The schedule suffers a two week delay

Not completely unexpectedly, the sequence of our trip is good, but the scheduling is still subject to change. The avionics shop is taking longer than expected, due in part to a couple things that are more time consuming than planned, and some flight training scheduling conflicts with other new owners emerged because of that delay, so everything is now delayed about two weeks. 

Jim (the dealer)  says, "Don't buy your tickets yet - test flying, certification, and registration can still screw things up". You can see the revised revsion of the estimated schedule in What's the schedule for this adventure?

Of course, Jan and I are disappointed, but there are some positive aspects: the hangar I will be renting will definitely be finished before we get home, and the warmer weather will make the trip safer and more pleasant.

The glider (yes, it does look like an airplane, mostly, but it's certified as a glider, and is intended to be used with the engine off for hours at a time) is in the avionics shop, looking quite unfinished.

(click any picture to enlarge it)

There are a lot of "black boxes" and wiring that go in before the pretty instrument dials and displays are mounted on the three panels, which mount on the openings you see. These panels hold the engine controls and instruments, navigation displays, soaring flight displays, radios, and all the switches and breakers required.

"Hmmm", says Carl, "this different than the last one"

Unseen are the position, strobe, and landing lights, plus their wiring; the oxygen cylinder and dual flow controller; and the autopilot servos.














They've made good progress on the hangar in the last few days, putting up most of the roof and interior beams. Still lots of work after those are done: siding, roofing, insulating, electrical wiring, and mounting the 42' wide, hydraulically operated door for each hangar space.

Still a month to go ...

Jim Lee, the Phoenix dealer, has taken our Phoenix (serial no. 26, registration number N42EJ) to the avionics shop, but the previous Phoenix is still there, not quite done. Starting on ours later this week, and likely taking 3+ weeks to finish the equipment installation, makes it about the end of February before it's ready for delivery. If so, we'll be heading home about the second weekend in March.

I'm disappointed it won't be ready sooner, but the warmer weather in March will make the trip home more pleasant, and give us more flexibility to visit friends and family on the way back. Not by choice, but perhaps a better outcome.

But what is going into the glider that takes three weeks? It comes ready to fly with basic instruments, but nobody stops there, with most owners getting what I'm getting:

• Dynon "glass panel" - a display panel about the size of an 8" tablet (eg, iPad mini), and sensors for the engine parameters, air speed and orientation, GPS for navigation, and more.
• Communications radio and transponder, both from Dynon.
• Pitch and roll servos for the autopilot
• Soaring instrumentation (soaring flight computer and variometer) from ClearNav
• Two person oxygen system
• Strobe, position, and landing lights
• bits and pieces, odds and ends

To see what the panel will look like, mostly, visit The Phoenix cockpit post, and see the revised schedule for the timing of the trip.