Switching from Hartzell Blended Airfoil to a Trailblazer Propeller
I changed the propeller on my Sportsman from a 74” Hartzell Blended Airfoil (HC-C2YR-1BFP/F7497) to 76” Trailblazer composite (HC-C2YR-1NX/NG8301-7X1).
These are my learnings and first...
Assembling Sportsman Flaps Without Helpers
I didn't have any helpers like the manual warns for bending and drilling the top skins for the flaps since they are 10 feet...
Windshield Installation “Bush Fix” When Clecos Run Out
At one point during the installation of our windshield it became clear that we needed an additional wingnut cleco - the windshield simply wasn't conforming to the shape of the fuselage joggle as well as expected. We had exhausted our supply of wingnut clecos, so what were we to do?
Converting from On-Off to an Andair Fuel Valve
For anyone that has the original, on-off, fuel valve, and might be thinking of changing to a newer style valve, here’s a brief overview...
GlaStar Wing Folding
For a taildragger, folding the wing is an accident waiting to happen. Mess up and you will damage the airplane like I did. I...
Wiring the Wings
Our Sportsman wings had been built in the CAC so the wiring was already in place, tied up in a huge coil. Before attaching the...
Creature Comfort
Winter Flying
For those of us living in the northern climates, it’s worth paying attention to being warm in your aircraft. In southern Wisconsin, our...
Sportsman Control Stick Installation
Q&A
Q (Dennis Vanatta): Installing the sticks is one of those things which it seems needs to be right the first time, since there’s no...
DIY Upholstery
For those of you thinking of tackling your own upholstery here is a little short lesson on what worked for me. Let me caveat...
GlaStar Hauler
I am in the process of relocating to New Mexico from Arizona and since my project is on its landing gear, moving the airframe...