Sunday, August 18, 2013

Pilgrimage complete for 2013

Incredibly, I made my 25th trip to Oshkosh this year (my sticker collection is missing only my 1980 trip).  Things seemed different this year, however.
 Due to the sequester (an idea invented by the current administration but never expected to actually happen) the military was not allowed to attend.  The space formerly known as AeroShell Square (now I think it's called Phillips 66 Square) was quite deserted compared to earlier years.  I missed them.

The number of planes attending the show was supposedly in excess of 10,000.  I believe this, but I'd say there we fewer show planes.  There were hundreds of RVs and I saw approximately 10 RV-12s, including the Eagles Nest planes.  I was able to wrangle about 15 minutes of stick time in a -12, the third time I've been able to fly one.  I need to finish the build and start flying.  I'm ready.

The upper firewall is nearing completion (I hope).  The next step calls for sealing the rivets and holes in the firewall with CS 1900 fire barrier, which I dread.  School starts tomorrow, and I'm trying to figure out where the hell the summer went.  I had planned to have the wings finished two weeks ago and I haven't started them yet.  Also, I don't know where I'll store them when they're finished.  Space is a major problem.  In the width of the two-car garage where I'm working I have a work bench, a table where I'll build the wings, the fuselage (shown), a car, and a motorcycle.  Something's gotta go.