Out of Hibernation
On 2 October 1999, I called Richard Steeves and ordered a set of plans to build a Coot A amphibian. Since then I have put about 360 hours into the planning and construction of my Coot. Alas, my last log entry was in July 2002. My profession as a faculty member at the University of Washington required that I moth ball the project for several years.
Now, in August of 2005, I have decided to de-moth ball my project and resume my Coot building activities. This Blog will act as something of a public journal of my building activities. I have no idea why I am making this blog public, except that I hope it will lead to some discussion with other homebuilders. Additionally, a stale blog is a bad thing—I will be under some pressure to keep writing, which means that I must keep building, as well.
For anyone out there reading this blog, feel free to comment.
Getting back into a Coot project after an inactive interval of three years is not easy. When we undertake a Coot project, we are often not aware of unanticipated interruptions that will come up along the way. You seem to have gone about it the right way, by cleaning up the accumulation of litter over your project and assessing what needs to be done. Still, it can be overwhelming.
I found it useful to make lists of all the steps within each “system”, and checking them off as I went along. If I became “stuck” along one track while waiting for a part, I could always move along another track. It also helps to host meetings of local Coot-builders from time to time. It’s amazing how many helpful tips arise as people with different skills look over your project, and their discerning eyes may well pick up things that the FAA inspectors would miss.
Comment by Richard Steeves — August 18, 2005 @ 6:58 amRichard,
Thanks for the tips. Yes, I will be putting together lists for each system—perhaps I’ll post them here as a subcategory for each system. Re: meetings with other Coot builders. That is a good idea. . . I’ve had three or four builders stoop by in the past (including you), and always got some good advice. From reading The Essential Coot and the last Newsletter it seems like there are quite a few builders in the Pacific Northwest.
Comment by Darryl — August 18, 2005 @ 7:52 amAbout 1968 I wrote to Molt because I was interested in building the Coot and he sent me pictures of the A & B models. Life intervenes and in late or early 2000 I got a set of plans from Richard. Then medical problems intervened and I can only fly ultralights to a gross weight of 1350lb. Since then I have been working on redesigning the Coot to bring down the weight and after several false starts I hope to begin again in 2008 to constuct my Coot light version. So it is about 40 years since my first interest in the Coot and I hope that this time it will come to fruition. Better late then never.
Comment by Thomas Philippa — November 16, 2007 @ 1:30 amI have enjoyed your web site and I hope to do something like that when I start building my Light Coot.
Thomas Philippa in Australia
Do you have or know where I can get a set of offsets for the coot hul, and tail section.
Comment by Kevin Raber — May 15, 2008 @ 6:21 pmThank you