Building the Rudder Attachment Strong Point

It looked very confusing in the plans. I had to email the designer Richard woods for some clarifications. He was kind enough to send me a simplified drawing. The monsoon is almost over and we have been having some dry days. I started building my Gypsy again yesterday.
First the excess fibre that was deliberately made had to be trimmed off.
All the area had to be roughened so that epoxy binds the wood to the boat strongly.
Next the 3" by 1" hardwood had to be cut to size. The rudder hinges attaches through the transom and into these wood so that the pressure from the weight of the rudders are distributed over a wider area. The corners of the hard wood had to be rounded so that when a layer of cloth is applied over it less air bubbles are formed.It is hard work but I enjoy the torture! When building my catamaran my thought are almost always my thousand kilometers from where I am.Since the knee which is made from 9mm marine ply has some odd angles I had to use a cardboard to make a template so that it fits well.
After all the wood had been cut to size they are glued on to the transom using epoxy. Clamps are used to hold the wood in position and to give a better bond by applying pressure to the wood.
Done..all it needs now is a layer of 600/225 gm biaxial cloth.

The Best Knee Pad for Flying

I was flying with a new first officer today and when we decided to rejoin from offshore to Kerteh International Airport using the ILS approach he took out a massive 10 pounder potential cockpit hazard out. It has been a long time since I last used a knee pad as most of the modern helicopters comes with a built in chart holder which is lighted. However if you insist to use a knee pad the design below is better than any knee pad purchased from Pilot s Shop. I borrowed this design from the US Army Aviators 38 th Group when they came for an audit of our Squadron way back in the early 80sThis looks simple enough. My mother in law sew this up for me about 30 years ago. Get some velcro, a transparent plastic and a bit of cloth from your old uniform will do. Even if you don't know how to sew it can still be done!
When it is done ( maybe about 10 minutes work) you just strap it on your knees and it is now a useful gadjet for flying. As there are no metal parts it will not affect your magnetic compass. There are also no rigid plates to obstruct the controls of the helicopter.
At the end of the flight all you have to do is to fold it like a small handkerchief and chuck it in the nav bag. The patent for this tool is still pending. However if you want to make one for yourself I can send you a detailed drawings and measurements....Just deposit RM 50 to my Maybank Account 8211969

Reconditioning a 40 years old vintage racing bike

This old bicycle had been lying at the back of my parents' house for the last thirty odd years. My younger brother bought it second hand when he was in school and that was around 1980. When I was offered the bike I quickly took it and the deal was I will pay my brother RM 50 if I can rebuild the bike to a road worthy condition.

Upon arrival, I stripped the bicycle apart and gave it a good wash. It was a good thing that the bicycle was hung near the kitchen as the whole bicycle was greasy. this layer of oil actually prevented the bike from rusting. After that I sent the bike to my good friend's hop at Jaya Motors. His mechanic spent two days changing the list of consumable that I requested....tyres, tubes, cables, bearings brakes, lights grips etc. At the end of the day I was only charged RM 150 by my friend.. a really good deal as he only charged the items at cost. what are friends for?

A lot of people in the shop was admiring the antiqued Shumano 600 ten speed racing gears. It is still good and looks like it will last another 100 years.

This is how the beauty looks like now. I have just done about 100 km riding the bike. it feels good and it is a fast bike to ride.

It is not the lightest bike around but I am happy with it. This is my bike No 4 at home. Next I will try and acquire a Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bike.. See I am happy with a RM 200 toy!