Building Challenger II N333JN

Hi - In February 2000 I took delivery of a Challenger II kit. This is my first aircraft project; I'm publishing these pages in order to share with the community of Challenger owners and builders my experiences, mistakes, problems encountered and solutions found. I'd like to express my gratitude to the many other builders who have posted excellent and informative sites that outline and illustrate various aspects of the Challenger building process. They've been an invaluable resource to this newbie. I'm not going to duplicate their materials here. Instead it's my intent to post photos and information about parts of the process that I havn't seen covered elsewhere in quite this way. In many cases what I'm chosing to photograph and post is guided by the kind of question I hear being asked on the Challenger list.

But let me say up front that though I've built a lot of things, from houses to wooden and fiberglass sailboats, in no way do I represent myself as knowledgable about this airplane building business. I'm working this out as I go along with the the help and generosity those who are far more experienced than I am, as well as through the usual process of try, mess up and try again. One reason I chose the Challenger was the degree to which flight critical construction is done at the factory. An old boatbuilding mentor used to say 'experience starts when you begin'; It also starts when you begin talking to people who have been there and done it before you. So if anyone sees anything on these pages you believe is a problem, please give me a holler:

E-mail me by clicking here

I'll include your comments on the page.
Thanks, Jim

Tailfeathers Wing Ribs and Gussets Rib Sheeting and Aileron Hinges Boxed Wing Tips Navlights Part 1 Navlights Part 2 Navlights Part 3 Fuselage Engine and Engine Controls Fuel System Electrical System Part 1 Electrical System Part 2 Mounting the Instrument Panel Transponder Installation Flaperons Pre-flight Inspection and Checklist Annual Inspection Checklist Installing CHT Sensors

ELT Installation Floorboards Windshield and Glareshield Making Your Own Wing Gap Seal Part 1 Making Your Own Wing Gap Seal Part 2 Making Your Own Wing Gap Seal Part 3 Kickstand Part 1 Kickstand Part 2 Setting Main Gear Toe-in Hydraulic Brakes and Rudder Centering Springs Paint Movin' Out Tailwheel Dolly Tricks n' Tips Decarboning the Engine Torque Specs for Rotax Engines