Last Update
Fitting the under Belly panels
28-05-2006
Assembling the Nose Wheel Well.
28-03-2006
Assembling the Main undercarriage and retract system.
04-03-2007
Engine delivery and installation of the flap Motor and Flap Torsion Bar.
31-03-2006
Installation of the Rudder Pedals and Control Column.
01-04-2006
Installing the Canopy.
11-02-2007
Installing the Centre Console.
04-03-2007
Firewall forward.
04-11-2006
Installing the fuel and braking systems.
12-02-2007
Assembly and covering of the wings
04-03-2007
Assembly and covering of the Empennage
06-01-2007
Assembling the Cowling
29-07-2006
Panel and Avionics related page, includes wiring.
31-04-2007
Autopilot installation
11-02-2007
Painting and related subjects
24-12-2006
Upholstery related pages.
Final assembly at Andrewsfield
Test Flights from Andrewsfield
Diary:-
August 4th. 2007
Today G-LEAH finally got its permit to fly. So this morning we are of for the first flight of many.
August 1st. 2007
Today G-INFO web site shows that the permit has been issued. I had been told that once it was posted on the web site then I would be able to fly. After a quick phone call to the CAA I was told that I had to wait until the permit was in my possession so it's a case of wait for the postman to call.
July 22nd. 2007
Just a quick update, on Friday I was told that my permit had left the LAA and had been sent to the CAA for issue. So I am now checking the G-INFO web site daily to see if its posted, I am told once its there then the permit is valid. I will check this with the CAA when I see its posted.
July 13th. 2007
Monday of this week the final paperwork was sent to the LAA for the " Permit To Fly" , all I can do now is wait. I hope it arrives soon as I would like to use G-LEAH for my holidays.
Today G-LEAH flew for the first time!!!
Permit arrived this morning, just in time for the first flight tomorrow.
June 13th. 2007
Permit to test did not arrive !. However my log books and PMR were signed off by my LAA inspector this evening, I would just like to thank Neil (my LAA inspector) for being so helpful throughout the build process he has been great.
June 12th. 2007
I have been told by the LAA that my permit to test will be sent out to me today and that I should get it in the morning (Wednesday 13th). Being optimistic I have arranged for my LAA inspector, my test pilot and my holiday from work so that Sunday 17th to Tuesday 19th are setup to complete the test flying. It now depends on a) the LAA keeping to their word and b) the weather. Exciting times!!
June 11th. 2007
I have had the Plane standing outside for two weeks now waiting for the permit. I was told a week ago by Francis Donaldson at the LAA that it was being sent but nothing has arrived. I suppose I am going to have to chase it again which I don't like to do but I have no choice. I hate being given force hope especially when your being charged £540 for the privilege.
May 19th. 2007
Last week we moved the plane up to Andrewsfield airfield ready for its final assembly. I had arrange for a local transport company called Moveforce Ltd. in Haverhill to move the plane and they did an excellent job. Very carefully loaded and transported without any damage at all.
Yesterday (Friday 18th. May) I completed G-LEAH. I have spent the last week working in the hanger at Andrewsfield doing the final assembly and working with my LAA inspector to complete the final inspection. Tomorrow evening we will be completing the paper work ready to go to the LAA to apply for its permit to test.
April 31st. 2007
I have just come of the phone with Andy Draper at the LAA and he has informed me that my modifications for the Flap controller and the Autopilot have been accepted. This is a major milestone as it means that the plane can be moved to Andrewsfield for final assembly and flight testing. I now have all the logistics to work out with regards to transport, availability of my LAA inspector, hangar space and my annual leave so I can spend all my time dedicated to getting this project completed.
March 2007
Well the build is just about finished, I am just adding the small odds and ends such as placards and tyre creep marks to fill in the time. I now have to wait for the approvals of my mod's by the LAA. I put in the paperwork at the beginning of last week and got an acknowledgement back on Friday saying that it could take between 4 and eight weeks before I hear whether they are accepted or not. When G-LEAH moves to Andrewsfield for final assembly I only have two to three weeks in the hanger before the plane has to move outside(still waiting for my hanger space) so I cant afford to have time wasted if I had to remove my mod's :-( It would be much easier to do here in the workshop. Still this means that the final assembly should be more simple as I am doing as much as I can here before it leaves.
February 2007
Thursday 22nd. February 2007
February 11th. February 2007
Just when I get the web site up to date I find that I am spending all my time preparing documents for the LAA to obtain modification approval for both my autopilot and flap controller installation's. This involves a lot of technical drawing and writing modification and circuit diagram descriptions. Today is also the day that my inspector turns up to sign off the wings now that they are fully assemble and ready to fit to the fuselage. He also has a lot of paper work to sign off so I guess its going to be a busy afternoon.
I have not been able to spend the time on this site for the last couple of months that I would have like to have done for two reasons
1) To busy building.
2) I ran out of web space so had to move all my pictures to www.photobucket.com, this meant that I have had to change every picture on this site by changing their URL.
Still with that out of the way I hope to keep the site more up to date. The plane build is nearing completion and I have arrange some hangar space at Andrewsfield to do the final assembly. I have decided to hold of for a little while hoping that the weather will change.
I still have to get my autopilot and flap controller modifications approved and I do not know how long that will take.
The last week of August I was away for a short break in Wales so no progress on the plane for that week. I did pop in and say hello to Frank and Keren at Pioneer Aviation also took the opportunity to pick up some parts the I needed for my plane. Had a chat with Mike, one of the owners of G-EKIM (Mike backwards, like it!!) which I always like. I think we are building a really good crowd within the owners.
16th August.
I now have my autopilot from Trutrak in the US and this completes all the major purchase items for my plane. With the spraying underway, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!!
8th August.
Additions to the site have been slow over the last few weeks sorry. I am still doing things but I am finding it a struggle to get the time to do the update's. I will try to get some more detail on at the weekend.
It looks like the autopilot is finally about to ship from the US. This has taken a silly amount of time to get.
13th. June
This month so far has not been as fruitful as I would have hoped, a short spell off sick has meant that I have not been able to get much done.
I still have the rest of the summer and will hopefully be able to make my target of completing by the end of September. In this way I hope to get all the permits and test flying finished before next year when hopefully I can start to get some real use of the plane.
I have had about two weeks where finding time for the plane has been difficult. I have not been idle however. I been designing the electrical system, making up warning lights and legends. and also fixing odds and ends that don't take large amounts of time and don't warrant pictures.
8th. May
I have not added much to the site for the last few days as I am waiting for parts from Pioneer Aviation which were missing from my kit. I have just had a call to say the parts will be shipped in the morning so I will be able to finish quite a few jobs off. In the mean time I have been getting on with my panel, making all the anodised inserts fit in the carbon dash ready to drill for the instruments and avionics. I have put a picture in the Panel page.
A great but very long day today, we went to Abergavenny to inspect my kit before delivery and also to test fly the 300. I have definitely made the right decision here, the plane is just so impressive. Frank gave me a good although brief(due to the weather deteriorating) demonstration of its flight characteristics and I was most impressed. The stall was at around 29 knots and cruising at 130 to 150 easy to achieve, in fact you can reach VNE very easily, something to watch out for I think. Short field performance is very good and both for take off and landing only a very small proportion of the strip was used.
The quality of this kit is exceptional, I raised several issues with Alpi via Pioneer Aviation before delivery and every one of them has been attended to my complete satisfaction.
We went through every piece of the kit and I have nothing but praise for both Frank and Keren for their complete co-operation and hospitality. Anything that I did find was sorted out straight away and even to the point where Frank found that the wrong oil cooler housing had been supplied and took an action to get it replaced.
The kit is being delivered to me on Saturday and I cannot wait to get started.
Was too busy to get any pictures but will get some posted on Saturday after delivery.
The
kit was delivered to me today . 
Frank and Tim during the unloading.
A bit of a tight fit until I can get organised.
As there is not much else I can be doing for now, I have started planning my panel layout and researching what avionics I want to have in the cockpit. Deciding on what EFIS and EIS I will be using is a nightmare, what I need is a mixture of features from several different manufactures none of them seem to have all that I want(well the ones I can afford that is). Did manage to order a few parts, I have ordered an FPS Plus flap controller .