Stewart 51 Partner LLC
March News and Events
Above, Doll's Engine prepped for Dyno Run.
The photo above (sorry about the glare) shows the coolant line Al added to get more flow from the engine to the thermostat box.  Before, we only had holes inside the box to allow coolant past the thermostas to tell them what was going on in the engine.  Those holes proved to be inadequate.  This added line should give us the flow, therefore the information to the thermostats, that we have to have to properly regulate our engine temperature.
Trey and Al with the engine loaded.
Cliff Fitch sent this picture of the Main Landing Gear components he has manufactured for us.  Cliff plans to bring them down to Montgomery in the next month or so.  He is also finishing up on manufacture of throttle quadrants.  When Cliff gets to Montgomery, we'll finalize plans for the remaining landing gear parts and tail wheel parts.  Below, a shot of one of the downlock assemblies Cliff is also manufacturing.
Jim Czachorowski has taken on the job of Moderator of the Stewart 51 Builders Group on Yahoo.  Owen Smith created the site and served us all as Moderator since the site's inception.  Many thanks from all builders for the work Owen performed in keeping the site going as long as he did.  The site is for Stewart 51 builders only, and has been a valuable source of builder to builder communication.

That said, the site has become somewhat cumbersome and obsolete for us, given limitations on photo uploading and getting people approved and on the site.  Jim Czachorowski ("Czach" or "Zack") has done some study and, taking a page from Test Pilot / Race Pilot Eliot Seguin, has formed a Facebook page for our Builders Group.  Czach is still working out the details of how to keep it secure for Builders while, at the same time, allowing genuinely interested followers to see some content.  We look forward to this new tool in S51 communication.




Below, you'll see the left wing aileron idler arm on our kit under construction in Bartow, and below that a photo of the leading edge of the left flap. 
Jim Stewart's blueprint and Owen Smith's Builder's Manual point out that the aft spine on the idler needs to be relieved to clear the flap.  We missed it on our kit.


We were alerted to look at this issue by Rod Bower and Elliot Seguin.  Recall that on the first couple of flights, Elliot reported some friction in the ailerons.  The two photos below show what they found.  Also notice that Rod's idler has been relieved per instructions, but still made contact with the flap.  Jim Czachorowski has done a finite element analysis on the part and has determined further relief will not weaken the part in the directions it needs strength, so one option for Rod is to remove more material to clear the flap.  The other method that will work is to notch the leading edge of the flap to clear the idler.  The leading edge is already relieved in other areas to clear hinge brackets and actuator arms.
I should get a start this week  on re-installing the engine in Doll.  We should also be close to our leading edge skin production method proof.  We'll keep you posted.