Getting there.....

There is a very good internet forum specifically set up for Searey members. It is a place where any member can go and post photos or details of their latest idea or post a question about how to do something on their Searey. It is a wonderful resource and building the Searey without it would be much more difficult. Every day I am getting good ideas of how to make my Searey better and safer. One tip that has helped me over the last few weeks is to try and get as much done on the fuselage before it is fitted into the hull. If the fuselage is fitted into the hull too early there are many things that would be quite difficult to do such as some of the wiring, controls and landing gear. As time goes on I can see that if I had followed the procedures in the Assembly Manual I would have had the fuselage in the hull by now but it would certainly be more difficult from here on.

Anyway its been a productive month.... first of all I fitted the aileron torque tube. This tube is what operates the ailerons instead of cables. It seems like a good idea however I have some reservations regarding the "feel" of the controls as they seem quite "sticky". I assume this is normal and should feel quite different once the wings and ailerons are attached.





Another mod I decided to do was to add straps to either side of the tailwheel mounting assembly. This mod was recommended by Rob Loneragan from Searey Australia. It helps stop movement from side to side and is well worth the time.





Even though I am a spraypainter by trade, I don't really have the proper facilities to paint something like the hull especially to produce a good finish so I sent it down to the local paintshop.They did a great job and it looks very flash!



I thought it would be a good idea painting the interior of the hull for 2 reasons. Firstly the carbon fibre hull is a very dark grey colour and when the top section is fitted it will be very hard to see in the hull for inspections. Secondly, it seals back the carbon fibres which are very sharp and easily penetrate the skin. As it doesn't matter what the finish is like (even though it did turn out OK) I sprayed it myself. OK so it adds a little weight but I only sprayed on a couple of light coats... and it looks great!



Whacked in some bungs....





and added a stainless steel skid plate... this is in case I ever forget to put the gear down or the gear fails to extend and I have to land on a hard surface.... again it adds weight but it's better than wearing away a very expensive carbon fibre hull!



Fitted carpet into the hull including sewing on some pockets for storage of maps etc....





One of the most bizarre things regarding the landing gear on a Searey is that most builders seem happy to allow water to run through the gear legs into the hull and all over the bulkhead and electrics etc etc when the gear is retracted. When I first heard of this I couldn't believe that someone hadn't come up with a solution. I then read a few posts on the Searey site how a few builders were coming up with all sorts of ways to stop this occuring but I wasn't really happy with most of the solutions. I had a think about it myself and came up with the following. First of all I had bushes welded into the bottom of the gear leg where the spindle housing bolts on so that even if water was forced through the bolt and nut heads it couldn't get into the leg. I then found a rubber bung (chair stopper.. $2 for 4) and inserted it into the bottom of the leg with Sicaflex. Before doing all this however I coated the insides of the legs and all wheel parts like the spindle housing with 2 pack paint so in case any water does get in it will slow down the corrosion. The good thing about Sicaflex is that the bungs can be removed for inspections down the track.

coating inside gear legs etc with 2 pack

I have also sealed the sleeve that slides over the gear leg where the pivot bolt goes with Sicaflex so that there is no way water can now get into the leg and run into the hull.

bottom of gear leg with bung and Sicaflex

repainted the gear legs and spindle housing etc with 2 pack.



fitted checker plate to the heel rest area. You would think that it is a good idea to allow your heels to slide when using the rudders however I have big feet and don't believe I need them to slide. If this isn't the case once I start flying they can always be removed.



I had a big think before deciding what to do about a baggage compartment. Rob Loneragan from Searey Australia builds his from wood behind the passenger seat which I also intended to do however I changed my mind and made it out of aluminium. I know it weighs a little more but I really wanted something tough that will handle heavy tool kits etc thrown into it. I really don't like building things that are fragile and need to be handled with kid gloves so I am sure this was the right decision.. time will tell!



I then trimmed it with the same marine carpet aa the hull.... very spiffy!



Hoping to get a lot done in June including the wiring for all ancillary things like fuel pump, bilge pump, trim etc before fitting the fuselage to the hull... that will be exciting!