Dan, yes, I am going to put on a new bubble. Interesting story there. The previous owners of the FBO here were great guys, good friends, and their mechanic is the one I'm working with on the 'coupe now. I had a new bubble shipped to the field rather than to my house, thinking it would be a rather cumbersome box to load up and hault to the field.
A couple of years ago, they sold the FBO to another fellow. My plane was in the mechanics hanger at the time, and no problem. Within 6-months or so, my mechanic was "let go" because he wouldn't hurry his work on installing some instruments on a Dr.'s Baron. He was told that if he hurried and got the wires hooked up wrong and burned out the unit, no big deal, the Dr. had a big bank account and would purchase another. He said no, I will not work that way and left. This left my plane in limbo sort of, there was no immediate replacement of the mechanic. I was told to get the plane out of the hanger in less than 3 days or they would charge me rent (probably justified, but it still made me a bit upset!). In the rush to get the plane and all of the parts out, I completely forgot about the bubble. A year later, I approached the FBO, (actually his wife who runs the office operation part) asked about the bubble, and they said no, they had no bubble, had never had a bubble, etc. I know it was there.......I saw it and even opened the box to look at it when it came in. So......here I be. No bubble in possession, on fairly good terms with the FBO operator, but out a couple of hundred dollars. Will try once again to retrieve it.......but who knows?? thanks for the offer of talking to Lee at Skyport.....that may come in handy.......will let you know if I have questions. You're taller than I by 4 or 5 inches, so maybe I need a seat cushion!!!! I have a new panel for my 'coupe, with all of the instrument holes cut........trouble is the radio and transponder are too high by about 3/4" and the control "T" hits the radio at full aft yoke. My newest one has both of those holes cut as low on the panel as possbile.......hope you plan better than I did. (and I thought I was........can't tell you how many times I trial fit and measured that thing...) I'm sure that you'll be ahead of me soon.......we're mightly slow here...... Dallas Dallas E. Wilhelm, Jr. Professor & Chair Biology Department Hastings College Hastings, NE 68901 USA [EMAIL PROTECTED] 402.461.7382 phone 402.461.7463 fax > ---------- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Reply To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2000 2:02 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [COUPERS-TECH] Trim control > > Dallas, > I'll keep in touch and let you know how it is going. My plan is to get > everything as ready as possible for installation and then do it as quickly > as > possible to minimize down time. I am going to use the instrument > locations > that > came with the kit and will only be adding a CHT gauge. I'm still trying > to > figure out the radio installation as my radio fits well, but my old > transponder > takes up too much room. I also need to convert the plane to the bubble > windshield and am still waiting for it to arrive. Did you need to change > your > windshield too? If so, was it difficult? I will also be doing the ram's > horn > yoke conversion from Skyport. I bought the last pair available until > Skyport > gets the STC. I hope they work out well. As far as the increased cowl > height > is concerned, I have placed the eyebrow piece on my current panel and > checked > the view. I don't think it will be a problem for me as I am 6'3" tall and > can > plainly see the entire top of the cowl past the eyebrow piece. I only > lose > a > small amount of vision on the left side of the cowl which can be easily > seen > if > needed by repositioning my head a small amount to the left. I think the > better > gauge placement will more than make up for this minor inconvenience. > That's > about all I know at this point. You are a lot further along than I am so > I > hope > some of this information may be useful to you. One advantage I have is > that > I > only live about 30 min. from Skyport so Lee is always available for > questions or > if I need to take a look at actual parts and assemblies. If anything > comes > up > that you need another opinion to make a decision I can always go to > Skyport > to > ask Lee and look at parts and pictures. > > Keep in touch, > Dan > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Dan, > > > > Yes, we followed exactly the instructions that came with the kit. I > > followed the instrument layout sorta!! I did place the flight > instruments > > on the square raised panel in the "T" arrangement that all of the books > > recommend. I've added an EGT and a CHT to the panel, and those plus the > > clock and OAT are lined to the right across what remains of the panel. > > Radio and transponder are more or less below the right yoke. Intercom > is > > also below this row of instruments near the right yoke. > > > > So far, everything fits and the panel sits in the fuselage like it's > > supposed to. I am now trying to find time to begin installing > instruments > > and configuring the tubing to the vacuum ones. > > > > The subsequent messages seem to show that some don't like the Alon panel > > that obstructs the view on the left side. I hadn't thought about the > > differences in seating in the 'coupe and the Alon. Hope it doesn't > obstruct > > too much. > > > > On the other hand, I was interested in increasing the number of > instruments > > and putting them in the modern "T" arrangement. > > > > Have planned to put in ram's horn style yokes also. What we purchased > was > a > > set from Aircraft Spruce that were made for the Navion. They are larger > in > > diameter than the Alon-style yokes and have a massive, solid feel. > > > > Hope all of this stuff gets by the feds. My IA that is helping with > this > > restoration seems to think there's no problem. Hope his relationship > with > > them is as good as he seems to think!! I'd really hate to think about > > undoing everything at this point. > > > > My progress is slow.......can't seem to find the time to go out and work > on > > the coupe in the evenings. It's at my IA's house, actually in his > > garage/workshop, and so I'm always feeling like I'm imposing on him. > > > > Will try to keep in touch as we proceed on the panel. Hope you will try > to > > do the same. > > > > Dallas > > > > Dallas E. Wilhelm, Jr. > > Professor & Chair > > Biology Department > > Hastings College > > Hastings, NE 68901 USA > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > 402.461.7382 phone > > 402.461.7463 fax > > > > > ---------- > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Reply To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2000 12:21 AM > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Subject: Re: [COUPERS-TECH] Trim control > > > > > > Dallas, > > > You are a lot farther along than I am on the instrument panel. I > would > > > appreciate if you could fill me in on the details of the installation > as > > > you > > > go > > > along. Did you follow the instrument placements that came in the > > > instructions > > > or did you create your own design? > > > > > > Thanks, > > > Dan > > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > > > > I am also in the process of installing the Skyport Alon-style panel > and > > > > would be interested in any feedback on the process. Mine now has > the > > > holes > > > > cut, the mounting holes drilled and is powder-coated, ready to > install > > > > instruments. Anybody out there already do this?? > > > > > > > > Dallas > > > > > > > > Dallas E. Wilhelm, Jr. > > > > Professor & Chair > > > > Biology Department > > > > Hastings College > > > > Hastings, NE 68901 USA > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > 402.461.7382 phone > > > > 402.461.7463 fax > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > > to unsubscribe send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > _____________________________________________________________ > > > Check out the new and improved Topica site! > > > http://www.topica.com/t/13 > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > to unsubscribe send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > _____________________________________________________________ > > Check out the new and improved Topica site! > > http://www.topica.com/t/13 > > > > > > --------------------------------- > to unsubscribe send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > _____________________________________________________________ > Check out the new and improved Topica site! > http://www.topica.com/t/13 > --------------------------------- to unsubscribe send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________________________ Check out the new and improved Topica site! http://www.topica.com/t/13
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