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How long did it take for my LIVPT? The short answer from the time I
started the factory wing, horizontal stabilizer and elevator closeout
in the spring of 1999 up to the point the plane first flew this past
spring is 3652 hours. That’s just actual building time excluding all
the time for head-scratching, extra parts ordering, electrical design
work, talking to tech support, etc. That’s probably another 2000-3000 hrs.
Over the 7.5 years it took to get flyable, I kept pretty good records
so I know how long I spent on each task. I built the plane myself in
my garage and it was my first kitplane. I did have around 2 weeks of
help at critical points from knowledgable friends who were Lancair
builders. I got the fast build door and tail. My plane started out as
a piston kit but was converted to turbine about 3 years in.
Here’s how long each task took:
Shop Setup & Kit Delivery = 62 hrs
Horizontal Stabilizer & Elevators = 206 hrs
This included the work time at the factory, static wicks, AP elevator
servo, mounting everything on the fuselage and bodywork (at 80 hrs, the
most time consuming job).
Lower Fuselage = 293 hrs
Included building a rotisserie, installing rudder cables & internal
bellcrank, setting wing incidence, elevator torque tubes & pushrods,
rear access panel, some interior panels and bodywork (120 hrs, again
lots of work)
Wing Fairings = 213 hrs
This was my first big job and took much longer than it should. Roughly
equal hours for fairing installation, retractable step (which I
ultimately removed to save weight and complexity) and bodywork.
Flaps and Ailerons = 174 hrs
Flap installation, position indicator sensor, bodywork. Aileron
bellcranks, torque tubes, counterweights, pressurization boots, AP
servo, trim and bodywork.
Hydraulics = 139 hrs
I removed the gear box to put in the aft hydraulic system. Time
includes building the fwd hydraulic console and everything up to
testing gear retraction and flap operation.
Main Gear = 247 hrs
This included the gear well structure and bulkhead (bottom of baggage
area removable so I can stand up in the gear well to access the aft
fuselage bays easily (tnx to B Pastusek & J White for the idea), gear
doors and bodywork.
Forward Seat Area = 187 hrs
Fuel system, spar box tunnel, seats, jackpoints, seatbelt mountings,
side stick, emergency oxygen system and main electrical system.
Turbine Conversion = 193 hrs
Firewall rebuilt using Lancair Turbine Conversion parts (55 hrs), 10
gal belly tank added (98 hrs), engine mount, nose gear and nose gear
doors. Probably quicker now with more recent parts.
Aux Fuel System = 52 hrs
I had a 27 usable gal aux tank made of aluminum made (tnx to M Mahnke)
to fit behind the aft pressure bulkhead that gravity feeds the belly
tank via a NC solenoid valve. Time includes installation, plumbing to
belly tank, electrical and a fuel filler door on the right side of the
fuselage behind the aft window.
Instrument Panel Area = 318 hrs
35% of the time on brake pedal installation, floor fuel console with
hydraulic and flap position indicators, throttle quadrant, fuselage com
& xpdr antennas, defrost and dashboard. The rest was testing,
trouble-shooting, rewiring as necessary, and installing the 3-screen
Chelton + Garmin stack instrument panel.
Wings = 272 hrs
100 hrs of this time dedicated to removing part of the lower wing skins
and wetting out the aft fuel bays using parts from Lancair (ended up
with 58 gal usable per wing). 21 hrs was needed to change the small
avgas fuel caps to the larger JetA caps. The rest of the time was for
fuel probes, electrical out to the wing tip area and the pitot bay.
Bodywork was 111 hrs.
Wingtips = 62 hrs
I went with the wingtips because I wanted to fly sooner and expected
better roll responsiveness at high speeds. Included installation of
antennas, lights, static wicks and bodywork.
Vertical Stabilizer & Rudder = 172 hrs
Everything essentially by the book except the Chelton Crossbow AHRS is
aft of the internal rudder bellcrank mechanism. Bodywork was 45 hrs
(thanks to a visit and instruction by Brad Simmons (Airframes, Inc), I
was getting pretty good at this by the fall of 2005 – I could have
saved 100 hours or more if I’d had some bodywork training sooner).
Overhead Console = 34 hrs
Air conditioning and electrical, enlarged depth of console to give a
larger (~2” deep) air duct from the AC evaporator in the back of the cabin.
Air Conditioning = 137 hrs
Used mainly custom car AC parts except for the engine-mounted
compressor. Total cost of parts ~$3000. System works very well. I
used aluminum hard line for most of the refrigerant runs to save weight
but would use AC hose and standard AC fittings if I did it again to
save time.
Door = 46 hrs
Fast build door. Inside of door micro’d, sanded and painted before
installation. Installed microswitches (a la Bob Pastusek) to drive
DOOR OPEN panel annunciator that indicate door latching status (also
have one for baggage door).
Pressurization = 134 hrs
Most of the work was on the rear pressure bulkhead & flange
construction. Time includes everything up to putting in the rear seat
bottom too and pressure testing with a HVLP compressor.
Fuselage Top = 211 hrs
Installation of windows, baggage door, closeout, Upper Cowl Extension
Deck and bodywork (80 hrs). The upper cowl extension deck for the
PropJet fits over the fuselage fwd of the windshield and provides an
exit for oil cooling/intercooler air from the engine area. It also
straightens out the back of the upper engine cowl area and the air
exiting the engine area does warm at least the first 10-12” of the
windshield (feels warm to the touch at OAT -30 deg C, FL270). Putting
some small computer fans on the glareshield also warms the windshield
with the warm air produced by the instrument panel.
Firewall Forward = 268 hrs
Walter 601E installation, lower cowl induction air and oil cooler
ducts/scoops, fuel system, oil system, pressurization air &
intercooling (two intercoolers with cooling air ducting (2.5” sceet)
from oil scoop to first intercooler), heavy electrical (small Lamar MCU
box), engine controls (throttle, prop, condition), cowl installation &
bodywork. Virtually all the parts including the engine were from Lancair.
Final Assembly at Airport = 132 hrs
Prime entire plane with WLS as flying primer, install wings, about 2
months of loose ends & unexpected issues before the DAR inspection and
first flight in April 2006 by Pete Zaccagnino.
Epilogue – After the test flight period by Jack Webb and training by
John Cook, lots of local practice including an IPC and High Altitude
signoff, my wife and I took our first long trip, departing Oct 8 from
Poughkeepsie, NY and going ultimately to Sedona AZ. We fought 60 knot
headwinds on the way out, spent some time in Wichita Falls TX waiting
for better weather, then went on to Tucson and Sedona AZ (where we
landed on the famous 500’ mesa airport KSEZ). After a great week there
touring and visiting with Jim Hergert (N6XE), we headed back at sunrise
on Oct 18. We managed to fly all the way home (1900 nm) via Memphis TN
in one (long) day. We had great tailwinds on the way back. Much of
the first leg we had ground speeds of 350-360 knots (30 gph, FL270, ITT
660). Take a look at www.flightaware.com (N750S). Not bad for
something that, thanks to Lancair, you can build in your garage.
...Clark Still (Poughkeepsie, NY)
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