Week 1 of Zodiac CH650 Build

Strutwipe

Pre-takeoff checklist
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May 8, 2019
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Strutwipe
So the gifted kit has a number of parts missing, but that's ok, never look a gifted horse in the mouth. I said in the pervious post that the pervious owner have all ready built the tail section. Not totally true so this might be a good starting place. I've been looking through the instructions, but no where does it talk about fay sealing mating parts. I would have thought at least lower mating surfaces would require this. Any comments?

Also, I would think that etch primer would be suitable for build, at least the mating surfaces as the instructions call out. I do not want to use zinc chromate. Any primer product suggestions? Any comments?
 
Used z.c. on my CH601. Have you tried posting/searching on the Zenith forum for alternatives?
 
Used z.c. on my CH601. Have you tried posting/searching on the Zenith forum for alternatives?
Thanks Gary. I just got the approval for my account at Zenith forum so I will inquire. I have use Z.C. throughout my aviation career, not the easiest stuff to work with and clean up but there's nothing better. So if an aircraft is in a salt environment that is the only way to go. I thought for my own build, conversion coat, lite primer, C-8 fay (type) sealing would work. I'm just ignorant of over the counter products available. I am mindful to follow Zenith's instructions and there is always trade off with weight.

I live in AZ, not to say that the aircraft will always be flown here, so I did not want to go too crazy.
 
Thanks Stan. I read through page 12. I was surprised that no fay sealing was called out, even as an option. How did you build yours?
 
Thanks Stan. I read through page 12. I was surprised that no fay sealing was called out, even as an option. How did you build yours?
Mark, mine is a factory built AMD S-LSA that I recertificated as experimental. I had purchased a quick-build kit from Zenith, but progress was slow and a friend suggested I'd be dead before I finished it, and asked why I didn't just find one already built and flying and donate my partially completed kit to a 401c3. After thinking about it for about ten seconds, that's what I decided to do. My 2008 CH601XLi-B Zodiac had less than 100 hours on it when I bought it in 2016; the original owner was a retired 85 year old ATP with health problems and decided he could no longer fly it safely. I paid $49,950 for it which was less than what I would have invested in the kit, engine, and avionics.
 
Stan, I love it when a plan comes together ;)

The 650's tail and wings are gifted to me by a person in your same position. I was able to get a Corvair engine for a grand that was built and tested at Corvair College. William Wynne even certified the engine himself. I think I got a good deal with the engine being at zero hours SMOH! The fuselage is mostly made up of simple sheet metal parts which I can fab myself so that should save a couple of grand over purchasing the kit. Plus, I really enjoy creating aircraft sheet metal parts. A sense of accomplishment if you know what I mean. Avionics will be another subject :confused:

I plan on picking up an older glass screen for VFR that a Dr. or lawyer traded in for a 40K system. I'm new at this; do you have any suggestions?
 
Mark, my Zodiac is a 2008 AMD model 601XLi that was built and certified for flight in IMC. My original S-LSA operating limitations and my new experimental operating limitations authorize IFR flight in IMC. In 2008, there were no reasonably priced glass panels that could be used for IFR flight, so AMD went with electric attitude indicator and directional gyro and a separate essential bus battery in case of electrical system power failure. AMD was building VFR Zodiacs with glass panels, usually from Dynon. I swapped out the original Garmin 496 for a new Garmin Aera 660 which displays traffic from my GDL 39R ADS-B receiver, and installed a GDL 82 UAT for ADS-B out.

If I were building a VFR CH650LS today, I would definitely go with glass. Prices have come down for new basic glass panel systems like the Dynon SkyView SE which incorporates all the basic six-pack functions plus engine management functions (oil temp and pressure, CHT and EGT, tach, etc.) and fuel gauges. They are lighter and more reliable than steam gauges.

https://www.dynonavionics.com/skyview-se.php

Because buying new comes with a warranty and should be good to go right out of the box, personally I'd spring for factory new rather than risk buying used.

Just my $.02.
 
Some wise words Stan. I've heard that the Zodiac was not a good platform for IFR, which I really don't understand unless the avionics cost more than the aircraft is worth. Makes me wonder why anyone would make a Tomahawk or PA28-140 IFR certified. IFR certification for me is a long way off, it's sunny here 300 days a year! But it is an end goal and I would rather have the capability to grow into the aircraft plus the training would be invaluable. With it being said, I am planning my forever aircraft to be the Global Swift so would it be wise to put the extra money into a platform I do not PLAN (I can hear God laughing) on having in five years?

The VFR/Engine glass is definitely happening for all of the reasons you quoted.
 
Makes me wonder why anyone would make a Tomahawk or PA28-140 IFR certified.
Dunno about the Traumahawk, but Cherokee's are nice stable aircraft that do what you want without a lot of drama. Had mine the instruments I'd have happily trained for the IR in it. Lots of folks train IFR In Skyhawks, which are nearly the same airplane. The bad thing about Cherokees is by the time you put all that expensive instrumentation in them you're usually upside down financially.
 
Dunno about the Traumahawk, but Cherokee's are nice stable aircraft that do what you want without a lot of drama. Had mine the instruments I'd have happily trained for the IR in it. Lots of folks train IFR In Skyhawks, which are nearly the same airplane. The bad thing about Cherokees is by the time you put all that expensive instrumentation in them you're usually upside down financially.

Cherokees are a stable airplane. Put vortex gens on and it's like flying a cloud. The point of my comment is, unless the aircraft is generating income flow, it doesn't make sense to put more into avionics than what the plane is worth. Especially if you do not plan on keeping the aircraft very long.

The wife came up with the idea of building the Zodiac in an effort to keep me at home instead of my home base KRYN. Little does she know.......:rolleyes:
 
You have to be care in what one says, I'm looking to purchasing an IFR Tomahawk o_O
 
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