Amorphous M7/M6 Rebuild Project

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asa
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Re: Amorphous M7/M6 Rebuild Project

Post by asa »

Some good progress lately. I moved the airframe from my house to the airport to start moving towards covering it. I had my friend weld on the rear grab handles from Maule and the hydraulic parking brake valve mount. All work overseen by another M7 (in background). Got those painted up today (beautiful weather) and now have the airframe in a nice heated hangar where we're going to put the fabric on. Got a notification from Oratex that the fabric has left Germany so hopefully we can start in a week or so.

Redneck hay ride to airport:
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Welding rear grab handles:

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After paint:

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Hydraulic parking brake valve mount welded on and painted:
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Fancy hangar to continue work:
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-asa

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Re: Amorphous M7/M6 Rebuild Project

Post by Hale-Yes »

Asa, did you sourse the parking brake mount from Maule ? If so, do you have the part number?
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Re: Amorphous M7/M6 Rebuild Project

Post by asa »

Hale-Yes wrote:
Fri Mar 19, 2021 5:20 pm
Asa, did you sourse the parking brake mount from Maule ? If so, do you have the part number?
I made it from 0.06” 4130 sheet based off drawing 9117E. Its simply a piece 2.125”x2.25” with two holes, and another 2.25”x0.5” with one hole. Individual part numbers would be 9117E-1 and 9117E-2 if you want to buy it but I would definitely recommend making it.

Asa

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Re: Amorphous M7/M6 Rebuild Project

Post by freedom »

Andy Young wrote:
Thu Mar 11, 2021 3:18 pm
asa wrote:
Thu Mar 11, 2021 8:06 am
freedom wrote:
Thu Mar 11, 2021 7:41 am
watch out when you install the Oratex fabric, the wing root leading edge triangle is a knife ready to pinch a hole tru, I had to rivet an aluminum angular to mitigate the sharpness. I had told and sent pics to Lars since I believe I was one of the first to apply it on Maules.

Thanks for the images. I'm aware of that possible issue but I don't quite understand how that angle where it's at in your pictures mitigates the sharpness of the point? Maybe I'm misunderstanding - the potential sharp point is the rear of 'false rib' correct? Seems like that point still exists after you add that angle?

Thanks,
Asa
I think I see what happened. Looks like Freedom wrapped over top of the false rib, instead of going under it, like the factory does. Then he cut lengthwise, to relieve strain at back corner and open up the side of the false rib area, but this then left the part below the cut short of enough material to cover the underside-of-the-false-rib-to-fuselage-side gap. The sheet metal angle fills that area. Looks like a reasonable solution, if you go the route of wanting to square off that rear corner, and open the side, similar to what the factory does.

Freedom,
I’m assuming that your experience was the one that led Lars to come up with the idea of first inserting a “belt” of material side-to-side, under both false ribs.

I went a third route, covering over the false ribs, after first rounding and smoothing the rear corners of the false ribs, and installing a layer of anti-chafe there before laying the fabric on. This actually emulated what had been done during the previous recover, which was in Ceconite.

The photos I’m including are a bit too far away to see the details well, but they’re all I have at the moment. If you zoom in on the first one, you can see how that corner looks from the outside now. I then cut holes no larger than needed to accommodate fuel lines, flap torque tubes, etc. Doing it this way prevents that rear corner of the false rib from becoming a “cave” to collect water and get rusty, as it’s completely open to the inside (second picture), so it can breathe and dry out, and the fabric runs straight down from it, so any moisture will drain instead of collecting. Also, without the normal huge opening at the forward part of the false rib, there is much less draft into that area, and less opportunity for water incursion. I have found no need to put insulation in the wing root area anymore.

Asa, I know you’ve seen all this; just adding to the historical record for the edification of others.

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All correct!
That orange looks sexy.. if it only existed when I bought my yellow..

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Andy Young
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Re: Amorphous M7/M6 Rebuild Project

Post by Andy Young »

It’s actually Fokker red, though it does look a bit more orangy in that photo.

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Re: Amorphous M7/M6 Rebuild Project

Post by asa »

Not a ton of progress the last few weeks. My oratex shipment has been lost in FedEx Customs for nearly a month in Memphis. It's starting to get frustrating.

I did receive the modular instrument panel frames from Maule which appear very well made. Good fit and finish, should make the panel re-do much easier.

Image

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Re: Amorphous M7/M6 Rebuild Project

Post by asa »

My oratex shipment was lost somewhere in Memphis between fedex and customs, so after a month Oratex sent a replacement order. I must say that the whole process was very frustrating. Oratex was helpful but didn't go above and beyond or anything. It finally arrived to it's getting put on now. Nice to see some progress after stalling out for a month waiting. We are doing the full side as a single piece, so fuselage will be three pieces total.

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Re: Amorphous M7/M6 Rebuild Project

Post by Hale-Yes »

It's good to see that your back at it. Regards, Ed
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Re: Amorphous M7/M6 Rebuild Project

Post by asa »

Hale-Yes wrote:
Fri May 14, 2021 9:38 pm
It's good to see that your back at it. Regards, Ed
Thanks! I’m heading to Alaska for the summer flying season this week so no more progress by me after this first side until late September unfortunately. Have a friend that’s going to continue with the fabric while I’m gone hopefully.

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Re: Amorphous M7/M6 Rebuild Project

Post by asa »

Figured it was time for an update. I've been in Alaska for about 3 months so no physical progress being made. Looking forward to starting it back up once I return to the lower 48 in early October. I've been trying to made headway remotely which is a different type of work...

I went through the Maule parts disc for most of the assemblies with fasteners trying to come up with a starting bill of materials. The parts disc is a true blessing. I know I will be missing fasteners but this will give me an informed head start, and it's useful for noting which size fasteners I should buy extra of (which ones the factory are fond of). The main assemblies that need high numbers of them are for the controls as you can see.

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Another thing I can do remotely is panel planning. I purchased the modular panel frames from Maule and have access to CAD tools so have been putting in some time there. Plan is to reuse some avionics (intercom, transponder, GPS, GDL-82) and buy new for others (radio). I will be doing no vacuum system and no gyros. Planning to overhaul the ASI, VSI, and altimeter. Plan was for an AV-30 for attitude in case of entering unexpected wx, but that may change to Garmin, we'll see. Also going with a JPI EDM900 is planned. Right side panel has enough empty space to mount my ipad mini if I decide I want another screen for foreflight or netflix for passengers...

Panel in the plane now, with the exception of getting a used GTX330 transponder since I took this pic:
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Planned upper panel: (under the AV30 is just a vertical compass moved from glareshield, not HSI)
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Planned lower panel:
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Planning all new CB's and a few new controls so mapped that out to get an idea on price:
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All pretty boring stuff but trying to ensure success for the build this winter. Also kill some time while I'm not flying...

-Asa

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Re: Amorphous M7/M6 Rebuild Project

Post by andy »

Nice looking, clean new panel design. Are you going to replace the rocker switch/breakers for aux fuel pump, landing light, strobe lights, nav lights and pitot heat with separate toggle switches and breakers? This would be the time to do it since those rocker switch/breakers aren't available any more.
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Re: Amorphous M7/M6 Rebuild Project

Post by Kirk »

Nice and clean. Personally, I would consider leaving the switches in the original location. As planned, you will have to switch hands on the yoke to reach for the switches and the location is not very visible.

I like the factory location since a switch activation is a short distance from your throttle hand and an easy glance down allows you to see switch position.

If you have access to a Maule to sit in, spend a little time practicing reaches and checking visibility. Fun planning stuff out isn’t it? Paying for it, not so fun…

Just my 2cents from the bleachers.

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Re: Amorphous M7/M6 Rebuild Project

Post by asa »

Thanks for the input, all excellent points! It's great having members here who contribute thoughtful information, I learn a lot from yall.

Keeping the rocker switches for now. I like them, also want some semblance of it's former self left in the airplane. I also like that they have integral CB's - less clutter.

As for switch location, I've thought about that a lot actually,. I fly a number of small cessnas and stinsons for work. I've been thinking about what I like about each of their different panel/cockpit layouts and incorporating that into this as much as possible. I don't have a maule to sit in and contemplate things while I'm up here. Some opinions I've determined from this study:

(Prepare for Asa's panel layout manifesto)

- For starting, I like it when my left hand can easily access fuel pump, master, and starter. Right hand on throttle and mixture. I start airplanes many times a day.
- For run-ups, I prefer my left hand available for the yoke, right hand available for throttle, mixture, prop, mags. I do a run-up once per day per airplane.
- The only switch I would need quick access to in flight is the fuel pump, and only in an emergency. I attempt to have zero emergencies per day per airplane. The other switches generally don't get touched after start-up.
- I like electrical things all in one spot to minimize wire runs. I'd love to shove those CB's to the far right but that doesn't really make sense.
- I'd prefer to have as few things as possible around the throttle/mixture/prop controls. That's a pretty active area in the type of flying I do. Also, when they are in most positions, it's hard to see things directly below them.
- I'd prefer if switches are in a location where I'm the only one that could inadvertently hit them, not passengers.
- I'd prefer if all heat/air controls (honestly, ALL controls of all types) are directly in front of me. I get tired of reaching around passengers legs to adjust them a little, and I don't like when pax can see their location and what adjustments I'm making because that normally involves explanation. If you haven't flown air taxi in a small airplane, you may take things like this for granted. However, I'll compromise here because I don't plan to carry non-friend passengers.

If you can't tell, this is a pilot's panel. I'm an instructor but don't ever plan to instruct in it, and I rarely have a pilot sitting right seat who would benefit from anything being over there. I don't plan to reinstall the copilot yoke. Life is easier if the right seat is only a seat, not a pilot station.

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Re: Amorphous M7/M6 Rebuild Project

Post by whittakerw »

Looks good! Wasn't thinking we'd see any more on this until the fall. Can't wait to see it all come together.

My two cents, that iPad would look really good on the right side.

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Re: Amorphous M7/M6 Rebuild Project

Post by gbarrier »

I prefer my IPad just a sitting on my knee. Can stick it out of the way when needed and close enough for an old man to see. I hope you can trim the vertical compass out well enough in that location. Tubing airplanes can be a pain. Might need a good degassing device if you have been welding on the frame.

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