Short post, but important. Most of the information out there is about how to properly pre-load the style of wheel bearings that don't have the integrated dust seal. The new Matco brakes come with integrated seals on the bearings and need a special procedure for install. According to the guide, the bearings should have 18-26... Continue Reading →
Let's start with the simple one, static line install. My first install wasn't going to cut it. I ran the static lines down and put a water catcher loop at the bottom that would hopefully keep the line going forward dry. After looking at it, I didn't like it, and my tech advisor agreed. Kacy... Continue Reading →
Exciting times, as its starting to look like more than a fuselage. The instructions for installing the gear are a single line that says "round tube in round hole, install one bolt", which is just insanely understating the amount of effort this took. While the idea is simple, it took hours and hours of sanding... Continue Reading →
I started the canopy fairing by cutting out the suggested patterns and mocking them up into place. It didn't take long to realize that the metal fairings weren't going to fit. Because the rear of the canopy frame was a bit wider than Van's expected (in order to clear the skin), I couldn't get a... Continue Reading →
The stock Van's fairing fit like crap. It needed to be excessively pulled into place and even once screwed into place, had large gaps everywhere. We decided to make our own. We started by laying out the basic shape we wanted, then taping up gaps and laying laid foam over that. This only took an... Continue Reading →
Our tech advisor came by for an inspection prior to glueing the canopy on to the frame and doing the install. He highlighted a few areas that needed to be tweaked on the frame, so I spent a day with a conduit bender going over the rear bow. It matches the curvature of the upper... Continue Reading →
This is the first post in a very long time, mainly because I've only been working on a single thing since halloween. So far I finished all the work on the tail and the canopy. I ended up making a new empannage fairing since I didn't like the one Van's supplied. I also made the... Continue Reading →
September 22 - October 3, 2020 Finally time to start doing canopy fittings. The initial fitment of the canopy frame from Vans look really good. None of the dimensions matched what were in the instructions or drawings though, so we started bending. Bending the square tubes to fit the shape of the fuselage sides took... Continue Reading →
September 20-21, 2020 We riveted on the turtle deck in preparation for the canopy work. This was standard work that required a driving rivets, but overall a simple task. Kacy ran the gun and I laid inside and held the bucking bar. We purchased the top rail from an RV8 to install on our turtle... Continue Reading →
September 19-21, 2020 Our kit of wingtip lights arrived from Flyboy Accessories so we decided to change gears a bit and install these. This kit was incredibly easy to build and install. All the solder points are huge and even a complete beginner can do it with just a little practice. We spent a half... Continue Reading →
Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren.