This is Kevin Hester's dragonfly build log...

The original for this log lives on an old Mac Portable in my garage. This copy is only occasionally updated.
8/20/95 20+hrs
Selecting a design

8/26/95 1hr Shopping for wing table parts 4hrs Table building

8/27/95 1hr Table building

9/15/95 4hrs Table leveling

9/30/95 2hrs Practice layups - Rutan book

9/31/95 2hrs Practice layups

10/5/95 2hrs Practice layups

10/6/95 3hrs Longeron fabrication (never used)

10/7/95 1hr Template cutting

10/8/95 1hr BL14.5 Canard templates (two)

10/13/95 3hrs BL 18/BL126 Wing templates (2 x 2)

10/16/95 1hr Reading plans & BL 78.5 canard templates

10/22/95 4hrs Bookend building - Rutan book

10/25/95 4hrs Expoxy oven

10/28/95 2hrs CS2 fittings cut (x4) Seatbelt fittings cut (x3) Setup drill press

10/29/95 4hrs lift/drag fittings (x9) cut and drill

10/31/95 2hrs grind ³fittings and drill seatbelt fittings

11/1/95 2hrs CS1 bellcrank cutting fix bandsaw

11/3/95 1hr CS1 bellcrank grinding

11/4/95 4hr CS1 bellcrank cutting Canard jig BL 117.5 cut x2 Canard jig BL 78.5 cut

11/5/95 2hr add level strips to wing/canard jigs

11/8/95 2hr CS1 bending

11/9/95 1hr CS1 fab/drill

11/11/95 2hr CS1 fab/cleco

11/12/95 .5hr Fix vise

11/13/95 1hr CS1 fab

11/18/95 1hr CS1 fab 3hr Fabric rack fab

11/19/95 8hr Acquire foam and molded parts!

11/22/95 2hr Trip wing lift bulkhead - trimmed off too much of the glass to glass edge for about three inches. This will need to be fixed later

11/23/95 2hr Clean shop 4hr Mark and begin trimming the fuse 2hr Finish trimming left half of fuse

11/24/95 3hr Finish trimming fuse 1hr Mate fuse halves! 2hr Trim bulkheads 1hr Fit bulkheads

11/25/95 3hrs Trim bulkheads and discover the wonderous peel-ply

11/26/95 3hrs Repair the forward fuse cover (the prefab part was incorrectly molded - honeycomb was in the glass to glass fuse seam)

11/27/95 1.5hrs Install forward fuse cover. Yea! Begin repair of the turtledeck (also too much honeycomb)

11/30/95 1hr Mark fuse for trimming Seperate fuse Remove peel-ply from right half of fuse

11/31/95 1hr Turtledeck repair (more honeycomb removal) 1.5hrs Trim more from fuse joggles More honeycomb work on forward fuse cover The bulkheads almost fit! Need more trim & fit

12/2/95 4hrs Fuel cell fitting Learn about circle cutters

12/6/95 1hr Cut fuel cell access holes Cut wing lift lightening holes (at 3DO)

12/7/95 2hr Cut/trim lower seatback/intercostal

1/8/96 .5hr Clean shop .5hr Trim fore fuse bow 1.5hr Trim and fit fuel tank

1/18/96 .5 hr Cut fuel filler hole/fit filler neck .5hr Trim fit upper seatback 2hr Trim/fit lower seatback/intercostal

1/29/95 2hr Trim/fit wing lift/drag Trim/fit upper seatback Finish fuel filler opening

2/3/96 5hr Fab aft bulkhead Remove peelply from left fuse Final bulkhead test fit Break apart fuse Trim firewall

2/8/96 3hr Trim/fit cowling

2/10/96 5hr Fab and install right longeron Mark waterline on inside of fuse

2/11/96 4hr Fab and install left longeron Flowcoat (seal) top of fuel tank Flowcoat left side of fuel baffle

2/12/96 .2hr Sand right longeron

2/16/96 1hr Sand and radius the longerons

2/17/96 5hr Reassemble fuse Clean garage Cut longeron slots in canard lift and upper seatback Final upper seatback trim Canard lift trim Final intercostal trim Mount cowling and cowling fairings

2/17/96 4Hr Install aft bulkhead in right fuse Trim fuel drain plate

2/20/96 1hr Begin replacing 1/8" of foam/honeycomb on fuel tank with flox.  This is as recommended in Task plans.  Bed fuel drain in fuse with flox

2/23/96 3hrs Sand/prep joggles for bonding (damn it I'm out of pop rivets)
   More floxing of fuel tank

2/26/96-2/29 8hrs Join and glue fuse joggles
   Drill out pop rivets
   Sand and prep for taping

3/2/96  6hrs Tape bottom outside fuse (2ply 10oz BID)
   Tape alt side of aft bulkhead
   The last floxing of the fuel tank

4/10-11/96 15hrs? stuff
   Fabricate fuel level sender mounting flange
   Cut fuel sender hole in fuel tank
   Glass right longeron

4/13/96 6hrs Glass left longeron

4/15/96 3hrs Trim firewall - ready for plumb and balance of fuse &
   firewall layup

4/17/96 8hrs Mount firewall
   Install COM antenna

4/20/96 12hrs Install fuel tank - extremely unpleaseant ;-)
   Install NAV antenna
   Flox in aft fuse cover

4/24/96 1hr Trim and fit of upper and lower seatback - things are
   tighter now that the fuse is held in almost the final
   shape.

5/12/96 8hr Cut fabric for gear

5/16/96 10hr Lay-up gear (ugh! - incredibly long layup, and still not done
   with side supports)

5/22/96 2hr Finish gear layup

5/23/96 30min Clean shop

5/24/96 5hr Sand and trim upper/lower seatback
   Trim aft fuse top (to match upper seatback)
   Sand seatback areas

5/25/96 8hr Install upper/lower seatback (aft face only on upper)
   Sand seatbelt attach points
   Sand fuel cell tape areas (to begin repair of leaky aft section)

5/26/96 7hr Final trim of aft upper fuse
   Tape and upper seatback with a glass to glass edge
   Put flox slurry over leaky fuel cell tapes
   Peel fply upper seatback
   Install level (on centerline and parallel waterline)

5/27/96 4hr Attach seatbelt attach bases
   Tape aft side upper seatback (now done with seats!)

5/29/96 1hr Clean shop

5/31/96 1hr Relevel table - I've marked the low spots on the front of
   the table.  Need to reuse the laser to level and twist the
   wing and canard.

6/1/96  10hr Visit and inspect Rondefly's and michael's DFs
   Return landing gear mold

6/2/96  3hr Cut carbon fiber for wing and canard (ugh!)

6/7/96  7hrs Fit canard cores and level table

6/8/96  6hrs Canard shearweb layup (Johnny Z., Adam W., Kristen)

6/9/96  4hrs Remove peelply
   Drill and tap lift fitting inserts

6/10/96 3hrs Relieve leading edges for lift fittings and pads
   Flox/bolt lift fittings

6/11/96 2hrs Trim and fit canard leading edge sections
  4hrs Jig canard bottom up on table
  1hr Buy food for helpers
  5hrs Canard bottom layup (Stu, Mike B, Clay Jackson, ? helpers)
  3hrs Flip canard, trim leading edge
  5hrs Canard top layup (Lee Marrs, Mr. Marrs, Jim Saur, George, MikeD helpers)

7/20/96  3hrs Remove canard and post cure
  2hrs Clean garage and move fuse into storage

7/?/96  2hrs Clean and relevel table
  4hrs Level and join central wing aft sections

7/?/96  4hrs Wing spar layup (Rick R, Laura H. helpers)

7/?/96  3hrs Drill, tap, and install lift fittings
  1hr Fit wing leading edge sections

8/3/96  ? Join wing leading edge sections
   Join outboard panels

1/4/97 2hr shape wing tips & TE

2/27/97 1hr wing te glass-glass prep

2/28/97 4hr wing te prep/assemble toolset

3/8/97 6hr mount wing to tbl/fix twist

3/15/97 8hr Subaru disassmbly (mock-up engine)
 

1/18/98 12hrs Set up shop
1/19/98 6hrs   (See Engine #2 log)

1/22/98 6hrs
    * shape left wing tip
    * fab inboard/outboard aileron/elevator bearings
    * change epoxy pump to new ratio for aeropoxy

1/26/98 6hr
    * sand bondo blocks on wing
    * rebuild epoxy pump

2/6/98 8hr
     * build engine

2/8/98 8hr
     * fuel cell layup

2/10/98 2hr phenolic disc fab

2/14/98 4hr
    * left aileron torque tube
    * build flat table for aileron layup

2/20/98 4hr mount aileron torque tubes

2/21/98 2hr shape alieron fairings
  1hr paint valve cover/oil pan

2/22/98 1hr tap 1/4" npt in 1-3 cyl head for turbo cooling source
    2hr fab phenolic doughnut for aileron reflexor

2/24/98 2hr check piston ring gaps
  RECORD IN ENGINE LOG
  begin fitting piston rings

8hrs engine final assembly

6hrs avionics hack work - The Java UI now works

3hrs header tank layup/6oz BID cutting

3hrs trim and fit the side/center consoles

1hr basic assembly of center console

10min move canopy to the garage

5/20/98 2hrs Becky 5min epoxy of side consoles

5/25/98 8hrs Trim aileron fairing
   Calibrate and test epoxy pump ratio
   Cut landing gear
   Clean shop

6/6/98 6hrs
   Glass left aileron bottom side
   Glass inside of side consoles

6/7/98 1hr
   Becky sanded side/center consoles
   Becky sanded bottom of left aileron

To repair:

12/2/95
Glass to glass edges on wing lift bulkhead

Glass to glass edges on canard lift bulkhead
Make raduis marker reference pieces (done 2/1/96)
Finish CS-1 assemblies
Make a wider sawhorse (done 2/1/96)

4/23/96  The inner front of fuel tank has voids
   The rear of fuel tank has voids
   Ugh!  I forgot to flox the fuel filler neck.
   Ugh!  I used 10oz BID on the longeron - I guess 6oz would be better.
   A couple of bubbles on the longeron layup

To do:
   Flox/tape fuel baffle bottom
   Install upper/lower seatback
   Install side consoles and control hardware
   Test fuel tank
   Tape aft fuse cover


Maintained by: [email protected]