Kolb Firefly Construction Log (Serial# FF-11-3-00074)


Builder: Gregg Kaat

Date:   Hrs

9/21/11  Received kit

9/22/11  Kit arrives at Home

9/24/11  Inventoried parts. A couple small hardware items missing     3.5 Hrs

Horizontal Stabilizer

9/26/11  Began layout of ½ horizontal stab – leading edge tubing was damaged by saw accident – ordered new stock from Kolb      4.0 Hrs

9/27/11  Fabricated gussets for ½ Horz Stab and Vertical fin    6.0 Hrs

9/28/11  Fabricated brackets, reworked gusset radious’s, cut elevator leading edges   5.0 Hrs

9/29/11  Cut hinges for stab and rudder – drilled holes in 6 inch ones 4.0 Hrs

9/30/11  Completed drilling all hinges – drilled horz stab brackets (225 holes total last 2 days)   5.0 Hrs

10/2/11  Cut stab 1 inch tube, installed sleeve, riveted gussets on one side   6.0 Hrs

10/3/11  Drilled and cleco gussets on other side   3.0 Hrs

10/4/11  Completed starboard side horz stab   5.0 Hrs


10/5/11  Cut tubing for port horz stab, drilled tubing and gussets, installed sleeve, installed gussets both sides   7.0 Hrs

10/6/11  Cut and installed crossmembers – Port side horz stab completed   4.0 Hrs

Elevators

10/7/11  Laid out drawing on building table for port elevator – began upside down first, cut trailing edge tube and 4 bottom ribs,
drilled, cleco’d and assembled to leading edge   7.0 Hrs

10/8/11  Installed 1 rib, brought boom tube into basement   1.0 Hrs

10/10/11  Cut and cleco’d small ribs on top side   4.0 Hrs

10/11/11  Cut and formed corner braces, installed remaining rivets, deburred and filed as necessary – completed Port Elevator  6.0 Hrs

10/12/11  Laid out starboard side elevator drawing on table, cut trailing edge and bottom ribs and cleco’d   5.0 Hrs

10/13/11  Cut and drilled top ribs, shaped ends and cleco’d   3.0 Hrs

10/14/11  Cut, drilled and riveted cross braces – riveted remaining ribs – deburred and filed as necessary – completed starboard elevator   5.0 Hrs


Vertical Stabilizer

10/17/11  Cut hole in bench to accommodate ring on tail post, laid out drawing on table, cut tubing and brackets   6.0 Hrs

10/18/11  Drilled and cleco’d gussets, drilled tail post   6.0 Hrs

10/19/11  Made port side boom tube brackets – riveted gussets and tail post   5.0 Hrs

10/20/11  Made starboard tube brackets – drilled and riveted gussets   5.0 Hrs

10/21/11  Cut and drilled cross braces – mis-drilled one bracket and had to make a new one. Riveted cross braces. Deburred Gussets 

and tubing as necessary. Completed vert Stab.   6.0 Hrs


Rudder

10/24/11  Laid out rudder trailing edge drawing on table – Installed sleeve in leading edge – Formed trailing edge tubing   3.5 Hrs

10/25/11  Cut all Ribs – Drilled and cleco’d Ribs on port side – shaped and deburred ends as necessary   5.0 Hrs

10/26/11  Started install of starboard side ribs   2.5 Hrs

10/27/11  Completed install of ribs. Riveted and deburred   4.0 Hrs

10/28/11  Temporarily installed hinges on starboard Horz Stab and elevator – Began install of hinges on other one   5.0 Hrs

Rigging the Tail

10/30/11  Installed Vert Stab on Boom Tube – installed elevator horn bent, drilled and temporarily installed brackets – had to remake
1 bracket that was bent wrong   8.0 Hrs

11/1/11  Attached L brackets to both Horz stabs   1.0 Hrs

11/2/11  Began fitting Stab assy to boom tube – had to remove ¼ inch of powder coat from each elevator horn – began making spacers
for horn assy   5.0 Hrs

11/3/11  Completed making spacers and installed in elevator horn assy. Leveled tail assy and prepared for wire rigging   5.0 Hrs

11/4/11  Bent wire tangs as required   2.0 Hrs

11/7/11  Constructed and temporarily installed 3 out of 4 tail brace cables   6.0 Hrs

11/8/11  Constructed and temporarily installed 4th tail brace cable   1.0 Hrs

11/9/11  Installed rudder horn and tail wheel horn   5.0 Hrs

11/10/11  Disassembled tail assy – completed riveting of elevator horns   2.0 Hrs

11/11/11  Temporarily installed rudder hinges – alignment was time consuming   4.0 Hrs

Ailerons

11/12/11  Laid out leading edge – drew trailing edge on bench – Bent trailing edge to shape   4.0 Hrs

11/15/11  Began install of ribs   7.0 Hrs

11/16/11  Completed install of ribs and riveted in place – Port Aileron complete   5.0 Hrs

11/17/11  Cut, formed, deburred and riveted starboard aileron trailing edge and bottom ribs   7.0 Hrs

11/18/11  Cut, formed,deburred and riveted top ribs – Starboard aileron completed   6.0 Hrs

11/21/11  Cut, drilled and deburred all aileron hinges – 128 holes   4.0 Hrs

11/23/11  Completed drilling of elevator and rudder hinges   5.0 Hrs

Wings

11/28/11 Cut leading and trailing edge tubes – riveted inboard rib to main spar – set main ribs on spar   5.0 Hrs

11/29/11 Positioned ribs – drilled and cleco’d ribs to leading and trailing edges - installed rib nose to steel inboard rib   5.0 Hrs

11/30/11 Completed riveting of main ribs – began install of drag strut bracket   6.0 Hrs

12/1/11  Drilled and riveted drag strut bracket – cut drilled riveted drag Strut   5.0 Hrs

12/2/11  Made wing tip gussets – installed Bow tip and bottom cross brace   5.0 Hrs

12/3/11  Made upper cross brace gussets and installed upper cross brace – made wing fold bracket   5.0 Hrs

12/4/11  Made and installed wing fold bracket   1.0 Hrs

12/5/11  Installed top false Ribs   6.0 Hrs

12/6/11  Installed wingtip top false ribs   4.0 Hrs

12/8/11  Installed cross braces and bottom false ribs   6.0 Hrs

12/9/11  Installed strut support bracket – Port wing completed   1.0 Hrs

12/10/11  Cut leading and trailing edge for starboard wing – installed inboard Rib – placed main ribs on approx locations on spar   5.0 Hrs

12/12/11  Completed install of main Ribs   4.0 Hrs

12/14/11  Installed lift strut spar bracket and lift strut   4.0 Hrs

12/15/11  Installed wing bow tip and cross brace   5.0 Hrs

12/16/11  Installed upper wing tip cross brace and manufactured wing fold bracket   2.0 Hrs

12/1711   Installed wing fold bracket   1.0 Hrs

12/19/11  Cut, formed, and cleco’d wing tip trailing edge cross braces began install of top false ribs   6.0 Hrs

12/20/11  Completed install of top false ribs on main spar   5.0 Hrs

12/21/11  Installed wing tip false ribs – riveted wing tip trailing edge cross braces   4.0 Hrs

12/22/11  Installed bottom false ribs and 2 out of 3 inboard rib braces   5.0 Hrs

12/23/11  Installed strut support bracket and final inboard rib brace Starboard wing completed   3.0 Hrs


                                                                     Fuselage

1/6/12  Drilled all hinges to accept cotter pins – began drilling on tail-wheel assembly   1.5 Hrs

1/13/12  Installed aileron U-Joint Aileron torque tube and control stickIn cage    4.0 Hrs

1/15/12  Installed Flap actuator assembly   4.0 Hrs

1/18/12  Installed rudder pedal tangs and cable fairings   1.0 Hrs

1/21/12  Drilled and fitted nosecone to fuselage   2.0 Hrs

1/25/12  Installed floor pan and wing u-joints to cage    3.0 Hrs

2/2/12  Prepped and temporarily installed boom tube in cage   3.0 Hrs

2/4/12  Installed H brace in Boom tube   4.0 Hrs

2/7/12  Installed sling seat   5.0 Hrs

2/8/12 Temporarily installed tail wheel assm to vert stab   1.0 Hrs

2/10/12  Installed rudder cables and rigged forward end   3.0 Hrs

2/11/12  Installed elevator cables and rigged aft end   3.0 Hrs

2/13/12  Rigged forward end of elevator cables   2.5 Hrs

2/14/12  Cut and trimmed laminate for instrument panel   4.0 Hrs

2/15/12  Glued laminate to nosecone – Drilled upper holes in landing gear   3.0 Hrs

2/17/12  Completed temp install of landing gear   2.5 Hrs

2 /20/12  Drilled holes in panel for instruments – trimmed as necessary   3.5 Hrs

2/28/12  Fabricated center console   3.0 Hrs

3/5/12  Completed rigging of rudder cables   3.5 Hrs

3/16/12  Installed aileron hinges   4.0 Hrs

3/21/12  Rigged wings to fuselage cage   7.0 Hrs

3/22/12  Fabricated wing struts   6.0 Hrs

3/25/12  Temp installed motor mount, tailwheel, landing gear legs. Installed wiring for wing tip strobes   3.0 Hrs

3/28/12  Temporarily installed engine for rigging – Reworked landing gear axles and fittings   5.0 Hrs

4/3/12  Rigged ailerons – reworked fuel pump mount   6.0 Hrs

Electrical

4/7/12  Began routing wires for panel, mounted voltage regulator   4.0 Hrs

4/8/12  Iinstalled connectors for strobes, cut holes in floor pan for wiring, completed riveting aileron horns   6.0 Hrs

4/15/12  Primed and painted floor pan, primed aileron hinges, began creating wire harnesses, completed install of voltage regulator   8.0 Hrs

4/19/12  Sprayed topcoat on Hinges – ran flex conduit, made up wire bundles, primed flap torque tube, installed wire connectors   8.0 Hrs

5/1/12  Completed wiring   4.0 Hrs

 Covering

5/2/12  Disassembled plane to get ready for covering prep process   7.0 Hrs

5/3/12  Measured, drilled fabric rivet holes in starboard wing   6.0 Hrs

5/4/12  Measured, drilled holes in port wing – primed rudder hinges   6.0 Hrs

5/11/12  Installed anti chafe on tail surfaces and ailerons   4.0 Hrs

5/12/12  Completed fabric covering on one elevator – started the other elevator   6.0 Hrs

5/14/12  Completed covering other elevator – started covering Horz stab   4.0 Hrs

5/15/12  Completed one Horz stab – started other one   7.5 Hrs

5/16/12  Completed other Horz stab – started vert stab   4.0 Hrs

5/17/12  Completed bottom half of vert stab – started top   5.0 Hrs

5/18/12  Completed vert stab – started covering rudder   5.0 Hrs

5/19/12  Completed covering rudder except for trailing edge tape   7.5 Hrs

5/20/12  Installed trailing edge tape on rudder – began covering aileron   6.0 Hrs

5/22/12  Completed covering aileron – started covering other aileron   6.0 Hrs

5/23/12  Completed covering aileron – applied first coat of brush to all tail parts and ailerons   5.5 Hrs

5 /30/12  Began installing anti chafe tape on wing   3.5 Hrs

6/2/12  From 6-2 to 6-9 completed covering starboard wing   57 Hrs

6/17/12  From 6-11 to 6-16 completed covering port wing – still need To apply first coat of Brush to top side yet   40 Hrs

6/22/12  From 6/18-6/22 finished brush coat on top of wing – Began spray coats of brush and poly spray on all except cage and
one wing half   32 Hrs

6/28/12  From 6/24 – 6/28 completed spray coats of poly spray on all but cage and one wing half   30 Hrs

6/29/12  From 6/29--7/12 completed spray coats of poly spray and ½ done with  finish black base coat – high heat days so mainly half days or no
work at all some days   24 Hrs

7/21/12  From 7/13-7/21 Completed black finish coat on tail and other wing half
completed covering of cage – completed poly spray on cage   36 Hrs

7/25/12  From 7/22-7/25 completed black on cage – began trim paint on tail surfaces   20 Hrs

7/29/12  From 7/26-7/29 went to Oshkosh

8/4/12  From 7/31-8/4 Continued trim paint on tail surfaces   28 Hrs

Rigging

8/11/12  From 8/6-8/11 completed trim on tail and cage – assembled cage boom and tail - attached all engine sensors   36 Hrs

8/18/12  From 8/12-8/18 completed trim on wings – attached wings   42 Hrs

8/25/12  From 8/19-8/25 completed wiring strobes – attached muffler assm  and test ran engine – Engine kill and Grand Rapids EIS  not working
correctly – found bad ground and reworked connection – Engine Kill and GR unit check OK now – ran through half of Engine
Break in chart   44 Hrs

8/26/12 Completed Engine break in procedure. Ready to fly

6/22/13 Replaced bent landing gear






complete


horzstab
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elevator
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starelev
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vertstab
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vertstab2






rudder
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tail1
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aileron
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wing
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starwing
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boomtube
boom1
panel2
frame








cockpit









wing
covering
wingcover
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rig
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