|
OWNER/BUILDER: Lorin Wilkinson
REGISTRATION: NX500L
Lorin Wins Grand Champion - Experimental
at Biplane Expo 2000!
click on pictures
|
|
In keeping with the fine tradition of Dale Severs, Billy Dawson, Rick Hansen,
Frank Pavliga, and so many others, Lorin Wilkinson's Snooty Hatz took top honors,
Grand Champion, at her debut showing. Surrounded by some of the finest biplanes in
the country, Lorin's LOM-powered Hatz was selected as the best of the best.
In addition, Lorin won the annual Farthest Distance award, logging over 1700 miles
to get Snooty Hatz from Yelm, WA to Bartlesville, OK. Flying over the Rocky Bumps
proved to be no problem.
A Hatzy Congratulations to Lorin and Snooty! It is, indeed, a gorgeous biplane.
Lorin Wilkinson is well known to just about everyone who has ever shown an interest in the
Hatz CB-1. Lorin is the past CEO & President of the American Hatz Association, the
organization he founded quite a few years ago.
His project, a unique Hatz with an inline engine, is near completion. Lorin promises more
pictures and a note or two about what he's up to with NX500L.
31 August 1998
Still painting on the Hatz but the end iz in sight. Got the buffing stuff that you
suggested and will begin on that soon. I've decided to use a vinyl decal of the indian
head on the side of the fuselage. The reproduction is the best and it is a lot less
expensive than having a "Rembrant" paint it on by hand.
19 October 1998
HOWDY!
Progress slowed a bit due to two factors; 1. winter commenced, 2. Had a grand visit with
Jurg Muller who spent nearly a week with me. He was over to do some work at Boeing, then
stayed over to see the northwest. He made side trips to the San Juan islands, Mount Rainier,
Mount St. Helens and the Olympic Peninsula. In the mean time we managed to Hatz it up and
visit some interesting hangars and aeroplanes.
Progress: I have all of the painting done with the exception of two wings, the easy ones
with no numbers to mask. The weather is moderating and I shall get them done this week.
The center section is mounted plumb, square and true using real lock nuts and cotters.
It's there to stay. I am beginning to re-install all of the fuel line plumbing and will
run a wet test when completed. NX500L is finally going tgether...finally! I'm beginning
to think that New Year's Day would be a grand day for a first flight. A Hatzy way to
start the year.
Stay Hatzy...Lorin
12 November 1998
The "Snooty Hatz" iz going together nicely. Today I plan to "wet test" the fuel system
and finish installing the engine wiring and plumbing. I have been using yards and yards
of bailing wire...oops, I mean safety wire. Same thing, different era. I should hang the
wings and tail feathers before the end of the month and really celebrate Thanksgiving.
Then we will call for certification and again, hopefully get that completed by Christmas. I am
going to request a 25 hour test period instead of the expected 40 hours. The engine and
prop are not U.S. certified but the Zlin aircraft are being given "reciprocal" certification
when imported and they are equipped with the LOM engine and Avia propellers. If the
inspector is a reasonable sort...besides how long does it take to figger out if the engine
and prop are gonna work? About five minutes would be my guess.
By the by, those propane "afterburners" are noisy but they do take the chill off of
your shop and they are not expensive to operate. I used to warm my whole hangar with
one until I doubled the size of the hangar. I had a LARGE propane heater installed and
I am joyously burning up my son's inheritance. I've told him time and again that there
probably wouldn't be any money left but there would be a hangar full of great toys!
15 November 1998
Here is a quick update on the progress made on the "Pointy Hatz" to date. All of the
painting has been completed and all of the numbering, lettering and logo's installed.
The engine has been re-installed and most of the plumbing and wiring installed...again.
The fuel system was completed and "wet tested", with only a couple of weepies that were
resealed. We also ran a fuel flow test from the outlet of the gascolator, we have 3/8"
fuel lines throughout with four down lines from the center section tank which contains
21 U.S. galloonz. and an aux. tank forward of the front cockpit that contains 7.5 gal.
With only fifteen (15) gallons total on board we recorded a 60 gallon per hour flow at
the gascolator outlet. I don't think that there will be a fuel starvation problem. The
vertical tail surfaces have been installed, rudder cabled hooked up and the tail nav.
lite hooked up and tested. It's beginning to look a lot like a Hatz!
Our next project will be to drain all the preservative oil from the engine and flush
everything with gasoline. We will then fill the oil system with mineral oil for the
break-in which will be minimal as the engine was run 7 hour on the test stand at the
factory and all the break-in data recorded in the engine log. The propeller and cowling
will complete the power plant installation. The wings will then be re-installed and
rigged and the certification inspection will be performed. We hope to be certified by
mid December with the first flights to follow as weather permits. We will document
this with our digital camera and send photo's along to you. We are hoping that the
inspector will consider that the engine and propeller are being imported and certified
on the Zlin aircraft and will only require a 25 hour test period rather than 40 hours.
Our first "official" outing will be the Biplane Expo at Bartlesville in June '99.
With all of the other CB-1's nearing completion, I hope that we will see an outstanding
turnout of Hatz Aeroplanes and Hatz Nutz.
Stay Hatzy! - Lorin
Just a note for the hints page. If builders are installing stainless steel
control cables they should use the zinc coated nico- press sleeves rather than the
plain copper ones to preclude bi-metal corrosion according to FAR-43.
1 September 1999
Greetings Gang!
Ran the engine on the Pointy Hatz today. It took several attempts to get the fuel
flowing through the injector pump but it finally took off and ran like a champ.
I need to increase the pitch in the propeller and locate a bad plug on the right mag.
All the instrumentation worked like magic and I am very pleased to say the least. I will
sort things out tomorrow and if all goes well I will call for an inspection date and
hang the wings when I return from Cottage Grove.
Here are a few photo's...more later. I'll get a video with sound for you, Doug, the
battery wuz dead in my cam-corder.
The end iz in sight...I just hope that the light at the end of the tunnel is not a
laser guidance system in action!
Das Alte Pelikan!
October 7, 1999
Just about got her rigged, had the position light and strobe on the left wing
all screwed up... turned out to be nothing more than a faulty ground wire! But,
it took half a day to find and sort out. This stuff is never in the builders logs
and...no wonder it's 90% done and 85% to go!
Click on thumbnail pictures to see full
size
|
The firewall foward installation of the LOM
332B engine. The 332B is the 160hp version of the Czech inverted-four
engine. |
|
NX500L out of the hangar, but without a stitch
on. (Children, avert your eyes!) |
 |
Another view of NX500L. |
 |
A view of the turtledeck assembly. |
|
Nearing completion and just out of paint,
Lorin's new Hatz shows off her artwork. |
|
Wing masked and ready for lettering paint. |
|
The final result is gorgeous! |
|
No, the cowl iz not gold anodized. It got that hue from an overhead
light.....no, I'm not going to get it anodized either. the buckin'
bar stops here.....I WANNA FLY! |
|
The front shot shows you the nice tight profile that will deliver
an extra 5 mph! |
|
Absolutely undaunted by the bright sunshine, Lorin prepares to
fire that puppy up! |
|
Prop turning... pop... sputter... |
|
IT'S RUNNING! LOM LOCOMOTION IN ACTION!
No, this isn't a clipped-wing Hatz. Lorin promises that he'll
get those wings on before first-flight--a good thing! |
|
A close-up of the nose. Such a handsome nose. |
|
A not-so close-up of the nose. The low frontal area of the Hatz
should translate into more knots. |
|
A view forward from the business office. |
|
Lorin and friends begin attaching the wings. Lorin is either
pointing to where he intends to take the aircraft or to points
on the ceiling to use in rigging the wings. |
|
Work continues on the upper set --- a natural progression on
a biplane. Evidently Lorin had been pointing to where they were
to tie the wing off to the ceiling for support. |
|
For some reason, Lorin is eyeing the camera person suspiciously
in this photo. Could be because the guy taking photos ISN'T HELPING!!!
:-) |
|
Left and right side of the aircraft get the same treatment. |
|
Lorin attaches the struts. Well, almost. The doggone thing reached
the wing before! |
|
An appropriately placed ladder hides the magic they used to get
that strut attached. |
|
Wings on, struts attached, wires rigged. Lorin's Hatz is just
about ready to fly! |
|
Rolled out of the hangar and ready to fly. Where's that FAA guy? |
|
Another view. |
|
A beautiful and unique Hatz! |
|
