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Thread: And suddenly, it's an airplane...

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Alabama
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    2,236

    And suddenly, it's an airplane...

    I've been building a 7/8th's scale Nieuport 11 biplane since early this summer, and until the other day it's been an airplane in a very conceptional sort of way.

    The fuselage is done, it's on gear, tail feathers ready for covering, turtle deck just finished, but I've been so close to building it (within arm's reach) that my work has been tubes riveted to gussets and measurements.

    One of my turtle deck reinforcements looked like it would stick up past the stringer and show on the covering; before I removed it and took a saw to it, though, I took a bedsheet, draped it over the fuselage, and tightened it down with some clamps to check.

    Dang, it does show. Might as well take a picture to document why I had to fix it (I take as more pictures of goof-ups and how I fixed them as I do the stuff that turns out right the first time for some reason). So I stood back to get it in the frame.

    And stopped, slack jawed.

    It wasn't a collection of tubing and gussets. It wasn't a frame. It is an airplane.



    Anybody else have one of those "whoa" moments like that?
    The opinions and statements of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Frederick, MD
    Posts
    151
    90% complete

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    6
    ... and only 90% to go.

  4. #4
    Chad Jensen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Oshkosh, WI
    Posts
    502
    I think we all do Frank! Nice looking project you have there!

    I had several of those moments during the build of my RV-7, and each time it took me a bit by surprise. Had to sit down and think about what was being accomplished, and enjoy the moment!

    Now I'm back to building ribs, and I'm really looking forward to having those moments again!
    Chad Jensen
    EAA #755575

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