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Thanks as always to everyone for some nice comments! Got the spinner for the 4 blade prop finished, and it and the prop assembled, have added pics of it here. I am also building a new oven, the old one wasn't good enough or the temperature even enough to cure large critical parts such as the wing panels, will add pics of it when it is done. I will work on the wing panels after that. Monday the 4th Jan. was the last day I worked for the race team. Thanks to a certain person I am now able to work full time on the LP1. This program will have it ready for its first test in one year. A very exciting time for me, something I have needed to do for a long time to move progress forward here. This will also have the design on static display at Sun and Fun and also Oshkosh, in nice spots as well. Look for updates on here when you think about it. The new shop is much easier to work in more room and storage, also has the space to fully assemble the LP1 later on. The autoclave, a 30" by 50", rated at 100 psi and 250F, with cooling cycle and electronic pressure control, is finished. You can see a pic of it here somewhere. Sorry about spending the time on it that I did, but it will pay off for the LP1, it's about $40k's worth of equipment that I could have never afforded if I hadn't designed and fabricated it myself.
I have had a lot of email and discussion about using the LS7 engine, the 505 hp C6 powerplant. I have been a bit apprehensive of using it as there will be added stress on the gearbox and propeller, prop might need to go to a five blade to absorb all the torque at high altitude. I was asked recently if the LS2 would have to be bought first, then upgrade to the LS7, why do that when the LS7 is a bolt in as is? I realized that the LS7 could be used from the start, all we would do is reprogram the engine ECU to drop the rpm limit and supply the gearbox with a different ratio set, so that the output was the same as the LS2. After testing was complete with the LS7, and was ok, all that would be needed would be send the ECU in for a reprogram, and supply the other gear ratio set. Works for me. Alex Kalempa is working on flap control schematics, and we have the flap servo and control system, with system fault analysis included, mostly laid out. The flap system will self test for problems and report on the main airframe screen. He has also been working on flutter test equipment, using accelerometers in flying surfaces to measure vibration critical frequencies, along with bonded strain gauges for maximum loads. He has all the circuit boards in production for this, and we have all the details for the airframe computer pretty much finished. Be sure to see all of the pages at this site and I will answer all inquiries received.
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