A drive around the neigborhood after welding

A weekend worth of welding, adding decking, and starting to get mobile resulted in a to-do list.

I started with filling in all the missing risers.  Most are just tack-welded in place. I added the truss 1/8" bar-stock elements using rosette welds.

A short 100ft drive and u-turn was unsuccessful. The trailer is very wiggly and the tongue weight is very low.  It was sketchy enough for stopping immediately.

After moving the axle back about 2ft and adding the decking plywood, it towed significantly better.  A bit more tongue weight quieted down the hitch noises.  It looks like a trailer.

However, the bar stock I used for diagonal truss members was extremely wiggly while driving as it bowed in compression.  I figured the structure would be mostly positively loaded in bending, but driving around makes enough jiggles that load the trusses in compression also, which makes them start bowing.  Yikes.  Now, the to-do list includes removing the bar stock, grinding the area flat (uhg), and installing diagonal truss elements made from angle, which will be much stiffer in compression.

The basic to-do list is:

• remove the diagonal truss bar elements
• grind and sand the surface flat again
• buy new diagonal truss material
• cut and bevel new diagonal trusses (12x for the sides, 2x for the ends)
• tack weld the diagonal trusses
• finish weld the vertical elements
• bolt the ply decking to the floor
• buy replacement lights (I broke one this weekend)
• install replacement lights
• figure out how Goat parts sit in the trailer
  
• take all of Goat for its first trip around the neighborhood
  

The extended to-do list is:

• epoxy-coat seal the ply decking
  
• create a rear door that can be quick-pinned in place
• install additional running lights
• buy and install reflective tape (DOT-C2) for higher visibility
• figure out front/side/back walls
  
• dream up a top lid (will do wonders for torsion)
• buy tow rope
• buy radios (1x airborne, 1x car)
  
• find a place to fly
• travel
• fly
  

Just a bit more chopping

The additional risers arrived in the mail and have been chopped to length, beveled, and clamped into place.  They will be welded up during a sunny weekend day tomorrow.  

Even just clamped, the structure is much stiffer in bending.  I ran out of clamps for the cross-bracing to stiffen in torsion, but basic static structures suggest each additional member will improve torsional rigidity also.  I have a few ideas for a tailgate.

Pictures after tomorrow's welding.

Looking for a new place for a maiden flight...

Well, this is a bummer:

 

Perchance, does anyone know of a place for a maiden flight of Goat doing a car-tow in the northern Virginia area?  My best guess is looking for a grass runway 3,000ft long with large fields surrounding the runway.

In all seriousness, timing would be some time late fall or next spring. Leave a comment and I'll get back to you.