The Defiant Project Day 0

Project Overview

History

This particular Defiant project was started in the late 80's by a well-known and reputable builder (I don't use names unless I have explicit permission). He used a lot of vacuum-bagging and some novel techniques (for back then) to make a very light fuselage. He sold it in 2009 to a couple who worked on it for awhile, but jumped on a flying example, making this project superfluous. I bought it in December of 2012 and it has been sitting in storage for the past 6 months as I dig out from a cross-country move. I anticipate that it will take several more years at the very least to finish it, as my job in the Navy involves lots of long deployments.

What it has

The fuselage is mostly complete, primed, and on the gear. The nosegear is fully functional. Some of the control lines have been run. The center spar has been fabricated and mounted to the fuselage. Most of the interior is finished. A fixed windscreen has been installed, and a large gull-wing door is partially installed. Most of the foam cores for the wing and canard have been cut. The winglets have been fabricated. A generous portion of the metal bit pieces have been created, such as control horns and hardpoints. Vacuum-formed strakes and cowls, in primer, were included. The project came with two LIO-360's, although I regard them as cores at most. A lot of older avionics were included as well, although I will probably sell them and mount a modern EFIS and EMS, as one of the last things to complete.

What it needs

I need to build the wings and canard, including control surfaces, and rig the controls. The strakes need to be mounted. Wings, canard, strakes, and winglets need to be surface finished and primed, and the whole plane painted. Engines need to be rebuilt or reprocured, mounted, and the cowls built around them. The entire instrument panel needs to be planned and installed. 

My boys, Andy and Alex, examine the interior very carefully. Note the protective tarp on the gear; the whole plane is covered as the garage is filled with wing-building implements.

A look under the pilot's side lower instrument panel. From the left, the control stick, rudder pedals (with brake masters installed), pedal adjustment link, nose gear actuator, landing brake actuator, and throttle sextant.

The aft bay (beneath the luggage area). Note aileron cables coiled up, and fuel lines going aft (they currently terminate on the other end of the firewall). At right is one of the header tanks, at present still free floating.

A look at the front side of the instrument panel, behind the front firewall. The pilot's side pedals are at the bottom, the pax pedals at the top. Nosewheel steering and nosegear actuator dominate the lower 1/3 of the photo.

View from port side aft passenger seat. This is going to be a big plane!