in place.
Same process of drilling 1/2 way through one side and then the other for the Rear Outrigger Support Tubes that attaches to the Frame Plate U Bracket.
Here is the Oil Pressure Sender Unit all connected and mounted.
I took the pieces to Rick's Muffler, here in Orem, and had them weld the pieces together... They also made Bell & Ball joints so I could put on the clamping system for it to allow for movement and stress relief.
Now that everything is right side up again, I rechecked the Spindle Bolts to make sure they are still in alignment and then drilled through the top side of the Spindle Tubes and put bolts in the holes.
May 14-16, 2018
My Aeromomentum AM13 engine is here!
Mounted and safety wired the Gascolator on to the Frame Plate.
These 2 pictures are a bit confusing... It just shows that the Front Wheel Axle Bolt is too long. I needed to cut off 1/2" to shorten it.
Connecting the Fuel Filling Tubes and Filler Cap
I mounted my MGL RDAC for my EFIS on the Frame Plate just in front of the Steering Stick Mount. I used rubber washers on all 4 bolts between the RDAC and Frame Plate.
My Icaro Solar X Helmet and headset with GA plugs came in. I will get another one for passengers later.
Attached the Pilot Seat Seatbelt Bracket. Then, behind the Seatbelt Bracket, I installed the Passenger Foot Rests. The left side Foot Rest is folded up.
This is a hard picture to understand... With the Passenger Seat Platform attached to the Frame Plate, you need to drill into the side of the Platform through a hole in the side of the Engine Tube. I did one side at a time and to attach each side, you put a bolt from the inside, underneath the Platform going to the outside through the Engine Tube. I put 4 AN970 washere stacked to gether to make up the gap between the Platform and the Engint tube. There are also Saddles on both sides of the Engine Tube and a Seatbelt Ancor Bracket with an AN970 washer on the outside and a nut to hold it all together.
My N Numbers and Data Plate got finished today. I'll be mounting them soon.
Here's what it looks like with Spindle Tubes attached to the Spindle Brackets. Then I attached the Shock Tube to each Spindle Bracket's U Bracket. The Shock Tube mounted to the U Bracket takes 1 1/2" Saddles on both sides of the tube. Note: The Spindle Bolt is now put in the right direction, but the wheel goes between the bolt head and Acetal spacer. Note: There's a rivet in the Shock Tubes... I made sure it was facing inwards.
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And a Muffler, Fuel Pumps, Manual, and such.
Lifting the back end of my PPC, I was able to mount the Shock to the Upper Shock Brackets. There are aluminum spacers that go on each side of the Shock's eye hole mount.
This picture shows the 3/4" space between the Harness Tube and the back of the Seat.
This is the Brass Fitting that goes into the Engine Block for the Oil Pressure Sender Unit.
I changed the Steering Stick Bracket that attaches to the Steering Rod Linkage arms and put it in front of the Stick rather than in the back as you can see from yesterdays picture. I did this so that I will have more room for Instruments and wiring and such when I install my Dash. I was not able to fully install the Steering Stick yet due to several missing pieces that will be coming in shortly.
Marked the spots where the rear Passenger Seat bolts go. Drilled the holes and installed the bolts.
I am holding one of 2 outside brake brackets that mount to the front fork that hold the front brake in place. As you can see, it doesn't fit. I could have forced it on and scratched the paint, however, all I did was to take a block of wood and a hammer and placing the wood on the outside middle of the bracket, I lightly tapped it until it opened up the bracket so it fit just perfect. I needed to do this with 3 of the 4 brackets.
February 16, 2018
I've got wheels!
July 11-12, 2018
More work on the Instruments.
February 22, 2018
Outriggers complete!
This is the Top Mounting Bracket. I need to wait for some Vibration Dampening Rubber Bushings to come in to finish it off and mount my Radiator.
I really like the way it turned out!
I bought a 3/8" nylon washer that fits on the side of the bushing that sticks out. This is what the bushing side looks like. I'll take another picture when I get it all put together when I get the parts.
Though you can't see it in the picture, there was already a painted over center punched dimple on both sides of the top middle of the Pylon. I took my center punch and put it on the dimple and tapped a bit through the paint so I could start the drill hole a bit easier on both sides.
Not a good picture... It is a 5/16" bolt through both the left and right size of the Pylon, 23" up from the bottom. It has a washer under the bolt head, and (2) 1 5/8" Saddles back to back. I needed to drill the hole of these saddles to 5/16" which was easy. This bolt attaches to the Engine Tubes.
One of the first things I did after mounting my engine, was to mount
the Exhaust Manifold.
This Pod I bought off of Ebay is nice and I like the size and design... However, to me, it was not sturdy enough. About a month ago, I lined it with another layer of fiber glass to stiffen it up. It made all the difference in the world!
Everything is now set to put Fuel into the Tank!
Next, I put the Upper Shock Brackets on both sides of the Pylon. I mounted the Engine Cross Tube in between the Pylon, and snugged the piece in place by tightening the nuts. I used a square to get the Engine Cross Tube as close to square on both ends as possible and made sure that the bottom hole of the Shock bracket was in the center of the Pylon. After all was set, I drilled the hole in the Pylon using the Shock Bracket's pre-drilled hole as a guide. I drilled half way through one side, then the other as usual.
July 3, 2018
I did some work on the Fuel Lines and Coolant Tank.
Holes laid out and drilled for mounting the Front light and Antenna.
Measure and cut to suit. This is the Top Mounting Bracket
I needed to make 2 wooden wedges to open up the Outrigger Brackets so I could slip the Outrigger Tube in.
The Front Outrigger Support Tubes attached to the side of the Frame Plate. These pictures also show the Rear Outrigger Support Tubes just resting on the U Bracket next the the Pylon leg.
I put Rubber Washers for Anti-Vibration on the top and bottom.
I made this winch mount for my Gyroplane trailer, and it is perfect for my PPC as well. I mounted it in my PPC trailer.
This is hard to tell what it is... It's a side view picture of the Pylon being attached to the Axle Bracket on each side of the Frame Plate. I put the bottom right bolt with 1 5/8" Saddles on the right side Pylon first using AN4-25A bolts. When I went to put the bolt on the left Pylon's bottom hole, it would not go through the rear U Bracket hole... It was off centered horizontally to the inside. It was a struggle to twist the bolt to the outside, so I had to use a rope and wrench... Twisting the rope to pull the bolt so it could go through the U Bracket hole. Note: The rope is wrapped around the Saddles of the Shock Tube (on the left) and the Pylon Tube (on the right).
I put the Steering Fork on the Nose Gear. There is a nylon washer that goes on the top and bottom of the Nose Gear.
February 26, 2018
Working on Engine Angle Plates and Brackets.
I made a Wheelie. It serves 2 purposes. (1) To keep the bottom back end of the Frame Rail from hitting the ground because the Aircraft is a bit back end heavy. (2) To tip the Aircraft onto the Wheelie when rolling it in or taking it out of my trailer so the top of the Propeller Guard ring doesn't hit the top of the trailer door frame.
April 13-21, 2018
While I'm waiting for my Aeromomentum AM13 engine to come...
My Water Temperature Gauge came in today, so I drilled the hole for it and mounted it. Nothing is connected yet. This is the odd ball gauge... It doesn't have 4 screws to mount it like the others.
Upper Outrigger Support Tubes attached.
February 9, 2018
I picked up my new trailer today. My old one was not wide or tall enough for my PPC. I had the axles rotated on this trailer so there is more clearance above ground. I wanted this so I could take it more places out in the boondocks. We'll see if it was a good choice, as it will make it harder to load/unload because of the extra height. I like tandem axles as it allows for a softer ride going over bumps and dips and such. I loaded my PPC parts into it, putting the parts in a semi orderly fashion where they belong on my PPC. This is where it will be built in roughly an 8' x 14' space.
Before I installed the Fuel Tank, I installed the Fuel Gauge Sender Unit. I also installed the brass Fuel Shut Off Valve. Final step was to install the Fuel Tank.
March 4, 2020 ************ NEW Radiator(s) and mounting brackets Installed ************
Since installing this initial radiator on July 4, 2018, I have had 5 radiator failures due to leaks: 11-16-2018, at 49.6 logged hrs.; 4-12-2019, at 59.0 logged hrs.; 9-21-2019, at 82.2 logged hrs.; 11-25-2019, at 91.4 logged hrs.; and 3-4-2020, at 98.2 logged hrs.. This has been a big frustration... buying and installing cheap crap radiators. The newest one, hopefully the last one, is a Mishimoto MMRAD-CIV-92 Honda Civic Performance Aluminum Radiator for a 1992-2000 Honda Civic that I bought off of Amazon for just under $200 dollars. All of the others were cheap Chinese ones that only cost about $75. You get what you pay for. I also needed to make new mounting brackets... I decided to go with 3" X 3" angle aluminum that is 3/16" thick that I bought from Online Metals. I bought a 3' length for about $25.
I made a mock-up of the Exhaust Pipe configuration out of PVC pipes... Then I cut the stainless steel pieces to be welded up.
In order to tie down my PPC, I decided to go with an Erickson floor mounted chock system. I got this setup at E-Trailer.com. It is very simple and quick to tie it down.
July 13-18, 2018
Huston, we have power... All systems are go!
I forgot to drill and put a bolt in the upper Pivot Bracket through the Pylon on both sides yesterday.
This is the Bottom Mounting Bracket
Here is the set up. I will wait until I get all of the Switches, Circuit Breakers, Ignition Switch, and other Gauges, before I start laying everything out on the Instrument Panel. If by chance everything doesn't fit on this new Pod Panel, I will use the PPC's panel in front of the Steering Stick as well.
I forgot to mention that the Pylon has 1 5/8" Saddles on each side of the tubes on the upper and lower holes. This is what it looks like presently. Note: Normally, the manual has you attach the cross tubes and Reservoir Plate on the Pylon... However, I do not have the Reservoir Plate yet so I will wait until I get it and attach everything else on the Pylon. Note: I would have put on the Shocks and attached it to the Pylon... However, I do not have the Shock Brackets that attach to the Pylon either. When I get them I will put on the Shocks and attach them to the Shock Brackets.
I noticed that the front Steering Fork seemed a bit loose. When I inspected it, I noticed a gap between the white nylon bushings and the Frame Rail and Steering Fork mount. To fix the problem, I inserted another thin nylon bushing to take up the gap. All is well now.
I drilled (2) 1 3/8" holes in the Frame Plate so I could put wires through going from front to back.
This picture shows the 2 bolts going through the Seat with AN970 washers to hold it in place.
On February 26, I put in temporary Bolts to assemble the Engine Mount Plates, and only put on 3 of the 4 U Brackets for the Diagonal Engine Support Tubes. Today, I put in the permanant Bolts, and put on the last U Bracket. I still need to put the 2nd bolt on each of the Engine Angle Mounts... I need to drill through the Engine Mounting Plates to do so.
I called Mark at Aeromementum, and sent him pictures of these issues. He said that they were most likely caused by excessive vibration of my Propellers, and that the brand of Propellers I have, Warp Drive, are not suited for this engine. He recommended Powerfin Propellers. He said that he would ship to me a new Alternator Tension Bar to replace the cracked one.
I talked to Jason at Powerfin, from Hurricane, Utah, and ordered new Propeller blades and Hub. They should be ready by the 25th of this month as he did not have what I need in stock.
I realized that the Cable was too loose when I had it attached to the upper bolt on the Pylon Tube, so I changed it to the bottom bolt and it looks good now.
I decided to use a different Master Switch. This one has a lighted lever when it's on (the top left one). Added the Circuit Breakers below the Switches. Also put in the Ignition Key Switch, and a Power Outlet.
And there it is... A finished Exhaust System!
It's hard to see, but I counter sunk these 4 holes because the 10-24 machine screws have an angled bolt head.
Drilling holes for the Gauges and Switches.
I was able to cutout and mount my MGL EFIS and V6 Radio in my Pod/Dash.
Connected the Fuel Return Line. Mounted the Fuel Stop Valve and connected the Fuel Line.
Here is what my PPC looks like after the work I did today. I have the Frame Rail sitting on boxes so the Spindle Tubes don't get messed up from being in contact with the underneath side of the Frame Plate as the Shock Tubes are not attached to the Pylon yet.
April 5, 2018
While I'm waiting for my Aeromomentum AM13 engine to come... I made mounting brackets and mounted my Front Light, and Left and Right Lights.
September 18-28, 2018
I took my Muffler and had a welding shop weld the muffler crack. I received the new Alternator Tension Bar and put it on. I picked up my new Powerfin Propeller baldes and Hub, and put them on. I guessed at the pitch for the Propellers at 11.5 degrees. I did a static test and my engine was able to go to 5750 RPM's at wide open throttle. Normal high end recommended RPM's is 5800. I decided to leave it right there. Anyways, repairs all done... I'm back in flying business now!
I put an AN4-21A bolt through the Spindle Tube... I did not tighten them. I did this with both tubes on each Spindle Bracket.
March 12-17, 2018
While I'm waiting for my Aeromomentum AM13 engine to come... One custom made Ebony Steering Stick Grip coming right up!
Weight and Balance time. I went to a friends house, Justin Reynolds, who has a high ceiling garage and did the hang test. Figures showed that with the rigging D links in the 4 and 6 hole position, the Front Nose Wheel is 12 inches off the ground. I may need to change the position to holes 5 and 7. The weight of my PPC came out to be 484 pounds... Without me in it of course.
The Axle Bracket is attached with 4 bolts, big washers, and nuts, 2 on the front side and 2 on the back side. This is the back side view. I centered the Axle Bracket, side to side as best as I could.
I made this bracket to attach on to my front nose gear to attach my winch strap to so I can pull my PPC into my trailer.
July 28, 2018
My PPC is all set for it's maiden voyage! CFI Kent price did the test flight. All went well! Afterwards, I took it up for a spin. What a great day! I didn't video me flying this day... But I did video my 2nd flight 2 days later.
I started today off by doing a re-do on the Steering Stick Bracket. The Bracket is 1/8" thick, and when I was testing the Steering Stick, I thought about how the bottom hole goes through a bolt and every time you turn right or left, it wears the bold and the Bracket hole. Then a thought came to mind of extra Oilite bronze bushings I have (extras I had for my Gyroplane) that could be used to prevent Bolt wear and wear on the Bracket hole. I drilled the bottom hole of the Bracket to 3/8" diameter and put the bushing in. It sticks out 1/8". This bushing accepts the 1/4" bolt that goes through it.
April 23-27, 2018
While I'm waiting for my Aeromomentum AM13 engine to come...
Battery mounted behind the Passenger Seat.
Underneath view with Acetal spacers installed between the Rudder Brackets.
July 9-10, 2018
Now to work on the Instruments.
I have a Digital Optical Tach. I used it to set my MGL EFIS Engine RPM to the correct offset. My engines Gear Box is a 2.588 to 1 ratio. The Digital Tach is set to 3 blades. In the left picture the Optical Tach reads 668 RPM's... My EFIS reads 1747. If you do the math, I have the EFIS setting correct.
Attached the Acetal Rudder Tube Stops.
On July 24, as I went to do a few more hours of engine break in, my PPC would not start... Just nothing. I checked everything, and could not find a problem. Then I remember that Kent Bills PPC had a Solenoid problem. I called Mark from Aeromomentum, and after a battery of tests, we concluded it was a bad Solenoid. I attempted to find one locally, but couldn't. So, I decided to change out the Starter which comes with a new Solenoid. In searching for a Solenoid, I came across what is called a "Clicker Fix" for the Suzuki Samurai vehicles. Seems that due to the wiring of the Key Switch directly to the Solenoid, it causes bad Solenoids and or Key Switches. The fix is to put a Clicker Fix relay between the 2. You can see the Relay on the far right of the right picture. If all goes well, I shouldn't have this problem again.
There are 4 pre-drilled holes in the Frame Plate that I used at guides to drill through the 2 Gusset Flanges underneath the holes. I put AN4-5A bolts through with a nut... No washers here.
I made this mounting bracket for my Front (clear flashing) Light.
This is the back side view where you can see the Steering Bracket installed to the Fender and through the Axle bolt.
I laid out where the Fuel Tank Mounting brackets go and drilled the holes for them in the Frame Plate. Then I installed them. I Put the Fuel level brass Fittings on and installed the clear tube with a red fuel level indicator Bobber inside the tube.
Once the wedge is removed, the Pivot Bracket stays put like a clamp. Just a note: The bolt in the picture only goes through 1 side of the pre-drilled Pylon hole. It won't go all the way through because the Pylon hole on the other side does not line up with the clamp hole. I won't drill the other side so the bolt goes all the way through until after I attach the Pylon to the Axle bracket and attach the Harness Cross Tube to both the left and right side Pivot Brackets.
You can see where the leak is coming from on the bottom left side. New Radiator installed.
Several things here. Though you can't tell, I adjusted the Steering Stick to be straight up and down when the front wheel is centered. It's just a matter of shortening the Steering Rod Linkage to make the Steering Stick move more to the left, or lengthening the Linkage to make the Stick move more to the right. Also, I put on both of the seat covers.
November 18, 2017
This morning, I went to the Cedar Valley Airport (UT10) in Utah. Looks like this will be my home base that I fly out of... It's only 30 minutes from my home. There were 7 PPC flyers who showed up. I met Kent Price, a PPC CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) and Dennis Stanley, also a CFI and a DPE (Designated Pilot Examiner). Kent Price took me up for an Introductory flight... It was wonderful! I sat behind Kent and he taught me about flying a PPC. I was not expecting it to be as easy as it was, and so amazing! Looks like I'm now done with Gyro flying! After about a 20 minute flight, we landed. About a half an hour later, I took my 2nd flight in a PPC, this time in the front seat. This flight lasted for about 20 minutes, and I got the hang of it fairly quickly. After landing, Kent had me stay in the front seat while he got out. He set things up and let me do a supervised solo. I flew for about a half hour and have fallen in love with PPC flying! Though I did not get video of my flying solo supervised, I did get a short video of my first ever PPC flight from the back seat. Enjoy!
After cutting the Pod's Mounting Plate to my liking, I measured and plotting out where to drill the attachment holes in the Mounding plate, the PPC's dash, and on the new Pod I bought. Then I drilled the holes, sanded, and and painted the Pod's Mounting Plate black. I like the overall design and look of how it turned out. As I sit in the Pilot seat, I can reach the Pod's face easily and because the Pod sits higher, the Steering Stick doesn't block the view of it as much.
February 27, 2018
Working on Front Brakes.
In order to put the 4 Pivot Brackets onto the sided of the Pylon Tube, I needed to make a wooden wedge out of a 3/4 inch piece of hardwood. I tapped the wedge in between the Pivot Bracket's legs to open it up enough for it to slide over the Pylon side tubes.
I made a bracket to mount the ECU on to.
February 23, 2018
Rudder Tubes installed.
I bent this piece of Aluminum so the handle will be about 2" more to the right. I had some 1/2" pieces of Aluminum that I made into (4) circles. I put (2) on each side and it made a very nice grip.
I took the 2 rear main gear wheels and put tubes in them. I inflated the tubes a bit so they filled the inside of the tires, then let some air out. I put the 2 wheel halves together so the valve steam seats in the wheel cutout correctly. I put the bolt heads on the same side as the valve stem. After putting on the nuts and tightening them, I inflated the tires. The manual says 20 psi max. This was an easy job.
March 9, 2018
Brakes and Engine Mount.
I placed the Fuel Tank as far forward as possible in order to keep the Center of Gravity more to the front. This is because the Aeromomentum AM13 engine is a bit heavier than the Rotax.
To attach the Front Outrigger Support Tube that doesn't have a hole drilled in it, I put tape around the Tube end and put it in the U Bracket. This kept it snug and kept it from moving too much. After I lined things up where I wanted to drill the hole, I marked the hole location with a sharpie on the tape. Then, I taped around the Tube and U Bracket to hold it a bit more secure and making sure things were still lined up, I drilled half way through. Then I put a bolt into the hole and drilled through the other end. I had to use my drill extension bit to do this as tubes and such were in the way.
September 29, 2018
I took my first passenger up in my PPC today! It was my wife and she had a great time and loved it! We flew around the area for 1 hour. My dream of being able to take up a passenger has finally come to fruition!
January 25, 2018
My wife and I left home this evening at 1900 hrs., and are traveling to Wenatchee, Washington to pick up parts for my Six Chuter Paragon AM ! We traveled all night, taking only a few hours rest and arrived at 1330 hrs., the next day. Met Doug and Tom and loaded up the trailer with my parts. Talked a bit with them, took some pictures and off we went! We got back home at about 1550 hrs., on Saturday the 27th. Had to leave everything in the trailer as my garage was filled with stuff from our downstairs remodel. Once the remodel is about finished up, I will clean out the garage and start the build!
All of the Toggle Switches are in, but not connected. The lower row of holes are for the Circuit Breakers.
It's in a fairly inconspicuous place.
I'm using my Warp Drive 3 blade props from my Gyroplane. They have only had 85 hours on them.
I mounted the Shocks on both Shock Tube ends and put the 3/8" bolt through the Tube to secure it.
Throttle cable mount to engine made, and installed. Throttle cable connection to Throttle lever complete.
Connecting the Radiator Hoses.
Mounted the Coolant Tank Reservour.
I put the Spindle Bolt through the wheel axle bearing hole, then the 4" aluminum tube spacer, and an Acetal bushing on the other side of the Spindle Bracket and loosely put the Axle nut on.
I drilled 2 holes into the side of the Frame Rail to mount it.
July 4, 2018
I made Radiator Mounting Brackets.
Data Plate and FAA Registration number are mounted.
Attached the Rudder Tubes to the U Brackets.
After drilling the hole, I attached a U Bracket on the back side.
Making the Grip, the old fashioned way with a rasp, I spent a few hours filing away by hand... Ebony is a very hard wood.
I upgraded my Passenger Foot Pegs. These ones are made for Motorcycles, but work great for PPC's!
I attached the 2 long plastic spacers, sandwiching the Center of Gravity Bracket Plate to the top side of the Outrigger Bracket, then I attached the Outrigger Tube with the Outrigger Bracket to the Pivot Bracket on the Pylon. I then have just one end of Front Outrigger Support Tube attaches, and one end of the Rear Outrigger Support Tube attached.
Front brakes installed. I made sure that all of the mounting bolts had lock-tite on them.
I made a Bracket to mount my top Strobe. This is not your typical Strobe... It is small but powerful. It is made for and is used on Police Vehicles.
Then I marked and drilled the holes in the Engine Mount Cross Tube to mount the Muffler Bracket on to.
Here is the back side.
May 21-24, 2018
I have an Exhaust system!
This is a picture of assembling the Spindle Brackets and the Spindle Tubes. I attached the U Bracket to the upper Spindle Bracket, then put the lower Spindle Bracket underneath the Upper Bracket and lined them both up until I could put the 5/8 " Spindle Bolt through the holes. Once this was done, I attached the Spindle Tube ends to the Brackets. Note: The Spindle Tube ends have only 1 hold drilled though them, I will need to drill the other hole through the Spindle Tube using the Spindle Brackets pre-drilled hole as a guide later on. Note: I put the Spindle Bolt in backwards. Note: Notice how the bent ends of Spindle tubes are positioned. Note: The U Bracket on top of the Spindle Bracket is attached with only bolts and nuts... No washers. Always make sure that there are at least 2 to 3 threads of the bolt sticking out of the nut on every single bolt, but not more than 5 or 6 throughout this entire build.
March 22, 2020
Today I updated several issues I've had... Namely the Radiator problems where I am on my 6th Radiator. I inserted the update for this just after my July 4, 2018 posting.
Also, I made an update to the Oil Pressure Sender and Oil Pressure Gauge issues I had. I inserted the update for this just after my July 5, 2018 posting.
I also added several pictures of how I mounted and attached the Throttle cable to the engine... I previously did not show where I attached the Bracket I made.
All in all, after all of these fixes, my PPC is flying well. I have 103.1 logged hrs., on it to date and the Engine is performing well.
I put on a breather hose for the Gear box to vent.
November 16-17, 2018
Since about the end of September, I noticed a few drops of Radiator fluid at the bottom of my Radiator. I didn't think much of it, but wiped it off and decided to kept an eye on it. Sure enough, after every flight for the next few weeks, more and more Radiator fluid kept appearing. I inspected the area, and determined that the Radiator had developed a leak that was just slowly getting bigger. I contacted Mark at Aeromomentum and told him about the problem. He sent me out a new Radiator and I installed it today, and replaced the Radiator fluid as well. I took a flight the next day, on the 17th, and all went well... No more leak.
Installed the Passenger Seat Platform to the Frame Plate. My son came for a visit and was able to get a picture of me after installing the Platform.
Because there is about a 3/8 gap between the top of the Frame Plate and the underneath side of the lower Pod Shroud, I super glued 6 fender washers together for each side to fill in the gap.
July 19, 2018
It's finished!
March 31- April 3, 2018
While I'm waiting for my Aeromomentum AM13 engine to come... I installed the Fuel tank, and made a new Throttle Lever.
Next step is to put on the Angled Engine Plate Mounts. These Mounts are connected to the Engine Tubes via (2) 3/8" bolts, inserted vertically, on each side, and one 1/4" bolg through the side that connects to the Engine Cross Tube. Note: The U Brackets that are located under the Angled Engine Plate Mounts that connect to the Diagonal Engine Support Tubes are the Longer 1 1/4" Brackets. I only have (3) of them mounted and am waiting for the 4th to be shipped.
I built a new Winch mount. The one I was using was for my Gyro, and though it worked, it would not allow me to put in or take out my PPC from the trailer without a 2nd person to help. This new Winch mount is taller and now allows me to single handedly put in and take out my PPC from the trailer.
I drilled a hole in the Gas Tank to put the Fuel Return line Fitting in.
April 6, 2018
While I'm waiting for my Aeromomentum AM13 engine to come... I re-made the mounting bracket for my Front Light and made it a dual purpose mount for my Antenna as well.
This is triangle piece is the Bell Crank. It connects the Steering Stick to via linkage arms to the Front Fork Steering Bracket to steer the PPC when on the ground. It mounts through the Frame Rail under the Frame Plate.
July 5, 2018
I had to wait for a fitting to arrive to put on the Oil Pressure Sender Unit. The fitting needs to have a male BSPT thread to fit into the engine block... The fitting came in today.
At the end of the Engine Tubes, I installed a set of 1 1/4" U Brackets. There is an 1 5/8" Saddle that goes between the Tube and the U Bracket.
Along with the engine, it came with the Header and Exhaust Pipes.
May 29 to June 6, 2018
Some fuel line installation... Battery Bracket... Wiring...
February 13, 2018
Drilled a hole in the top middle of the Pylon and put on a U Bracket. Put on the 4 Pivot Brackets without Bolting them on. Partially put together the Upper and Lower Spindle brackets with the Spindle Tubes partially attached.