- Joined
- Aug 27, 2006
- Messages
- 72
- Reaction score
- 20
To everyone who has emailed me re: Firebolt gear problems over the past three years, my humble apologies. I'm a commercial photographer specializing in aviation and I haven't had five minutes to think about the beautiful bipe that sits in pieces in my hangar. That's a good thing in a way, because it means I'm shooting cool stuff every day, but it's a shame too.
Tomorrow I'm going to mask off the portion of the fuselage that is aft of the rear seat back (because it's covered), and get the tubing in front of that seat back prepared for a couple fresh coats of white urethane. Once that is finished, and I get the gear covered, everything I put back will stay there and the progress will be positive.
Just in case anyone hasn't read my old posts, the Firebolt gear is woefully inadequate, cool looking, but just a train wreck waiting to happen. My Bolt has been reworked with the original bungee truss, "tall" standard configuration Skybolt gear, you know the design that has never caused anyone a moments trouble. Newer is not always better, and in this case it was a huge mistake.
While I have 777JW this far apart, I am going to do a few things to it that should improve looks and performance. I'm replacing all my flooring with carbon fiber, redesigning my seats and instrument panels with the same. The new rear panel will have standard instruments with a Garmin 696 in the center, in an AirGizmo receptacle. Garmin radios/transponder with TIS. I'm going to replace the belt system front and rear, and a client of mine who specializes in BBJ finish outs is going to do the interior seat cushions, leather work/coaming lacing. I expect that there will be a number of components that I'll replace with new, fuel pump, throttle quadrants, etc, because the designs have become better, or more efficient. I'm also going to have to do something about the Firebolt nose bowl and my sheet metal firewall forward, because the wide deck AEIO-30 does not fit that nose bowl Every flight, regardless of how gingerly one flies, the upper front cylinders do their best to beat their way out of that Firebolt bowl. I guess I'll go back with the original Commanche bowl from Steen Aerolab, once again, I don't want to do this ever again.
Bottom line is, I don't ever want this aircraft to be this far apart again, so I'm going to make sure that everything I put back in is good, proven stuff. Pictures to follow, and oh yeah, I'm dreading this process, once was enough! Had I not fallen for the aerodynamic beauty of the cantilevered gear, my Bolt would have been flying the last five years, not holding down the floor in my hangar. My good friend Mac McKenzie had some great ideas, that gear was not among them!!
JW
Tomorrow I'm going to mask off the portion of the fuselage that is aft of the rear seat back (because it's covered), and get the tubing in front of that seat back prepared for a couple fresh coats of white urethane. Once that is finished, and I get the gear covered, everything I put back will stay there and the progress will be positive.
Just in case anyone hasn't read my old posts, the Firebolt gear is woefully inadequate, cool looking, but just a train wreck waiting to happen. My Bolt has been reworked with the original bungee truss, "tall" standard configuration Skybolt gear, you know the design that has never caused anyone a moments trouble. Newer is not always better, and in this case it was a huge mistake.
While I have 777JW this far apart, I am going to do a few things to it that should improve looks and performance. I'm replacing all my flooring with carbon fiber, redesigning my seats and instrument panels with the same. The new rear panel will have standard instruments with a Garmin 696 in the center, in an AirGizmo receptacle. Garmin radios/transponder with TIS. I'm going to replace the belt system front and rear, and a client of mine who specializes in BBJ finish outs is going to do the interior seat cushions, leather work/coaming lacing. I expect that there will be a number of components that I'll replace with new, fuel pump, throttle quadrants, etc, because the designs have become better, or more efficient. I'm also going to have to do something about the Firebolt nose bowl and my sheet metal firewall forward, because the wide deck AEIO-30 does not fit that nose bowl Every flight, regardless of how gingerly one flies, the upper front cylinders do their best to beat their way out of that Firebolt bowl. I guess I'll go back with the original Commanche bowl from Steen Aerolab, once again, I don't want to do this ever again.
Bottom line is, I don't ever want this aircraft to be this far apart again, so I'm going to make sure that everything I put back in is good, proven stuff. Pictures to follow, and oh yeah, I'm dreading this process, once was enough! Had I not fallen for the aerodynamic beauty of the cantilevered gear, my Bolt would have been flying the last five years, not holding down the floor in my hangar. My good friend Mac McKenzie had some great ideas, that gear was not among them!!
JW
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