It Has Arrived! The First Skyranger Ninja 600 in the US!

Our Skyranger kit made the journey from the UK unscathed. After the boxes were unloaded from the delivery truck we started inspecting and inventorying the parts. We were very impressed with the care that went into the packaging of the kit. Most of the kit components were very well marked and had the associated hardware loosely installed in the correct order (huge time saver). A packing list with drawings was included to make the process easier.

We started building the upper and lower sections of the forward fuselage, then connected them together with the uprights. At this point it started to look like something you could sit in — we resisted the urge to climb in and make engine noises.

We continued to add small items and hardware in the sequence outlined in the builders manual. One thing I can not stress enough is to read ahead in the manual, it will save you many headaches going forward.

We installed the floor, battery box, diagonal center tubes, and motor mounts. The control stick went in next; it's starting to feel more and more like an airplane. We assembled the rear fuselage and installed the new 600KG / 1320LBS landing gear. The new gear and bush wheels come with supplemental instructions separate from the builders manual. Many pre-built cables were installed to strengthen the rear fuselage. It really looks great on the wheels!

We added the hydraulic brakes to the gear; this required some head scratching. Then we drilled a hole in both legs of the main gear to attach the brake calipers. We added the brake handle to the control stick and installed the flap control lever.

Working alone we would have about 56 work-hours into the project at this point.

Installed: fuselage cables, vertical stab, horizontal stab, rudder, elevator, pitch trim, fuel tanks, elevator & rudder control cables, fiberglass fuselage panels. Reinstalled the tail section after finishing the installation of the fiberglass. Riveted and bolted the firewall in place. 72 work-hours.

Moving Day. We moved the Skyranger from Rob Albright's barn to Crow Island Airpark in Stow, MA.

Attached the wing spars together with the 90° bracing. Installed tension cables and aileron pulleys in wings. Put the wing sail covering material in place, then tensioned with hardware. Installed upper and lower wing ribs in place. Assembled and installed right and left wing struts. Mounted both wings to the fuselage. Trimmed boot cowl and fitted in place. Installed control surfaces, flaps and ailerons on wings.

Installed the battery. Routed throttle and choke cables. Mounted the engine to the engine mounts. Mounted the boot cowl in place. Mounted the oil tank to the firewall mounts. Attached the oil tank to the engine. Started installing the liquid cooling system. Installed the engine side of the fuel lines. Attached all flight controls. Installed ELT and all com and nav antennas.

Cut and trimmed the cowl. Made vents for cooling, then mounted the radiator and oil cooler. Fabricated and installed the doors, windshield, windows and skylight. Installed cowl. Fabricated the instrument panel, installed instruments and wiring. Built and installed the instrument binnacle. Installed seats. Attached graphics, including N-numbers and experimental decals. Installed all engine controls, cooling plumbing, trim controls.

Added interior carpet, baggage compartment, seatbelts, and instrument markings. First engine run, primed the engine, addressed a fuel leak by tightening a clamp. The engine started fine after a bit of cranking. Engine CHT temps were good, oil temp was a bit on the low side. Adjusted the prop from max RPM of 4800 to max of 5100 — may have to remove more pitch.