CORBY KESTREL CM2

BUILDERS NOTES

ZK-SJM IS THE NEW CORBY “KESTREL” CM2

ZK-TOY IS A CORBY “STARLET” CJ1 WITH OVER 2000
HOURS

PHOTO, JOHN KING PHOTOGRAPHY

 SPECIFICATIONS
The Corby Kestrel is an aircraft grade aluminum (2024 T3), monocoque, single seat, tail
dragger with no flaps, amateur built aircraft suitable for power plants between 65-horse
power through to 100-horse power/ 75Kg maximum. The aircraft has been designed for
operation in the Australian experimental category.

It will cruise between 95 knots to 130 knots depending what power plant/ propeller
combination is chosen and installed. Stall speed (Vso) with an aircraft empty weight of
500lb will be approximately 34 knots IAS.

The two prototype aircraft have both been fitted with Australian made Jabiru motors, one
2200A (85 hp) and one 3300 (120 hp). The 2200A is a four cylinder, horizontally
opposed, four stroke, air-cooled, lightweight engine that has redundant twin ignition
system, integral alternator and fitted starter motor that is very suitable for this project.
* ** Please note that the 3300 prototype is presently a “one off” airframe that has not
been cleared for production as testing is not yet complete.

Other possible engines could be a converted VW motor, UL Power 260i or a Rotax 912
motor.
See www.jabiru.net.au, www.greatplainsas.com, www.ulpower.com, www.flyrotax.com
for further details.
Further engines will be fitted and evaluated over time.

The aircraft has a design stress level of plus six G and minus three G.

The empty weight for an aircraft with a Jabiru 2200A engine is 226Kg.
The maximum all-up weight is 363Kg.

Fuel is contained in a single sixty-liter tank and with a Jabiru 2200 fitted; the fuel
consumption at 2900 RPM will be 15 liters per hour, giving an absolute endurance of 3.8
hours. Speed will be 110 knots to 115 knots.

It is envisaged that the aircraft will be constructed and flown in many countries around
the world.
Different countries have different rules that govern civil aviation operations and any
prospective builder would be well advised to contact the authority in their country before
starting construction.

Many countries also have a group of enthusiastic homebuilders; contact with this group
may give the builder quite a measure of support and assistance with technique and
supplies of materials.

There are also several sites on the Internet that specialise in supporting building these
aircraft.
One is Corby_Starlet@yahoogroups.com
 SUBSECTIONS:

1. GENERAL BUILDING REQUIREMENTS

2. TAIL PLANE CONSTRUCTION

3. FUSELAGE CONSTRUCTION

4. WING CONSTRUCTION

5. LANDING GEAR

6. ENGINE INSTALLATION

7. CONTROL SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,

PLACARDING

8. WEIGHING

9. SKIN LAYOUT

10. FINAL CHECKS/ PLACARDS

List of drawings

** This Manual is primarily the work of Gary Montagu, builder of ZK-SJM, with
additional designer notes where helpful. Gary has contributed greatly to the Kestrel
project in many ways and I am very pleased to acknowledge his part in this project with
sincere thanks ----John Corby, Kestrel designer.
 1 GENERAL BUILDING REQUIREMENTS
Sheet metal.

Aircraft grade aluminum is harder (and stronger) than architectural grade metal and
therefore care must be taken to ensure that the correct bending radius is used to ensure
that the metal does not crack.

Never use a scriber to mark out the sheet metal; the metal may crack later in life. Always
use a fine felt pen that can write on glass and on metal. Remove the marks with thinners
when the part is complete and ready for painting.

Any bends in long lengths of metal can be done at a commercial sheet metal shop, as the
forces required to bend the metal are quite substantial.
But it is important to get the operator to understand the need for the correct bend radius to
be installed. Take some small samples of unbent metal to be used as experimental bends.
A press brake is a better option than a bending brake if possible, as the bend radius is a
known factor before the bend is made.

A small bender up to 600mm is easy to build in your garage with two pieces of angle
iron; this is useful for small parts that need to be bent.

Minimum bend radius’s are below;

2024 T3
0.016” 1.5mm/ 0.06”
0.020” 1.5mm/ 0.06”
0.025” 2.3mm/ 0.09”
0.032” 2.3mm/ 0.09”
0.040” 3.0mm/ 0.12”
0.050” 4.0mm/ 0.16”

4130N
0.063” 3mm/ 0.12”

Note: Before bending, remove any nicks or abrasions, after bending check that there are
no cracks and remove any marks from the bending process.

After cutting the alloy, “break” the edge with a deburring tool and file or sand the edge to
remove any nicks or
abrasions.

There are a few ways to bend

a skin with a nice tight bend
but without having a definite
kink in it. This form is
required for the leading edge
of the wing, horizontal and
vertical tail plane.
Join two pieces of 100x 50mm timber, that are longer than the skin being bent, with
sturdy hinges, but leaving a 30mm gap between the two pieces of wood at the hinge side.
Hold the skin with the two edges in your hand and insert the center of the skin into the
“open” crush. Using another person, start to “close” the crush until the timbers touch each
other. This will require quite a bit of effort.
Remove the skin from the crush and check it against a full size template, if it needs
further crushing place it on the floor (carpet lined), lay a sturdy timber on top of the fold
and stand carefully on it, moving up and down the timber. Check the bend is now correct
and repeat if required.

Another challenge is to drill the holes for the rivets that are in the correct position on the
skin, and go through the center of the rib flange. This is often achieved by using a red,
thin, felt tipped pen that will write on metal. Make a mark with the red pen along the
center of the rib flange; after the hole has been drilled through the skin move the rib one
way or the other until the red line is visible through the drilled hole. Drill the flange at
this point and cleco.

Fasteners.

The aircraft is designed to be joined together with Monel Steel 73MS series “POP” rivets.
These are inexpensive to purchase and easy to use, but for a superior finish they can be
substituted with 72MS “pop” flush rivets or AN426 solid flush rivets. AN470 solid rivets
are also used in the aircraft in some locations.

Rivets must be two rivet diameters from the edge of the metal except for flush head
rivets, which must be two and a half, rivet diameters from the edge.
Minimum rivet diameter is three times the thickness of the thickest sheet to be riveted.

Drills to be used for the different size of solid rivets are given below. Number drills are
available from most engineering shops.

3/32” #40, #41

1/8” #30
5/32” #20, #22

A hole that is “tight” when the rivet is installed will prevent the rivet being driven
correctly and will cause the rivet to swell between the sheets when being driven. Ensure
that the correct drill is used before inserting and driving the rivet.

Rivet type, spacing and diameter are all given on the plans.

The solid rivet must protrude though the rivet hole one and a half rivet diameters before
the rivet is “set”. Make up a small gauge out of a scrap of alloy to check this length.

Flush rivet holes will need to be dimpled before the rivets are installed and driven, but
this is not a hugely time consuming task and will make for an excellent, smooth finish.
The prototype aircraft had solid AN flush rivet finish on the fuselage and on the top
surface of the wing, the lower surface of the wing had flush rivet MS “Pop” rivets.
Solid rivets will require the use of a rivet gun and small compressor.

When a rivet line runs along the edge of a sheet, place a small (2 or so?) bend about
3mm from the edge, this will ensure a smooth and tight sheet edge contact after the rivets
are in place.

Plans specify what type of bolt and retainer is required at each joint.
The majority of the fixings are AN3 and AN4 bolts with a nylock nut.

At some higher stress point’s e.g. main wing spar attachments, close tolerance bolts are
installed into reamed holes. The bolt should enter the reamed hole with reasonable finger
pressure, drive-fitting the bolts is undesirable.

Glue Joints

At some locations on the airframe e.g rear fuselage, and stabiliser, plans nominate glue
joints as an alternative to pop riveting. In these areas gluing is structurally acceptable and
may produce smoother skin finish.

Glue procedure/ Bond Spec G1: Ensure skins are primed for general corrosion
protection except in glue line areas which should be bare, lightly sanded, and degreased
(acetone).Mix and use Proseal sealant/adhesive to manufacturer directions and assemble
parts. Use only enough adhesive to provide light squeeze-out at joints to control weight.

Tolerances

Unless otherwise noted in the plans, standard dimensional tolerances should be  1mm,
where the dimension is given as a decimal, 0.1mm.

Angular dimensions are  1.

Primary angular dimensions - wing and tail incidence, and wing washout should be held
to 0.25.

Rivet holes to 1/8” diameter should be + 0.005”, -0.000”

Bolts holes should be + 0.010”, -0.000” for AN bolts.
Close tolerance bolts should be sized for a neat push fit, (imperial tolerances noted, as all
rivet and bolts will be inch diameter origin).

Small, automatically leveling laser levels are now available from many hardware stores at
a very affordable price. These will help in getting the “waterline” marks along the
structure and gives you the ability to “paint” a straight centerline along any structure.

Symmetry

Of equal importance to accurate construction is the requirement for building the aircraft
symmetrical.
Check that the diagonal dimensions between the wing and the tail plane are within 4mm.

Cruise efficiency, speeds, and stall behavior can be greatly influenced by inaccurate
assembly, flying surface warps, unsymmetrical control surface gaps and hinge positions
etc.

Finish

Before an assembly is closed permanently the interior should be protected from corrosion
with a good paint system.

The exterior of the aircraft will determine what the “look” of the aircraft will be like. This
can vary from a plain but pleasing appearance, to a striking and complex colour scheme.
It is important to remember that additional coats of paint will quickly start to raise the
empty weight of the aircraft and reduce the payload that can be carried. For instance, an
aircraft of this size can easily add up to 20lbs/ 9Kg with an excessive paint scheme.

Metal fittings made from 4130 steel (hinges etc) can be treated with two coats of primer
paint and one of finish colour, or cadmium plate.

Do NOT plate the main landing legs or tail gear springs as hydrogen embrittlemnet can
occur. Spray aluminum coating on these parts is durable/ desirable and should be
reasonably priced. An alternative finish for these parts is two coats primer plus one top
coat

Control surface balancing

When the control surfaces are complete (and painted) it is time to make and install the
balance weights.
Install bolts through the hinges of the control surface to be balanced and hang the control
surface up with string, make sure that the spar is level. Use a lead weight bolthole to hang
a string with a small bucket on the end of the string, slowly pour water into the bucket.
When the control surface is level about the hinge, remove the bucket of water and weigh
it, this will give the weight of lead that will be required. The weight will need to be
shaped to fit under the fiberglass cover. The ailerons, elevators and the rudder are all
required to be balanced

Construction area/ tools.

The aircraft is suitable for construction in a single car garage but the more room available
the easier construction and assembly will be. Normal hand sheet metal construction tools
will be required, but as the wing, empennage and fuselage ribs are available for purchase
ready made, the tools required are not too extensive.

As a guide, desirable tools ( or access to) are: A good solid, level and flat bench top,
pedestal drill, bench vice, grindstone/ disc sander, portable drill and range of drill bits,
imperial socket and spanner sets, hammer(s), pliers, side cutters, metal hand shears, range
of clamps and spring clips, range of clecos, pop rivet gun, measuring tape(s), carpenters
level, small (12-18”) metal folder, hacksaw, range of files, portable work light, small
inspection mirror, good quality digital calipers, small soldering iron and small paint spray
compressor and spray gun.

Not all of these tools will be required to commence the project but the list covers most of
the range of tools that will probably be in hand by the time your aircraft is complete.

The following chapters detailing the construction of various sections but are not
necessarily in the order of construction.
 2 TAIL PLANE CONSTRUCTION
Reference drawing Drg 12 Horizontal Tail plane (2 sheets)
Reference drawing Drg 13 Vertical Tail plane (2 sheets)

Many people start with the tail surfaces as they are small (hopefully not too much waste
if an error is made) and are easily completed in a small area. They will also give the
builder some feel and experience in metal work before moving on to the larger jobs in the
aircraft construction.

The ribs are drawn on the plans and can be made by hand with wooden MDF formers, or
can be purchased direct from the designer.

Horizontal tail plane.

Make the metal fittings to operate the elevators and center hinge, and the two outer
hinges.

There are two options for making the stabiliser spar, a one-piece spar, or a two-piece
spar.
The one-piece spar is a bit more difficult to make, but lighter.
Bend “U” sections of the stabiliser spar from 0.050”. It also requires the additional
support pieces 6B and 6C to be made. Assemble the spar making sure that it is straight.
The elevator spars can be made at the same time.

The stabiliser spar can be made some 20mm longer at each end than finally required and
this surplus used during construction to extend beyond the tail plane so that it can be used
to clamp to temporary wooden blocks glued to the door.
 An unwanted ply covered
household door makes an
excellent, stable construction table.
Simply place this across two
sawhorses.
Draw a reference line for the front
face of the spar, the outline of the
skin and the ribs onto the door and
then draw a centerline on the
temporary wooden blocks some
75mm up from the door face. Align
the centerline on the block with the
centerline of the spar and screw it
into place temporarily. Attach the
ribs to the spar using a square to
get the correct alignment.

With four blocks glued at the front of the stabilizer (two each side) draw the horizontal
centerline along these as well so that the center of the bend in the skin touches the blocks
and is at the correct height.

Fold the skin and then drape this over the ribs and spar.

Mark the centerline of the rivets running along the stabilizer spar and mark the rivet line
with a rivet spacer to get even spacing
between the rivets. A rivet spacer will
save many hours of calculation and
measuring.
Drill the rivet holes along the stabilizer
spar and the inner and ribs, install
Clecos, and note that the two middle
ribs are glued in position between the
skin and the rib.

If your table is large enough, then the

elevator can also be made at the same
time while the stabilizer is secured to
the bench.

Make up the elevator spar and attach the hinges to the stabilizer spar, you will need to
ensure that the hinge lines are correct, or the elevator may bind at one extremity or the
other. Rivet the ribs to the spar, again, using the lines drawn on the table and a square.

Bend the skin for the elevator, this bend can be done on a bender as the trailing edge fold
is quite small, but not too sharp, use a piece of alloy sheet along the inside of the bender
to get the correct radius.
Drape the skin over the ribs and spar and drill all the rivet holes installing Clecos as you
go. Read the next paragraph before starting work.
The nose skin for the elevator is thin but with any longer length of metal it is difficult to
encourage it around a small radius. With the elevator clamped onto a flat surface to stop
warping the assembly, drill and cleco one side of the nose skin. Now that one side of the
skin is secure, pull the rest of the skin around the radiused end ribs and start to drill and
secure the other side.

To get the holes aligned, the skin can be placed temporarily under the elevator skin,
mark the holes and drill. So that the rivet holes are concentric in all three skins I initially
drilled and secured the assembly with 5/32” Clecos, when the elevator is complete and
checked as correct, remove the Clecos one at a time, drill the hole to 1/8” and then install
a 1/8” cleco.
This system was used at any place in the aircraft where more than two skins are to be
joined.

Vertical Tail plane

I found it easier to build this after the fuse was

complete so that the attachment points could be
matched to the fuse. See Fuselage section for
further details.

The main spar can be bent up so that it can be

matched up with the rear of the fuse when this is
made. Make sure that the additional reinforcing
angles are made and installed on the lower half of
the fin spar.

Once the fuse turtle deck is in place make up a

MDF pattern to get the fin spar and lowest rib
angle correct. Transfer this angle to the
workbench where similar wooden blocks are
installed to hold the spar and indicate where the
front of the fin skin will be.

Bend up the skin and place it over the ribs and spar, drill rivet holes.

Place the hinges for the rudder into position and bolt these in place before installing the
skin permanently.

Rudder
The rudder has only three ribs, the rest are angle alloy stiffeners riveted to each side of
the rudder.

After the rudder spar has been made, install and align the hinges for the rudder making
sure it moves freely throughout its range.
 When bending the rudder skin, only fold it
to 70 degrees or so between the inner two
faces of the sheet temporarily, install all the
stiffeners and use solid flush rivets for a
slick finish. Back riveting is the easiest way
to do this.
When all the stiffeners are in place and the
inside has been painted use two lengths of
timber held together with hinges, fold the
timbers together to get a sharp fold.
Install the nose skin and cutout the sections
where the two hinges are installed.

The ribs/ skin will need to be attached with pop rivets, flush rivets preferred.
3 FUSELAGE CONSTRUCTION
Reference drawings Drg 3, 4 & 5 (5 sheets)

One prototype fuse was built the correct

way up using temporary stands and supports
along the top longeron, the other prototype
fuse was built upside down with the top
longeron secured to a workbench, cutouts
will be required to allow the top of the
bulkheads to fit through the bench top if you
use this method.

A temporary bench can be made from

19mm thick flooring grade MDF, it will
need to be the length of the fuse plus 0.3m at each end, make the width 1.0m. Screw and
glue 100x 50mm timber (on it’s edge) along the outside of the sheet and install cross
members every 0.6m. Check the top for straightness and that it is not twisted in any way.

There are a number of metal fittings that will

need to be fabricated including the control
stick, the steel bracket to hold the tail wheel
assembly, some pulley brackets (made in
alloy) and the engine mount reinforcing
brackets where the engine mount is
connected to the firewall.

The fuse bulkheads can be formed with

MDF formers, or bought ready made from
the designer.

The top and bottom longerons are very long and will need to be cut and then bent up at a
commercial sheet metal shop.

Draw the plan view shape of the top longerons as installed in the fuselage on the bench
top and secure wooden blocks along this line ready to get the top longeron into position
and held down.
Temporary timbers will be needed to be placed between the top longeron where it is
secured to the bench and the vertical so that the side’s skins of the fuse can be supported
vertically. Install diagonal supports so that the supports cannot wobble. The support
timbers need to be placed away from where the bulkheads are so that rivet holes can be
drilled.

Install the bulkheads into position and cleco at the top longeron,
Once the height of the skin (between the top longeron and what will be the bottom of the
fuse) is marked at each bulkhead station from station 1270mm to station 3575mm the rear
skin can be placed over the ribs.
NB, wing attach frames at station 667mm & 1280mm are not installed vertically,
but have a 1.5 incline to give the wing chord the correct incidence.

Install two or three Clecos along the top longeron to stop the skin moving, draw the
centerline of the rivet lines where the skin is joined to each bulkhead. Mark out the
spacing of the rivets and drill through the skin only, move the bulkhead so that the red
line you have drawn on the bulkhead flange shows through the rivet hole, drill the
bulkhead flange and cleco. Secure the two side skins together to form the rear fuse floor.

The thicker 0.032” forward sheet can also be secured at station 0mm through to station
1440mm, as well as the forward fuselage floor.

The lower engine mount reinforcements

are riveted to the lower longeron and
reinforcing plates and therefore must be
installed before the forward fuse floor is
installed.
The floor is pulled around the lower radius
at the bottom of the firewall. For neatness
and to remain watertight I installed the
side skin over the top of the floor skin
where it is curved up to meet the side skin
at the lower longeron

The top engine mounts are riveted to the top

longeron, along with the reinforcing plate.

When all these ribs and skins are held with Clecos the fuse can be released from the table.

I then dimpled and back riveted the entire fuse (except the top longeron area so that the
turtle deck could be installed later) and so that the control cables and pulleys could be
installed between the cockpit and the rudder/ elevator.
Using string as a temporary installation, check that the maximum misalignment between
any pulley and cable is less than 5. Covers are required over the operating cables as they
pass through the baggage compartment.

Cutout the side skin where the wing center section will protrude and install the center
section.
Again level the fuse across the top longerons and mark out where the attachments are to
be drilled. Double check all measurements and drill the boltholes.
This is also the time to install any wiring to the rear of the fuse (ELBA or any strobes/
lights, trim devices etc) is installed and the control cables run and checked for clearance
between any bulkheads etc. All electrical cables must be well secured so that there is no
possibility of these coming loose and tangling with a control surface operating cable.

I installed the transponder aerial on the bottom of the fuse just aft of the baggage locker
to introduce some distance between the VHF communication aerial, which is just in front
of the main spar, and the transponder aerial. Run low loss RG58 cable through the
cockpit area towards the avionic section before closing these areas off permanently.

Then the rear turtle deck can be made and installed.

To get flush solid rivets installed along the top longeron I turned the fuselage upside
down across two saw horses (front and back) and crawled into the fuselage cavity
through the section where the flat cover just behind the pilot’s shoulders is going to be
installed, it was reasonably easy to do. Earmuffs are a must!

With the fuse now in this state, it can be returned to the normal position, and install the
vertical fin spar.
Carefully level the fuselage across and along the top longerons and then with the laser
level projecting a vertical line up the fin spar secure the spar to the rear of the fuselage
skins.

Do not omit the small straps at station 3138mm to

reinforce the stabiliser attachment.

Leave the forward fuse top skin off until the fuel
tank is ready and pressure tested, all the wiring for
the motor/ instruments is in, top engine mounts are
made and riveted into position, instrument panel is
ready, rudder pedal bar is made up/ installed and
all the engine controls are in their final position.

It will never be this easy to work on the forward

fuselage interior again; so do not be in a hurry to
get this last skin into position.

Install the seat, spar stabiliser web and the armrests console/ control cable covers.

Finally install the filler between the pilot’s bulkhead and the rear turtle deck.
This skin will need to be removable so that the seat belts can be removed for inspection/
replacement.
4 WING CONSTRUCTION
Reference drawings, Drawings 8 (3 sheets), 9, 10, & 16 (2 sheets).

Wing construction begins with making the main spars and the center section.
Again there are metal fittings required; make up the all the control stick fittings if this has
not already been done. The wing root attach fittings also will be required.

Center Section

Cut out the webs for the center section and mark out where the laminations are to be
placed. Cut out the holes in the rear web and
flange these.
Clamp all the laminations together in a drill
press vice to keep the stack vertical and drill
some of the rivet holes. This is best done in a
drill press that has been checked to make sure
the drill bit is truly vertical.
The drill bit to be used should be only slightly
smaller than the final drill size, do not use a
small pilot drill as these often “wander”
through the material.
Because of the thickness of the laminations
Clecos cannot be used, I used M4 screws and nuts to retain the stack until the rivets are
installed.

Wing Spars

The wing ribs are time consuming to make but can be purchased from the designer, ready
to go.

Get the main spar webs and rear spar webs bent up, and mark out the different lengths of
the 1 1/4”x 1/8” laminations for the main spar, cut laminations to length.
An hour measuring the strips up to reduce waste of the strap material will be well
worthwhile.
The outboard end of each lamination is tapered; see Drawing 16, sheet 1, Detail N.

Draw up a full-scale plan on a flat concrete floor so that the dihedral angle can be
installed accurately. The lower edge of the spar is the reference line to set up the 6
dihedral.

The wing spar webs can be laid on top of some 20mm flooring material so that the web
flange is off the floor and the spar will be stable, lay the lamination material along the
rear of the wing spar web and position correctly.
Draw the rivet positions with a fine felt tip pen, clamp the stack in a drill press vice, drill
the rivet holes and the (slightly undersize) holes for the wing root attach fittings, these
holes will need to be reamed out later.
Lay the stack back on the wing spar web and drill through the web, bolt these up with nut
and bolts as temporary fixings until the rivets are installed.

Install the wing root attach fittings to each wing spar with the close tolerance bolts and
then lay the main spars over the full scale floor plan. Align the center section and the two
wing spars with the plan and then mark/ drill the main wing attach bolts with a 3/8” drill.
The holes can be enlarged to 12mm once everything is confirmed as correct and square.
The remainder material will be removed when reamed out to ½” with hand reamers when
the wings are finally mated to the aircraft.

Apply your choice of corrosion protection (prototype had a thin film of etch primer
applied to all the laminations and then to complete lay-up) and rivet up the main spars
and the center section, remember that the lower line of rivets in the center section has
countersunk rivets so that the center section can be placed against the lower attach fitting
in the fuselage.

Wing Assembly

Make some supports to hold all three

sections of spars some 1.2m off the floor so
that the wing can be assembled vertically.
The supports are installed on what will be
the underside of the wing spar. Assembling
the wing vertically is possibly the easiest
way, and will certainly take up the least
amount of space.
I made these from 100x 50mm timber with
large 10mm MDF gussets at the corners; the
bottom member was bolted to the concrete
floor, place a 100x 50mm timber at the top
of the vertical timber so that it extends 300mm out. You can use the template drawn on
the floor to get the spacing/ alignment correct. Avoid any place where the ribs are to be
installed.

Lay the spars on the rests and secure in

place.

Install the ribs on the main spars.

The brackets that support the aileron

pulleys will need to be made and installed,
as will the stiffener angle 10” behind and
parallel to, the main spar.
Attach the rear and aileron spar to the ribs.

Assemble the rest of the wing frame,

stiffeners, etc.
The wing has a 2.5 twist, root to tip measured at the root rib
to the tip (including the aileron) rib. Make the root rib
“square” to the spar and secure this with a tab of wood or
metal to the wooden support, then calculate the distance that
the tip rib needs to be moved to achieve the correct twist,
secure the tip rib in this position. Use a string line, or straight
edge to ensure that the trailing edge of the wing is straight
while installing the wing skins.

Using the ribs, mark the shape of the nose of each rib onto a
waste bit of 12mm thick MDF material. Add 2mm to this line
to enlarge the cutout section. Cut out this section, you will
need a former like this for each rib. The formers are used to hold the leading edge skin
snugly to each rib before the rivets are installed.

Cut out the leading edge skins and, after

measuring carefully, make a mark where the
leading edge bend is to installed. Install the
curve as per the builder’s notes under the
general section.

Drape the skin over the ribs and install the

MDF formers to hold the skin snugly over
the ribs. Check where the rib flanges have
been “fluted”, make up a small drawing (or
piece of masking tape) of where “not to
drill” to wing skin as a flute is there.
Draw the centerlines for the rivet holes and drill these.
Move the ribs around so that the red centerline shows through and drill the rib flange,
install a Cleco.

Continue this for the rest of the wing.

The left hand wing has the reinforced wing walk

section to be installed. There are a number of
stiffing angles to be installed at this location,
and also the additional skin of 0.032” sheet.
The pitot/ static pick up pipes and tubes back to the instrument panel will need to be
installed. Make a bracket to attach the style of pitot tube you have chosen to the skin near
a rib. Install a small right angle bracket to secure the tubes where they are close to the
aileron control cables to prevent any interference.

Prototype had solid flush rivets in the top surface of the wing and countersunk “pop”
rivets on the underside of the wing.

The ailerons are made/ assembled in a similar fashion to the elevators in section 2.

When the wing is attached to the aircraft, the inboard trailing edge will be level with the
lower fuse intersection. Use a straight edge to get this correct, Make a mark on the rear
spar attachment and drill undersize, ream to 0.25” and install bolt.

Support the wing at the tip of the wing, remove one of the temporary 12mm bolts at the
root of the wing attachment fittings, ream out the hole to ½” with an adjustable, parallel
reamer. Use a socket set ratchet with long extensions and a socket to rotate the reamer.
Don’t turn the reamer backwards; it will chip the cutter bars. Install the wing attach bolt,
repeat for the other wing attach bolt.

Increase the reamer size slowly, making frequent checks to see if the bolt will enter the
hole. Correct hole size is when the bolt will slide in with a reasonable amount of pressure.
When first bolt is done, remove the other temporary bolt and ream the hole.

Repeat for the opposite wing.

 5 LANDING GEAR
Reference plan, Drawing. 14

The landing gear is a round, solid,

tapered steel leg and attached to the
engine mount. Specs for the metal are
on the plans.

Make up the legs as per the plan.

The fuselage needs to be supported

level across and along the longerons
and high enough so that the finished
leg can be installed into the engine
mount.

Draw reference lines along the fuselage centerline on the floor and some lines
perpendicular to this line where the axle needs to be bent to.

Note the minimum curve that needs to be

installed and make up a small gauge to get
this correct.
Heat the leg where the bend is to be
installed with an oxy- acetylene torch, slip
a piece of water pipe over the axle part of
the leg when it is “cherry red” and slowly
draw the axle section around so that the
angle of the axle is perpendicular to the
centerline and 5 to the vertical. Angles
are shown on the Plan 14.
Repeat for the other leg.

An automotive spring maker can temper the legs, descale them when you receive them
back and paint as per plans. Shot peining the leg (bar the axle section) is recommended.

Hydraulic brakes will give the most

amount of braking power and the hubs
of the “Black Max” brand are very
light compared to some other systems.
Do not use the two-ply tyres that come
with the kit. Four ply tyres are
available from a mower shop that will
fit, normally used on ride-on mowers.
I installed tubes with the tyres for
additional security.
A set of “pants” can be made from 0.016” sheet metal to cover the undercart leg. These
can be joined at the rear with a piano hinge, pull out the wire to release the pants for
inspection. A hinge will be required at the fuse so that the pant can move during the
landing phase.

The tail wheel specifications are on the plans. - Be careful about selecting alternative
tailwheels as tailwheel geometry can significantly affect aircraft ground handling
characteristics.
6 ENGINE INSTALLATION
Reference drawings Drawing 7 (2 sheets)

*Note: While drawing 7 shows both Jabiru 2200 and 3300 installations, the 3300
is a prototype only and not presently recommended for installation. A typical
VW installation is also shown; though a fully detailed engine mount is not
provided, as numerous VW conversions are available, all with differing mount
details

This section details the installation of the Jabiru 2200 engine; others will be added as
experience is gained by installing alternative engines.
Check the Jabiru website and download the most up to date service bulletins. Jabiru
also provide a comprehensive installation manual which is available online.

The engine mount is a reasonably complicated bit of engineering, and the plans are
there for anyone wanting to fabricate it themselves. The completed unit is available
from the designer if required.

The battery (for Jabiru 2200 is a

20a/h battery) is best installed at
the top of firewall; this leaves the
lower space available for the
carb heat selector box, gascolater
etc.
Jabiru engines do not like “ram
air” to feed the carburetor, so
install a divergent ramp, or
something similar into the engine
cowls.

An electric fuel pump is a good idea in

case the engine-mounted unit fails, but the
pump needs to have a maximum pressure
of just 3 PSI. This model is available from
Jabiru.
A gascolater will pick up, and isolate, any
stray small amounts of water that get into
the fuel system, they are cheap insurance.
Jabiru provides a wiring diagram, which may be of value depending on what
instrumentation you wanted to install.

Jabiru provide fiberglass “ram-air” ducts with all engines, these should be installed to
give adequate cooling to the heads. Make sure that you have the required air pressure
differential across the engine for cooling, as per the Jabiru manual.

After the propeller is installed check the tracking. Place a ruler just behind the prop
trailing edge, 100mm in from the outboard end of the prop. Rotate the propeller
around 180 and measure the gap (or if the prop touches the ruler, alter the ruler so
that it just touches the propeller) rotate the prop and check the gap is less than
1.58mm (1/16”).

The spinner is a very important part of the aircraft; the loss of this item will probably
result in the loss of part of the propeller and the possible loss of the aircraft. Make
sure the spinner is properly retained.

Prototype had the oil cooler mounted behind and above the engine. The ducting can
be seen with the Garlock flaps on the top just in front of the battery. There is a
divergent ramp to introduce the air into this chamber and then through the cooler.
 7 CONTROL SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,
PLACARDING FUEL TANK, CANOPY.
The control system is entirely made of flexible steel control cables attached directly to the
control surfaces. Pulleys are required
at changes of directions. Large
pulleys are required for large
changes of angles, use the pulleys
nominated in the plans.

Galvanised or stainless steel can be

installed, stainless steel will give the
longest life, especially if the aircraft
is anywhere near the sea, but they
are more expensive.
The plans give the type of fittings
that are required at each end; one turnbuckle per cable run is required.

Swaged fittings look the best but are expensive; nicopress eyes are wider, but are the
most inexpensive.
Tension all cables evenly before installing lock wire on the turnbuckle.
The ailerons should be even with the wing with the control stick in the neutral position.
Check that the full deflection is achieved.

Get the stick held in the neutral

position again and check that full
elevator deflection is achieved in both
up and down positions. Up and down
deflections have different values
.
The rudder maximum deflections are
limited by the rudder stops acting on
the rudder-actuating arm, check that
full deflection is achieved.

White wire in photo is for radio “Push to Talk”.

All pulleys have been designed with pulley guards to stop the cable from falling out of
the pulley groove. Ensure that they are all are in position.

Battery required for the 2200 motor is a 20-a/h-gel cell battery mounted at the top of the
firewall on the engine side.
Prototype Kestrel has a master relay, which is advised in a metal aircraft in case of
accidental insulation failure. The Jabiru motor will continue to run even if the battery is
isolated in flight.
Tezel (aircraft) wire is not that expensive and is much lighter than PVC cable and will not
give off toxic fumes if overheated.
 Electrical switches/ circuit breakers (Tyco
W31 series, right hand side, lower panel)
are the best as they use up the least amount
of panel space and are easily reset if they
trip. They are also quite expensive.

Placards should be installed for each

engine instrument giving the minimum
value; maximum normal value and
maximum “climb” value. The usual time
limit for the climb value is 5 minutes.

Flight instruments should be colour coded for maximum flight speeds.

Prototype stalls (Vso) at 34 knots IAS, Vne is 150 knots.

Different countries have different requirements as to the external identification markings

required Height, font, distance between letters/ numbers and position on aircraft are
usually mandatory; enquire as to what is required for your nationality.

The fuel tank is described in Drawing. 17. After welding, pressure test to 2 PSI, use a
small paintbrush with soapy water to check for any leaks.

Jabiru 2200 prototype tank is a single tank made from 0.050” commercial aluminum and
is of welded construction. Prototype had an electrical fuel sensor installed in the rear of
the tank. After the tank is welded, presurise the tank to two PSI and go around all the
welds with a bush and some soapy water. Mark any leaks and get these repaired. Check
the welds again after receiving the tank back.

Clearly label the fuel valve for “ON” and “OFF” positions.

Two canopies have been made, one is a

modified “One Design” canopy made in
Australia, and the other was made for the
prototype made in New Zealand. The
windscreen is a simple “wrap” of 3mm
acrylic over a former, the canopy was
formed from 2.0mm acrylic formed over
two male formers and then joined with a
strip of alloy in the middle and glued.
The glue is Sabre SMP60 Fast cure.
Assemble the canopy materials together
with Clecos. Mark where the adhesive is
to go, dismantle the canopy, lightly sand the acrylic and the alloy, then clean with Sabre
EA Wipe. Apply the adhesive, assemble the canopy and allow to cure for 24 hours.
Remove the Clecos and fill in the holes with adhesive.
 5a

STAR TER

OIL OIL
CHT FUEL VOLTS TACH HOBBS
Press Temp

STAR TER

Prox swith to tw o
Sensor Sensor Sensor Sensor tangs on flywheel

MASTER
BATTERY
10a

FUEL PUMP

15a 10a
Alternator
10 pole Regulator RADIO
10 amps

X PONDER

3a
IGNITION 1 GPS

IGNITION 2

Bu
1
Or Pilot mic
Xc omm radio DB15 plug
Wh
14
Pilot headphone
 8 WEIGHING
This is the point when all will be revealed, the empty weight and the position of the all-
important center of gravity.

One of the benefits of building in metal is the very accurate weight of the building
materials, wood varies in density and therefore so does the weight of the finished parts,
but metal does not. So try not to be tempted to add many “handy to have” items, multiple
penholders, carpet throughout the cockpit, AM/ FM radio, vanity mirror etc. All of these
will add to the permanent weight of the aircraft.

Level the aircraft across and along the top longerons, while the aircraft is on scales for
each wheel. Close the canopy and make sure the fuel tank is empty (unusable fuel to
remain), drain if required.

Measure between the tail wheel and the main wheels, to do this pull a line tight between
each main wheel, and draw this on the floor, use a plumb bob to establish the position of
the tail wheel on the floor. Measure between this line and the tail wheel and record.
Measure between the main wheels and the leading edge of the wing and record, again
using a plumb bob

Note the weight on each scale while the hangar doors are closed to eliminate any wind.

Note the weight of any stand, or prop on top of the scales needed to get the aircraft level
and subtract this from the scale reading for each of the three positions.

Empty weight is W main + W tail.

The spreadsheet below is for the Jabiru 2200 Prototype ZK-SJM. I made the datum point
the firewall so as to avoid negative figures in the calculations.

CG= D+ Tail wheel weight x Dist between main/ tail

Total weight of aircraft

Firewall- Leading edge= 14.125" MAC 45.8"

Leading edge- main wheel= 5.25" C/G range 18- 28% MAC
Main wheel- tail wheel= 151.5 8.244" to 12.82"

Max forward c/g MAC= 8.244"+ 14.125"= 22.365"

Max rearward c/g MAC= 12.82"+ 14.125"= 26.949"
 Weight Arm Moment
Empty a/c 501 20.41 10225.41
Pilot 155 42.5 6587.5
100% Fuel 95 13.5 1282.5
Baggage 0 57 0
751 24.09509 18095.41

Maximum weight for cross-country is 363Kg and for aerobatic flight 340Kg.

9 SKIN LAYOUT
The following drawings are offered to show how the prototype skins were cut from 12’x
4’ sheets of 2024 T3 alloy.

Check the drawings carefully and you should be able to use these as a guide so that waste
is kept to a minimum.
 0.016 2024 T3

Aileron wrap

Elevator
Aileron wrap
Rudder

Rudder wrap

Elevator
 0.020 2024 T3

Aileron skin
k
Turtle Dec

Aileron skin
Turtle deck
cover
0.020 2024 T3

Outer wing, lower

Outer wing, lower

0.020 2024 T3
 0.025 2024 T3

Wing skin, top, outer, aileron Wing skin, top, outer, aileron
through leading edge to spar through leading edge to spar
 0.025 2024 T3

Fuse floor fwd

Wing skin, inner, top, rear spar Wing skin, inner, top, rear spar
through leading edge to spar through leading edge to spar
 0.025 2024 T3

bottom
Fuse side/

Fin

Fuse side/ bottom

 Fwd fuse top

Stabiliser
0.025 2024 T3

Stabiliser

Fuse floor mid

 0.032 2024 T3

Bagage Door
Fwd fuse Fwd fuse

Stab spar doubler

Stab spar doubler Aileron spar
Spar boom stab, Aileron spar
Wing walk skn front of seat Elevator Spar Elevator Spar
Rudder spar
Wing Rear spar
Wing Rear spar
 0.040" 2024 T3

Main spar Main spar Lower longeron, front Lower longeron, front
centre section centre section
Lower Longeron, rear
Lower Longeron, rear
Stabilser spar

Main Wing Spar

Main Wing Spar

 0.050" 2024 T3

Top Longeron
Top Longeron
Spar doubler
Spar doubler Fin spar Fin spar stiffners
 1.25"x 1/8"x 12' 2024 T3, 10 reqd

144
Bar 1
Bar 2
Bar 3
Bar 4
Bar 5
Bar 6
Bar 7
Bar 8
Bar 9
Bar 10

"71x4 4x 21" 4x 25" 4x 78"

12x 28" 4x 37" 4x 54"
 10 FINAL CHECKS/ PLACARDS
This final inspection may differ from country to country.

You may wish to get an experienced LAME to help with the final inspection prior to first
flight.

The aircraft should be presented with all the cowls and inspection panels removed.

Start at the front and check all engine controls are secure, oil filter tight, no loose parts in
the engine bay. Spinner tight and propeller retained as per Jabiru Service Bulletin.
Propeller track checked.

Under cart tight, wheels secure, brakes operating, spats secured.

Wing bolts tight, all control cables tensioned and all turnbuckles locked.
All control cables are correctly secured at each end.
Check that all pulley guards are correctly installed.
Aileron balance weights secure.
Aileron hinges pins are all installed and locked.

Horizontal stabiliser bolts are all tight.

Elevator hinge pins are all installed and locked.
Elevator balance weights are secure.

Inside the fuselage, all control cables are free and are not going to “catch” on any other
cable, or bulkhead. Guards have been made to cover the pulleys in the baggage
compartment.

Replace all cowls, inspection hatches and the spar boom stabiliser.

Carry out compass swing and complete the correction card.

An avionics specialist should check radios and Transponders for operation.

Start engine; check all temperatures and pressures are correct.

Complete all paperwork and you are ready to fly!

Check pilot is licensed for this type of aircraft and rated for test flying.
List of Drawings;

Drawing Sheet Title

1 Three View General Arrangement Drawing
3 1 Fuselage Frame Assembly
2 Forward Fuselage Misc. Assembly Detail
4 Fuselage Bulkheads
5 1 Fuselage General Assembly
2 Fuselage Misc. Details
6 1 Control System Layout
2 Control System Layout
3 Control System Layout
4 Control System Layout
7 1 Power Plant Inst. Misc Detail
2 Power Plant Inst.
8 1 Wing - General Assembly
2 Wing - Aileron Ribs
3 Wing - Aileron Ribs
9 Aileron Detail
10 Fuselage Rear Spar Assembly Detail
11 Overturn: Pilot Harness Details
12 1 Horizontal Tailplane Construction
2 Horizontal Tailplane Misc. Detail
13 1 Vertical Tailplane Construction
2 Vertical Tailplane Construction
14 Main Landing Gear
15 Tail Wheel Installation
16 1 Wing Spars - Assembly
2 Wing Root Centre Section Details
17 Fuel Tank Details
18 Canopy Windscreen Detail

App.1 Full size profiles, fuselage, stab, fin, wing