Message-ID: <001701bfec6a$e6277fa0$5728fea9@bob>
From: "R. J. Smiley" <rjsmiley@tscnet.com>
To: <lancair.list@olsusa.com>
References: <3.0.6.32.20000712091124.008b5c20@mail.tnweb.com>
Subject: Re: Placards  Response
Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 18:37:24 -0700
Reply-To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
Mime-Version: 1.0

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I attended Arlington this weekend and had N94RJ judged for the first time.
I missed the actual judging so I didn't get any input.  It was evident that
there were two Lancairs in better dress than my plane but after the awards I
asked the chief judge, the gentleman who wrote the judging book and who
trains all judges and supervised Arlington and OsKosh, if he could assign
someone to look my plane over. What happened is he and another judge gladly
poored over my plane top to bottom and this was the results.

All bolts should be head down and from outside to inside.  All nuts in the
engine compartment should be steel locked or cotter-keyed. All rotating
bolts should be cotter-keyed. ( this has some argumentatable discussion
pertaining to bolts fixed to a rotating part that are running through a
bearing ie elevator hinges on mark II tail but be aware the judges will dock
you for it); all bolt and nut threads should have 1.5 to no more than four
threads (if the last three screws in the nose wheel gear door are shaved-
Placard accordingly on the gear door); horizontal stab horizontal to the
wing. Stand back on centerline of craft carefully sight over the stab tips
to where one wing edge is coincident, look to the other wing and see if it
is also coincident.  Be aware of consistent gaps on all control surfaces,
are all surfaces true and square, I noticed about 1/2 inch drop on the left
horizontal stab which equals less points.  Polish aluminum tubes and  mark
with colored tape all tubing to differentiate fuel from hydraulic tubing.
Placard the static port, All sump drains identified, fuel caps or filler
vents to fuel type and capacity, all switchs, controls, knobs in interior,
your canopy latch, compass correction card.  The homebuilt grand champion
was a lancair 235/320 which obviously had all the above and more.  I glued
my data plate on the underside of the horizontal stab.  Don't do it.  While
it technically meets the rules the judge might not find it, you lose points.
I have since moved it to the normal place under the left horizontal stab on
the fuselage.  Remember it only has to state the builder's name, make and
model and year manufactured.  My dtat plate is engraved stainless steel
about 1 inch by 1 3/4 inch.

Pay attention to paint finish, see that the color breaks are smooth and not
bumpy, ie over painting trim color over base color creates a ridge.
Shooting clear over it all is not enough.  Pay attention to small details
and finish them out.  Identify and promote any custom features you add to
your project.  This differentiates your plane from others.  If you have a
neat journal and visual record and or can display your engine installation
This should help you.

All in all I was pleased with the input and out of the experience I came
away rewarded with positive input and comments and ws left feeling that I
had done a pretty good job building a safe airplane.  A few more tweaks and
pulls etc. and it will be properly documented and safe for anyone to
understand the unique systems in this custom airframe.

Comment:  you cannot obtain your judging scores after the event.  This
policy is in force to eliminate jealosy and petty arguments between
entrants. In fact one entrant who had a beautiful airplane was disturbed he
didn't place and wanted to know why.  He stated he wouldn't go to OsKosh
because of his lace of award or recognition.  I told him that the plane was
a marvelous machine but that these judges may not be interested in his
particular type craft and that at OsKosh more people are interested in such
types.  My son who is  a lifetime successful wrestler and four time
collegiate all-american says "Winners never quit and quitters never win."  I
hope he takes his plane to OsKosh; it is truly an amazing airframe.

 So bottom line is present yourself as intended in the Experimental catagory
as a person desiring to educate himself in the art and skill of aircraft
design and construction and receive instruction from the judges as they
judge your plane.  They start with a score of 10 for each category and
deduct.  Don't take it personal and you will have a great experience.

Do a good job, properly label everything and use proper fasteners.  There
are graphics shops that can make you your custom decals which are vinyl and
UV protected for about 5 years.  When you set them up make two sets so you
can replace them in the future and ask for a computer disk file for you to
keep for the future.  I found a shop that will charge only $45 per hour set
up fee and about $20 per sheet of vinyl loaded with text.  each sheet is
about 11 by 14 or 20 inches so you can get a lot of information on one
sheet.  Placard everything.

You can obtain the judging forms and requirements from the EAA.

Bob Smiley  N94RJ

Kingston, Wa.
rjsmiley@tscnet.com


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