Putting
together the UL-10
Feb.
20, 2010 -- The UL-10
 |
Will
work for peanuts -- just need some peanuts.
|
Feb.
16, 2010 -- A little action on the UL-10
Grayson
Edsinger, a 7th grade student at Sedgewick Middle School, works
on sanding the fiberglass in the cockpit of the UL-10. |
The
broken tail feather of the UL-10 gets a little foam board repair.
We over build the foam area and then shave it off to match the
shape of the wing. Then once we have the shape, we'll overlay
it about three layers of fiberglass cloth. Why? Because we just
love sanding fiberglass. |
Feb.
15, 2010 -- The cockpit's "bonded"
Feb.
15, 2010 -- Zane "Crash" Courtway sneaks in a picture of
Bud McKay
laying in the final fiberglass layer of the cockpit of the UL-10.
Feb.
7, 2010 -- Getting somewhere
Click
on photo to see "Bonding Video" (video posted Feb.
8)
The
game plan -- all fiberglass cloth pieces were pre-cut to fit
for each section of the rollcage. Here's all we needed to
do the job. There are 12 seperate sections of the rollcage.
Each section requires two layers of fiberglass. We had a brand
new can of epoxy and thought that was enough to do the job.
But we ran out after the 9th section. (sigh). I can't believe
that!
|
We
turned the cockpit area, where the seat will go, into a makeshift
work table and prepared the epoxy mix there. |
While
the pieces were cut to fit...some of them didn't fit as close
as we'd like. But it's better to be too long, like in the case
around the left-cockpit window, than too short. We can trim
the long pieces. |
This
is a better view of the area around the front windshield. The
gap between the rollcage and the cockpit were filled earlier
in the week with foam. Once that cured, we wrapped the fiberglass
over that to help form a stronger bond of the rollcage to the
cockpit. |
Feb.
6, 2010 -- Getting somewhere
(Click
here for short video to get a brief look at all we did)
|
"Crash"
Courtway working on the skid fin bracket of the UL-10.
|
Matt
Mattson is working on the steering assembly. Here, we check out
the alignment of the steering gear. You can see off to the lower
left, the chain rubs on the cockpit, so we'll have to widen the
hole for it. |
Here
is the fiberglass cloth all cut, numbered and ready to go. We'll
throw two layers of fiberglass on the roll cage "bonding
it" with the cockpit. I'll lay in the fiberglass on Super
Bowl Sunday as the Saints trounce the Colts.
|
"Crash"
works on the seat-frame of the UL-10. "Crash" is an
all-star crew member. There's not much he won't dive in and
work on.
|
Feb.
5, 2010 -- Another crew day
He's
baaaack. Matt Mattson, our crew chief from 2009 on the E-10,
looks over the steering gear of the UL-10. Unfortunately, Matt
can't dedicate the time to the sport as he did last year --
but he just couldn't stay away completely. Matt will be working
on the steering assembly of the UL-10. Then he says, "We'll
see what other project I can tackle. |
Under
the watchful eye of the boss lady (Ms. Harley McKay), Mike
Jarvis lays fiberglass on the roll cage of the UL-10 to help
"bond" it to the sides of the cockpit.
|
Zane
"Crash" Courtway has really turned into a pleasant
surprise. This 15-year-old is going to be "someone"
in this sport. He's already a force in the RC world. But I'm
telling you -- there's nothing this South Kitsap sophomore
can't do on a hydroplane. He's bounced back and forth on the
UL-10 and E-10. We'll be excited for him next season when
he turns 16 and can take the E-10 out for a spin.
|
Mikey
adjusts a layer of fiberglass on the roll cage of the UL-10.
Click here, or on Mikey's bald head, to launch "Mikey
in Action" video from today's crew day.
|
Jan.
31, 2010 -- HORSEPOWER ARRIVES
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Top: Harley
McKay's told that she has to share the engine with her dad,
Bud McKay. She doesn't like it, but she gave in. :) Right: Bud
McKay, who was working in confined areas with brake cleaner
all day, yells, "YAHOO! as he saddles up on top of 850
horsepower. (DISCLAIMER -- no parts of the engine were damaged
in this photo shoot).
|
 |
Jan.
29, 2010 -- It's coming along.
Mike
Jarvis lays out a piece of foam board to make the lid to the canopy.
This is just a straight piece of board about 1/4-inch thick. It
is rigid, so how do we make it so that it will curve? Click on
the picture to see the video. |
After
scoring the board, it makes it easier to hold the shape. Next
Monday, Mikey will use epoxy and fiberglass to form the lid.
|
Mike
Jarvis uses a second layer of foam board for the top portion
of the canopy lid. The two pieces will be joined together and
form one strong lid. |
Even
as large as the hangar is, we're still packed pretty tight with
two boats in it and all of our equipment. Here, Mike does his
funky-chicken dance getting out of the corner of the shop. Click
on the photo and see a video of Mike working the cutting tool
on the seat.
|
Jan.
23, 2010 -- It's coming along.
Who
said Central Kitsap and South Kitsap high schools don't get
along. Here, Sebastian Morey, left, a sophomore at Central Kitsap,
helps Zane "Crash" Courtway, a sophomore at South
Kitsap figure out how to break the prop shaft free from the
thrust bearing. We've been trying to do this for two weeks.
Throw a little Power Punch gear grease on it and WHAM! Out she
came.
|
Pete
Morey, left, and his son, Sebastian, plan their attack in reassembling
the steering gear near the front of the hull of the UL-10. (To
see a video of Sebastian in action, click on the photo to launch
video)
|
Pete
Morey, CEO of Power Punch, works on the tail section of the
UL-10. (To see Pete in action, click on the picture to launch
video)
|
Just some
minor body work on this and she'll look great on the rear of the
UL-10. |
Zane "Crash"
Courtway cleaning up the rear end of the boat for the new deck
plates. (To see a video of Zane in action, click on the photo
to launch a video)
|
We added
a number of "man-size" access holes and plates to the
deck. The old access holes were "girly" size. Our plates
are custom made to fit.
|
Dec.
21 , 2009 -- The sand man and sand woman
Zane
Courtway, a sophomore at South Kitsap High School, sands along
the deck of the UL-10.
|
Here's
a twist. Normally, Julie Sparrowgrove takes photos of hydros in
action; here's a picture of Julie in action sanding the UL-10. |
While
Zane and Julie sanding the hull, Bud McKay was stuck
inside the cockpit sanding it down as well. This is the right-side
of the cockpit as you see the escape opening on the bottom right.
Dec.
7 , 2009 -- *Construction Starts*
Before
Mike Jarvis could start working on the cockpit, he had to try
it out first. |
If
Mike looks cold, he was! It was 32 degrees in the hangar; close
to 10 degrees warmer than it was outside. Here Mike takes measurements
in the cockpit. |
Bud
McKay takes a sawsall to make the opening for the escape hatch. |
Mike
cooked the jigsaw trying to cut out opening of the escape hatch. |
Bud
pops his head through the opening for the escape hatch under the boat.
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