To All:

Here is the latest project update:

Fins and Wings - The influx of personnel from the other teams was again beneficial for the F&W team. This week we assembled the wings. First the tapered leading edges were trimmed and individually fitted and then epoxied

to a wing section. Great care was taken to make sure the leading edges were straight when attached to their respective wing sections. Then the tapered

outboard edges were sanded and epoxied to the wing sections. The completed wings were set aside so the epoxy could cure. The rear fins were also finish-sanded, in preparation for primer and paint. Team Leader Dan Littmann spent most of the day on the table saw cutting out the 3-dimensional wing fairings from blocks of blue construction foam.

Next time we will attach the foam fairings to the wings, test fit the wings and fins into the airframe and fiberglass the completed wing sections. We will also be applying primer to the fins.

Avionics - Mike Doyle's Avionics team was also busy. Both the forward and aft bulkheads were epoxied into the 14-inch diameter tube coupler which houses the avionics. Caps for the altimeter bays were glued up and test

fitted and the 54-mm ejection ports were lined with fiberglass. Finally, a layer of 8.5 oz satin-weave fiberglass was applied to the exterior surface of the coupler.

Next time Mike's team will be sanding the exterior fiberglassed surface of the coupler and test fitting the coupler into the airframe. Work will also begin on the 3-inch diameter inserts for the e-bays. These are the inserts which will house the altimeters.

Airframe - Tom Savoie's Airframe Team fiberglassed the inner surface of the forward end of the airframe tube, for a distance of about 16 inches. This was necessary to provide a smooth, precision mating surface for the avionics bay/nose cone coupler. The Team had previously decided that the raw paper surfaces of the tube and coupler would not provide the precision fit required and could potentially lead to the coupler "cocking" in the airframe at ejection.

Next time Tom's team will be sanding the interior fiberglass surface and test fitting the coupler, the wings and the fins into the airframe.

Finances - While Rick Norrgard is recuperating, I will be accepting donations as the "Acting Treasurer" for the Phoenix Project. We still need your contributions in order to finish the project. For those of you who are

still making monthly payments, please bring your next payment to the launch next Sunday, or to the work session next Saturday.

That's all for now,

Hal