Stewart 51 Partner LLC
November December News and Events
Rodney Bower Fires It Up!
 
Rod Bower made his first engine run in Visalia, California in December.  The run went fine, no leak issues or other problems, and has Rod ready for his final inspection from the FAA.  This is one of the nicest S51's out there.  Good luck to Rod as he gets into his first flight and forty hours. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
And, Another One!  
 
 
Dick Whelen, in Waldron, Indiana, had his first run.  Dick had a few leaks here and there and is pulling the engine / PSRU unit back out to go back through those leaks, and get back outside this spring.  Bad cold up there right now.  Dick calls his Stewart "$um Toy II."  I have not seen Dick's S51 in person, but have seen photos during construction and heard from others who have seen it, both sources verifying that it is another excellent example of craftmanship and attention to detail. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the quest toward full kit production grinds on.  We are still disassembling the old production "straight" (no washout) wing, getting it ready for full proofing of the new ribs.  We have already run into one correction we need to make, where the .040" joggle that allows the first stringer to pass over the leading edge ribs will need to be modified.  Once we mock up the new ribs, we'll know more.  The wing we are disassembling is a long range fuel cell configuration, and getting the fuel tank area sealant off and softened up is really slowing us down.
 
Doll is still in Bartow with a new Electromotive ignition brain box.  On my last flight down there, the Electromotive system died at about 1,000' on climbout.  The good old MSD system just kept chugging along, but I brought it back around and landed rather than continue the flight.
 
 
 
 
The company that I have been using to host this website is telling me the new technology everyone is going to is going to pass me by in February.  They also tell me I cannot merge this site over to the new technology with the past years' information intact.  We are working on an answer to this.  You know, we can send a man to the moon in 1969, but we can't merge this website over?  Makes no sense to me.
 
Will keep you posted.  Here's to a great 2017 for all of us!