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Thatcher CX-5 Build Log
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Date:  6-16-2019
Number of Hours:  16.00
Manual Reference:  
Brief Description:  Cowling, Instrument Panel, and Aft Longeron

Between Friday evening, all day Saturday, and Sunday, I got a bit accomplished.

Friday was spent reinforcing the instrument panel and avionics bay bulkhead. I'm planning a greenhouse-style canopy, and the reinforements will allow me to strengthen the windscreen sufficintly for it to perform double duty as rollover protection as well as a handhold for ingress and egress.

My dad, who is responsible for my interest is aircraft as well as my facination with experimental aviation, came over and worked with me on Saturday getting the forward cowling in place and riveted, The cowling is slightly modified, as it is lengthened to provide a better mounting surface for the avionics bay doors, as well as being extended aft to provide a sun shield for the instrument panel. Also, the butresses that will fill in the spaces between the cowl and the windscreen are a single piece with the cowl itself, rather than being added later.

Working with my dad was absolutely wonderful. Best part of building the plane, hands down. He owned a BD-5B kit, purchased in the early seventies from Jim Bede himself. Unfortunately my mother is scared of flying and terrified of small planes. The idea of the BD-5 must have been a nightmare for her. But my dad dutifully allowed the kit to languish for many years until finally selling it. My mom's never flown with either my father or myself, and sadly will never do so, But I got to spend the day driving rivets with my dad, whose Air Internationals I borrowed all through childhood, and who took me to airshows at Moffett Field. I remember him showing me static displays, and explaining the histories of the aircraft doing low passes, and why our neighbor Bob Love was so well known as a pilot. As an annoying little kid, I pestered him about 'the plane in the garage,' and kept asking when we would be able to build it together. So Saturday was a long deferred dream come true. I really hope I get to do more work with him on this plane.

Today, I cleaned up the garage, and move tabl
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