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Sometimes the windshield, now the Bug

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EAABipe40FF

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This "had" been a good week. I started on my wing fairings and they went far better than expected and I finished them on Wens. Only a couple more things to do on the Acroduster. One was to see if oil temp gage was working and since baffling was finished I decided to take it out and run engine and check it out. Did a complete preflight, pushed the Tu-holer out followed by the AD, got in, secured myself and started her up. I had only done limited slow taxi.... Everything went well, CHT ok and oil temp gage moved up to 100 degrees, run-up was fine, why not take her out on the RW. Decided to "taxi" up to about 40+ to see if ASI was reasonable. Did a couple runs only using about 2000rpm and it got up to speed fast....this ain't the Tu-holer! ASI got up to 45mph and I raised the tail slightly on the 2nd run and decided to quit while I was ahead.......I do think I'll get some S2 dual before I fly this thing etc........ I took her back and shut down being rather satisfied.

If you thought I broke the AD2, well no.....

I have two big things on my to do list. One is to close-up the panel under the stab. The other is to complete the alt. air door on the Airflow Performance intake/filter assembly. (Hint. Two planes in one hangar is sometimes problematic)

I backed the AD back into it's corner and put the tail up on a stool so I could access under the stab. I opened the cowl and removed the filter assembly but decided to make cardboard mockup of the under stab panel first. I double checked mags. off so I could move prop so I wouldn't run into it. The cardboard wasn't working so I worked on the air door.....

Meanwhile the wind was getting up and I needed to close my hangar doors so I pushed the Tu-holer back in, not all the way but enough to close the outer bi-fold part of the doors. Got that done and continued work on alt. air door....

Noted that it was time to go home so I started backing the Tu-holer the rest of the way in. Now with the AD in it's normal tail low position and it's prop in it's normal "ready to prop" position, there is plenty of clearance but with the tail up and the prop backed up to give "me" clearance on the right side, HERE COMES THE WINDSHIELD...... Just before the Tu-holer arrives at it's spot I hear a RIPPPPPPPPPPP..... as the AD's prop rips into the Spezio's wing...

Double check mags again, move prop, look at 8" rip right between ribs...

Walk over to the "Dope" rack(The AD is covered in Stitts) hoping I have enough dope supplies to fix it. I do. It took a while to find a can of seam cement, found a old can of dried up stuff first.......At least no big bill to ship a quart of something.....

I've got a week+ Want to go to the airshow in Cambridge, Md. on the 23rd. (If I can tread my way around the DC no fly zone and find my way down the Eastern Shore. That's only if I can degauss the darn thing and get the compass to work or borrow a real GPS. At least my Tape Eraser came yesterday) Better get to work, at least get it through silver, remove instruments and start erasing....

Acroduster will have to wait.....again.....

Oh well

Jack
 
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