Update 21 January, 2018
Above, Chief Builder, Ron Burch, is shown testing the LED turn signals built into the side mirrors. While the area of the turn signal lens cover (plastic cover) satisfied the regulations for motorcycle turn signals, we wanted to make sure that the turn signals were bright enough to be seen in traffic. Our tests showed that the turn signals were very bright, and should be readily visible to motorists and pedestrian alike.
Next up was to verify that the mirror, once mounted, did not hinder view towards the front and down, where a pilot landing the Switchblade would need to see to tell how close to touchdown he/she was. This was commented on in Facebook, and we felt we should verify and show what the view is like. You can see in the image below that the mirror does not significantly block the view forward and down. It does block some view, but the majority of the space is not blocked, so we don’t feel that is an issue with the present side mirror. Eventually, we would like to have a camera on the sides, and display the views on the main display in the cabin. That would cut down on drag, noise, and loss of visibility.
We are continuing to receive metal parts. Those below are still parts for the tail, and are bagged and tagged for easy part identification. Nice job by eCNC of McMinnville, Oregon. The parts are made from aircraft aluminum, and Ron Burch anodized them, turning the parts a golden color. The anodizing is done to protect the parts from corrosion.
The combo rear brake & parking brake from Wilwood ended up not a good fit with the DRAG wheels, once we fitted the brakes and rotors inside. Sometimes what looks good in theory, doesn’t always work out the way it seems! In this case, we found that we could use a smaller brake and rotor on the rear, saving weight out at the wheels, which is better for road handling. The rear brake below is also a racing brake from Wilwood, and is extremely light but effective. We will mount the brakes, and do ground testing with the flying prototype prior to flight testing to make sure the front and rear brakes are working well together. The parking brake will be mounted in a different location, which we will show you later.
