Over the last few weeks a number of things have happened with the build.
I ordered the Engine and Propeller before one of the recent price increases. I asked for both to be pushed to the end of the line for manufacturing (a common request for Vans and not always possible).
The news is that the propeller has now arrived. I want to keep the packaging in as original a state as possible so I opened the box enough to verify that there is a prop in there.
The engine is still scheduled for December 2023 which should be fine, as I will work on the avionics and everything else prior to that.
The canopy has been enjoyable for the most part except now I am entering the frustrating phase. During the construction process I was confident that there was no detectable twist based on the measurements during the riveting of the canopy frame. I was always skeptical about the accuracy of this measurement as things move around, and you are measuring very small deviations. Also it requires that your work surface, etc are all leveled very well which has always been a challenge.
I moved the airplane into the driveway so I could have enough vertical clearance to attach the canopy frame. I needed to clean out some of the bushings to slightly increase their diameter and allow the canopy pins to engage. Once that was done the canopy went on, and I was able to lower it. I have heard of people having issues lowering their canopies due to the amount of force needed but grabbing the frame by the handle mine engaged smoothly even with the newer upgraded shocks (more force needed to lower).
The bad news is that it looks to me like there is a twist in the canopy frame as there is a 3/8" gap on the left side and not on the right. I am hoping that I can twist or bend it slightly to make it more flush and/or fix it up during some of the other processes. I am not building another canopy frame and it really isn't too bad from what I can tell. There was no binding at all on the forward skin, not even close which was interesting given all the warnings in the instructions.
One more miscellaneous item I am working on is the JD AIR latch. I really like the way it engages and looks but if I were to do it all over again I may think twice about it for the 14. I say this because it does not sit exactly flush due to the slight curve of the fuselage, and also the need to modify it for the 14. Don't get me wrong, it is a beautiful part, but it does require quite a bit of fitting to get it right and even then it is not exactly precise. Could also be my skill level but I have seen other builders mentioning this as well.
