Sequoia Aircraft Corporation F.8L Falco, Construction Manual

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F.8L Falco Construction Manual 1–3 Revision 4, March 1, 2002
If you take great care to do everything well, you will enjoy the construction of the aircraft much
more than if you are sloppy.
When your Falco is finished, you will find it difficult to look at the airplane without seeing the
errors. Your eyes will naturally focus on the little mistakes that others will not notice. The fewer
errors you have to see, the more you will enjoy owning the airplane. If your workmanship is very
good, you will find the FAA easier to work with—there are few things that give FAA inspectors
more pleasure than walking into a homebuilder’s shop and inspecting a beautifully-built aircraft.
You will also find assistance easier to come by at every turn if you are building a beautiful airplane.
Also, keep in mind that one day you might want to sell your Falco. A beautifully-built Falco will
bring a very good price. A sloppy one will be difficult to sell even at a very low price. You will
find your friends and family hesitant to ride in a crudely-built aircraft, but if it looks professional,
you will have little trouble.
While few builders give much thought to the subject of resale value, you really should think about
this. It’s a good feeling to have built something that others would like to have. The market for
homebuilt aircraft is a little paranoid. We like to make the analogy that it is the way Spanish
men regard their women: they are either ladies or “ladies of the night”—nothing in between.
With a production aircraft, such as a Bonanza, the price will reflect the condition of the plane. If
the plane needs a new paint job, you will get less for it. But with a homebuilt aircraft, the
situation is different. The typical buyer knows relatively little about the construction of an
airplane. All he knows is that he likes the Falco and would like to buy a nice one. In the back of
his mind is this nagging worry about the workmanship that went into the airplane. When
everything is perfect, you can almost name your price. A beautifully-built Falco makes normal
production aircraft look really sad. But what happens if the paint is poorly done? Immediately,
the buyer starts worrying about what
else is wrong. Are the glue joints sound? When this process
starts, the sale is off—and price is not the issue. Once this happens, you can cut the price in half,
and you will still not sell the airplane.
One last thought on this subject. All of us, no matter how intelligent or independent, bask in the
admiration of others. The way others see your Falco will materially affect the enjoyment you get
out of building and owning the Falco.
Modifications
As you go over the plans for the Falco and begin construction, you will think about changes that
you would like to make. As the plane comes into focus, it looks very simple. It is, but it is
also
extremely sophisticated. The Falco is a very good example of the “Swiss watch” syndrome.
Things fit together beautifully, but if you change one little thing, your life can become misery.
“One change makes a million” is the old phrase, and it is quite true. The Falco plans show you
what to do. They do not tell you why you should not do it another way. Also, the plans often do
not show you the potential interference problems.
As you build the Falco, you will begin to have an appreciation for these little things. You will
suddenly notice how nicely things fit together. The plans do not tell you, for example, how the
aileron control cables clear the rudder and elevator controls at the center of the airplane. It’s one
of those little things that will have you saying “Well, I’ll be. Isn’t that neat.” The Falco is
literally chock-full of that sort of thing.
There is no way to adequately explain the horrible way this “Swiss watch” syndrome grows as the
airplane nears completion. When you have all of the flight controls installed, you will think that