The Phoenix rests in it's aerie

(click pictures to enlarge)

The hangar building is finally completed, so the Phoenix now has a permanent aerie to rest in between adventures. Even though it was late in the day after moving things from the temporary hangar to the new one , we went soaring for an hour before returning to "arrange the furniture". And yes, the wing tips have to be removed to fit the 50 foot wide airplane in to the 42 foot wide hangar (a three minute job).

This entry completes the Flight of the Phoenix, but the blog may continue. Tomorrow Jan and I fly to Ellensburg for breakfast and some sightseeing. We expect to be delighted!

A circus tent for the Phoenix

Tent? Pajamas might be a better name. The lovely white finish on the Phoenix is not as durable as the paint you would use on a metal airplane, so keeping it in a hangar, or covered when it's outside, extends the life of the finish many years. But, wow, there is a lot to cover, with it's 50 foot wing span and 150 square feet of wing and tail area.

(click any pictures to enlarge)

It came with a nice canopy cover, so we went to work on covers for the wing and tail. The tail was easy, taking only two pieces (left and right sides) about 4' each, joined with Velcro in the center:

The main wing was much bigger, about 4' by 17', and, of course, you need a piece that size top AND bottom!

Sewing the wing pieces together was a challenge because of the size, but also because the bottom piece needs a 1' by 14' mesh vent sewed into it. Jan managed it all without too much trouble, but she's thankful the material (a type of Tyvek made for covering things) isn't stretchy.

Besides the big piece you see her working on, there were two additional 8' long pieces, one per side, to cover the long wing extensions (look at the top picture at the bent up outer portion of the wing). The big piece and the wing tip piece are connected with Velcro.

Tomorrow I'll put them on the airplane for the final fitting. And finally, some good news about the hangar we'll be renting: it's finished, and we can move in tomorrow!