LASER Z2300           Last update 8-17

On going progress report of the build. 
If you like watching a glacier move (or melt),  then this is your page!!!

Here is what we are striving for:

9-18-19 Paint scheme & layout started (subject to change at a whim)
7-22-19  Panel done, fairings complete, engine install complete, interior paint complete, prop installed, wiring finished. - Still to go - Engine run, sytems test & paint
1-22-18 Assembly & fit of systems - Preliminary Weight Balance - Looks to be right at 1300 - Cg within range  - Still to go some fairings / finish bits & then....paint!
8-6-17 Wiring & Instrumentation, details, details, details 90% done 90% to go! Install Dynon, wiring, plumb fuel system, smoke tank. Install engine & systems. Fabricate baffles & fit cowling. Fabricate canopy skirt OK 90% done 95% to go.....
4-17-15 Hey not even a year since last update! All welding (3.27 gazillion tabs) on frame is done (I hope) & it is now powder coated. Canopy bonded (SikaFlex) to frame, latch & jettison mechanisms done,  All plumbing & mountings are fab'd.  Turtle deck permanently attached, & aft fuse in 1st coat of pink. Spinner bulkhead mold complete, Wing jigged & bushings installed. Wheel pants fitted & fairings molded. Even a zero drag antenna under turtledeck.
5-7-14 Fab canopy frame,  more sheetmetal fitting, Fitting  cutting of canopy, finish cowl, fair tail/turtleddeck
4-5-13   Fabrication of sheetmetal - 3 peice belly, 2 pieces on each side & one on top - All will be removable. Wing mockup is in place.
9-22-12 Finished ram intake air box with filtered alternate air (high temp. epoxy), 15 degree wedge for oil valve,routed hoses & cables, started mold shaping for new lower cowl, Oversize oil cooler will have a seperate intake scoop on lower right side All fabric parts are now in silver. Mold pulled
6-28-12 Wing has been block sanded, & fiberglassed top & bottom with 1.5 oz deck cloth, Weave is filled with micro on the bottom (way too much sanding) & top & bottom with sprayable high build filler. Sanding continues...., Engine is on firewalll mockup stand.  Cowling is being cut to fit - If anyone tries to tell you a Pitts variant (think Ultimate 300) cowl will fit a Laser, they are wrong.
2-13-12  Fuse & systems - Stringers & formers for aft fusealge (fabric coverd) are no done, bulkheads for sheet metal on belly & sides are done. Fuel & smoke oil tanks are  in process. composite pans for seats are ready for trimming. Firewall is cut.
10-2-11 Skinning of wings - With the help of a few friends, the wings are now skinned! - Humdity chamber @ 95% for 24 hours, Then epoxy coat skins & frames. Thickened epoxy via a caulk tube to all the frames & stapled skins in place with tack strips. It actaully went very well, but I cerntianly am glad I didn't try it with just one or two.  Thanks Chris, Larry, Steve,  Three, Terry &  Don Bottom stringer mounts are welded, & bulkhead frame forms are done. Time to get ready to sand, fiberglass, sand & sand  more.
7-20-11 Semi Annual Update- Wings ready for skinning, skins marked & rough cut. New motor arrived! - Mike Mangold's spare Red Bull motor- already hot rodded even painted a sporty red. hang motor for mockup, flip fuselage (to its normal inverted position) so I can refit 6-1 exhaust & shape fuse bottom.  All tail feathers are covered, & in pink Polybrush. Next is silver & sanding & silver & sanding & silver & sanding...etc.
1-22-11 Prep for gluing wing skins on- Fab aileron bellcranks, idler arms & pushrods. Pitot tube & mounting bracket was built as well as mounts on the wingtip for sighting gauge (or drop tanks, rockets, bombs)  Inboard trailing edges are installed. Wing panels were scarfed for length and rough trimmed.   Also aileron coves were installed & shaped. Next is to transfer structure layout to skins & mark for access panels & any other skin cut outs, add wiring runs for LED lights,  Then epoxy skins onto skeletons.
9-22-10 Turtledeck was changed from aluminum to organic composite same as wing.  Spruce formers will be covered with 1/16" plywood & a thin layer of glass. This should be stiffer & less likely to dent. Ailerons are almost complete. Hinge pieces were machined from 3/4" aluminum. Main hinge supports were cut from I-beam versus a 3 piece riveted design. Aileron balancing was achieved by routing notches in leading edges & epoxying in lead bars. Wood moulds are shown in background. Balancing setup is shown. Weight of covering is estimated & final balance will be done when complete.  A hole will be drilled in endcap & lead rod / shot will be added then.  Trailing edges are stiffened with Gorilla glue & then trimmed.  Not shown - wing reinforcements for aileron hinges, bellcranks & sight gauge.
4-15-10 - Told ya' I was slow to update- Wing basic frame is assembled.  Jigged, leveled, squared, leveled & squared again, leveled & squared again - Epoxied ribs & rear spar in place. Flipped wing squared & leveled about 3 more times & epoxied front ribs & spar. Ailerons are being built similarly (photos to follow someday) - Wing fuel tanks were made with a hotwired foam core , glassed & then the backs were epoxied in place, finally pressure checked - then pinholes filled, then pressure checked, then pinholes filled........ Front & rear seats are done as well as floorboards, & all control mechanisms. Aluminum turtledeck shown will be replace with plywood one.
8-24-09  (Gee, only 90 days since last update - somebody is slacking).  Grove gear and, Screamin Eagle tailwheel installed. Horizontal tail group is now complete except for fiberglass tips. Trim per plans would have to fabricated in place, so the torque are was split. The trim systems uses a MAC servo, stainless ball joints. For the rudder, a ground adjustable tab will be installed (it will also house the tail & strobe LED lights).  Also continued work on making front cockpit fit someone with legs.  Reconfigured aileron actuator to remove the middle bellcrank. Slightly more complex and I will have to modify skin on right side of fuselage.  Also front pedal will be smaller.  Turtledeck now in conceptual phase.
5-20-09 Ribs are done except for final sanding & fitting. Wing jig will be next  Continued work on fuse - front pedal mounts installed, tail spring, main gear mounts.
4-4-09 Wing kit arrived from (and with) Bill Scheunemann -www.precisionam.net great example of old world craftsmanship & new age CNC  tools. I have coated spars with West systems epoxy to & it looks like a piece of fine furniture! Notes front rib capstrips are already precut with curves. Capstrips are now  cut & fitted to ribs. Epoxy time is next  I will post pics of finished ribs as soon as digital photos get developed.
Progress is continuing at a blistering pace (in geologic terms )  Seat bases, rudder pedals are tacked in place, elevator  & control systems are in place. All pivots have been done with bearings-I need to shorten sticks, & all hardware shown is temporary (will be AN in final)-I doglegged the aileron drag link to eliminate any ball joint binding - Now I can get some stick time!!!
Found front cockpit extremely tight- I am moving aft cross member below spar forward to give more knee room - especially entering & exiting.
12-31-2008 - Fuse & Tail Kit arrived!! Blast & prime - Start mockup of seating - Start layout of controls
11-20-2008 - Fab & weld Controls/ Rudder Pedals- Changed rear bushing to split roller bearing & put KP6 front bearing in clamp block instead of inside torque tube. All idler arms and stick pivots will be in bearings. Front cockpit gets no brakes.
7-27-2008 - Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 - All I need is a plane, and a prop, and some avionics, and some paint and.......