Build start DEC 1 2011
Today is DEC 1 2022

Eleven Years Building.

The log shows 13,363 hours but of course its a lot more than that. OK this is the year I fly, 2023.

As I said last year in this Summary I was expecting the engine to be delivered March 2022. I ordered it around February 2018! It is now December the first 2022 and all I have are promises. In fact it is now meant to be built in the coming week at the California build center. I can’t see me getting it before January now. So much for flying this year.

It has a name. Gladiator LIO-390. We are hoping for 260HP. I backed away from the stroked 300HP version as its another 30Ibs of weight at the back and frankly I don’t need the horsepower, 260HP will be quite enough.

I’m pretty much stopped and off the build until I get the engine. Its just time lost and moving away from the next Northern hemisphere summers for when I am ready to go. I think I have at least four months build time before the first taxi and maybe six months. Other say a year, but I don’t listen to them.

A few things have been done this last year and a long list of clean up jobs have been completed.

Avionics are in, wires laid out. We have done as much as we can until the engine arrives and I can get to the firewall penetrations and so on.

The nose is full. Brake fluid in the lines, pitot static system hooked up.

The nose art is finally done and makes ‘The Beast’ distinctive. The registration marks should go on this month. That design has been finalised.

The canopy and hatch seals are all done. The canopy hardware is installed and working well.

The insides of the cowls have been remade. This is going to allow much bigger radiators which MIGHT be large enough to cool the engine. The outside profile of course is a little bigger but its a small change for a big result. Radiators cannot be made until the engine comes so I can make 100% use of the space.

I purchased a large oil radiator that will sit behind the sump and be fed via a duct from the right armpit. That inlet will be split into two with the other side feeding a water radiator. The left armpit will be all water radiator feed and a larger one as that side has the offset cylinder making more room.

I made my first carbon fiber KW duct as you see above. I now wish I’d used carbon for a lot of things to get the weight reduction and extra strength.

Overall not that much happened in this year when I thought I’d be taxi testing by December. Now its just a wait for the engine before I ramp it all up again. I have done a number of IFR flights in JZE now and a bit of sim work with that finally going well.

2023, the 12th year of the build, XEZ will fly.