Welcome

*****Skyote #88 gets Bronze Lindy for "Airventure-Oshkosh 2016 Plans Built Champion"******


October, 2007

Welcome to "Skyotelog", the build record of Skyote #88. I assume that you are familar with the Skyote biplane. If not, you should visit http://www.skyote.org/ for a complete introduction to this unique but elusive biplane.

The posts are presented in reverse chronological order (newest first). Or you can click on one of the "Labels" to see all of the posts concerning a specific topic. Click on any photo for a larger image.

All my building experience is limited to Van's RV's so I have no experience with building tube and fabric or "plans building". I have much to learn so take everything I write with a grain of salt and reasonable skepticisim.


I do not intend to follow a "traditional" path for the construction of #88. I intend to employ low level technology and $ to reduce the construction time and difficulty where possible and practical. By low level technology I am referring to CAD, laser, waterjet, CNC. For example:

  • I have purchased a complete wing spar kit from Jerry Kerr.
  • A rib kit from Mr. Bartoe.
  • Brunton Flying Wires and Drag wires from Harvey Swack.
  • CNC profiled tube kits for the fuselage, tail feathers and landing gear from VR3.

In addition I have converted all of the wing fittings, brackets, links, lugs etc. to CAD and had them cut by water jet. I have designed a laser cut wing spar drill template/jig which positions the five spar components so that all of the holes can be drilled in a complete spar as an assembly. I plan to continue converting as many parts as I can to CAD so that I can reduce the "hand-made" components to a minimum.

Note: As of June 2015 I have over 100 CAD files which provide 600+ water jet cut parts for the Skyote.


While it takes a little time, converting the design to CAD is a great way to truly understand the drawings. plus a huge amount of information has been extracted from the rather complex drawings. This can be a great help to others in understanding and interpreting the design.


The Skyote is uniquely suited for conversion to CAD in that a "computer" was used in it's original design. I have read that Mr. Bartoe used a HP calculator to "compute" the design and dimensions of the Skyote. The plans show all of the critical dimensions to three decimal places for X,Y and Z axes.


Amazingly, when I put the design into CAD the resulting 3D models agree with Mr. Bartoe's thee decimal place dimensions about 99.9% of the time. I have found one discrepancy but less than 0.030"!


If you want to build your Skyote as cheaply as possible, or if you enjoy handcrafting the same parts over and over again then my approach to building is not for you!


If you want to build your Skyote in the minimum possible time with highly accurate parts then this approach may be the answer. I personally get a lot of satisfaction out of organizing the project so that it can be produced accurately. Hopefully some of this work will prove useful to others in the future.


Comments are welcome. I will respond as time permits

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Saturday, July 12, 2008

More Leg Room


Today we located the new design rudder /brake pedals in the fuselage. With me sitting in the fuse (6'-1" long legs) we were able measure for a reserve header tank to be located above the rudder/brake pedal assembly. That's Dale Doane holding the pedal assembly and "Chief Machinist" Les Kanna looking on. Looks like I need to go on the "Skyote Weight Loss Program" as there is more excess weight on my butt than I could ever trim off the Skyote.

Because the new assembly is only 8 1/2" tall there is quite a bit of space available between the top of the rudder/brake pedal assembly and the bottom of the regular header tank. The attached CAD image is a rough but conservative estimate of the tank that can be fitted with out intrusion on the knees or pedals. It has a volume of 1437 cubic inches which is 6+ gallons. This is a huge addition which will extend the range of Skyote #88 by more than 1 hour. The fat end (firewall) is 5.5" x 15" while the thin end (instrument panel) is 3.5" x 19" with a fore and aft dimension of 20"


The new pedal assembly looks like it will also yield additional leg room. The actual amount is yet to be determined but it looks like it will be more than 1" greater than stock and maybe 2" greater.
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