January 2004

• Most time was spent in the assembly of the tailplane
• Received canopy and undercarriage plans from Falconar Aviation
• Visited David Cowley at Elands (near Wingham on the NSW Mid North Coast), his D18 is nearly complete after 10 years and will use a converted VW engine for ultralite registration
• Researched the plywood for the fuselage sides
• Collected plywood from Mr Plywood in Newcastle
• Met with Bert Hayes, a metal fabricator from Laurieton, who made the trailing edge for the tailplane using aluminium 2024 T3
• Ordered metal from Airport Metals in Melbourne
• Fitted trailing edge to tailplane
• Commenced laying out of RH fuselage side and #7 wing rib
• Spherical bearing arrived for tailplane
• Met with Bob Furness at YCMH and purchsed wings tanks and Frank Rogers' plans for same. The wing tanks were made in Uralla and hold 25 litres each. Cost $1,000
• Located Bob Furness' jig for the main wing spar. Collected from Randell Krebs in Sydney, Randell is building a DR 250 4 seater
• Bob's plane has been sold and goes to Townsville QLD in March 04. Had a good look inside - Cessna-type rudder/brake pedals and undercarriage constructed in Canada by Falconar Aviation
• Talked to Michael Lenehan (Suba Parts, Pennant Hills Sydney) about an EJ22 Subaru engine 2.2 litre, ~ 135hp

February 2004

• Discussions with Bob Furness about timber more information
• Rudi Pleschinger from HDFC is secretary of SAAA Chapter 7. He is selling his Sky Baby with 80 HP Jabiru it looks good and he says Jabiru 6 cylinder is ideal for the Jodel D150. Rudi has the wing of the D11 VH SIJ of Lindsay Campbell, the rest is in Queensland
• Visit from Bob Furness with info on timber
• Met with Randell Krebs in Sydney and collected Bob Furness' wing jig
• Met with Geoff Hooke at HDFC re Chapter #7 SAAA
• complete two #7 wing ribs
• fuselage sides start with RH side
• Purchase 22.5 metres clear hoop pine from David Hayes Wauchope Wood and Turning
• RH fuselage out of jig
• Start LH side fuselage in jig/ purchases from Bob Furness
• Discussion with Harry Bellott who started the Jodel D11 DRJ and later built the Lutin Minor which he flew
• Discussion with Ray Linde who flew the Jodel D11 DRJ and SIJ with Harry Bellott when these aircraft were used by HDFC in about 1984

March 2004

Continue work on the fuselage

• Doug Montague - met Doug at the Orange NSW Inter Club Flying Competition, he has been around wood for many years and knows antique aircraft, says from his experience hoop pine is fine for use in aircraft
• Welded parts for railplane mass balance; aluminium blocks to hold spherical bearing for mounting of tail plane; anti servo tab
• Fitted blocks to tailplane
• Tom Dick - Tom constructed a GK 201 Mini Cab in the 70s, a cabinet maker by trade, the Mini Cab took 11 years to construct and first flew in 1980, he has fitted a Victa Airtourer canopy that he modified the turtle deck to suit. Tom has offered to help me fit a Victa canopy to the Jodel. Will visit him in kempsey in early April
• Plywood - purchased more from Mr Plywood

April 2004

• Tom Dick Contact Tom Dick in Kempsey. Tom contructed GY201 Minicab from plans over 11 years first flight in 1980
  Sunday 4th flew with Tom and made a close inspection of the Minicab
• Bob Furness Bob visited 5th Apr and we discussed progress with the Jodel
• Canopy Tom Dick fitted a Victa canopy to the mini cab the rear support is a leg down to a track in the turtle deck
  Canopy made in Coffs Harbour (Narnaglen) by Jeff Sutton 6654 3686 he has made several canopys and screens
  now in local aircraft Tom Dick, Harold Holdt and Graham Smith. He also makes the Victa canopy for Alan Woods
  who supplies the Victa Association at Hoxton Park Jeff is now out of business
  Hilton McLeod 6561 7380 had a canopy made for the Auster by the guy in Narnaglen
• Tue 6th Apr finished bottom ply to fuselage
  Bob Furness called in with a copy of the photos in his Jodel Log book
  Tom Dick called with the contact details for a canopy builder in Sydney
  Gary Dalton of B & M Plastics 02 9632 5466 they have the rear section of the Victa canopy
  They can make large canopy's
• Wed 7th Apr Ole Hartman call in on his way back from AUF Narromine with the Hornet
  Ole inspected work on the fuselage so far
• 9th to 12 Apr Easter break spent four days to near complete fuselagre and tail feathers
• 13th and 14th Apr Sydney to visit Band M Plastics re canopy bubble
  Aircraft nuts and bolts, purchased BMW handbrake handle for flap lever
  Mini, Suzuki and Subaru for EA81 long motor with some good bits
  BIAS marine to purchase cable for elevator trim control
• 19th Completed 1.5mm ply skin to tailplane
  Contact Mel Locke at Falconar Avia in Canada regarding availability of plastic canopies
  Constructed trim control
• 27th Garry Morgan can supply a canopy I will visit Garry in Sydney 19 May 2004
  28th Willie Andiel a veteran of some 19 amateur built aircraft was making modifications to
  the under carriage of his lastest creation the Andiel Tourer.
  We discussed a system for the undercarriage, engines, need to keep weight down
  He get saircraft supplies from Avi equip in Melbourne
  30th Discussion with Jim Williams Autorised Person for CASA through SAAA. Jim is in Albury
  I had some questions to ask:
  Q: Will I be permited to test fly the Jodel?
  Q: If I fit a non certified engine will I be permitted into CTA. A: Not sure will check
  Jim says the major problem with the subaru is in keeping it cool
  Weight of fuselage at end April 58Kg

May-June

• 1st Ole Hartman dropped in to check progress on the Jodel and to bring us up to date with the Hornet
• 5th Visit to Bob Furness to see David Cowley's recently completed Jodel D11. Current issues include engine, instruments including radio and transponder, undercarriage design and canopy
  Visit Bert Hayes for some locking nuts
• 11th Travel to USA
  See Mykal Templeman at Stratos 2000 in Seatle regarding Subaru engines. ? How to keep them cool, then Boston, Florida Maine and New York State
• In USA - Visit Mykal Templeman at Stratos in Seattle, inspected C150 with Subaru EJ22 installed
  Purchased two intake manifolds to take twin choke down draft weber 44mm carbs
  Flew C172 180HP from Marlboro field in MA
  Inspected various air fields in MA New York State, Florida and New Hampshire
  Attended a 1 week wooden boat building school in Maine, WOODENBOAT organisation
• Late June - Returned from USA

July and August

• Canopy - Purchased plastic canopy from Gary Morgan for $850 original design for "Vision"
  Constructed frame for the canopy
  Purchased and fitted Cowdroy tracks for canopy to open forwards
  Fitted canopy to fuselage, this will require further work
• Engine - Purchased Subaru EJ22 engine from Michael Lenahan at Subaru Spares in Seven Hills
  Reconditioned heads by Watt and Parsons in PMQ
  Gasket set and new head bolts from Watt and Parsons
• Wing Spar - Set up jig for spar on loan from Bob Furness
  Constructed wing spar, takes all July and August
• Fuselage - Make up aluminium hatches and supports and fit to fuselage
• People - Gary Spicer (SAAA Vice President and Technical Director) attended a Bonanza gathering in PMQ late in August 2004. I had an opportunity to discuss Jodel building and Subaru engines with him
• Undercarriage - Investigated alternative undercarriage arrangements. See pictures of nose wheel on Airborne Trike
• Instruments - Wade Air offer a full range of flight instruments
• Radio - Microavionics offer a package of radio, Transponder, intercom and all fittings at a very good price
• Glass Cockpit - Dynon Developments make a very interesting alternative to standard instruments. See the Dynon file

September

• Peter Pritchard - Very happy to have been visted in the workshop by aviator Peter Pritchard
  Ole Hartmann - Ole dropped in to review progress and to discuss his own projects. We talked about a spring under carriage from 20mm Aluminium, how to do brakes, wheels and axle, seat belts
• Engine - The engine progressed with the addition of two 36mm down draft weber carburetors. These fit to the now reconditioned subaru heads via alloy manifolds purchased from Stratos in Seatle during my recent visit to USA
• Gear box and mount - I visited Phil Goard in Cowra late in September to discuss the supply of a redive unit and engine mount
• The wing - The 14 ribs of 1700mm cord have been completed and fitted to the spar
• Wing tanks - Two 25 litre tanks purchased from Bob Furness fitted onto their support in the wing
• Coming together - Finally the partly completed wing was fitted to the partly completed fuselage so the nose ribs can be accurately fitted next to the fuselage sides. It is also important I feel to see some progress happening
• BNL - During September I secured the registration Bravo-Novemebr-Lima. As was pointed out in th article in Australian Aviation this stands for "Bill N Lyndal" i.e. the pilots first names
• More detail - The inspection hole under the seat has been completed and when the wing fits up to the fuselage it is possible to sit inside and to close the sliding canopy and imagine yourself Jodeling over the Australian country side

It's a year to the day since the project started and, as Bob Furness would say, 90% finished 90% to go.

Subaru EJ22 ex Liberty with twin 36mm downdraft weber carburetors	They said work on one thing at a time
Centre of wing showing access under the passenger seat floor	Wing with the 14 X 1700mm cord ribs in place
Wing tank not normally fitted to Sky Prince one side with 25 litre volume and fuel level sender unit
BNL wing on fuselage

October

• 6th Spoke to Gillian (GCD@dynonavionics.com) about the availability of their EFIS (Electronic Flight Instrument System). At that time it was taking 12 plus weeks to fill orders
• 14th Took the pieces of the main tank to be welded
• 17th Met with Terry Ryan (SAAA Builder Assist Program) in Port Macquarie. Terry works with the Tiger Moths in Maitland
• 17th Met with Ole Hartman to discuss Subaru engines Ole had an EJ20 DOHC fuel injected engine this is a bulky and complicated looking engine
• 20th Investigated the web site for Link Electro (www.link-electro.co.nz) Their engine management computer is recommended by Sub4 (www.sub4.co.nz) The local expert is Jason at Panther Aftermarket in Kempsey. The link computer generates a message for the igniter to send sparks to the spark plugs. The engine (EJ22) uses a waste spark process. In other words two plugs fire at once one to ignite the compression piston the other to help remove spent gas from the exhaust piston. There is no distributor as we know it.
• 20th Tom Dick called he suggested the track on the canopy might work best on top of the rollers instead of under the rollers as I had set it up. The problem I had was that the track protruded forward. Dick was right and I reversed the arrangement of the canopy track.
• 26th Bob Furness dropped in to discuss engine cowls and tail wheel fitting
• 27th Harry Bellott dropped in to review progress. Harry started building the Jodel DRJ/SIJ ten or twenty years ago and later went on to build a Luton Minor. Harry was also Club Catain at HDFC for a while.
• 30th Weight of the Subaru engine EJ22 including Weber carbs, starter, alternator and pulley is 99Kg when fitted it will also have the weight of the re-dive, the prop, oil, water and radiator so should come in at less than 130Kg which is my target. I expect to get 130HP from the engine at 5,600 rpm.

Subaru EJ22 Twin 36mm downdraft webers, will need a Link Engine management computer to fire the spark	Right wing tip, next month on to the flaps and ailerons
Wing tank 25 litres, each secured and with gauge sender unit and filler cap in place	Main fuel tank 76 litres

November

• 5th Start design for the panel to include Dynon EFIS, Microair radio, transponder, and intercom and King Air altitude sensor, VDO engine gauges and fuel gauges, Back up for the EFIS. Altimeter and ASI, Hobbs meter
• 18th Nuts and bolts arrived from Aviaquip
• 22nd Fuel tank finished welding cost $180.00
• 23ndOle Hartmann called in to inspect progress

The EJ22 gets connectors for the various sensors required by Link engine computers	Instrument panel fits the space with fuel gauges shown right side
It's a seat!	Right wing flap
Right aileron	Ray Feneley's D150 built in the early 1990s and hangared at Wedderburn NSW

December

• 1st Bob Furness bought Bruce Trotter around to inspect progress. Bruce had helped build LPN a Jodel D150 some years ago. LPN is hangared at Wedderburn NSW. We discussed the volume of the main tank. The original designed size was 107litres the tank I have built is shorter and will hold 76 litres. This may be a good thing as the original tank had an undesirable effect on trim when fully loaded. As I have fitted two 25litre wing tanks fuel volume is not going to be a problem.
  The best way to make the cowls front and rear is to sculpture the area using closed cell foam and cover with fibre glass and either epoxy or resin. I discovered Ian Goodacre uses this foam for building surfboards and Ian lives locally. Ian Goodacre 2 St Albans Way
• 22nd purchased landing light and switch/fuses from Bias Marine in Sydney

Control & flap lever with fibre roller visible	Fire wall lined with Duraboard 1200
Fire wall covered with gal sheet

Panel visible through bubble canopy now with 4 Cowdroy roller mounts each side. Gauges are VDO 52mm, key ignition visible on left

Rudder pedals & mounting blocks

To read on into 2005, click here