Progress Report

What? There is progress to report? ‘Bout time!

First, we moved our Dayton R&D center to Barnhart Memorial Airport (30HO) on the northeast side of Dayton. It is a crummy old hangar but on a nice paved and grass strip. Perfect for Merlin and Merlin Lite operations.

We set up a nice workshop with worktables, LED lights, and even labelled the tools properly. Plus, we moved a Merlin that is nearly ready-to-fly with the Vtwin and deluxe EFIS panel installed.

Then we got busy finishing this Merlin. Work completed or nearly completed:

• Starter solenoid installed and wired
• 5 antennas installed and mostly coaxed up. Needed one 90-degree BNC fitting which just arrived to finish
• Most of the cooling system now plumed. Pressure tank and overflow mounted. Important note: We now have 25 cooling kits in stock. This kit, fabricated custom for the Merlin, consists of two molded hoses, one radiator, and one pressure tank. We will also have the 2 smaller relief hoses custom molded and have already sent the 3D model to our supplier
• Fuel selector electronic valve mounted and mostly plumbed. Fuel return hoses installed
• Electric trim mounted and wired. New grip stick and PTT just arrived to complete this system
• Mounted the Vtwin cowl. This was a big step. We determined that we needed one bigger bubble to cover both fuel injectors and the cooling hose and the radiator pressure tank. 2 small bubbles didn’t fit everything. Now the cowl is perfectly centered on the prop hub. We will make a 1-1/4 inch prop extension. And we will mold one bigger bubble and send the 3D images to TPA to have all our cowls made to fit

In other news we are working hard to get the Merlin Lite flying then shipping it direct to Oshkosh. With all the freight issues I sure hope these first two Merlin Lite aircraft arrive in time.

I shipped the float spreaderbar and mounting extrusion by air to TPA this week. One of these Merlin Lites will be on our 750 floats.

I am pretty sure I have the world’s best or at least the most patient customers! We are working through these engineering and supply issues as best we can. Watch this space for even more progress and soon some final results!

CHIP