Zenith STOL CH750 | Builder's Log
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Zenith STOL CH750

BLog By:  BVD
Start Date:  Feb 28, 2021
Finish Date:  Still Working!
Total Hours: 258
  • Hangar Flying's SS750z Builder's Log
    • This project and this Builder's Log is a work in progress

    • Aircraft – Zenith STOL CH750
        • Engine – Rotax 912 ULS Zipper big bore – 116 HP
          Prop – TBD but leaning toward a 2 or 3-blade eProp
          Panel – 12.9" iPad Pro, Levil 3 AW, GRT EIS and TQ radios

          I found this factory quick build kit that was partially built and decided maybe it was a good time to build another airplane…even though I travel 7-8 months a year for work. What was I thinking! ? Anyway, you are welcome to follow along, comment, ask questions, and hopefully, it will help some other builders along the way. I deploy for work about 6-7 months a year, so there may be some gaps in my updates. I also added all posts prior to April 2022 well after I had taken the photos...but going forward I will do a better job of posting updates!
zenith 750 stol rotax levil eprop
iLevel 3 AW ordered!
Hours:  0.00
Apr 10, 2022
I ordered my iLevil 3 AW today, taking advantage of their Sun-n-Fun 10% off special. Check it out here.
levil ilevil 3aw
Latest Panel Design
Hours:  4.00
Apr 03, 2022
I think I've decided on using the Levil 3AW w/iPad Pro 12. 9 and GRT EIS as my main avionics suite. Along with the TQ radios and analog LRI setup, I should have way more than I'll ever need in this STOL toy. Let me know what you all think. ...read more
instrument panel
Modular instrument panel
Hours:  2.00
Jan 30, 2022
I decided to go the RV route again for my instrument panel, so we put the original panel in the Panel Pro and cut it out to make a flange with nutplate holes. The flange portion of the panel will be permanently mounted on the aircraft, and the main panel simply screws to it. We'll be offering this d ...read more
instrument-panel instrument panel modular
More firewall forward
Hours:  8.00
Jan 30, 2022
More work on the firewall forward. I have the radiator mounted, as well as the Rotax oil and water tanks. I got the FWF kit for a 912iS ring mount and cowl and couldn't be happier. . . everything just fits exactly where it needs to.
firewall forward radiator oil-tank fwf
Engine cowling
Hours:  8.00
Jan 23, 2022
The firewall forward work continues with mounting the oil cool. In my kit, the oil cooler mounts to the lower engine cowling, so I got the top and bottom cowls mated and started work on mounting the cooler. I soon realized that it would be better to just wait until the cowling is permanently mounted ...read more
engine cowling fiberglass finishing
Firewall forward
Hours:  8.00
Jan 23, 2022
Started work on the firewall forward components, plumbing and wiring. Carbs and fuel lines installed, electronics installed. Started on the cooling plumbing, but still need to rotate on of the water pump housing outlets. I'll be using the GRT ESI for an engine monitor. . . as soon as I get that, wir ...read more
engine rotax 912 uls firewall forward
Fuel sending units
Hours:  8.00
Jan 22, 2022
I originally wanted to use standard sight gauges in the wings for fuel indication, but the way the wing sits higher than the fuselage I would have only been able to see about 1/3 of the fuel in the tank. Also, the tubing would have had to be much longer than is typical. So, I decided on using the fa ...read more
fuel sender sending level
Zipper Big Bore
Hours:  16.00
Jan 20, 2022
The Legend, Hal Stockman, can to the Hangar Flying shop to help me install one of his Zipper big bore kits on my 912 ULS. What a remarkable experience and an all around great guy.
engine zipper rotax 912 uls big-bore top-end piston head overhaul
In-flight seat adjusters
Hours:  8.00
Jan 16, 2022
Although I liked the way I originally installed the seats directly to the seat pan for weight savings, I realized that I couldn't get them back as I needed for my legs. So, I broke down and installed the in-flight adjustable seat sliders. They are heavy, but I can get the seat quite a bit further ba ...read more
seat adjuster
FLaperons
Hours:  6.00
Nov 08, 2021
Worked on the joining brackets for the flaperons and got them temporarily mounted today. Had to do some trimming on the inboard flaperons to get the proper fuselage clearance.
wing flaperon controls
Rudder cable fairings
Hours:  4.00
Nov 04, 2021
I had some rudder cable fairings left over from a previous project I decided to use on the 750. I also didn't like the way the plans depicted the cable routing through the fuselage, so I used a similar method to the RV-8. Worked out great.
rudder cable fairing
Mounting the tail
Hours:  8.00
Oct 25, 2021
When I got the project, the tail was already built. However, I did have to drill part of the rudder and horizontal stabilizer to repair a couple of mistakes. Mounted everything today and working out the hardware setup for each connection. Pretty happy with how it all fit, with a couple of minor exce ...read more
empennage tail mounting
Measuring the seats for upholstery
Hours:  1.00
Aug 31, 2021
Spent some time today measuring the seats for the local upholstery place here. I've seen here work and looking forward to getting in done and installed.
seat upholstery
Jury struts install
Hours:  8.00
Aug 25, 2021
The jury struts took a bit more time as they required more fabrication, and they are steel, but they also turned out great.  
wing struts jury
Wing struts install
Hours:  8.00
Aug 25, 2021
Again, kudos to Zenith on a great kit. Once I had the wings drilled to the fuselage and the wing struts built on the bench, it was pretty easy to install the struts right where they needed to be. Took a lot of fitting and drilling and installing and removing, but I'm happy with the result.
wing rigging struts
Mounting the wings
Hours:  8.00
Aug 23, 2021
I made up some stands to aid in the mounting of the wings, and it worked out really well. Once I had the fuselage level, I used shims and digital levels to get the wings where the needed to be before for drilling to the fuselage and before starting on the wing struts.
wing mounting rigging struts
Glare shield painted and installed
Hours:  6.00
Aug 23, 2021
Even though I don't think I'll be painting the airplane, I decided to paint the glare shield flat black. I also went ahead and riveted it in as I always install systems on a complete airframe, so there is no change of building myself into a maintenance nightmare.
glareshield
Nose gear mod
Hours:  4.00
Aug 12, 2021
I'm installing Dresser 21/800-6 Tundra Buffed tires all the way around, so I had to make some extension brackets for the nose wheel fork.
gear nose mod
More landing gear work
Hours:  8.00
Aug 04, 2021
All the landing gear installed. Fuselage leveled and on to fitting the wings.
landing gear
Landing gear
Hours:  8.00
Aug 03, 2021
I put the fuselage up on my workbench, so I could start work on the gear. At this point, I already had the tail temporarily mounted, as well as the engine firewall and ring mounts. Once I had main gear on the way I liked it (had to remake my rubber gear pads a couple of times), I got if off the benc ...read more
landing gear
Taking some measurements of the fuel tanks
Hours:  1.00
May 12, 2021
Took measurements of the furl tanks in order to determine if I could use an alternate installation method, and the possibility of sight gauges in the fuselage.
fuel tank
LH wing work
Hours:  10.00
May 10, 2021
Nice long day clecoing, drilling, deburring and riveting the LH wing. Second one went together a lot faster…feels good…except when your hand's stop working.  Also got the Pitot and AoA lines ran to the wing root.
wing skeleton skin
RH wing strut brackets
Hours:  8.00
May 06, 2021
Working on the wing strut attach brackets. Plans are excellent here, did not have any issues with fitment, even though much of these parts are not pre-drilled.
wing strut
Seat pans and seats first fitting
Hours:  8.00
May 03, 2021
Did some work on the seat pans and seats today, so I could make airplane noises. I have the in-flight adjustable seat kit, but I want to save weight everywhere I can, so I fabricated the seats to sit right on the seat pan. The seat bottom is from, and the seat back is out of my RV-8A. ?
seat
AOA probe mounting plate fabrication
Hours:  4.00
May 02, 2021
I had an LRI AOA probe from a previous project and made a mounting plate and doubler for the bottom of the RH wing. Turned out pretty nice. I'll be using a Dwyer Minihelic II Differential Pressure Gage for the instrument that I picked up from Amazon. I ordered a pitot/static install kit from St ...read more
aoa pitot mount
RH wing top skins
Hours:  8.00
May 01, 2021
Top skins on the RH wing being clecoed, drilled and deburred.
wing skin
RH bottom wing skins
Hours:  8.00
Apr 30, 2021
Continued work on the RH wing skins. Bottom skins riveted and strut fittings attachedment.
wing skin rivet
More work on the RH wing
Hours:  8.00
Apr 29, 2021
More work clecloing, drilling, deburring and clecoing… My hands are killing me.
wing skin
Woking on the RH wing
Hours:  8.00
Apr 28, 2021
Getting to work on the RH wing. Skeleton clecoed together and test fitting bottom skins. Pretty happy with the fit and finish of all the components.
wing skeleton skin cleco
Found gently used Rotax 912 ULS
Hours:  0.00
Mar 21, 2021
Came across a used Rotax 912 ULS with quite a few new parts. Should be waiting for me at home the next time I'm off work.
rotax 912
Instrument panel planning
Hours:  4.00
Mar 05, 2021
More panel planning. . . I'm planning on most of the switches and all the breakers going on the top portion of the center console, along with the fuel selector switch.  Just playing around with the Garmin stuff on the panel. . . seem a bit overkill to me for this beast.
instrument panel consol switch breaker
Playing around with some Garmin cutouts I had laying around
Hours:  2.00
Mar 05, 2021
I had some Gamin G3X cutouts lying around from a mockup I did for another builder and taped them to the panel to see what they looked like.
garmin g3x instrument-panel instrument panel
Inspection and inventory
Hours:  10.00
Mar 02, 2021
Although I had already done a detailed inventory and inspection when I picked up the project, I took the time to have a look at everything again and get it all put away. I only had a couple of days before I had to head back on another 2 month deployment, but I did have time to cleco both wing skelet ...read more
inspection inventory wing skeleton
Bringing the project home
Hours:  48.00
Mar 01, 2021
I just happened to find this project for sale in Illinois and since I'm in Colorado I needed to figure out how that was going to happen. At this point, I decided if it wasn't an easy task, I would probably attempt to find something locally, or at least closer. I called one of my buddy's to see if I ...read more
kit transport project hangar