A FEW MORE STEPS

A FEW MORE STEPS

Just a quick post to update the latest Prowler progress:

1. Catch up on the Vert Stab.
2. Horiz Stab Work
3. Computer Modeling Parts
4. Builder Update

1. Catch up on the Vert Stab. – In the previous post I mentioned that Dave has been working on assembling the Vert Stab Subkit. Here are a few pix of his handi-work.

2. Horiz Stab Work - Dave's been itching to get to more assembling and I wanted to do something besides work on the plasma setup, so I decided to get some creative work going for a change and started fabricating the parts for the horiz stab subkit. These 8 parts were about 9 hours of work:

Now they have to be heat treated, since they are formed from 2024-O (soft) material. Here are the horiz stab spar parts and cover plates cut out and waiting to be bent up in the sheetmetal brake. I used a buddy's sheet metal shear and it made cutting these out very easy.
Other horiz stab parts:


3. Computer Modeling Parts - Well, we have begun in earnest to model all the parts that make up a Prowler. This will be needed to setup the CNC plasma torch system to cut the flat parts. We purchased copies of BobCAD-CAM and are in the learning to use it process (steep curve right now). It's actually a very powerful program for the price and fairly intuitive - once you watch several of the video tutorials. Here are some examples: The vert stab aft spar;
Main Landing Gear Pivot Link:
Tailwheel Strut:

Close up of the 3D view of the strut - BobCAD-CAM ver 23 does well with the 3D:

Now, only 687 more parts to go (just guessing)!

4. Builder Update - Ray Siem reports that Chuck has his airplane and engine back together and the engine is running well. His problems apparently stemmed from a damaged, or lack of, the mechanical stop in one of the distributors. On one of them the cap had a hole in it where it looks like part of the centrifugal stop system exited the scene and it let the engine vacuum advance run way to advanced. He reports that the engine is running well with coolant temps in range and no noticable issues. He is going to continue to test run the engine while he is going also going thru some medical issues. No date for the next test flight, but we'll keep ya posted.

That's it for this post. It's late and crew services could call in 4 hrs. Thanks for checking in.

SORRY - IT'S BEEN A WHILE

Well, it’s been several months since the last post, but if was for good reason. During that time a lot was happening. In this update:

1. Prowler Territory (was) Under Siege

2. Vert Stab Build

3. CNC Plasma Success

4. AirVenture 2009

5. Horz. Stab Started

6. Repairs to Bridgeport and MLG Forks

7. Builder Updates

8. Event Horizon

1. Prowler Territory (was) Under Siege - On May 7th, Todd was notified that an agency call TANC (Transmission Agency of Northern California) was planning to build a 500 KV transmission line with 150 foot tall massive towers across 2/3 of his property.

The project was eventually abandoned in Jul. But, from May 7th until July 16th it consumed every minute of every day that he wasn’t making a paycheck helping to form and work on a grassroots opposition to TANC (with over 400 other Northern California residents affected by the same project). In all, the project was proposed to be over 600 miles long and affect some 7,000 land owners. On July 7th the Sacramento Municipal Utility District withdrew from the project and took $0.5B with it. Within a week all the players pulled out of the project and all landowners got their properties back. Good riddance.

2. Vert Stab Build – During the time that Todd was fighting TANC, Dave was working on the Vert Stab subkit and creating the associated portion of the Prowler Assembly manual. Using the old version of the assembly manual, Dave completed most of the vertical stabilizer including priming of the parts. The final assembly has not yet been completed because we are looking into re-doing the rudder hinging system. Once we complete this re-design the remainder of the vert stab will be assembled. Sorry, couldn't find any pix this time, we'll post them in the next update.

In conjunction with building our subkits, we have always planned to do a complete re-write of the entire Prowler assembly manual including new text, pictures, drawings, graphics and, if need be, video of assembly. Dave has made some very impressive changes to the manual while working on the vert stab and our future customers will, no doubt, find this new format much more readable and easier to understand. Nice job Dave.

3. CNC Plasma Success – After over 8 weeks of not getting into the shop at all, Todd was able to get back to work on Prowler business. Some of the recent accomplishments include: Completed troubleshooting computer & software issues with the system that runs the CNC plasma table; Completed more modifications to the CNC plasma table; Learned how to CAD parts using BobCAD-CAM ver. 23 (great program) and then CAM the parts using SheetCAM; and most recently – did a complete dry run (with torch off) of a sample part in the CNC plasma system.
If all goes as planned, we should be able to begin using the Prowler Plaz system to proof the concept and start making our parts for our airplane. The idea is that once we complete our company aircraft using this process, we will have the ability to use this for limited production of Prowler sub-kits.

4. AirVenture 2009 - This week, Todd, Dave & Bryan attended Airventure at KOSH. As always, AirVenture was busy and impressive. The A380 as HUGE, the WK2 was interesting, the warbirds were awesome and the airshows were great. Bryan was able to make it for 3 days, Todd and Dave were around for most of the week. We didn't, and probably won't, have a vendor spot at AirVenture for some time. Since we don't yet have anything to sell, we're keeping a low profile.

5. Horz. Stab Started - Todd got a little time in the shop last week and started to fabricate the horizontal stab. We hope to have the sub-kit built and shipped off to Dave for assembly in the next few weeks. Finding somewhere to cost effectively heat treat the few small parts in the horz stab that were formed from 2024-O might be the hold up. More to follow.



6. Completed repairs to the power feed system on the Bridgeport Mill - George came out recently and had some left over stock that he had cut up to make the MLG yokes (forks). We start to use the mill and determined that the power feed was not working correctly. After some investigation it turned out to be a loose bushing deep inside the mill head. So, we had to pull the head, remove the set screws holding the bushing, re-drill the centering hole, re-install the set screws, re-install the mill head, tram the head to square it to the table and (several hours later) bored out one of the strut holes in one of the forks.
7. Builder Updates - We have updates this time from Ray, Chuck, and Bryan.

Ray - has been making really good (and impressive - as always) progress on his plane. He's currently focusing on the instrument panel and electrical wiring. He's planned out an impressive panel with all the bells and whistles. He has incorporated Dynon Avionics with full autopilot, an airliner quality gear operating system, and beautiful landing lights (see a previous post).

Chuck - has had to tear down his engine. Turns out there was an issue with the vacuum advance system in the ingition. There was no limit for the advance system and the engine was damaged. During the teardown Ray stopped by to get some pix of the PSRU and engine. The engine was almost back together when Ray was there and Chuck is planning to run the engine again soon.

Bryan - is mostly done with the wing and is beginning to lay out the cockpit floor in preparation for building the fuselage onto the center section of the airplane. He is also working on finishing the MLG doors and wheel wells. Bryan has decided to forgo the inner gear doors and his plane with have 737 style wheel wells.

8. Event Horizon - What we have coming up on the event horizon:

Prowler CAD work - We are beginning in earnest to start modeling all of the parts needed to build a Prowler. This will happen over time, as we will go back and model the parts that we’ve already made via other means and then move on to modeling the parts for the work we are currently doing. Again, the idea is that by doing this, we will eventually end up with the entire aircraft modeled in a CAD format when we finish our company aircraft.

Prowler Plaz Testing – With the completion of a perfect test run of the Prowler Plaz system, now the real learning curve begins. We must do a series of test cuts to determine the ideal parameters to use for getting the best cuts on each type and thickness of material to be cut. These parameters include things like the best tips to use, the current setting, the optimal pierce height and cut height (controlled by voltage) and feedrate (cut speed). These parameters go into a library contained in the cutting system program that can then be recalled very quickly anytime a similar material is cut. But, the initial testing will take time to build that library. In addition, the plaz system needs a bigger air compressor to be installed and we are going to install a refrigerated air dryer to get the best cuts possible.

Main Wing Spar - The goal at Prowler West is to get the entire main wing spar fabricated, prepped and put into the wing jig by the end of the year. This effort is in direct competition with the above items for time - so some compromise will need to be made, but that's the goal.

Prowler Plasma Makes Fire!

Hello again. Thanks for checking back in on us. In this update we tell you about:
1. A builder visit to Steven Rogers
2. Chuck's airplane had a second round of test flights
3. Prowler Kit #11 Lands in France
4. A quick trip to Sun-n-Fun
5. Prowler Plasma system finally makes FIRE!

1. Builder Visit to Seattle
Todd had a long stay in Seattle recently and had an opportunity to get together with Steven Rogers and his aircraft. His aircraft was build from George's kit #14 by him, his father, and (on several occasions) George too. It was a great visit and we learned a lot about the airplane from Steve's experiences so far in his initial flying and testing. Unfortunately, he recently had a hydraulic issue and the tailwheel collapsed while taxiing and landed on the rudder. So Steve is in the process of making the necessary repairs and we'll have more pictures of the airplane from a follow-on visit. Steve's airplane was the 4th Prowler that we know of to fly and wish him well getting his repairs done soon so that he can start to enjoy his bird instead of work on it. Here is one picture of a mod that Steve did to his Prowler that has dramatically helped to improve airflow through the engine compartment. Thanks for the Visit Steve.

2. Chuck's 2nd Round of Test Flight
We got news of Chuck Westcott's second round of test flights via Ray Siem. The flight's were successful, however, Chuck still reports having water cooling problems. He is in the process investigating the problem and we'll try to have more details in the next update.

3. Prowler Kit #11 Lands in France.
Nicolas Hombreux reports that the shipper has delivered his kit. He has begun un-crating, inventorying and organizing his parts. Here are a few pix: He promises to have more pix of him with the kit for the next update. Congratulations Nicolas! We look forward to helping you get your airplane built in the years to come.


4. Sun-n-Fun
A recent pop-up trip allowed Todd and Dave to get together for a quick Prowler Shareholder's meeting at Sun-n-Fun. Dave flew his certified aircraft into LAL for the annual get-together and we got to spend some time checking out potential suppliers and vendors. We are fairly interested in a FWF package that is being offered by Geared Drives out of Conroe, TX. Bud Warren has designed a very nice self contained PSRU that is designed to work with any SBC engine, is very solid and is virtually plug-n-play. He is marketing a FWF package for the RV-10 buyers that we think is very strong. Check it out here: Geared Drives We are giving this some strong consideration for the Prowler - if we can make it fit. Time will tell.


5. Prowler Plasma Makes Fire!
After months of research, lots of money and lot of modifications the Prowler Plasma system finally fired for the first time. The latest accomplishments include: troubleshooting the installation of Mach3 into the computer; unlocking the secrets of remotely triggering the Powermax1000; and learning the correct order in which the consumables are attached to the machine torch. With all that done - the machine finally moved and fired under it's own power and we are pleased with the results. Most recently we "tuned" the motors and checked the system for accuracy on each of the X, Y & Z axes. With just a little tweaking the X axis moved exactly 80 inches when we told Mach3 to move the X axis 80 inches. Should be good for making spar caps and other long pieces.

Now the real learning starts. Figuring out all the software that will eventually allow us to make parts with the plasma setup. It looks like we will be designing (modeling - actually) our parts using the new BobCAD-CAM-ART version 23. Then those files will be fed into SheetCAM TNG to create the actual tool paths and make the G-code to prepare the file for the plasma setup. Then those get sent into Mach3 which will actually cut out the parts. Easy right?!?! That's 4 major, new, unfamiliar pieces of software to learn if you include G-code itself. Despite that we've figure out a few things already. Here's a line drawing made from a "vectorized" copy of our "raster" style Prowler Logo: And this is the first Prowler Sample Part - it's nothing really. Just something made up to learn how to use BobCAD, SheetCAM and see if we can get it to move the table with Mach3: We will find out if the machine moves correctly the next time we're in the shop. More later.
That's all for this update. We'll post again in a few weeks. Thanks for stopping by.

More Production Capability Progess

Thanks for stopping in to check on our progress. Well, this is a BIG update - but the BIG boss was in town lately, and we got a lot done. Todd's parents recently made their annual spring visit to see the grand kids and Prowler also enjoyed some big gains from "Grandpa's" visit. As a retired Ironworker, Dad helped get several tools running, tuned up, and generally "shape the place up a little."

In this update:
1. Hydraulic Press
2. Bridgeport Mill
3. CNC Plasma Table
4. Builder Reports

Before we get started, just a few thoughts on where Prowler Aviation is today and where we hope to go in the future. In this update we will cover several facets of building our capability to manufacture parts for constructing our first Prowler. Our plan is to develop and use these processes to make most of the parts for our first company aircraft. By going through the aircraft one subkit at a time, we will eventually have the capability to produce most of the airframe.
Once that is complete, we will have the knowledge necessary to make the aircraft in (at least) one manner. From there we will be able to consider larger scale production and how we want to accomplish that. There will be many options and we will consider as many as possible to come up with a practical, economical, scalable and reliable way to produce airframes.

We plan to put one of George's engine designs onto our aircraft, but we currently do not plan to offer the engine for sale with the kit. We've decided to limit our scope (at least initially) to producing the airframe and save the firewall forward for later. We will also have (for the first time ever) complete, accurate and thorough documentation of the aircraft. This documentation will include a shop manual (how to build each subkit), the builder's manual system (how to assemble the subkits into an aircraft), a complete parts list spreadsheet, a virtual computer model of the Prowler, and a business plan.

That's the long term plan. If you've been keeping tabs on us in this blog, you'll see that we've made significant progress on several of these areas. Most of this update will discuss progress on the manufacturing of parts. Last summer we completed the "big sort" and did much of the parts list work. Modeling of the airplane's parts will happen as we make the parts for our airplane. The CNC plasma system is almost ready - as you'll see later in the update. The builders manual system will also be accomplished as we build the airplane, subkit by subkit. Two of the subkits shop manual parts have been completed and the rest will be done as the plane progresses. The business plan will be the last task to be accomplished.

Our airplane currently has most of the wing spar parts (center and outboard) made. The spar is currently waiting on the cutting of a few parts with the CNC plasma system. We have the vert stab subkit built. The current goal is to make up the horizontal stab subkit, get the needed wing spar parts made, get the wing spar installed to the wing jig and press out the wing ribs by the end of the year.

So, there it is. We hope this helps to outline where we are here at Prowler Aviation. On to the update.

1. Hydraulic Press - To reach the goal of getting wing ribs pressed out by fall - a press would be helpful. So, this past two weeks we fabricated the hydraulic pump unit and installed it onto the press. The hydraulic ram had been refurb'ed previously and the pump unit was hooked up to it. We added a 40 amp 220volt circuit and a motor controller and presto - hydraulic press. Here's the pic:
The hydraulic pump is only good for 1500psi. However, the piston in the ram is 5 inches in diameter and that gives an area of approximately 19.6 square inches. This gives almost 30,000 lbs of pressure from the ram. Spread that force out over an average part area of 300 square inches and it figures out to about 100psi. Should be more than sufficient to fold up some 0.040" type O aluminum. Next comes the learning curve associated with actually pressing out parts. In particular, keeping the male and female dies lined up with the flat blank that will become the part as the press does its thing. More to follow.

2. Bridgeport Mill - It took a while to get the mill cleaned up and order some parts needed to fix up the mill a bit. The most interesting was replacing some head bolts. One was broken and one was beat up a bit. The change was fun: We got the mill moved into position, hooked up with 3 phase power and have even used it already to machine some slotted holes into some brackets for the CNC table. The 3 phase power comes from a rotary phase converter. We purchased a phase converter panel from Wyn Phase Converter and Supply (http://www.wnysupply.com/index.cfm) and scavenged a 3hp idler motor out of an old air handling unit from the local industrial surplus place. We had a little problem with the delivery of the phase converter panel. Apparently some components shook loose during shipping and managed to beat-up the rest of the components in the panel along the way. Here's what it looked like at delivery: Not wanting to wait the time that would be necessary to return it and wait for a new delivery, we set out to put the pieces back together. With the help of screws, glues and bailing wire we got it put back together and installed. It turned out well. Total cost for the phase converter was ~ $200. Here's a shot of the final rotary phase converter install: Here's the mill pretty much ready to go:
3. CNC Plasma Table - This project has been a long time in the works, but it will hopefully be the centerpiece in being able to practically and efficiently cut parts for the airplane. We've determined that upwards of 80-90% of the parts for the airframe are made from flat pieces of raw stock. After a bunch of research we decided to pursue this process as a means to make our parts. After more research we found that to use a plasma system to cut thin material requires a system that can automatically control the height of the torch. This provides the best cuts, maximizes the life of consumables and prevents wasting raw materials. To that end, we needed to make several modifications to our CNC table and torch systems to get the best chance of getting good parts. We've covered most of these in previous updates and are getting close to the big "first cut." The latest mod was to replace the signal generator (2-D box) that came with the Torchmate system with a new box (MP3000) that has 3-D control and auto torch height control. In fact, it's digital torch height control that is fully integrated with the X, Y, and Z motions axises.This box also, however, requires the use of a new software control system to control the table motion. You can check out the box details here: http://www.candcnc.com/ Look for Digital Torch Height Control. The software is Mach3 and it is an open source software that CandCNC has optimized for use with it's MP3000 system. You can check it out here: http://www.machsupport.com/.

Overall, the modification has been pretty straightforward. The hardest parts were actually installing the Mach3 software and getting it to run on the computer (various issues) and getting the new MP3000 box to interface with the Torchmate supplied motor controller box. We could have just bought new motors, controllers, power supply, etc. from CandCNC, but in an effort to get the lowest cost system possible, we wanted to use as much of the Torchmate system as possible. With enough research and help from CandCNC we were able to figure out the correct translation of wires to get the two boxes to work together. A quick re-wiring of the female DB-25 connector in the Torchmate motor controller box allowed the use of a simple 25 wire parallel computer cable to hook the boxes together. The box and software are installed and the table is working in all three axis's We also installed the digital torch height control system, but so far the test has been unsuccessful. Didn't have time to troubleshoot further before having to head off to the day job for the week. More to follow. We also made several "tweaks" to the CNC table to improve the accuracy. These included adding bracing, re-mounting the X axis motor and shafting, re-meshing the X axis rack and pinion gearing, and adding more Y axis cam followers to support the new floating torch holder. Here's the slotted bracket mods to the Y axis carriage plate for the cam followers to be added to. All these mods have greatly increased the rigidity of the CNC table which will ultimately lead to much more accurate parts. Unfortunately, we didn't get a pic of the overall CNC table with all the new mods. We'll post one next time.

4. Builder's Updates - A lot to report here too.
Kit #1 & Kit #13 - Rick has updated his Prowler site and moved it to a new web address. Check it out here: http://www.prowlerjaguar.com/
Kit #5 - Currently owned by George Morse. It is still for sale. You can see pix of this aircraft on Rick's site (above). We did an engine run-up recently and all is running well.
Kit #7 - Bryan's work continues.
Kit #10 - Ray has installed all the autopilot servos, gotten a new hydraulic accumulator, and cut his instrument panel and cut holes in his side panels for instruments. On the last visit, we dissected and spec'd out the propeller spinner and the radiators. Thanks Ray, nice work!
Kit #11 - Ben has opted out of the Prowler program. Cabi is brokering a deal to purchase Ben's kit and ship it to a new owner in France! In the next update we'll be introducing the new owner. The Prowler has gone global!
Kit #12 - Ray sent the following update on Chuck and his Prowler. In Ray's words: "Chuck flew first flight #2 this weekend. He said the plane handled well and the gear retraction went right. Chuck said the flight only got around the pattern once, the coolant temp went back up to 240 again, just like the last time, and the low oil qty light flickered. George said he didn't have any ideas about the coolant temp, but the oil might be low, and raise the quantity to 12 qts instead of 10 because there is a lot of oil trapped in the accessory case and almost as much in the prop and gear box." We are happy for your partial success Chuck!
Kit #13 - See Kit #1 above.
Kit #14 - We just found the following comments that Steve left after a recent blog update. Here it is in his words: " Hey Todd and company, Thanks for the news. I was able to test fly my airplane #14 late last November and I'm happy to report that my cooling issues are solved. 1.6 hour flight, no squawks.I cut a 4" by 5" square hole near the back lower corner of each of the small removable cowls that cover the exhaust pipes and covered them with stainless steel louvers. These allow air to exit the cowl, which draws air through the forward oil cooler, around the pan and out, and also allows the hot air coming out of the supercharger waste gate to exhaust overboard. The oil temp stabilized between 180 and 200 degrees, and was controllable with the cooler door on the aft cooler.I'm now just waiting for good weather in the pacific northwest to continue flight testing. More news to follow in early spring." Congrats and thanks for the update Steve.
Kit #16 - Bud has been working on tailwheel issues. We're planning a visit to meet him and see the plane later this summer. We'll update then.
Kit #17 - As mentioned above, Cabi has been brokering a deal with Ben's former kit. He also a some exciting news that we'll be able to tell you about in the next update.
Kit #18 - WYSIWYG!

Well, that's it for this update. There is always more, but it's almost 11pm with an early 4:30 wakeup tomorrow. Hope you have enjoyed the new info. Thanks for stopping by to check up on us! Happy Easter to all.

Continuing to (Re) Build Production

Hello again, and thanks for checking back in on us. In this update:
1. Hypertherm Powermax 1000 Plasma Torch
2. Compressed Air Filter/Dryer
3. Floating Torch Holder
4. Bridgeport Mill
5. Builder Updates
6. The 25 Year Old Macintosh Plus

Here are the details:
1. Hypertherm Powermax 1000 Plasma Torch - After a long and patient search we finally located the plasma torch that we were looking for. We found it for sale on Craigslist in the Sacramento area. Hypertherm is one of the original plasma torch manufacturers and they make an excellent product. The Powermax 1000 has a great range of cutting capability with the current adjustable from 20 amps to 60 amps. This should give us the ability to cut thin 0.040 aluminum sheet all the way up to 1/2" thick steel plate.

The first order of business was converting the handheld torch to a machine torch set-up. Using some ideas from the internet this was a pretty straightforward conversion. It turned out very well at a much, much lower cost than purchasing a new machine torch and leads. A new machine torch setup runs $600-$800 and we accomplished this conversion for ~$20.

Now we just need to purchase some new tips and consumables for the machine torch. Hypertherm is making a new line of consumables that they call their "Thin Cut" tips. They have been having good success with these tips and they have apparently been getting good reviews from customers. More on that when we get the machine cutting some metal.

2. Compressed Air Filter/Dryer - Reading the forums about plasma cutting, it has become readily apparent that you have to have dry air to have good success cutting with plasma and to get decent consumable life. To that end we bought a desiccant air dryer, a filter, regulator and bunch of air plumbing to come up with this application. It's all mounted on a recycled teletype cart to provide an "all-in-one" place for the torch box, filter/dryer, and cords, etc. In addition to this setup, we spent a day plumbing compressed air to the other side of the shop to supply the air to this cart. Another day was spent running an 8 gauge 40 amp electrical circuit over to the other side of the shop to supply power to the plasma torch. 3. Floating Torch Holder - In preparation for adding the automatic torch height control, we need to have a floating torch holder. These are for sale online, but some cost as much as $1700. Using ideas gathered from several designs found online, we put together our own torch holder. Here are some pics of the assembly. Just before leaving for work this last time the UPS truck delivered the leadscrew and stepper motor that will do the Z axis movement. Here's a rough idea of how the leadscrew will be placed into the unit:Once we finish the torch holder the next step will be to purchase the auto height control electronics and software and convert our TM1 table to a Mach3 table. We'll still use the TM motor control box, but it will now be controlled by the Mach3 software. This setup will give us true, digital, full 3D toolcut path capability (and arc voltage height control). More to follow on this.

4. Bridgeport Mill - Since buying the company from George, he as been telling us that we need to have a mill. Well, recently a buddy called and said that he'd found a "smokin' deal" on a mill on Craigslist. To make a long story short, after renting a drop deck trailer and and putting in and 18 hr day (that included a trip to the San Franciso Bay area), we now have a gently used Bridgeport mill. While it still needs to get hooked up to 3-phase power (need a rotary phase converter) and we need to get the necessary tooling - we now have a mill. Overall, it seems that the mill is in great condition for the price - with just a few minor repairs (and a good cleaning) needed. So far we've spent a day cleaning the lower part of the mill, lubricating the ways, and getting the DRO (digital read out) to work. The DRO sensors were very dirty and needed alignment, but now work great. This tool will be invaluable in producing parts for our first aircraft and is a necessity for making the accessory gear drive and PSRU parts for the engine. More to follow.

5. Builder Updates - Our biggest news on the builder front is that we have had some great conversations with Bud Tedesco, the owner of Kit #16. Bud reports that he is almost completed but has a few items to complete before his first flight. He is hoping to do his maiden flight by the end of 2009. Here are some pix from Bud:

Great work Bud! We also got Bud hooked up with our Yahoo Prowlerbuildersgroup and look forward to learning a lot from him on building the Prowler. Congrats Bud and we are all looking forward to your first flight. Thanks for joining the group.

There has been a lot going on with all the builders recently. We now have had some kind of contact with owners of all but 5 of the original 16 kits that George produced. Recent info:

Kit #1 & Kit #13 - Rick is proceeding with his plans for his two planes. Check out his latest info here: http://www.rocket-boys.com/prowler.htm . Rick has gathered a great collection of Prowler info on his site. Check it out.
Kit #5 - Currently owned by George Morse. It is still for sale. You can see pix of this aircraft on Rick's site (above).
Kit #7 - Bryan Davies is still making good progress. His work lately has focused on several re-designs to address issues that George had made us aware of and issues from several builders. These include the tailwheel strut, a negative G mod to the fuse-to-wing junction, hyd cylinder attach brackets for the MLG. More to follow on these - but thanks for the great work on these areas Bryan!
Kit #10 - Ray is continuing to make great progress on his airplane. He's recently installed autopilot servo motors and is working on his avionics/panel installation. He just received his UMA engine gauges and reports that they are very nice units.
Kit #11 - Ben is in the process of gathering up all of the outstanding parts he needs after completing an inventory of his kit. He is working with Bryan to buy many of the parts he needs that Bryan has available. The rest we will be working on with Ben in the coming months.
Kit #12 - Chuck should have recently flown his airplane for about an hour. He was planning to do it in the next couple of days as reported by Ray. We'll report more when we hear about the flight.
Kit #13 - See Kit #1 above.
Kit #14 - Steve has fixed the issues with his Prowler that came up in the initial flights. He should now be able to enjoy flying the plane and the hard work that went into building it. Congrats Steve.
Kit #16 - Welcome Bud. See above.
Kit #17 - Cabi has been doing a lot of work on creating his drawings for using his plasma cutter to cut his wing spar parts. In a recent email from him he says that he was about to strap a Sharpie to his plasma table and test draw his wing spar parts to check them for accuracy. We'll report more on this later. On another note, Cabi will be part of a feature article in the March issue of "Flying". He is also going to be in a BBC production on the U2 which will air this summer in July. Keep an eye out for that. Nice work Cabi.
Kit #18 - These jokers can't seem to get anything done on their airplane. Seems that they've been blowing all their time and money trying to get some defunct kit airplane company going again. What are they thinkin'??

6. Macintosh Plus - When we got the company assets from George one of the items included was an old Macintosh Plus computer. By "old" we mean really "old." Do you remember "boot disks?" Well, there was also a pile of old 3-1/2" floppy disks. Turns out that there is some good info on some of these disks. Mostly it is just good "history" info that may someday be useful. In any event, we're spending any "extra" time we have (yeah - right) to print out these old files. Using this old clunker has given us renewed appreciation for today's computers. It takes about 15 disk swaps and 15 minutes to print out just one average sized file on the old Macintosh dot matrix printer. But, it's also kinda fun - like archeology.

Thanks for stopping by.