First Engine Run

 May 4 2022

Still making progress towards getting my final inspection completed this spring.  I picked my registration letters that I wanted and made up the data plate and mounted it into the VISION.   The Canadian Registration for my airplane is now completed with Transport Canada and I have the C of R in hand with registration C-GVVI.  On May 4th I made the first run up of the totally re-built Lycoming engine and it started up right away.  This I could not be more pleased about as I had replaced the original carburetor and installed a Australian Throttle Body "Rotec" unit.  I only ran the engine for about 3 minutes to make sure oil pressure, fuel pressure and instruments were all functioning.  A few days later I ran the engine again this time to see it get warmed up and then did a very short taxi test to test the brakes and the steering.  It went perfect and total time on the engine was about 15 minutes.  Then a few days later I tied down the tail to a fence post, chalked the wheels and did the Lycoming recommended run up to full power.  Five minutes at 1000 then 10 minutes at 1400 to get the engine oil to  warm up to 120-140.  Then to 1800 RPM and cycle the propeller three times then full power for a maximum of 10 seconds followed by a cool down for about 3 minutes and another full power test for 10 seconds and then cool down and full power a last time.  Such a pleasure to see the engine get maximum RPM of 2700 on each of the full power tests.

March 2022

 April 8 2022

I have received the seat covers for the interior and am very pleased with the finish.  The seats are using memory foam with two layers on the seat bottom and one layer on the back.  The upholsterer offered to inset a Logo of the word "Vision" into the seat backs and the center console arm rest and I am very pleased with how that looks.  My registration letters were confirmed with Transport Canada and I then had the lettering made up and installed onto the fuselage.  I have submitted my documentation and photo of my Data plate to Transport Canada April 2 for my Certificate of Registration.   I have yet to complete my fuel flow test and then will run the engine for  the first time in the coming couple of weeks.  

February 2022

 February 27/22

Installed the Fire extinguisher and First Aid kit and screwed the belly panel back into place.  I spent a day  draining and redoing six brake line fittings which had been weeping very slightly over a month.  At first I was going to just leave it but it kept nagging at me.  I didn't want any type of leaks, especially leaks in hard to reach locations, so was well worth the work of draining and fixing.  I installed the Control stick and wired in the PTT button.   Placed a hose clamps on the static vents, pitot hose line and the fuel air vent lines.  Tested the pitot and static lines for no leaks.  Using the computer and Avery label (sticky back and clear) sheets I made up all the required Placards required for the interior and exterior of the aircraft.  I then used a Label maker to make up all of the placards for switches and fuses on the panel.

January

January 30 2022 

This month I installed the compass into the panel and honed out the hinges for the canopy bolts as they were very tight to get into place.  Installed the new Data Plate onto the upper center of the seat back and installed safety wire onto the engine components where it was required.  Using a digital level I measured all of the control surfaces angular movement limits and recorded on a data sheet as required by MDRA (Minister Delegate Recreational Aircraft) Canada, which is required in the final paperwork of the final inspection.  I made up a Annual Inspection Check sheet for my paperwork which is also part of the final inspection.  I spent time testing all of the electrical connections to all components and have everything working properly.  Tidied up wiring throughout the cockpit and bundled wires as much as possible.  Fabricated a bracket close to the carb heat valve to hold the C-Heat cable tightly in place 8 inches back from the B-nut on the sliding cable.

November and 1/2 December work progress

 December 14 2021

This is the last day that I have been able to do work on the plane.  The weather here in Calgary Alberta has gone totally downhill and is forecast to stay at -25c for at least three weeks.  As I write this it is now January 3 and we are still in the -20-25c for another seven days.  I don't bother to work on the plane in these temperatures as it is to hard to heat up the hangar for comfortable working conditions.  I am getting to old for this cold weather and so it sets me back in my progress.  November and the first half of December I spent again on finishing wiring to all components and then tested every piece of electrical one at a time.  Amazingly I found every piece worked properly.  The wiring is not yet tidied up and bound together in bundles since I wanted everything accessible in case wires had to be traced for problems.  When I get back out that will be one of the next items tackled.

Below are 4 of the five LED emergency warning lamps that I made up to annunciate the following, Aux warning lamp for the Dynon engine management system, Fuel Pump On warning, Pitot Heat On, and two spares.

Below is my ARTEX 406 ELT installation just aft of the baggage compartment, with the antenna in view and the copper tape ground plane antenna.  Towards the aft end is the Transponder antenna protruding through the bottom of belly and the hex shaped ground plane for it.  The black box is my ADAHRS unit driving all flight instruments for the Dynon screen.

Below the Dynon main screen and the Dynon Radio head unit are tested.

Below is my Dynon 10 inch screen which is showing the flight instruments and the engine management screen.  I also have a GPS moving map screen that is hidden in this photo.  My normal screen will show a large flight data screen on left with a narrow engine monitor screen centre and a large moving map screen on right.

The list of electrical items tested:

Dynon screen, Radio, Radio head, Engine monitor and Transponder.

Pitot heat, Navigation lights, Strobe lights.

Power to capacitance fuel level senders.

ELT unit test.

Flaps test, Trim Servo test.

Below are the blisters I had to fabricate on the wing Root fairings at the aft end.  The style of Slotted Flap have the drive mechanism from the torque tube rotate above the trailing edge of the wing root. I will later supply a photo of the wing root fairing installed showing the fiberglass blister completed.  Also had time to build a small 10 in. by 4 in. removable wall that will protect the flap motor from any contact with baggage, this is behind the seat back. No photo.

August September & October Wiring and more Wiring

 October 23 2021, Not much more in the way of photos as the wiring is a huge job.  Thankfully I have made loads of schematic diagrams to keep it all in order.  On the sub panel 18 inches ahead of the main panel from left to right are the Dynon Com Radio, screw terminal strip, Dynon Engine Monitor and Dynon Transponder.

I am keeping the panel to the bare minimum and that is thanks to the design of the Dynon equipment.

I made up my own wiring harness for the Intercom, Radio and Transponder units.  This was probably the most complex wiring of it all.

Next two photos are my wingtip wiring all in place with the nav/strobe power box, also the coil of aluminum for fuel tank air vent and overflow.

My wing tip installed and my Nav/Strobe unit tested.

Below is my new next door hangar neighbour Chris's Acro Sport II which he purchased mostly finished and then completed and upgraded to his liking.

Parked behind my hangar at Springbank airport

 August 29 2021.  This is a AN2 aircraft on floats, very rare to see.  The plane was built in Poland and is in Canada under a  Special CofA it appears.  I say that because on the door it is marked EXPERIMENTAL, a little reading and that seems is the only way it can be registered in Canada.  I also read on the internet that Canada doesn't want planes in Canada that would compete against Canada's  homebuilt bush planes.  The floats and attachment hardware all appear to be brand new as they are all pristine.  The floats are made out of  fiberglass and much cost a pretty penny.  There are no water rudders on the floats so that may be an item yet to be installed or i don't know how they would steer it.  What a huge beast this plane is!

Update:  I found out the floats were custom designed by the owner with plans to market them.  They have installed inside the floats a water jet system for steering.