Kit Airplane: Horizontal Stabilizer

Following building the rudder / vertical stabilizer is the horizontal stabilizer.

The parts...

Getting the mounting points between the stabilizer and fuselage attached...

Center ribs between the spars...

Added supports for tip ribs...

Tip ribs...

Riveted the spars and center ribs together...

Positioning the horizontal stabilizer skin...

One side of horizontal stabilizer skin rivetted...

Preparing the other side of the horizontal stabilizer skin...

Some interior pictures before everything is closed up...

And another...

And another...

Opposing skin clecoed in place with piano hinge for elevator clamped...

Honestly just a really nice picture showing the trailing edge ready to go...

Horizontal skin riveted!

Next up is the elevator, and once that is fitted to the piano hinge the finishing touches on the horizontal stabilizer can be completed.

Campaign Manager: Minor Improvements

No big changes to Campaign Manager this month, but I did add several quality-of-life improvements involving sorting and volume controls.

Bigger features are on the way.

You can download Campaign Manager from:

https://kamoly.itch.io/campaign-manager

Kit Airplane: Rudder

As mentioned in the prior kit airplane post, I wanted to rebuild the rudder to re-familiarize myself with the process and correct mistakes I had made.

The parts out ready to begin...

And so it begins again...

The spar with ribs...

Wrapping the skins on the ribs...

Got my helper...

Taping up the lead edge skin...

Fully clecoed (clecos are the temporary plugs that hold it together until we rivet)...

Completely dismantled to de-burr and prime...

Installing the upper bearing (which was quadruple checked for alignment and position - the drill bit acts as a nice way to ensure they're aligned)...

Riveting in progress...

New rudder (that will be a part of the aircraft) is complete! I'm much happier with this one and am proud with how it came out.

The upper bearing and lower horn are also attached. I'm holding off on the fairing until it's time to mount to the fuselage per the advice from Zenith.

The horizontal stabilizer construction has already begun...

Board Game: Slay the Oly Dragon Crowd Sale!

We're having a crowd sale for Slay the Oly Dragon starting July 4th through July 15th! This will likely be the best discount ever available for the game as The Game Crafter only allows a single crowd sale.

https://www.thegamecrafter.com/crowdsale/slay-the-oly-dragon

During the crowd sale we'll be at the Centralia Fantasy Festival July 5th through the 7th with the board game up and available free to play for anyone who comes by our booth. Please come by and check us out!

https://www.swwfantasyevents.com/

Campaign Manager: Game Mode

Campaign Manager is now available with a game mode! Set up an interactive story with encounters. Each encounter can have an image, text, music, and navigation items to link to other encounters. Variables can be set in navigation items, and when reaching a new encounter only navigation options that are permitted based on variable values may be shown. Basically, your interactive stories can have branching paths and decisions that Campaign Manager can keep track of to alter the story later.

An example interactive story is included to demonstrate the game mode. An important package must be delivered to Lake Miller; find a way to travel the dangerous path to make it there!

You can download Campaign Manager from:

https://kamoly.itch.io/campaign-manager

Board Game: Slay the Oly Dragon v2 Released!

Slay the Oly Dragon 2nd edition is complete and released!

Changes:

• Smaller game board - takes up less space and cheaper price. The smaller board no longer includes the instructions, but the rules are so straightforward that players never needed them anyways.
• Improved artwork throughout the board, cards, and manual.
• New encounter and spell.
• Some balance changes.

Available at:

https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/slay-the-oly-dragon

Kit Airplane: Airframe Arrived!

The airframe kit for my Zenith CH-650B has arrived. 12'x4'x3' crate that weighed 680 pounds; picking it up from the distribution center...

Removing the top...

Underneath the packing paper...

I emptied out most of the heavy stuff, then some neighbors graciously help me move the crate inside...

I also went through and ensured everything had arrived on the packing list...

I ordered the tool kit with the airframe...

And this is why I went with an experimental. "Certified" aviation part for several hundred dollars? Or what has worked in millions of cars for many decades for a tenth the cost?

The most egregious difference I've seen with this has been avionics.

A 10.6" Garmin G3X Touch for Experimental Aircraft? $4,995.00

A 10.6" Garmin G3X Touch for Certificated Aircraft? $11,895.00

Parts for the vertical stabilizer / rudder are out and ready to be assembled (as well as a few for the horizontal stabilizer that will be constructed next).

I actually already built a vertical stabilizer, but I want to do it again as I think I'll do a better job the second time and it will help me re-familiarize myself with the process (drawings, instructions) with something I've done before. The old rudder can hang from my shop wall!