May 25, 2023  Issue #5,826. (previous day's news).
  Thursday is a crazy day for me schedule-wise, so the Friday edition might not come out until Friday morning (depending on how tired I am).  Also, the mothership will be closed Monday. ;^),
 

Brantel -12iS Status Update

Picked up my wing and fuse kits today! Amazingly ABF was pretty kind to the crates this time!

Vy and Vx testing using EFIS logging

RV-7A, IO-360-M1B + Hartzell CS Prop

I've done about 4 hours of sawtooth climbs and idle-power glides in an attempt to determine the important V speeds.

I'll start with my test method.

For the climbs, I used this method: Target a particular density altitude (in this case, 4,500). Start about 1,000-1,500 feet below target altitude. EFIS does the density altitude calculation for me so I know what indicated altitude to start at. Set autopilot to IAS mode and establish test airspeed. Apply full power, highest RPM, and full rich mixture, and "help" the autopilot with a little control stick force. I found my AP servo could hold within +/- 3kts, and with some "nudging" I could help the servos hold +/- 1kts. Level off about 1,000 above target altitude. Let things cool off a bit and then do a glide test.

At home, I find a 30-60 second sample of data from the logs with uniform airspeed and with 4,500 as the midpoint altitude, subtract starting density altitude from ending density altitude, and divide by how long it took to fly through that block. I'm ignoring the VSI data, although I found the average indicated VS for each climb to be pretty close to the end-start/time calculation.

Same method for the glides. Pick a pressure altitude, start a bit above that, set AP to IAS mode, power to idle, prop pulled fully out. Then divide altitude lost by time, at my computer at home to find sink rates.

For the best angle calculations (Vx and best glide), I converted IAS to TAS (since I believe vertical speed is a true airspeed number) and used inverse tangent to find the angles.

Climb Results

Vy is tough to call. Configured at 1600 pounds weight, 4500ft density altitude, my rate of climb curve is essentially flat, about 1475f/m at all airspeeds between 73-93 KIAS. This might be expected with a CS prop. Tests were done full rich though. I should probably be leaning for best power at that density altitude.

Vx is basically "as slow as I'm willing to climb." The airplane will climb at pretty much any reasonable angle you command it to fly.

Neither Vy or Vx seem to be very relevant to actual flying, since CHT is ultimately the limiting factor, and prevents me from sustaining these climb airspeeds.

Glide Results

Best idle-power glide is also flat: 10:1 ratio at all glide airspeeds between 75 and 95 KIAS. Tests were at 1600 pounds and pressure altitude of 3500ft.

Best idle-power sink seems to be around 70 KIAS (788f/m), but I want to do a few more runs to confirm it.

So far, kind of disappointing to not be able to plot those nice, obvious airspeed-vertical speed curves that the flight testing docs show. I think I simply need to do more testing and gather more data. Or change something about my test method.

What is the MA4-SPA plugged opening used for?

Terry Shortt's FWF ...-7

I just finished up most of my FWF stuff and I have everything you mentioned stuffed under the hood with the exception of an oil separator. Mines a 390 so the prop governor is on the front, which certainly helped. free up some space on the aft side.

Theres a limit to how high you can move that battery and still get it out of the battery box due to the engine mount tube above it unless you build a battery box that doesn't require pulling the battery up to get it out of the box.

With some careful planning and mockups its doable, but I absolutely wouldn't bolt up anything until the engine mount is on otherwise the potential for interference is quite high.

Theres so much stuff back there that it's kind of hard to capture all the chaos with one photo, but here's a picture of mine. If you want to see anything in particular or need approximate layout measurements shoot me a pm.

Panel Status: toolmanmike -7

Almost ready for instruments! I hand cut this panel. Used rub on lables. Will clear coat it and then the fun begins!

May 24th is AMT DAY - Save 10% Site Wide at Brown Tool - Even SALE items!

Happy Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMT) Day!

May 24th is designated as AMT day in at least 45 states to recognize the important work that AMT's accomplish day in and day out to keep aircraft in safe and airworthy condition. The day was picked because Charles Taylor, the man who built the engine used to power the airplane flown by the Wright Brothers was born on May 24th. He is recognized by many as the "first airplane mechanic".

As we do every year on this date, Brown Aviation Tool Supply is offering a special coupon code that can be used on our website to save 10% off of any order of $100 or more! Simply place an order of $100 or more and enter the coupon code AMTDAY (must be entered in all caps to work) in the designated box at checkout and 10% will be deducted from your order!
Visit our website here: http://browntool.com

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As always, any order that ends up with a net cost of $95 or more that is paid with a credit card will receive FREE SHIPPING to ANY address in the USA (including Alaska, Hawaii, PR, Guam, and APO/FPO addresses!)

Here are the very simple rules: Order must be placed on our website. Discount is only good for NEW orders of $100 or more and you MUST enter the AMTDAY coupon code in all caps at checkout to receive the discount. Previous orders are of course not eligible, this special offer is for NEW orders only.

If you have been on the fence about ordering a Deluxe RV Kit, a new Sioux American made Mini Palm Drill or Threaded Drill Motor, a new Pneumatic Rivet Squeezer, a new Rivet Gun, or even a bunch of clecos, now is the time to do it and save an extra 10%.

Thank you all, and again, HAPPY AMT DAY!

Michael Brown
Brown Aviation Tool Supply Co.
Oklahoma City, OK (Come visit us!)
www.browntool.com

May 24, 2023  Issue #5,825. (previous day's news).
 

My RV Weekend

...more folks chiming in.

Aft bottom baffle screw

I know I'm not the only one who has seen this (at least a few others on the field have noted the same issue)...

Why is it that every couple of years or so, the aftmost, bottom baffle attach screw on the #3 cylinder decides to part company with the engine? Doesn't seem to matter if there's a lockwasher or blue loctite holding that f***er on, eventually, it works its way out.

This time, found it on the ground underneath the nosegear fairing right after shutdown. Grrrrrr...

Pilot MIC wiring TX issue

Trying to see if anyone has any ideas to narrow my efforts down before I go crazy chasing wires. I was recently working behind a segment of the panel to install a push button starter and when everything went back together I realized the PTT no longer worked. I checked out the jack and noticed the wires (circled in red) had been pulled out. Easy fix I figured so I soldered it back on and it still wont transmit. The only way I can get it to (at least have the TX show up when I hit the PTT) is when I take off the rubber grommet and the barrel touches the panel metal.

What am I missing? Is this segment connected to a ground or something and perhaps I pulled the other end off as well. The other end is buried deep in the panel and so I wanted to see if I was mussing something on the jack end before deep diving.

Fiberglass Still tacky

So i been using the Aeropoxy fiberglass resin system for most of the build and it has worked great... until now.

A few months ago, when it was really cold, I decided to coat the inside of the cowling with Aeropoxy. It was about 40F for a few days. Even after the outside warned up, after a month was still tacky.

So i overcoated the original epoxy with some fresh stuff from Aircraft Spruce. While it was curing, the outside air temperature was a more reasonable 60F.
It has been two weeks and it is still tacky. So even the new batch, put over the old batch, is still tacky.

What do I do to get this to cure?
Or do i just put down the heat insulation material and move on?

Mothership First Flights Reported

RE: Canopy Struts Don't Compress

(RVbySDI) Working on this now. Sent an email to Van's support asking about this very problem. They answered back telling me to disconnect the clevis pin on the struts and leave it off until finished with the canopy. There was no mention about needing the struts attached to align the canopy. That is what I have done. One warning though. If you have already riveted the forward top skin, as per the plans, removing and reinstalling these pins will require diving under the panel and almost blindly feeling for the connection. I have not riveted that top skin and will not do so until I am absolutely sure I will not need to be behind the sub panel again.

(romaja) Talked to support today and was cautioned on not having the top cowl riveted and just Cleco's instead of final riveting to measure fit for this step. He spoke of someone that did this (RV-7) and after riveting the rivets sucked down a bit more than just clecos and the leading edge of the canopy sat 1/8 proud of the top skin in front of it.

Also, read post #7 of this thread and the loaded struts can change the fit since they are under pressure so it seems prudent to have those installed.

I want to wait to rivet the top skin until I have done 90% of all task the top cowl since lying on my back with a flashlight doesnt sound fun and currently on a rotisserie and unable to climb inside. I did cut the two access panels in so that should help but whilst using 2 hands you cant see very well as your arms are blocking your sight. I guess I will have to wait until I install my SDS components under the top cowl and then revisit this step after I rivet the top cowl, then fiberglass after I am sure the fit is correct. Not sure what to do about the struts that dont seem to want to compress w/o bending my canopy assembly. Frustrating!

Maybe someone else will post and share their experience

May 23, 2023  Issue #5,824. (previous day's news).
 

My RV Weekend

Undervolt Situation

I need some help from the hive-mind......

RV-9A with 2700 hours. Coming back from fly in on Sat morning, noticed that Bus voltage was variable from 13.4 - 13.8. It's normally 14.1 - 14.3.

Equipment
- 87 Samurai 40 amp Int Reg alternator (this is #3 -they seem to last 800-1000 hrs)
- PC680 Battery 5ish yrs old
- 60 amp P&B breaker b/t the Alt B term and the main buss

Things I have done:

- Verified bus voltage at the F term on the alternator 12.8 with engine off
- snugged up the terminals in the ALT plug - they are tight(Just using the F and L terminal of the 3 prong plug.
- Swapped alt for a known good unit - no change
- Tested the battery at the parts store - passed as an AGM Batt with 220 CCA it is 12.7-12.8 at rest
- swapped out the battery for an older one that holds a charge well - no change. Battery connections are tight
- Ran a lead from the B term of the Alt to the cockpit - with engine running it is a solid 14.3 volts
- Used a VOM to verify the bus voltage actually is 13.4-13.6 volts (it is)
- Chased connections from the alt to the breaker and bus they seem to be solid(did not disassemble and clean any of them)
- Flew it near the field tonight - Same voltages, but noticed if I turned the lights on, the voltages actually would go up a bit to 13.8 and then return to ~13.6. However, if I then, shut off all the lights, the voltage would run up to 14.2 and stay there for a few min, then migrate back down to 13.6. Also, when I landed and shed the lights, AP and TPX, the volts would climb back above 14 for bit.
- Checked Voltage drop across the main contactor - negligible - snugged up the connections for giggles - nothing was loose.
- Checked voltages on both side of the 60 amp breaker they were same as bus volts. If i pulled the breaker while at idle - the volts on the feed side went to about 15.2 (I know this is not great for the alternator)
- Checked Ohms across the 60 amp breaker - negligible.


Thoughts:

- Alternator seems good - 14.3 at the output terminal
- There seems to be something causing a big load on the main bus, the battery comes to mind. I don't mind replacing it, but it does seem to be good, and had same behavior using 2 diff, albeit older batteries
- Bad connection? Undo and clean all the connections.
- Replace the 60amp breaker again - maybe it goes high resistance under high load?
- Replace the Master contactor

I'm kinda lost here - any thoughts appreciated!

RV9/A Flying in Summer

Hello all!

Q: New RV9A owner. What an awesome airplane, it's been great so far. We moved the airplane back home to Arizona. As you can imagine it's starting to heat up here. We have noticed on climb out the airplane CHT's and oil temp are getting hot. We have to lower the nose and pull back some power to help. Very slow climbs. We are trying to see if anyone has made any baffling modifications or and modifications at all to make these temps a little better has Arizona heats up?

On average we see about 425 degrees to 435 degrees something on a full power climb out. We don't spend any time at that temp. We try out best to lower the nose and get those temps in the lower 400's. On the oil temp we see something similar, 185 degrees on climb out and then in the low 170's at cruise. Thank you all for any insights!

A: I have the opposite problem here (Minnesota), but on hot days 90*+, (yes, we do get some hot days) I still have no CHT or oil temp issues on Vy climb-outs. Even on the the hottest days, I don't recall ever seeing CHTs over 400.

The firewall-forward builder (Don Swords) built a contained plenum with carbon fiber top rather than relying on baffling against the cowl. It works very well. I don't know if it would solve an Arizona-based heat problem, but I certainly suspect that sloppy or otherwise "problematic" baffle sealing will result in struggles with engine cooling under some conditions.

Do I really need to see MAP INHG?

I have the dual Dynon HDX configuration and I have the engine instrumentation on the bottom band of my PFD. The system is configured based on the Van's documentation but one of the items shown to the right of the fuel pressure is for what I assume is manifold pressure. The scale is all green. No yellow or red areas and unless I missed it somewhere, I can't find any reference to it in the Van's documentation or the HDX manual.

Why is it even shown? Nothing in the POH to tell me to do something if it has a specific reading. What parameters represent good or bad? Is there an upper and lower limit? And what actions am I supposed to take for either one? The Dynon pilot user's guide doesn't even show it on the engine band.

If I remove it from the display will Dynon still give me a warning if it is out of bounds? Not that I'll know what to do.

Fire Sleeving, Fusible Links

Q: Sources for the above; high purity, siliconized, fiberglass sleeving?

I am aware that Tefzel does not need said sleeving, at least for the 22/24 apps. I'm not ready to go there for 10/12 links/

If you know of a convenient source for the raw material, sufficient size for 10/12 plus terminal fittings, would be appreciated. Material from the common on-line retailers is a bit scary to me. Good confidence in the source would be appreciated.

A:

Lane A Fault Light On Steady 912iS

Beautiful day today to go fly. Did preflight, sart-up, oil warmed up to above 120 on taxi to run-up area then throttled to 4,000RPM and switched off Lane A - all good - then switched back on and the light remained illuminated. After cycling Lane A again the light still remained illuminated.

This being the first time for this to occur I was curious if the engine would just shut down if I flipped off Lane B with Lane A light on. Engine continued running but running slightly rough. Flipped Lane B on again and the Lane B fault light went off while Lane A remained lit.

I sat and pondered a minute since with both lanes flipped on the engine runs smoothly and coolant temp, oil temp and oil pressure all remained in a good place. It was then that I decided I would use the engine sensors to help me narrow things down.

When I flipped off Lane B the EGT for cylinder 3 dropped off. Flip on Lane B and the engine smooths out and EGT for cylinder 3 returns to normal.

I pulled into the hangar and let the engine cool down as I removed the top cowling and went to lunch. Came back, pulled the top spark plug (Lane A is top plugs) and it appeared to be clean and functional. All spark plugs were replaced just 3 flight hours ago during annual condition inspection. Of note, I replaced with NGK spark plugs instead of the Rotax plugs. Even though the plug appeared to be fine I replaced the plug with another NGK (16 NGK plugs came with the RV-12iS when I purchased) off the shelf. Started up only to discover same results as from the previous run-up.

Any suggestions of where to begin troubleshooting?

May 22, 2023  Issue #5,823. (previous day's news).
 

Panel Upgrade: drill_and_buck

Last year my RV-6 wingman and good friend Steve and I worked together to design and install similar panels. We spent several months focused on human factor and user experience issues by creating detailed mockups which we used to evaluate common scenarios. Emphasis was placed on improving operations, situational awareness, and maintainability.

We both chose to install dual 10 inch Dynon HDX Skyview screens with the Skyview Intercom, Knob Panel, Xponder, ADSB, GPS, Com Panel and ECB. After much consideration we chose to work with Advanced Flight Systems Advanced Panel team. We are glad we did! The Advanced Panel team handled much of the heavy lifting. They were good to work with. They took our designs, created CAD drawings for our review and helped us select the required switches. They then built out and bench tested the system. The Advanced Panel Advanced Control Module (ACM) acts as both a data hub and ECB. This simplifies wiring significantly. In addition to the ACM, I installed a small fuse box to handle my PMAGs, seat heaters, and a few other items. It was fun teaming up with another builder on the design and install. It definitely helped with brainstorming designs and troubleshooting installations.

I took advantage of Dynon's new universal mounting tray kit which attaches to the back of the HDX screen. The mounting tray kits are perfect for the RV-8. With one on each screen, all components, with the exception of the ADAHRS, were mounted behind the screen. The ADAHRS was mounted in the aft fuselage.

I also took this opportunity to upgrade my nav, strobe and landing lights. I chose the FlyLed works. They work well with Advanced Flight Systems ACM. You can see the green daughter board that plugs into the ACM. They were fun to build, but a bit of a bear to retrofit into the RV-8 batwing tips.

I have about 3 hours on the panel. No squawks and it is a pleasure to fly.

How to shoot this rivet?

How the heck did you guys shoot this rivet? I must have 15 bucking bars including a couple made from tungsten helicopter mast weights that aren't much bigger than my thumb, and I cant figure out how to get any sort of bar on the back side of this thing. I can barely get my finger on it without a bar?

It's common to the skin overlap, longeron, and the strap that ties into the F-704 Vertical member, so I suspect it's kind of an important little fella. I'm going to call vans this afternoon and see if they approve a pull rivet here unless somebody offers up a better solution before then.

Adjust angle of horizontal stabilizer

In cruise I need a significant nose down trim for level flight, such that my elevator is not streamline with my horizontal stabilizer. It is offset several degrees and to push the tail up.

Any thoughts on how to resolve? What if I built a shim and I offset the horizontal stabilizer up 1/2 to 1* versus the elevator pushing it up? Or, a weighted crush plate on the nose?

O320 with a wood prop.

7A Status ...Terry Shortt (Desert Rat)

Working on the F-7106 Fwd Top Skin. This is the last skin to be installed and I held off until all of the stuff behind the panel was done.

I've pretty much hit the limit of what I can conveniently rivet by myself, so I'll have to find something else to do until my rivet partner comes back from a business trip next week.

Canopy skirt painted and lettered ...9A status Greg Saulsbury

Earlier in this build I chose to do a one piece fiberglass canopy skirt and use Sikaflex to attach it to the plexiglass and metal frame. I had spent a lot of time smoothing out the glass and this paid off when it came time to paint it! Very little prep time. After laying down 2 coats of SPI epoxy primer, very little sanding was required and no filler was required.

1st coat of blue went on, followed by 2 more coats to get good coverage. An hour was waited before laying down the stencil for names/titles on the sides of the canopy. Once stencils were applied the rest of the skirt was masked off and Alpine White paint was sprayed on the lettering stencil. After 15 minutes stencil mask was removed. Results were very good! After a 30 minute wait 3 coats of clear went down. After another hour wait all remaining masking was removed including the original plexi protective film.

After over a year of plexi under rap... no scratches!

Happy camper!

Bent Pushrod What to Do

I knew it would happen one day, I just didn't figure it would be today that I would declare an emergency. During steep turns near Morgantown PA I was greeted by a thump and loss of power. It was clear that I'd lost a cylinder so I turned and headed for KLNS. Its all fields between the two so the pucker factor wasn't that bad. Well, at least until the oil started to sprinkle onto the windscreen.

The tower was kind enough to get me to the ground right away and even give the runway a good scrub after I'd taxied over to Florintino's for a nice lunch to reflect on today's adventures.

Once the top cowl was pulled, I found a broken exhaust side stud that had let its parts fall into the intake side assembly. The intake pushrod was bent, it's tube was bent as well. Obviously I need to replace the obvously broken parts. What knowlege and operating experience can you guys bestow upon me reguarding cam health? Should I pull or replace the affected intake lifter? Have you seen cams fail after this sort of event? Any advice on the entire situation here is appreciated.

For reference, the engine is a o-320-H2AD that is 250ish hours since MAJOR by Tropic Air Power. The stud appears to have had a factory defect. Viewing the broken portion, there's a small amount of different grain structure.

RV-8 and the Warm Westport Trip ...ArlingtonRV

Saturday 5/13/23 was a clear, and very warm day, so naturally it seemed like a good idea to go to the beach. Definitely not an original idea.

I ended up taking off first, so it fell to me to fly over the airport to determine the wind direction. Hoquiam (KHQM), about 7 miles to the north east was calling the wind 100 @ 8, which it had been all morning and what the MOS called for.

I passed over the runway at 2,000', which was too high to see the wind sock very well. It was pretty obviously aligned with the runway, but I couldn't tell which direction it was pointing. Based on the wind at Hoquiam, I figured it should be 12, so I entered a left downwind for 12.

On short final, my ground speed seemed higher than expected and when I looked at the wind sock, I was staring right through the back end. I was high to begin with and with the relatively short and narrow runway, trying to salvage the landing would have been a bad idea.

I called Carl on the radio and told him and since he was on downwind he did a 180 and landed on 30. I came in behind him on 30 and with the wind right down the runway it made for a pretty easy, smooth landing.

On the way home, we decided to swing by Copalis since it sounded like there were a few airplanes there. A few (I counted 5) airplanes, but gobs of cars all along the beach.

The rest of the trip home started out bumpy, but at 9,500' it was quite smooth.

All in all, it was a really fun trip.

Engine start ...PilotjohnS 9A

First engine start today.
It was a non event.
I did the fuel flow test yesterday with 3 gals in each tank. It took a bit to get the fuel pump primed. I had to blow in the fuel filler to push some fuel to the pump, then the fuel pump worked great. ( Unlikely to self prime in flight with low fuel, guess I am never gonna run it dry)
After that I disconnected the fuel line at the distribution block and pushed all the preservation oil out of the fuel servo into a bucket.
After filling the oil cooler as recommended by Lycoming, I turned the engine over by hand, with the lower plugs removed, to push all the oil out of the cylinders. Once tied down outside, i engage the started with the fuel valve close and fuel pump off, to build oil pressure.
Then performed a normal prime and engine start. Engine started on second blade. I was shocked it fired right up.
Ran it until cylinder head temps got to 300C.
Mag check was good; idle speed and idle mixture were good too. No adjustments needed!
No leaks or other issues.
My A&P friend and I dont see a need to run it again before first flight.

To answer a question from the other thread, battery charging was, like, 9 amps at about 1100 rpm. I think I am really gonna like this B&C alternator mounted on the vac pad.

Page 10-21 Step 4 Question ...-14

Step 4: Rivet the F-01497A and F-01497B Cable Guides to the F-01473-L & -R Aft Fuse Side Skins as shown in Figure 2.

In step 4 as per instructions (I thought!), I blind riveted the Cable Guides to the side skins. In the process, 4 of the 12 AACQ4-4 blind rivets' mandrels broke and left about 1/3" protruding. I thought this unusual but cut the mandrels with a close-to-flush cutting tool and didn't think much about it until they were all riveted. Only after checking the work against the plans did I notice that I forgot to add the washers. This effectively increased the length required for the puller to pull.

Yes, I now need to somehow remove all those AACQ4-4 rivets, but could my missing the washers have contributed to the broken mandrel issue?

37-07 Fuel Neck and Sealant

Q: I have my fuel tank and air vent in on a temporary basis. Now I am working on the fuel neck. Everything looks good except a very large gap between the flat flange on the fuel neck and the curved fuselage skin. It is my understanding that the sealant is used to close this large gap, correct?

Edit: Re-reading the instructions, I am to "bend the flange" to match the aircraft skin. I guess I will try with a vise and vise grips unless someone else can chime in with what they used.

A: You can bend the flat flange to match the curve of the skin. The fit was close enough to use a gasket to make removal easier than using a lot of sealant on the flange/skin surface. I did run a small bead of sealant around the recess created by the pipe-skin contact area (inside the pipe flange).

May 19, 2023  Issue #5,822. (previous day's news).
  I have a pretty busy next week, so apologies in advance for non-standard edition push times and/or being even harder to reach than usual.  Scratching Out A Living As A Solopreneur 101.
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

Over Glen Canyon Dam ...1flyingyogi

This was from our trip last month to Page, Marble Canyon, Monument Valley, Escalante, and a few other places in Utah and Arizona. We never get tired of the American Southwest!

Photo is a screen shot from Insta360, mounted on a carbon fiber pole (Amazon) and aluminum bracket I fabricated that attaches to where the wingtip mounts to the wing.

RV-10 Cowling/Firewall Hinge Alternative?

Vic Syracuse mentioned how he uses .040 or thicker sheet in place of the two 6 inch hinges on the bottom of the cowl. He then used #10 screws to secure the cowling Has anyone considered using this technique all the way around the firewall instead of using hinges? Could you secure the cowling just using #10 screws with nutplates attached to the the sheet? Or camlocks? I was wondering if you could use ie 1.5 inch by .060 aluminum strap riveted around the firewall in place of the hinges? The amount of strap that would extend to the cowling side would provide plenty of edge distance for a #10 screw. Countersink the cowling and use Tinnerman washers under the screws. All seems easier than dealing with the hinge pin alignment. So far all I've done is drill and cleco the hinges to the firewall. It would be very easy at this point to countersink the strap and rivet it to the firewall instead of the hinges. Would appreciate any and all pros and cons about this.

Our training for the Pacific Airshow Gold Coast Australia

About a dozen Sydney-based RV drivers have been training our butts off as we have been invited to display in a 13-ship formation for the Pacific Coast Airshow in August 2023 on the Gold Coast in Australia.

We are all at very different levels of formation experience so we have plenty ahead as we come together as a team.

Here is a little video I've put together of our progress.

What a surprise!

I reinstalled my repaired PMag and did an engine ignition check and a CHT was low but it's EGT was normal and aligned with the other EGTs. Suspected a probe problem so swapped with #3.Nothing moved. I then put a heat gun to the #1 probe and guess what - #2 CHT climbed. Put the heat gun to #3 probe - #4 climbed. Checked #2 CHT and #1 climbed.

Decided to check the EGT probes a with the heat gun and they all climbed according to their correct cylinder position. I had just had my EIS worked on by GRT and they had replaced the motherboard to accommodate the change from slick magnetos to PMags. My old EIS didn't have the TacSen selection that newer EIS monitors have and electronic ignition's require.

Suspecting an improper wiring somewhere I asked GRT to clarify how to read CHTs on the EIS, left to right/top to bottom OR relative to cylinder position on the engine (left CHTs on EIS screen for cylinders 2&4; right CHTs on EIS screens for cylinders 1&3). Jeff was kind enough to quickly respond and confirmed - read them left to right as shown below.

CHT1 CHT2
CHT3 CHT4
Same with EGTs.

But the CHTs on my EIS were in effect showing the information below.
CHT2 CHT1
CHT4 CHT3
and
EGT1 EGT2
EGT3 EGT4

EFIS data correctly corresponded to how the EIS was displaying the information therefore the "wiring problem" had to be incorrectly wired CHT probes to the EIS. Not an mis-wired motherboard.

Here's the really bad thing,I've never touched the engine monitor/probe wiring in the eight years that I've owned the aircraft. I once did replace an EGT probe but EGT probes were correctly wired.

The builder flew it for seven years in this condition. I've flown it for eight. Therefore this aircraft has flown 15 years with the CHTs probes incorrectly wired to the EIS monitor and no one suspected a thing. No wonder I occasionally had weird engine observations when I tried to analyze the occasional engine hiccups. CHTs were reporting on the wrong cylinders but EGTs were reporting on their correct cylinders.

How and why this occurred - who knows! But at least the issue is now corrected. It's amazing what you'll find when you start really looking at things! RVs are definitely amateur built and maintained. Can't tell you how many A&Ps / A&P/IAs also have worked on this airplane but it's been quite a few. When things don't make sense there's always a reason.

Greg's RV-9A

Sometimes it's the simplest things that bring out a big grin... An RV grin in this case.

Task for today was to pull the fuselage out of the garage and start sanding on the cowl to spinner fit. Metal roof on the garage prevents gps lock and vhf radio reception. So while the plane was out in the open I turned on the master and avionics. After a couple minutes imagine my surprise to see a plane on the screen near my location. ADSB-in works! Grin ! I heard the plane pass overhead and I put my headset on and heard that plane call the tower which is about 5 miles north. Radio works! Another, bigger grin!

I'm ready to get this bird finished!

Dog needs a rescue flight from GA to PA

My friend Maria needs help getting this Great Pyrenees/St. Bernard mix (70 lbs) from GA to the rescue shelter in Pittsburgh PA. If you can help please contact Maria (see below). Thanks!

David Paule -3B ...End of First Year

We didn't make nearly as much progress as I had expected. We have the rudder, anti-servo tabs and vertical stabilizer done, and are close to finishing the stabilator but have run out of time. Some of the wing parts are complete, too, like the main spars.

Here is what I think contributed to the low progress.

1. We have limited class hours, with six classes 55 minutes long and two 80 minute long ones per week, spread out over a morning and an afternoon class. Out of those we need to get the tools and parts out, set them up, and later put them back. We can't leave things set up for the next work session.

2. Of those eight classes, only five have mentors available, and then only one mentor per class. We have mentors for two morning classes a week and three of the afternoon classes. Thanks, Ron and Norm! Early on, while the students were still building skills and learning how to build an airplane, we told the students that they can't work on the plane without a mentor. They just weren't ready yet. But more recently, with the second semester winding down, some of the teams are entirely capable of working autonomously, and this did help.

3. The workspace is marginal. We're using a computer lab area. It has awkward spacing, poor lighting, and we've had a work table limitation from the very beginning. Parts and tool storage are not readily at hand. There is no apparent way to remove the fuselage from the workspace except for removing a window and using a crane or work lift to take it down from the second-story workspace. Hate to admit it, but this is the current plan.

4. The class competes with a robotics lab, which also is a hands-on class, but which offers design opportunity to their students. To some extent this draws interest away and limits the pool of students who may be interested. There is a certain amount of tool sharing between the classes, with the robotics students telling us that we have the best tools. But they have the general-purpose tools that we don't. Sometimes tools get mislaid.

5. Surprisingly for me, many of the students in the airplane class needed very basic instruction. Things like which way to turn a screw or how to measure something were wholly new to them. Naturally, this tended to slow the initial effort of coming up to speed.

6. We had enough practice kits, thanks to Ernie, but not really enough mentors to teach them. This is the phase that really needs hands-on instruction and plenty of similar tools. Partly for this and partly because "about right" wasn't good enough, a number of students dropped out of the game. They had an alternate path: electric drone model airplanes and flight simulators, all offering the immediate satisfaction that the actual airplane didn't. Of course even us experienced builders sometimes need that sense of immediate results; I bake bread and cookies, for example, and I know others who do similar things. Can't blame the teenage students, but maybe we could have taught them differently. The mentors generally had RV experience but not teaching experience.

7. The high school had somewhat minimal support, and the poor work bench issue is an example - we had to supply our own and did, thanks to Gregg. Worse, there are no pre-established curriculums; what we came up with were put together as we get started. I did try to provide a sense of how the work would flow, but it wasn't a curriculum. I expect that some of the students joined the class with expectations which were considerably more ambitious than the actual project entails.

Still, after all that, we have three of the afternoon students that I'd trust to build an airplane by themselves now, and two of these became good team leaders. However, one of the initial team leaders never quite got the hang of leading and eventually became one of the part-timers. One of the better team leaders is a junior with another school year to go, that one will take on mentor responsibilities next year as well as being a team leader. Unfortunately for use, the other good one is graduating this month. Frankly, I hate to see him go. I never really got to know the other fourteen or so afternoon students nominally in the class that never contributed to the project.

Two of the better qualified students are taking the class next year too. One of them, a current team leader, will become a mentor. The others are graduating this month.

If any of you have recommendations, please let us know. Thanks!

Foreflight Webinar Next Week: VFR Flying in Canada

May 18, 2023  Issue #5,821. (previous day's news).
 

Status: cgeyman 9A

awaiting finish kit...hopefully finish kit will be here late this month.

I am soo close to being done...PilotjohnS 9A

I am sooooo close to being done, I weighed the plane today. With the whole G3X suite and the new nose gear, it came in as expected.

But the important part is that everything was ON for the weight and balance.

There are still some things to clean up, like re-bonding tie bases, checking trim throws, fuel testing, etc.

Doing the CG math, if the pilot and passenger combined weights are between 100 lbs or total plane is below gross weight, and I adhere to the 100 lb baggage limit, I cant exceed CG limits. I am glad I have a lightweight Catto prop.

Next update scheduled to be after first flight.

Capacitor for 912ULS

Q: Does anyone know the manufacturer/part number of the 22000uf 25v capacitor that is hidden in the Vans control module behind the left instrument panel?

Failing that, do you know the dimensions and what kind of terminals are on the top?

I want to try a replacement in an attempt to chase out an intercom noise problem.

A: If you are talking about the capacitor in the back on the "AV CONTROL BOARD 12" it is an UVR1E223MRD

Control approach pedal location ...-10

Installing the control approach pedals and they of course only use either the forward or aft set of mounting holes in the plastic blocks (or whatever the black material is made of). Curious if most mount them forward towards the firewall or aft and why. I am 6'3" so thinking the forward position, but not sure if others have come across clearance issues or problems with one or the other down the road.

Canopy Damage

There was a recent incident that has caused damage to the sliding portion of my RV-9A canopy. Apparently, one of the 6-32 retaining screws backed-out of the WD-640 canopy frame, this resulted in a crescent shaped portion of the Lexan separating in the area directly adjacent to the protruding screw when the canopy was shut (see enclosed photos).

Frankly, I'm at a loss regarding any repair options. Of course replacing the canopy is the worst case option, therefore I would GREATLY appreciate any suggestion/options regarding repair.


Thank you for your advice...

News Regarding my Home Airfield (52F in N.TX)

POA calls the shots...and that's now official. 

35-40 RVs on our field.  A great day!

read entire ruling

May 17, 2023  Issue #5,820. (previous day's news).
 

RV-8 and the Bumpy Forks Trip

Friday 5/12/23 was a clear day here in the PNW. It was at the beginning of a warming trend bringing us our first heat wave of the year, several weeks early by the way, but was actually a very pleasant day.

We decided to go to Forks for lunch. The trip out was nice, and it was smooth for the portion that was over the water, but as we went inland, it got fairly bumpy.

The wind was mostly right down the runway and presented a comfortable breeze while we were on the ground.

Even with decent conditions, I still managed to botch the landing. I knew it would be that way as soon as I got on short final and saw Carl standing in the taxiway. Oh well, sometimes it can also be educational to have good video of a less than stellar landing.

Thermal turbulence had been building throughout the day. It was evident over the Olympics by the cumulus forming there. The rest of the peninsula, though not dotted with puffy white clouds, still experienced the same level of turbulence. On the way out, we once again made a bee line for the water and smoother air.

At least I made up for the bad landing at Forks when I got home. Of course, that was a more challenging set of circumstances, yet I made a better landing of it. Go figure.

Houston area monthly lunch (May 2023)

We've come around to that time of month again, and I'm thinking we'll go back to the default destination of Hooks this time around. Come on out this Saturday and we'll get the usual chatting and so forth done.

When: Saturday, 5-20, 11:30 AM
Where: Aviator's Grill at Hooks (KDWH)

Shawn's -4 re-build

Progress? Well, I think, thanks to a member who sent me a whole bunch of various weldment photos (old, new, modifications, etc) as well as other information, that I can rest a bit on my weldments concerns. He also pointed me to several links, and a google search by me, found more threads on this issue. Obviously, these weldments and the stess point there are a concern for RV4 flyers, and, since I already have a sign of some hard landings, (albeit the only sign is one bent leg) and I will be a new tailwheel flyer, off of a grass strip, I am hoping to make it idiot proof (if such a thing exists in flying...)

Here is what I have been struggling with (aka losing sleep).

After noting the bend in the right gear leg, I have gone over and over the weldments, looking for a crack or bends, etc. I said to myself yesterday that I was almost willing a crack into them! I cannot see anything. I think I will apply paint stripper to them to further check. But I also think that a break in the light blue paint could be more evident than a black crack in a black piece of steel. But....

My plane was first flown in 1985, and, I believe, if I understand correctly, that any mods to the weldments came well after that. A member in the past, here in this forum, did comment that "I have the new ones" but of course, with no note in the log book, I still denied it. (I may be a pessimist sometimes) But, with side by side photos, of the "old style" and "new style", I have decided that I do indeed have the "new style". I probably just have my timelines confused as to when they became available. Or repairs/changes were done and not documented. (Aside, annuals were often documented as "Annual complete", so documentation was not a huge part of the builders practice. The seller to me, however, did great entries! Now, to decide if they "need" the extra gusset plates added and/or if the piece of mind is worth it.....

The engine mount is out for magnaflux inspection. If it comes back good, then there is one wear spot I will address, and then start painting and reassembly. Woo Woo!

Mogas in Aviation

This (potentially life saving) presentation for pilots will discuss seasonal blends of automotive fuel (mogas) used in aircraft and the risks associated with using a winter blend in warm temperatures. I will share my experience of a near-engine-out over the mountains, what caused it, and what you need to know to keep that from happening to you. I will be joined by Rian Johnson (President, Van's Aircraft) who will delve deeper into preventative measures for vapor lock.

Rear Tail Doesn't Match Plans ...-4

Working on an older RV4 that my buddy inherited from his dad. It was 1st flown back in 1986, just over a year ago we took it apart to bring it up from florida. While working to install the horizontal last weekend, we noticed it in no way matched the plans I have.

Bulkhead F-410 is a single piece that went from top to bottom, where as the plans show 410A and B with A being forward of B about 2" to allow the attach bolt thru longeron to go in front of the horizontal forward spar, where as this was built with just 2 bolts on backside of the spare, and 2 bolts going thru the upper part of the bulkhead horizontally.

Anybody else seen this, Vans can't find an older version of plans showing it done this way.

2023 Mid-Atlantic Gathering of RV's June Flyin

It's that time of year where EAA Chapter 1384 will host this year's Mid-Atlantic Gathering of RV's. We started this event back quite a few years ago with the Direction and Energy of our then President Jack Savage (RV8 Driver). Jack has relocated to New England, but his dream continues. This year we invite any RV and non-RV airplane to come to Carroll County Airport (KDMW) in beautiful Westminster, MD. Our Fly-in will run from 10am-2pm on Saturday June 17th. Rain date is Sunday June 18, yes Father's Day! Check out our Chapter website for pics of previous Fly-in's. We will have food and drink available and a bottle of water for each plane as it arrives at the field.

More details to follow on a safety seminar we are planning to run. For now, if you have a question, give me a call. Steve Koziol 267 614-8251 (RV9A Driver and Past President) and yes, I like the training wheel on the nose!! Safe Travels and we look forward to seeing you next month.

Inside Paint ...noahhl PIREP

To add to the chorus, I used less than a quart of Stewart Systems Ecocrylic (in battleship grey) to do my 9A interior (including cover panels), with flattener at a 2:1 ratio (on top of Ecopoxy primer). If you mixed up just the right amount and were really good, you'd probably be closer to half a quart than a full.

I did the fog/fog/fog/wet coat procedure with the Harbor Freight Black Widow HTE HVLP with a 1.3 mm tip, mixed/thinned per the instructions.

1990-1992 Plans built 6A slider

Thats what my logs say, builder Tony Bingelis .

I need windscreen replacement. My documentation on slider install is 6 typed pages, and some drawings. Seems back then, some used the "big cut" piece, and some "optional stretched-formed windscreen".

How do I know for sure what my slider windscreen is? When buying one, say from an individual, how would I know which I'm looking at/ buying? If no one here knows, next I'll call Jeff at airplane plastics inc. Old sage builders... any ideas ?

Mothership News

What did you do with your RV this weekend?

(5/13-14/2023)  More entries coming in...

May 16, 2023  Issue #5,819. (previous day's news).
  I had the pleasure of right-seating a Phenom 300 checkride today with a client who owned a RV-9A (my 401st session).  These RV folks pop up everywhere! <g>

Daily RV Pic Entry ...tlakata

Work and play all in one

Mothership News

Tail wheel tow dolly

I use my Jeep to tow my plane to the Fuel Pump. I had a simple one that I lifted the tail to put it on, My back started not enjoying the process so I came up with this design. It plugs into the 12v outlet in the back of the Jeep , works off a Linear Actuator

Range and Endurance testing

The EAA Flight Test Manual describes a method for Range and Endurance testing. Basically, it involves flying straight and level at various power settings, and plotting those power settings against TAS. Essentially drawing your power curve. Your best endurance will be the lowest point on the curve (where slower speeds require more power).

A couple of questions about this testing. When flying behind a constant speed propeller, best endurance and best range will depend on both RPM and manifold pressure, right? So we want to calculate best range and endurance at a variety of cruise RPMs? Excluding any RPM/MP combinations your prop forbids of course.

Would we expect to see different results at different pressure altitudes? What about air temperatures? I would think working in TAS instead of IAS would cancel out these variables.

How does the mixture knob affect this test? For any given RPM/MP combination, you're going to have different power output if you run rich or significantly lean of peak, right?

Obviously all of the above combinations need to be tested at different aircraft weights to get the full picture.

There seem to be a lot of variables that affect range and endurance.

David Paule -3B Update

Firewall prepunched holes ...-8

So, I have 2 holes in my firewall that aren't mentioned in the instructions, as far as I can tell. And aren't called out in the plans.
Has anyone got any idea what they are for, and what we're supposed to do with them?

What did you do with your RV this weekend?

(5/13-14/2023)  More entries coming in...

May 14, 2023  Issue #5,818. (previous day's news).
 

Hello World!

I would like to introduce you to one of planet Earth's newest college graduates, Mr. Tate Reeves.  BS Chemistry.

He is a real, true gift.  A kind soul with a caring disposition who makes his parents more thankful each day.

And he is already gainfully employed.  He'll be working on high-end scientific instruments - mostly MRI and NMR equipment.  Things with supercooled magnets.  A STEM degree, having done research using NRM equipment, as well has having changed his own Honda Accord timing belt (and knowing how to hand prop a plane) made for a positive interview.  I hope he uses his first check to buy a giant TV or a kick-butt stereo.

I thank God every day for this wonderful son, this beautiful person, and I am certain he makes the world a better place.

Congratulations to our son Tate.  We love you more than we could ever put into words (but we'll keep trying).

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (5/13-14/2023)

RV3 Gusty Crosswinds

Hello,
A few months ago I posted asking about transition training into an RV3. I'm happy to report I'm now about 6 hours into RV3 flying. You guys were so helpful with tips on getting started(thanks again) I thought I'd see what you thought about my new question.

Last night I was landing with a 15kG22 wind about 50 degrees off the runway. The crosswind wasn't an issue but I found the gusts to be a handful. The plane always feels light and nimble but felt especially light in these conditions. It was bouncing around more than I enjoyed trying to get it on the ground.

I have been flying over the fence at about 70mph with full flaps and landing on three point so far. Almost always in a side slip of some degree. I assume more speed was justifiable in this situation. I didn't feel the need to go back and immediately trying again after getting on the ground.

I'm wondering what your SOPs for gusty crosswind days might be. And what you consider too windy for RV3 operations. Just a reminder I'm new to TW and new to Vans. I did TW training but saw little crosswind and no gusts during that training.

Thanks again for all the wisdom

Ray

Mounting WW151 Prop - Stud question

Mounting a new WW151H prop on my IO-320 RV9A. It came with new studs and castellated nuts, with roll pins to secure the nuts to the studs. The manual says "installed the studs, torque to 47ft-lbs, then safety wire w/ .036 wire". Or something to that effect.
Problem is installing the studs in the crank, then torquing the nuts to the required 47ft-lbs does not engage enough stud to uncover the holes for the rollpins. See photo. Also the rollpins do not allow for safety wiring the nuts....
So I'd assume you install the nuts to the studs, install the rollpins, then torque the studs into the crank.... But wanted to check first here (since its Sunday) and then call WW tomorrow if necessary....
Help appreciated. ed

Bigger jets?

Would increasing fuel flow by drilling/ changing jets for larger orifice have any negative impact on my ability to lean to same fuel flow before drilling/ changing.

MA4SPA 10-5217 carburetor on FP O320 D1A 6A

Seems my GRT EIS measurements at takeoff show low flow compared to others with same engine / RV . As things are, CHT and EGT #1 #2 get a bit high 400+ / 1500+. Pulling back on throttle very little has an immediate reaction ... lowering both.

"Chonkier Mount"

I recently "derailed" this thread with my report of extreme vibration issues with the Garmin GSU 25 mounted remotely, aft of the baggage compartment. My device was attached via four bolts/nutplates to Van's AHRS mount, which consists of a pretty thin sheet of aluminum riveted to the exterior skin and the center brace between the bulkheads.

The symptom: AHRS display malfunction (incorrect ~20 degree roll depicted) at high RPM, with CAS messages indicating ATT MISCOMP and AHRS REVERT. Upon analysis, AHRS Dev (%) as logged by the G3X was spiking up to 700% during these episodes. Analysis across multiple flights indicated AHRS Dev (%) correlated most strongly with Eng. Pwr and RPM. Pretty likely vibration related.

It looks like the VAF consensus is that installing these ADAHRS units on the back of a GDU display is acceptable and indeed produces the best results for most RVs due to the strength and thickness of our panels. Well, I'm just too lazy to re-route my tubes and wires forward through the wing spar, so here we go.

After looking at a few examples sent to me, I set out to build a chonkier mount for this thing, while allowing me to keep it in its current location.  --->

Canopy Heat Treating

My friend who is an engineer and in the industrial plastics business guided me with heat treating my canopy to reduce stress.
I carefully measured the frame when installed on the airplane track and installed temporary bracing on the frame to keep things exactly where they need to be. We placed the canopy in an oven which is designed to anneal plastics. We brought the temperature up slowly to 190 degrees, maintained it for 2 hours and brought the temperature down very slowly.
I removed the clecos and the plastic fits the canopy frame perfectly with zero stress.
After going through this process, I believe that a simple homemade oven can be made up with some basic materials to accomplish this without spending a ton of money.
I was just lucky to know a guy who knows what he is doing and has a set up already.
I thought that it may help someone who is worried about too much stress on the plastic when riveting it to the frame, which may invite cracks.

Exhaust crack

Yesterday, after a routine oil change in my RV-14A, I performed a visual inspection of the firewall forward area. I noticed a light colored powder near the exhaust flange of the #1 cylinder. Upon closer inspection, I found what appeared to be a crack in the weld between the flange and the exhaust pipe. I used a vacuum cleaner to pressurize the exhaust and squirted some soapy water on the area. Sure enough, it leaked.

I removed the exhaust pipe on the #1 cylinder and took it to my mechanic. He thinks he can re-weld the crack which appears to be about 2/3 of the circumference of the pipe.

I'm mainly writing to raise awareness of this issue in case anyone else has a similar yet undiscovered problem. If it wasn't for the powder around the leak I don't think I would have noticed it. I'm very thankful I found it before the flange became completely disconnected. This also proves the importance of thorough visual inspection whenever the cowl is removed.

BTW, this header is only about 2 feet long and terminates in a slip joint. It was a tight fit getting the header off of the studs but I hit the slip joint with some mouse milk and I freed right up. I always apply mouse milk to the slip and ball joints whenever I have the cowl off and was pleased to see that it appears to be working well with 190 hours on the engine.

Windscreen fiberglass fairing

I saw this on a rocket. After reading threads for an hour, i was thinking of how it's done.

I like the idea of a fairing that could be removed and reused in the event the windscreen needed replacing.

Here is how I think it would be done.

Fit and drill windscreen for screws. No rivets.
Proseal (I have a fresh can on hand) using screws to hold in place.
Remove screws and glass the frame.
Pop the frame off, trim and sand. And fill those micro pores of course.
Apply a thin bead of proseal around the perimeter of the fairing frame and screw in place.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

May 12, 2023  Issue #5,817. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

Wiring Harness How-to: noahhl PIREP

Don't know if this is the "right" way, but there's how I approached it (harnessed, installed, tested, but not yet flying). I took the AEA class and have some industrial wiring experience, but nothing beyond that.

Start by figuring out the general shape of your harness. I decided:
1) I'd have one central trunk that ran along the bottom of the subpanel
2) Branches would loop up from that to each of the components on the panel. That way, the connectors would dangle down below the panel if I ever needed to work on them in the plane.
3) I'd have small bundles (basically just headset and USB power) that went out the left and right side of my main trunk.
4) I'd have two big bundles that went down right from the center of the trunk to everything aft -- one for stuff that would split and go to the wings, one would go back to the flaps and everything aft of that.

With that general design in mind, I taped a 1" PVC pipe to represent my main trunk on to the subpanel, and then marked off 1" increments from left to right on that. I used a flexible tape measure to then measure how long the branch to each component would be, and recorded the length and what increment on the main trunk that was. Then I could lay that out on my board in tape. I actually did this all from a mockup of the panel (I hadn't even gotten my fuselage kit yet), so was a little nervous about wire lengths, but I had one wire in the entire plane that was too short and needed to be spliced (and that was because I reversed the locations of the trim servo and the magnetometer in my head).

I started by doing the CAN bus for all components, and then just picked one connector and started running every wire out from there -- powers, grounds, signals, etc. Repeat for each connector and you have the whole harness run, then it's just a matter of terminating the connectors, lacing and installing.

Doing it one connector at a time made it easy to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I did have a wirelist (in addition to per-device diagrams), which made it easy to not run duplicate wires -- every wire appeared on my wirelist exactly once, so by the last connector there were no new wires to run; the earlier connectors had gotten them all.

Took about 20 hours over a week to run and terminate all the connectors. Only issues I had were from my own misreading of Garmin's instructions about which protocols were available on which RS-232 ports.

Kitplanes story on the future of Sport Class Air Racing

On-line article in Kitplanes magazine about Sport Class Air Racing.
Come to Reno in September to see it for yourself. Fingers crossed for Madras and Wendover this year too!

The new venues will offer more opportunity for stock or nearly-stock RVs to qualify. The metal mafia will be showcased at these events.

"For Sport this typically means stock 180-hp RV-4 to RV-8 types in Medallion, moderately modified RVs and Harmon Rockets and such in Bronze, mostly retractable composite variants in Silver and the whole lot headlined by the all-out 900-hp turbocharged Glasairs and Lancairs in Gold."

Sniffle Valve Line ...jcarne PIREP

Bingo, exactly what I did. Have had zero issues. This middle section is rubber fuel line.

Smoke - Oil Pump Location

Q: I am in process of installing a SSH system in my 6A. Where are the usual locations for mounting the oil pump? I assumed I would mount it on the firewall under the cowl but the diagram suggests on the cabin side of firewall.

A:

May 11, 2023  Issue #5,816. (previous day's news).
 

Mental gyros about to be aligned...

Spinner Surprise

While completing an oil change this weekend, I pushed on the spinner and was surprised it wiggled. The prop was on solid. But, the whole spinner including the backplate to which the cone is fastened, moved. I unfastened the cone from the backplate; sixteen screws around the perimeter. Could not see any problem, but the backplate behind the prop wiggled.

So, yesterday I took off the prop and found this:  --->

Avionics Installation for Experimental Aircraft Course - June 7-9, 2023

Greetings VAF!

Once again the Aircraft Electronics Association will be hosting an Avionics Installation for Experimental Aircraft Course on June 7-9, 2023. The class will take place at the AEA headquarters in Lee's Summit, MO (Kansas City suburb). For complete details and registration information, please visit the AEA Course Website.

This has been a very popular training opportunity that includes hands-on wiring and avionics installation fundamentals, heavily focused on the Garmin G3X Touch system. Many VAF members have attended this course in the past! It is a 3-day course at a registration cost of $549. There are a limited number of spots available and space fills quick!

Let us know if you have any questions!

Best Regards,

Brad
__________________
Garmin G3X Support

AirVenture 2023 NOTAM

The 2023 NOTAM has been published

ShawnR -4 Rebuild Update

Regarding the firewall, Van's has suggested just stop drilling the existing cracks. Another friend suggested the same and then of course sealing them up. How hard is it to change out the lower firewall, should I decide to go that way? It looks like most rivets are accessible at this point but don't know what I don't know.

I also found one gear leg bent slightly. I sent an email to Langair about with cross border shipping, etc., it may be better to straighten it here in Canada. Is this something any well equipped machine shop could do or is there more to it than just press it. I read in a thread here about a 20 ton press so that should be no problem in my area. We have some good industrial machine shops locally.

Anyone with input for me?

May 10, 2023  Issue #5,815. (previous day's news).
 

Scott Hamme, RV Pilot ...video

Scott recently sold a Bellanca Viking he had been flying for several decades.  Purchased new.  Yesterday he flew Jerry Lawlor's RV-8 for the first time (with CFI Gary Platner in the back seat).  The plan is for Scott to partner on the plane with Jerry.

Scott has quite a bit of time in these, so he's used to having a lot of power at his disposal. ;^)

I happened to get word just before takeoff, and grabbed a short 42sec video of the first launch.  Welcome to the world of RVs, Scott!

Update - engine in assembly! ...prkaye

There was some interest here in my saga, so i thought i'd provide an update. My engine is now in assembly. My crankshaft was below limits and was too far gone to be repaired. Aerosport had another used 320 crank that was available for reconditioning, which saved me having to buy a brand new one. But there was a significant back-log in getting crankshafts reground, so that took about 3 months. Finally the crank came back. My engine has been repainted, reconditioned cylinders and other parts repaired as necessary, and is now in assembly. I expect it to ship in a couple of weeks. I'm nervous about the reinstall process (since it has been about 14 years since i did this the last time!), but I'm optimistic to be back in the air by mid-june.

It's been a VERY expensive episode, but i will say that Aero Sport have been fantastic to work with, as always.
I just read Mike Busch's new book "On Engines" and learned a tonne. I'm going to switch from Aeroshell 15W50 to single-grade W100 now, on his advice. I've also resolved never to start my engine when the OAT is below 0 degrees Celcius.

Milestone: New Engine! ...rph142

My new Titan IO-370 arrived yesterday . It has 9.6:1 compression ratio, dual Pmags, AFP 150 injector, cold air sump, and most importantly shiny rocker covers. Ill be mating it to a catto 3-blade prop. Props to J.B. at continental for making it an easy process!

RV-12 Trailer Info

Glad to get the link on the Aerotrek Trailer!

Just finished Section 31 "Fuselage Wiring Harness" and celebrating after spending many, many hours trying to attach the over rudder wireway.

I have tried to attach a photo that David Kroner (Ohio RV-12) was kind enough to share with me several years ago.

The trailer I really like is a custom Featherlite all-aluminum, including an extruded floor. I have had some back and forth with their engineering department and adjusted the tandem torsion axles to match the unusually light weight of the intended airplane cargo.   --->

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (5/6-7/2023)

More submits...

(New Zealand) "I was disappointed with the way the gear leg fairings constantly migrated down during landings and clearly the standard "clamps and tangs" detailed in the plans are not the solution - as noted by many on the forum. After doing a search on what others have done I decided to try a rubber stop on the lower end of the leg and allow the fairings to float within the upper and lower fairings. Saturday was spent modifying the installation and I look forward to seeing how it works out. No flying was committed.

An unexpected visitor turned up on Sunday afternoon - an RV-7A with an new owner who "saw the light" and came to the enlightenment, converting his aircraft to a taildragger. It looks Soooooo much nicer in this configuration!"

May 9, 2023  Issue #5,814. (previous day's news).
 

Meet Gizmo! ...petehowell

Moxie our faithful Boxer passed last summer, and we have been missing K-9 companionship ever since. So a few weeks ago, we adopted Gizzy, a tiny who-knows-what-a-doodle from a local rescue. Andi and I hope to travel with her in the -9A, so her small size will be an asset. Her house training is progressing, and she is learning not to use her needle-sharp teeth on our hands.

She had her first short flight today and was a real champ!

RV-12is Stall Indicator

Fellow RV12 pilots. I am looking for some guidance on something I observed today during pattern work. I was getting pretty frequent stall warning (audible and dynon console light) during downwind, base, and final, although my IAS were within normal ranges. I have not seen this before and when looking at my dynon user data downloads, prior to today, the stall warning rarely went off except in final flair, but today it was activating pretty frequently. The stall warning vane on the wing does not appear to my untrained eye as bent or bounded up. Any ideas on steps to track down what is going on?

Twisted aileron after one skin is riveted

Building my -10 with riveted TE and it is really warped after riveting the top skin and counter balance. Bottom skin and TE are not riveted in place yet so I'm looking for opinions and suggestions on how to proceed. I'll break down my steps and attach a picture of the 7/16 inch difference in height of the TE.

I was able to get the TE to lay flat when I had weight on the bottom (laying on top side) and removing half the clecos on bottom skin and cleco the TE to the wedge. But it reverts back to the twist after removing the TE and weight so I don't think i can rivet the bottom skin?

Steps I did:
- didn't final drill anything since the holes were final size from factory.
-dimpled all my skins including the nose skin which shouldn't have been, so I had to countersink the counterbalance.
-riveted the counterbalance to the nose ribs and spar assembly before riveting my top skin (plans call for counter balance riveting after top and bottom skins are riveted)

My thoughts on fixing:
Drill out counter balance rivets and all the top skin rivets and restart riveting the top skin. I'm not sure how to keep things flat as I rivet though. One thing I read on the forum was to rivet randomly on the top skin versus what I did which was start and one end and work toward the other.

My New Stick Grip

I needed more buttons. I had the tosten grips, Their CS-8 grip and it was nice. It worked great and felt good in my hands. But I wanted to add buttons. I had manual trim on both the ailerons and elevator and was using the hat switch for flaps and radio functions. Now I wanted to add electric trim. The Dynon system can auto trim and also adjust trim speed with aircraft speed. I also wanted to redo my center console and get rid of the trim handle and knob there now. So, I figured let me install the electric trim and clean up the console.

The plan was:
1. Install the new grips.
2. Install electric trim.
3. Install a new console.

I needed more buttons. I looked at the Tosten MS military grip and the infinity grip. Still not really what I was looking for. The grip I chose was a Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog grip. This grip is for gaming. I has a USB output for connecting to the PC. I got one cheap on Ebay and took it apart. I rewired it and brought the wiring out the bottom. I now have more buttons than I know what to do with. I'm working on the second one for the copilot side. I also got one for the sim so I can use the same stick in the sim as I do when flying.

Dimples dishing after riveting

Working on my -14 tail cone bottom skin and noticed that I have some dishing showing up after I rivet. The dimples were super clean as you can see from the not yet riveted holes on the bulkheads and the edges of the sheet. Then after I hammer a rivet it seems to pull the skin in slightly. It may just be the lighting as you can only see it at certain angles. I haven't seen this show up so noticeably on any of the tail feathers. Is this normal? What might I have done wrong here that didn't show up elsewhere?

Ribs and stiffeners were dimpled with squeezer and skin was done with c frame and hammer (as were all other parts I've completed to date).

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (5/6-7/2023)

More submits...

May 8, 2023  Issue #5,813. (previous day's news).
 

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (5/6-7/2023)

Service loop critique ...Steve Crewdog

(doing my best Peter Falk/Columbo impersonation) "Just one more thing, please, just one more question..."

Service loops for my grounds, the orange thingys are Nite Ize gear ties I'm using to hold them in place temporarily, if it all works I'll be using either lacing cord or a tiewrap.

Milestone: An Airplane!  ...Vic S sent me.

Congratulations to Linda And George Shemo on the completion of their Rv-10!

Joining Two Shield Cables ...Webb PIREP

Q: Let's say you have two 22-4 shielded cables coming together inside the airplane. There's no need to make these removable via a connector, and the location is not easily accessible in the future.

There's probably a dozen methods of joining these cables. What's your favorite?

A: Does this help?

Safety Plea

Could these unsuspecting folks have been in the frag zone if it had cartwheeled?   It sure seems like a possibility.

To the pilot of this 7A: You might want to reassess your airshow routine.

"The JST was notified of the fact... and indicated that the Puerto Madryn headquarters will carry out the investigation."

Matching holes

Hi Guys,

Have you got any tips for drilling an old elevator centre bearing hinge bracket assembly to a new HS rear spar? The holes in the steel bracket are already 3/16", one of the new spar holes is reamed to 3/16" so I can slide a bolt in there to hold things steady, but the other 3x holes (drilled up to approx .150) are misaligned. I don't think a drill bushing will work as it would have to be very thin. Maybe clamp in the drill press? I can easily order new brackets for $15 and drill them to the spar, but I enjoy a challenge, and I'm always keen to learn new tips.

Panel Status ...PaulvS

Day VFR RV-6A trying to keep it light and simple. Trial fit before priming and topcoat paint. Final installation will be after the windscreen has been fitted.

W-711 ribs - RV7

Q: Hi All - quick question - I have started attaching the ribs to the main spar. In doing so, I have come to realise that ALL of my W-711 ribs are the same in that there is no difference in position of tooling holes between the L and R ribs. They were originally labelled as L and R from Vans but now ion closer inspection they are all L ribs. Has this happened to anyone else? It's an old wing kit so I doubt Vans will send me new ribs - do I need to purchase W-711R ribs? Thanks

A: Howdy everyone. As stated, the difference with the 711-R and -L is the orientation of the flanges. When holding the ribs in hand facing forward as if installed in the aircraft, the flanges either face left or right. Do not try to bend the flanges on a -L rib 180 degrees to make it a -R rib. (If that is what you are thinking.)

AOG Update ...StuBob -8

We got the new tailwheel and mag delivered to the hotel today. Before that, we'd spent the morning de-cowling, lifting the tail, chasing down a gear puller, etc

Replaced the wheel and the mag, tested everything, and blew out of there at about 1600 local. Got to Springfield, MO, which was intended to be a fuel stop, but Springfield Style Cashew Chicken called us by name, so we went to dinner and we're spending one more night in a hotel. Possible IMC tomorrow. We'll see.

The people at Dumas were some of the best ever.

Thanks to everyone who helped in person, on the phone, and online.

May 5, 2023  Issue #5,812. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

Tailcone complete! ...Brantel -12

Finished up the tailcone yesterday and got started on the stabilator trim servo setup.

Other than the fiberglass tips (gonna go ahead and install them), I am out of parts waiting on the wings and fuse to ship. I don't have room right now to assemble all the subassemblies just to have to take them back apart so that can wait.

Van's took my final payment a good bit ago and I have been assigned to crating ever since. Hope they ship soon!

Lots more pics and comments in my blog!  --->

Garmin GSA 28 Servo Service-Life Extension (Service Bulletin 23038)

We released a Service bulletin today that outlines a Service-Life Extension program for our GSA 28 Autopilot Servos. Garmin has implemented several design and manufacturing process improvements to improve GSA 28 reliability. The latest update has been added to a consolidation of all past improvements into a single effort that will best serve our G3X, G3X Touch and G5 autopilot customers. The Service-Life Extension Program allows up to five years to exchange, under warranty, all affected GSA 28 servos for servos marked with Mod 1.

While we are pleased many of you enjoy the seamless operation and utility your autopilot provides, we know some have experienced servo issues. As a result, Garmin has implemented several improvements within the current production servo design and manufacturing processes and we are confident these improvements will increase the reliability of the servo.

GSA 28 Part Numbers covered under this program:

-All 011-02927-00 and 011-02927-11 GSA 28 units
-All 011-02927-20 and 011-02927-21 GSA 28 units that are not marked with Mod 1  --->

Typical day at the hangar:-).

I was working on a buddy's RV Super 8, and was adding new screws to a side panel in a hard to get to place. I was horizontal (upside down) under the Instrument Panel (of course) and trying to put a screw in. It was an AN525-832R8. Well, I just couldn't get it started past finger tight. I couldn't get the darn screw driver in to get things going. After 30 seconds, I realized what it might be and took it back out for a close look and BAM !!
The picture will solve the mystery. What are the odds????

Another reason to have 2 screens I suppose.

Okay, I opted for a one screen install because a second is largely useless these days with an iPad and ForeFlight. Well, the other day I was flying and my HDX came up with a "system event 5" error. It said it wasn't a grounding event but I contacted Dynon and they said send her in for a hardware repair. 10-15 day turn around they say. Dangit!!! Came at a really bad time too as I'm only about 1 month away from my CFI checkride.

Sooooo now I wait patiently since I can't fly without engine instruments. Kind of regretting not installing that second screen now. Just a thought for those debating the idea. haha
__________________
Jereme Carne
Commercial ASEL; IFR
RV-7A Flying

Sealing Inter-Cylinder Bafflles

I'm sealing up all the air leaks on the underside of my 540 and have a question about airflow past the inter-cylinder baffles.
See the attached photos.
Should I seal the areas circled in read?
Or do they need to flow air in order to pass heat removed from the adjacent fin?
I want as little leakage as possible but obviously don't want to create unwanted hotspots.
Thanks, Sages!

Mel question on tank fill cap labeling?

Q: I anticipate extensive gas octane and timing curve investigation in phase 1.  Will the FSDO/DAR accept adhesive labels at AWInspection?  It would be nice to engrave them once after timing map is logged and octane options are known.

A: Certainly! Absolutely nothing wrong with that approach.

Wing Tip Install ...PilotjohnS

I have been putting on the wing tips. I have the VOR antenna and the FlyLED lights in the tips so I am going to put them on with 6-32 screws per the drawing in the plans.
*I lined up the tips with the ailerons, drill thru the pre punched holes in the wing into the tips with a 3/32 drill.
*After making sure everything was good, I enlarged the 3/32" holes to #26 (I think) This make the holes a little tight for the 6-32 screws, but still able to thread into the fiberglass.
*I removed the tips, installed the two ribs per plans,
Then I put a screw and 6-32 nut plate together to make a drill guide for the Nut plate rivets. Being a smaller hole, this screw and nut plate combo was screwed in to fiberglass tip holes and the nut plate mounting holes were drilled for rivets
* The rivet holes were then countersunk
* Then the 6-32 screws were threaded thru the undersized fiberglass holes and the nut plates were riveted to the fiberglass tip.
*Once all the nut plates were installed to the tip, I took a 9/ 64 bit and opened up the undersized holes in the wing skins and the fiberglass to easily accept the 6-32 screws
* for all these steps , I used hardware store common allen 6-32 screws.

This is where I am at today
* After a trial fit on the wings to make sure the holes are all in the right spot, I will go back and counter sink the 6-32 holes and dimple the wing skins.

In general, when installing nut plates, once they are riveted in, I will go back and open up the screw holes with a larger bit so that the nut plate sets the position of the screw, and not the hole in the material. (This only works for non-floating nut plates)

May 4, 2023  Issue #5,811. (previous day's news).
  OT: For any Phenom 300 drivers out there, I have a free 3-page initial/recurrent study sheet for all the limitations, memory items and profiles at my 'online business card' page.
 

2023 Oshkosh RV Social

Placeholder...save the date....more later

Yes, it's on, same place as last year, same time...Monday evening, first official show day, in the backyard of the second house just outside the Waukau Ave EAA gate.

[ed. Added to the VAF Calendar.  v/r,dr]

Mothership Survey ...14

Tail a dragging

I am in the test flight mode in my new RV-4. I know this model is pitch sensitive so before giving rides I want to make sure I know how this airplane flies with weight in the back. I have gradually added weight to the rear seat and today i was carrying 160 lbs. Take off was as expected. No problem. The landings were an adventure. My approach speed was around 85 mph. When i got to the normal 3 point landing configuration the nose wanted to pitch up more that usual. Knowing i could not push the stick forward i kept pulling it back until it quit flying and plopped down on to the runway. It did not feel stable or safe and was not pretty. What am I doing wrong? I had two notches of flaps. Should I use full flaps? Should I come in with more speed and use two pint landings?
Thanks, in advance, for your help.

Throttle wrist rest

Q: Hi all,
I have been trying to learn formation flying with some folks here on the West coast. This involves a lot of throttle changes that sometimes need to be quite subtle. I find that without some support to my left arm/ wrist I am using biceps and triceps instead of finger and wrist muscles. What I need is some way to support my forearm at the level of that support that comes up on the left. In scratching my head over how to do this, I thought I would inquire with the hive mind. Anyone do this before?

A: I rest my wrist on the flat and use the base of the throttle lever... Good feel for small movements...

A:

Rising amperage

I bought an RV8 that has a Dynon SC700.
When the engine is cold, the amp readout will be reading normally, starting around 13 amps or so, then all of a sudden it will climb quickly to over 50 amps. Sometimes will spontaneously come back to normal, other times I have to cycle the masters to get it back to normal. Voltage never changes. Any ideas where to start looking?

May 3, 2023  Issue #5,810. (previous day's news).
 

How to extract broken drill bit?

Just my luck. Tonight I was match drilling #30 the forward fuselage skins to the lower longeron and had a brand new cobalt drill bit break off while drilling one of the holes common to the gear tower weldment on my RV-8. I have attached a snippet of the plans with the area I'm talking about highlighted. The bit broke inside the hole, so I can't grab it with vise grips. There is a hole where the bit would have exited the inboard side of the gear tower weldment, but the bit isn't sticking out yet to grab onto, and I can't use a punch to push it out because the weldment has a steel bar running forward to aft that blocks access to the hole.

Does anyone have advice on how to get this bit out? This hole is going to be enlarged to #19 for a screw, so I can get away with enlarging this hole a bit while removing the bit. Is there such thing as a bit extractor?

Whistling or squeaking noise from MT prop

About six months ago we installed a new three blade MT prop. Soon after, we started to hear a faint squealing noise that sounded like a loose alternator belt. Upon further investigation it turned out that our alternator pulley was touching the cowling. I think the slightly heavier prop might have exacerbated the situation. We pulled the prop, again and installed a shorter alternator belt. Performed test run up and still had the squeaking at idle and when taxiing.

We figured that we had a bad alternator bearing and replaced the alternator. Performed test run and still had squeaking.

At this point we notice that if you bring the idle up to about 1100 RPMs the squeaking goes down but now we have enough oil pressure to cycle the prop which made the squeaking almost go away.

Called MT prop who were incredibly helpful as usual. When I told him what was going on they replied with. "Oh, yes those blades whistle at idle".

So although it had nothing to do with the alternator at least now I don't have a hole in my cowling from the alternator pulley. And we have a new alternator.

I wanted to post this as I haven't seen anything anywhere about composite prop blades whistling.

Landing Gear Out of Square Outboard Side ...-8

Have others experienced an out of square landing gear on the outboard side where the outboard bracket (U-803) fits over landing gear. It appears that during the bending process the edge of the steel flares out, preventing the natural fit of U-803 over the the landing gear (U-801).

Surprised manufacturing process doesn't include milling it straight on the edge for better fit. Have others experienced this and had to manually file landing gear edge (not corners as described instructions) for best fit possible. I'm assuming its not okay to have slop in the fit for somewhat obvious reasons.

Vans told me to file it down as best I could, but just seems like an unfinished manufacturing process to me. In any case, just looking to see if this issue is common.  more pics

Which Logbook

Dumb, amateur builder question. I replaced my alternator with a different manufacturer, and went from internally regulated to a separate, newly installed external voltage regulator. Does the Alternator replacement get noted in the Engine Log or Airframe Log? The VR I'm guessing is Airframe.

Similarly, what about Engine baffle changes.

Is there a definitive text that lays out where things get logged?

Cracked canopy glass during magneto troubleshooting, can't catch a break :(

Seems like the mechanic accidentally slammed my canopy shut and caused a huge crack at the edge of it. It's starting to get overwhelming dealing with all these issues, but it is what it is. Any advice on what I can do to fix this as much as possible? Builder recommended I stop drill it and add an aluminum fairing. I bought some canopy guides and lagged on installing them. Painful mistake.

PS, they couldn't figure my ignition issue.

May 2, 2023  Issue #5,809. (previous day's news).
 

LRU location

I put almost everything on the subpanel. Nutplates throughout. Wanted access to all components with a G3x removed while sitting in a seat. Also wanted to not open any static lines when removing PFD so hard mounted the GSU as far up and left as possible where the junction of the longeron/subpanel/deck skin makes the structure stiff and flex resistant. I'll probably start flying with 1 Adhars, but when SteinAir built the harness I had a connector for the 2nd wired in. Nutplates are already there so easy addition. I installed the Vans acess panel kit, but put them outboard on the curved part of the deck skin. B&C regulator and ElectroAir control unit mount on rails on the right side. Added a fuse block here for some non critical circuits as I was running out of space for breakers on the panel. These components and the rails can be removed/installed through the access panel. Signal wires come through the left side of the firewall near the GEA and power wires on the right side for the GAD using stainless pass throughs with firesleeve.

Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress

GTR-200 aux audio inputs hi/lo assignments

Had this written down but can't find it now. Garmin GTR-200 aux audio inputs.

edit: Dyslexia. Correct answer is Hi is signal, Lo is ground.

Leaving this here in case others have same question, or if I'm wrong someone can catch me.

WH-00011 wiring harness for wing.

This is the connector for the WH-00011 wiring harness. On page 19-02 Detail A, there is a note that says, "Mounting clips provided on WH-00125 fuselage harness". What do these clips look like? I'm not seeing what holds the connector in the bracket. This is the connector that mounts in one of the two square holes at the root of the wing.

Deburr/Buff PIREP ...MechaSteve

Splitting the difference between a buffing wheel and the solid Scotchbrite wheel, I have had great success with a non-woven Scotchbrite wheel.

I use 3M p/n 03173, and it certainly does not last as long as the solid wheel.

Careful technique makes it last much longer. Most of the wear is the result of feeding too sharp of an edge into the wheel.

It works well for the odd corners at the root of notched flanges.

It is much more ideally suited to scuffing for priming. The ability to do a little bit of final deburring as well simplifies the process.

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (4/29-30, 2023)

...more entries.

May 1, 2023  Issue #5,808. (previous day's news).
 

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (4/29-30, 2023)

Milestone: 1500 hours in the log book! ...AV8ER

While closing in on the 1,500 hour mark I decided that Skyscraper had earned the right to be the airplane to carry me over the mark. I could have let a rental twin hold the place in my history but decided to take N7ZK around Central Florida on my last "flight to no-where". I crossed 1,500 total time and 1,000 in N7ZK on the same flight. What an airplane.

The "1,500" skywriting took two hours to draw and the "N7ZK" took an hour. The clouds kept building and tops raising. Even at 17,500 my canvas was getting small as the day wore on so I had to adjust and make the N7ZK smaller to keep my flight VFR. No GPS way points, only a timer, autopilot in track mode, and 50 degree bank hand-flown turns.

8/6/22 to 4/26/23
452 hours in N7ZK with a 10 week stoppage in play, 48.1 hours in a few twins (2 Seminoles and a Twin Comanche), a few hours in a Cherokee, 0.9 in an RV-8, 1.0 in a Sonex, commercial written, initial commercial multi checkride, ATP-CTP, and ATM written completed. Wrenches turned: failed alternator in flight (smoke smell in cockpit from failed switch), mag and p-mag swaps/overhauls, broken brake line on the left main, (2) blown tires, failed cowl hinge, all the usual maintenance a loved airplane gets, and oil changes as close to 25 hours as my trips would allow.

Rear canopy rail ...-8

I am in the process of commencing the canopy install. This is where the plans expect you know what you're doing - but I'm not at that point yet!

The plans call to countersink C804 and C805 to accept a 426 3-6 rivet Top and Bottom. What does this mean? Should there be a countersink in the bottom of the C805 so that there is no shop head hanging out at the bottom of the whole piece?

I get the screw holes that go through the skin too, but how are the rivets going to work?

Any help or piccies out there please?

Engine data from suspected mag failure.

...There was a giant spread of CHTs once I richened the mixture when I noticed my EGTs rising. A note, I was running full throttle, 2300 RPM on my recent flight, where as I was slightly lower MAP at 2400 RPM on the older flight.

Elevator Inboard/Outboard Hinge Doublers ...-8

Question for the group... Working on the rear spar for the elevators, the inboard and outboard doublers have 4 holes that do not have a corresponding punched hole in the elevator spar (E-702). There are 8 holes in the doublers and only 4 corresponding holes in the spar. Am I supposed to drill the 4 additional holes into the spar? For further reference, these holes are in each corner of the doublers. Drawings and plans don't mention it (could be that I don't see it).

(Slight) Radiator Leak

RV-12iS
Almost two years flying
194.3 hours
Coolant temperature is always in the green even in extended climb

Over the past few months I have noticed trace amounts of water on the floor of the hangar near the nose gear. In Kentucky, in the winter and spring, water is not out of place. I find water at all three wheel pant locations from precipitation the tires throw inside them to drain out later in the hangar. But sometimes it is only the nose gear and given that coolant leaking from the radiator drips into the lower cowling before then running down the nose gear leg into the wheel pant before dripping onto the floor it is always dirty brown water. --->

Milestone: Sitting in it! ...nohoflyer

Finally got far enough along where I was able to sit in it. Wife and friend came by and both got climb in. I don't take a lot of photos of myself building cause I'm too busy building. Wife (top pick) was impressed on the progress.

Apr 28, 2023  Issue #5,808. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

Mothership News

Rest in Peace Mr. Bob Reece

The father of my good friend Rob.

"Over his 50 years of working on aircraft, he repaired, maintained and inspected hundreds of metal, wooden, and tube & fabric homebuilt and certified aircraft. Bob had the honor to fly most of the aircraft which he repaired and inspected. He also repaired a P51, and repaired and flewthe Ford Tri-Motor. Bob also enjoyed collecting and working on Model-A's and old VW beetles in his spare time. He was always willing to help others with repairs or learning no matter how large or small the aircraft.

Bob had many achievements; joined the Experimental Aircraft Association in 1970; co-founder of the local EAA chapter #493 in 1972; Co-Chairman of Homebuilt Judging in 1981; Chairman of Homebuilt Judging in 1985-present; wrote the EAA's Judging Standards Manual; EAA Board of Directors from 1995-2005; President of The Southwest Regional Fly-In for 10 years in Kerrville, TX; in charge of aircraft judging at the Northwest Regional Fly-In at Arlington, WA.

Additionally, Bob was recently awarded the exclusive FAA Master Mechanic and Master Pilot Awards recognizing individuals who have been a mechanic and a pilot for 50 or more years." (read obit)

Inconsistent in-flight flap extension

I have a -7 with about 60 hours on it. The flap behaviour today has me scratching my head. I thought I had a flap failure in flight but after looking at the uploaded flight data on Savvy, I see that
- the first in-flight extension (and subsequent retraction) was normal
- the second in-flight extension went to about 88% of normal. Retraction normal.
- the third extension went to about 5% of normal. This is what I identified as a failure.

After landing, powering down and powering up, the flaps worked normally through several cycles on the ground. I wanted to believe that the power cycle had solved the problem so I went for another quick flight. On that flight, the flaps extended to about 12% of normal. Post-flight they again worked fine on the ground.

The flaps are controlled by an Advanced ACM.

Any ideas?

RV6 level attitude for W&B

Q: I want to check the W&B on my 6 and was wondering if anyone has a rough idea how high I will need to lift the tail to achieve a level flight attitude for weighing?

I am not the builder and have never done a W&B. She has been flying for 23 years (at least half of that with me). There have been changes here and there I figure it is a good idea to recheck the data.

A:

Is my my takeoff fuel flow high enough?

I noticed that my takeoff Fuel Flow is down to 14-15 GPH on my Mattituck IO-360 in my RV8.

I went back and looked through all the data for my flights from when I got the airplane in 2020. It seems that in the colder months I'll get 16-17 GPH, and during the warmer months 14-15.

Is this high enough? I'm thinking it's on the low side. From what I've read the rule of thumb is 9% of max HP. My data plate says 185 hp so I should get a min of 17 GPH. How can I adjust it higher? I did lower my idle mixture last annual because it was too high.

I'm using an RSA-5 Throttle Body. I do plan on doing a GAMI test in the next couple of weeks and change out to GAMI injectors.

I have no idea why my Mattituck data plate says 185 and not 180. I have the logbooks from this engine, but have never been able to find any kind of build sheet or other guidance on what they put in these things. They are long out of business.
__________________
Moe Colontonio
Cherry Hill, NJ
RV-8 N495T

Brantel  -12 Observation

...noticing improvements.

For all that had to fab this part in the past. Sorry! Don't be jealous! Van's now provides this part completed and anodized!

Apr 27, 2023  Issue #5,807. (previous day's news).
 

Question on rear seat reinforcing gussets ...-4

I am putting in the F-482 gussets for the passenger seat on my RV-4 as described in the service bulletin 97-5-1. However, I am worried that they will not be robust enough; I saw a RV-8 and those gussets seemed much bigger than the ones I got from Vans. Has anyone used the gussets for the 8 on a 4? Would that be advisable? Pics attached of the RV-8 with gussets installed, and the ones I got for the 4.

Another Cowl Inlet Duct Post

In my ongoing quest to become friends with my pink cowl and less intimidated dealing with fiberglass, I am turning my attention to fitting the Cowl Inlet Ducts. As others have mentioned in posts going back in time, the builders guide and drawings seem to basically leave it to builders desecration. I saw a few posts here in the forum where some trimmed others did not. Having a Titan ECI XIO-360 horizontal induction and the snorkel, could someone offer a non-engineer type their experiences with figuring out the best position of the inlet ducts to optimize the cooling or refer me to some other posts that I may help me here? I have my oil cooler mounted on the baffle as per plans. Here are a few pics for reference, both inlet ducts are not trimmed and guessing on the positioning. Do they get centered on the inlets and trimmed to match the inlet opening width or it does not matter? Not sure how it will/will not affect the baffling if at all. Any insights/experiences shared will be greatly appreciated.

RV-10 Elevator Mistake: Countersinking after dimpling

I'm going to call Van's tomorrow to confirm but I made a big mistake and I'm hoping I can correct it without redoing both elevators. On the RV-10 elevators, on the rear spar, you dimple the flanges *except* you countersink the inside top flanges because that is where the trim tab hinges will go later.

Well, at some point, I switched my elevator rear spars. Either that, or I countersinked them incorrectly. After riveting one full skin and half of the other, as well as riveting the ribs to the rear spar, I realized I have it wrong. I have the countersinked flanges facing the bottom skin, not the top skin.

My options are:

(1) buy two new skins, two new rear spars, and 16 new flanges and try again
(2) drill out ~32 rivets where the ribs connect to the rear spars, then ~100 rivets where the rear spars attach to the skins, and swap the spars.
(3) Un-dimple the inside holes on the top flanges on both sides, then countersink, and proceed with the build.

Obviously (1) is the cleanest option but costs some money and especially time. For (2) I'm worried about the damage I might cause by drilling out that many rivets. For (3), well I've never un-dimpled and then countersunk so I wanted to see if there was any advice out there if I decide to go that way.

Thanks in advance!

My crankcase oil breather line and fuel pump bypass solution

The subject of how Vans supplies a non-oil compatible heater hose to serve as a breather line has been discussed to death, but I thought I'd throw out my solution on a new thread in case it might help somebody out in the future.

My engine came from Lycoming with a brass 3/4" nipple installed in the breather port. Vans would have you cut a rubber elbow off a Napa automotive heater hose and connect it between this fitting and the end of their aluminum down spout which is necked up at the upper end specifically to allow it to mate to a 3/4" hose, then immediately chokes down to 5/8" for the rest of it's run.

The issue people have with this is that the heater hose isn't rated for oil products and will degrade over time, much more than a suitable material.

My solution was to just replace the straight 3/4" brass nipple with an AN844-10 that I got from Airparts for about $20. Yes, it can be done on an engine thats already hung (barely).  --->

G3X - How many interconnects is enough?

The Garmin installation manuals contain lots of interconnect drawings but, as every system is a little different, they can't provide a complete diagram for every system. So, how do you know where to stop adding redundant and backup interconnections?

The attached image shows a possible system for discussion purposes.
Green depicts ARINC connections
Blue is for CAN bus
Purple is the RS-232 connections that seem (to me) to be essential; and
Red shows RS-232 connections that seem to be optional.

As an example, take the MapMX link between the GNX 375 and the G5. The Garmin manual says that will allow you to shoot a fully coupled approach if the PFD dies. That's impressive, and probably the best option if you don't have an MFD. On the other hand, if there is an MFD, I'd rather use that because the approach will be the same as normal. Would it be better to send that MapMX link to the MFD instead of the G5?

It's not really a question about this specific case. It's more a question about where to find the information to make an informed decision. Can anyone help me?

DanH's Bench

36x36 steel plate, 3/4" thick, with four legs welded to the underside, on HD casters. Simple as dirt.

I have a couple standing height wood benches, but this steel table is the best ever. Flat, and stays that way. Lots of mass; no wiggle jiggle. No practical max load. Easy to clamp parts and fixtures. Hammer on it, weld on it, dump dirty parts on it and clean with ease. I even back rivet on it.

Here supporting a big rolling toolbox project, which is also a pretty good bench.

Apr 26, 2023  Issue #5,806. (previous day's news).
 

RV-6, Airworthy!

Finally reached the big milestone! Quick response from Greater Chicago FSDO, they came out just two weeks after getting my application. First flight will have to wait until the pilot is up to speed!
Stewart Willoughby, 6

Milestone: Instrument Rated!

Passed my instrument check ride in my -7, interesting challenge after 1000 hours of VFR flying and I have learnt a lot. Hand flew all the approaches to make sure I could if all the automation failed. Altitude management was probably the biggest challenge as the -7 gains or loses altitude in a hurry if you breath on the stick. I also had a very good instructor who only talked when necessary
The DPE loved the plane
Figs
__________________
Dave (Figs) (RV-7 N256F, Flying)

Frank McDonald of Cartersville,Ga

...made his first flight today in his new RV-7.  Vern D sent this to me. dr

Engine stumble and in flight mag failure on separate flights... AOG in Carlsbad.

This is going to be a longer post, so anyone who reads this, I appreciate it.

I've been battling high CHTs likely due to poor baffle sealing but while I get that sorted, my A&P agreed to retard my timing to 23 on both my slick mags (engine is a lyc YO-360-A1A with about 300 hours hobbs on it). The mag retarding helped CHTs tremendously, albeit at a slight loss of power, but acceptable for me to be able to climb like I want to. The other day, after a very long taxi at the KMCC zoo of an airport trying to find the FBO, I started her back up and she wasn't purring like normal, but still running alright. I did my mag check at run up, about 150 drop on both sides, entered the runway, applied throttle smoothly as normal, and the engine stumbled around 1200-1500 RPM. It was hot outside and the engine was quite hot from the previous long taxi. KMCC has a long runway, so I decided to go for it anyways. Took off, did a 2 hour bay tour, returned, dropped off my passenger, and went back to KSQL. No issues in flight at all.  --->

Got to Fly Another Young Eagle ...Dvalcik

This young mans grandfather contacted our EAA chapter 1250 to arrange a flight for his grandson. He wants to be a pilot, I absolutely enjoy flying these type of young eagles.  vid

Ground Proximity Warning Device

Hey friends,

Years ago, I effectively lost the vision in one eye, so I fly with monocular vision. I completed my RV-9 about 8 years ago and have been flying it since then.

When getting my tailwheel endorsement, I was "trained" to do a three-point landing. However, I was never quite able to master it. My problem is judging the height above the ground. I blame (right or wrong) my inability to judge my height above the ground on monocular vision, i.e. limited depth perception.

Right now, I always do wheel landings. I jokingly say I land by braille. When I feel the ground, push forward a little and cut power. However, I would like to have the option of doing a three point.

Here is my question. Does anyone have a ground proximity warning device on their plane? I looked for one for small GA planes, but I didn't find anything. I know they must be out there.

A lot of cars have warning systems for backing up. And there are plenty out there to add to a car that didn't have it factory installed. Would it work for an airplane?

I searched the forum and didn't find anything on the subject.

Also, please don't bash my landing skills unless you have monocular vision.
__________________
Dean Eiland
Aubrey, TX
Former Vice President EAA Chapter 1246
RV-9

Apr 25, 2023  Issue #5,805. (previous day's news).
  Spent two hours Monday at the side hustle with a ForeFlight employee who is getting his type in the Phenom 300.  We talked RVs <g>.  Small world.

Milestone: Brantel ...-12

Finished off this here stabilator!

Help identifying paint colors

Q: Hi guys,

I am thinking about painting my plane like the 64th desert aggressor. I'm not sure how to match the colors. I know that I can't eyeball it. Any ideas? It seems like it should be on some government website. I don't suppose anyone has a buddy in the paint shop at Nellis?

A: 2 tone desert tan and brown of FS 30140 and FS 30279. The radome and some leading edge area uses the FS36251 grey. These aircraft are mainly Blk 25 and Blk 32 F-16C

RE: Oil Cooler Mount ...titanhank

Hey tool builder, can you take a look at the pictures if you have a minute. My rocket/540 c4b5 cruises around 196 degs F. Top of climb in the summer to 10k can get to 230 degs, but comes back down quickly once level. It has never red lined and does warm up a little in the pattern. The plane was built by harmon and I would assume he installed the oil cooler connections as they are today today, but can not verify it. My oil cooler, 2006x, is plumbed different than anything else I can find. The return is in the stock location, but the feed line is actually attached where the oil plunger hole would normally be and the normal oil cooler feed hole is capped. I can only assume this was for clearance in the fire wall. Do you have any idea what the comparable flow rate would be with the feed line attached as shown versus the stock location? My cht's are great, rarely get about 380 in climb and cruise normally runs around 350. Really appreciate your input.

What did you do w/your RV this weekend?

(4/22-23/2023) ...more submits.

Show us your bench

I'm using my woodworking bench I built years ago.

4" laminated maple top trimmed in pecan. All joints are dovetails or mortise and tenon with drawpins.

Weighs a few hundred pounds and won't budge after lifting the castors.

Three different vise jaws have been extremely useful extra set of hands.

PivotCase Mount Setup ...avrojockey

Apr 24, 2023  Issue #5,804. (previous day's news).
 

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (4/22-23/2023)

Need suggestions re prop gov cable ...-7QB

Looking for ideas to thread the rod end bearing on the prop gov cable. I installed the rod end bearing on the arm of the governor since the cable bracket prevents the bolt from being removed once the bracket is installed. Now that I have the engine mounted and want to connect the control cable, I've been unable to attach the cable to the rod end bearing.

I've tried twisting the entire cable (per Vans tech support) to thread it into the bearing, but the end of the cable will not twist with the rest of the cable into the rod end bearing. Looked at possibly removing the arm on the governor, (or sliding it aft) but it has some type of locking device on the attachment bolt.

Also, the rod end bearing bolt interferes with the governor housing when trying to remove. Searched for older threads related to this prob without much luck.

Any ideas would be much appreciated as I've exhausted all the possibilities I can think of.

Forward wing bracket ...-8

Hi. I bought an RV8 that does not have the 1/4" slot cut in the forward wing bracket. Any suggestions about how to do this at this point? My thought was to remove and cap the fuel/vent lines, remove the fuselage bracket, and slowly cut by hand using a hand saw to reduce the risk of sparking. Maybe drill a number of small holes along the cut-line to make the cutting a bit easier. Any thoughts?

cgeyman -9 Status Update

Tail ON.

David Paule RV-3B Update

Lately I've been working on the baffling and the third seat cushion trial. The seat cushions are getting fairly close now but we anticipate a fourth fitting before the upholstery is applied. Oregon Aero sent me a generous sample of the sheepskin since that'll affect the heat to canopy clearance and a few other smaller things. The sample they sent is about the nicest sheepskin I've ever seen. It's very impressive.  --->

ER Tanks PIREP ...KatanaPilot -10

Welcome to the club of Looney Tunes.  Tim, if you are crazy for retrofitting your RV-10, you have joined a great (and growing) group of lunatics.<g>

Some of us did this to perfectly good, flying airplanes. As I've said in other threads - this mod is not terribly difficult on a flying airplane, relatively straightforward on QB wings and to me, a no-brainer on a new SB wing.

Oil Cooler on Engine Mount

This was a drift/response to the thread "yet another oil cooler thread". My apologies if this has already been presented/discussed/debated. Trying to avoid the known baffle crack contributors. Also, my cowl is much tighter than Vans so it would push the cooler behind #4 to some degree. So, remote mount was my best option approach. Settled on an engine mount, mount. Not saying it's best or will work for everyone but it solved some problems for me without having to rivet on the FW. The burden (for me) was shifted to composite fab. Still not good at it but getting better. Oil cooler louver, should it be needed, will be an easy add.

Apr 21, 2023  Issue #5,803. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.

Fastback Builders/Owners Input?

I'm to the point the instructions tell me to install the forward upper skin. I've bent my fuel lines, (then removed them) and installed fuel vent lines in the towers. Rudder pedals have been installed (and removed). Avionics trays have been installed (and removed). Wiring going back has been mostly installed, but nothing firewall forward. I know the skin needs to go on to move forward with glare shield and canopy, but want to be sure I've done my due diligence. If you were doing this over again, is there anything you wish you had reasonably done before those rivets go in?

You Called It! ...Mcconner7 & Tim H.

(Mconner7) The metal you found in the filter is cam lobe. Once the hardened layer is compromised it will not survive. For less than $1K you can replace the cam.

You do not have to buy new cylinders to overhaul an engine. I had mine IRAN'd for about $800 each.

(Tim H) You called it! That one lobe is FUBARed

Garmin G3X Touch Software v9.21 Now Available (4/20/2023)

Greetings VAF!

We will be releasing G3X Touch Version 9.21 to the Software Download Area today.

We have been working to address some of the commonly requested EIS improvements/functions from the group over the years. Among those changes include the addition of EGT/CHT Normalize mode, custom fuel quantity, voltage and current gauge labels and the ability to designate many EIS parameters as text-only on the EIS strip (This allows the installer to display considerably more engine/airframe EIS parameters on the strip than was possible in the past).

In addition to these changes, we have included a powerful new Advanced Gauge Marking Configuration tool. This provides the installer with the ability to modify gauge or CAS behavior based on the state of other EIS parameters, in addition to altitude and airspeed. Examples of how this can be used are to provide an on screen indication of Vfe exceedance when flaps are in the extended position, or to create a dynamic RPM gauge that varies based on current Oil Temperature (Applicable to some Rotax engines). Please see Appendix I of the AS Revision of the G3X Touch Installation Manual for more information on these examples. Section 29.4.32.27 "Advanced Gauge Configuration", was also added to provide a users guide for this tool.

Help! I think I fried my adsb-in

I have the old Open Flight Solutions ADSB-In (now Falkin Avionics) unit and I wanted to hard wire power to the Flightbox instead of going through a USB plug on the panel for power. Unfortunately I didn't realize a USB plug output is only around 5.4 volts vs 12 volts at the 1 amp CB I was going to use for power. When I tried to power up the Flightbox I didn't get the expected Wi-Fi signal therefore I think I fried the unit with the 12 volts I directly connected.

I called GRT and asked them about their Discovery ADSB-in product and found out they're built to order with about a two month delay for product delivery. I really don't want to go through spring without adsb weather so I'm checking the VAF brain trust to see if someone has a no longer used adsb-in unit that can be hardwired to my EFIS units for data input and hardwired to my panel for 12 volt power supply.

Adhesive for leg fairing piano hinges

The leg fairings (mains) for our RV6A need to be replaced from wear/tear. I have the replacement fairings from Vans and my son is diligently following instructions, templates and advice for trimming them to fit. However, an RV7 builder at our airport suggested that we use an adhesive - in addition to rivets - to more strongly bond the hinge halves to the fairings. He said he used ProSeal - which is apparanty a very expensive ($150/pint) fuel tank sealer, but said there are likely other adhesives that willl also work just fine.
Can anyone here recommend one? All other suggestions related to the replacement/fabrication of the leg fairings are welcome as this (including fiberglass work) is all new to us - but we're eager learners!

RV-8 side storage

I'm looking at the areas below the arm rests for potential storage compartments.

If someone is proud of theirs, please share.

Eggshell strength? No, but a Broken Canopy

We all know about the propensity of RV-8 canopies to develop a crack... those sometimes happen for obscure reasons, sometimes due to edge tension thanks to a rivet or a screw in a hole of too small a diameter, and/or due to the expansion/retraction of that large piece of acrylic plastic.

My story of canopy breakage is a bit different, so here goes...

e

Apr 20, 2023  Issue #5,802. (previous day's news).

Lower Baffle: How tightly wrapped?

Q: How tightly should the lower baffle parts be pulled against the bottom of the cylinder cooling fins?
I'm fabbing the threaded rods that pull the lower parts of the baffle around the cylinders, and I can't find any guidance on how tight they should end up. Something tells me they shouldn't actually make contact with the fins, but I've been wrong before. Any specific gap to strive for?

A: (DanH) Tight. The point is to maintain flow all the way to the exit at the fins in the spark plug and CHT sensor vicinity, and not leak out the sides of the wrap.

Tie rods are common, but they directly tie two independently vibrating cylinders, in addition to being in close proximity to (or contact with) the oil drain tubing. Safety wire (0.041") works well, although it does require the addition of a curved flange in a few spots.

Missed a dimple in seat rib

I missed a dimple in the bottom flange of one of the seat ribs. Skin is already dimpled. I can't get to it to simple now. Tried using a pull river dimple set but I can't get to it to pull it straight. What are my concerns?

Is there a path to take a deregistered RV-3 and get it a new airworthiness certificate

Q: There is a chap in TN who made a unicorn, an RV-3A. He then had some health issues and decided to part it out rather than sell it as a complete aircraft for "liability reasons". He has sold the original engine, he has everything else including the engine mount and headers.

From what I can gather he has de-registered the aircraft, removed any N number from the fuselage and is selling the airframe "as is".

I'm curious if it is possible to get the airplane re-inspected by a DAR to get a new airworthiness certificate ? What would be involved in such an exercise ? I have a suitable engine for it.

A: (Mel) Kinda depends on why it was de-registered. If it was listed as "destroyed" then there is no path back. The original builder will always be the builder. That cannot be legally changed.

Best type and location for static port(s) on a Rocket

Hello Gents(and ladies),

Had my Rocket for nearly 4 years and just had a new panel installed with a new AFS 6600 along with a new Dynon autopilot. This was an upgrade from the original AFS 4500 coupled to a TruTrak DigiFlight II. The former autopilot worked surprisingly well, especially laterally, but had no altitude capture capability due to not being connected to the aircraft's electric trim. --->

A:

RV-8 Firewall Backrivet, wait on the nutplates! ...N82VM PIREP

Solo backriveting per plans is great! What's not great is following the instructions in the line prior to riveting the firewall angle to the firewall.

These are the instructions prior to assembly. "Rivet the four nutplates to the F-801H-R-1 Center Angle and the six nutplates to the top flange of the F801F-1 Middle Angle."

The 10 nut plates interfere with your backrivet set with 12 rivets.

To do it again I would NOT rivet the nutplates on per plans prior to assembly of the firewall. These nutplates can still be squeezed AFTER backriveting the entire firewall is completed.


I also found that my backrivet set which has a D shaped collar could not get close enough to the leg of the angle material. This is because of the curved profile of the angle. This causes a rivet to be hit by the edge of the set. I ground the D shaped collar down which allowed the set to be more easily centered on the rivet.

Graphic/labeling for fuel selector

Q: I am have the standard Vans fuel selector on my RV-7.
I am looking for an image for a dry transfer that has the left tank and right tank labels with a de tent position marks.

I am hoping someone out there has already done this and can share there graphic.

A: Here you go, Max (see image). It's a screen snip of a portion of a Visio file for all my labels. If you email me (jdubner'at'yahoo.com) I can send you the .VSD file but I gotta warn 'ya: it's very "busy" :-)

I printed it as a PDF file (100%, no scaling) and then a friend printed the PDF on waterslide decal stock for me.

Mothership at AERO

"We're all set up for AERO, Europe's biggest trade show for general aviation in Friedrichshafen, Germany from April 19th to 22nd. Visit us at exhibit space B2-301 where we will showcase two remarkable RVs: Stefan Schroter's RV-14A from Germany and Christoph Schnyder's RV-12 from Switzerland.

We can't wait to meet you and answer any questions you may have, so be sure to stop by and say hello!"

AERO Friedrichshafen 2023 ...EdH

Anyone else at this show over the next few days?  I'm around Weds thru Fri midday.  Van's Aircraft have a stand... featuring RV-14 and -12.  Also spotted today in the setup, an RV-4 with a Rotax 915iS... pix attached

Apr 19, 2023  Issue #5,801. (previous day's news).
 

Mothership at AERO

"We're all set up for AERO, Europe's biggest trade show for general aviation in Friedrichshafen, Germany from April 19th to 22nd. Visit us at exhibit space B2-301 where we will showcase two remarkable RVs: Stefan Schroter's RV-14A from Germany and Christoph Schnyder's RV-12 from Switzerland.

We can't wait to meet you and answer any questions you may have, so be sure to stop by and say hello!"

AERO Friedrichshafen 2023 ...EdH

Anyone else at this show over the next few days?  I'm around Weds thru Fri midday.  Van's Aircraft have a stand... featuring RV-14 and -12.  Also spotted today in the setup, an RV-4 with a Rotax 915iS... pix attached

Fumes in cockpit ...Jordan

I figured I would share my experience from yesterday. I was RV'n around the mountains near Fresno with another RV buddy. After about 45 minutes we decided to RTB. While underneath the charlie shelf for KFAT, I started breathing 100LL fumes. Not just a little odor, but actually eyes watering, nostrile burning fumes. Turned the air vent to my face and to my horror I could not find any relief or fresher air.

After that I completed about 5 seconds of troubleshooting which was basically looking down at the fuel selector as I figured that a line came off or cracked etc... But didn't see any fuel on the floor. I realized there was no time to mess around and turned immediately to Fresno international and told my buddy I needed to declare emergency which he then responded with KFAT's tower freq. Told tower where I was and sprinted to the field. They halted traffic and rolled the fire trucks. The only thoughts were I was either going to quickly suffocate or catch fire. But luckily with RV speed and our location, I landed in less than 5 minutes.

Cracked open the canopy while rolling out, talk about relief! Shut down where the fire trucks were waiting. When I stepped outside I could see 100LL streamed down the left cheek, left gear leg and was draining from the cowl. Limped the plane over to FBO and borrowed some tools. Turned out that the fuel pressure sender line snapped at the collar where the line connects to the pump and was pumping fuel into the cowl, right near the exhaust... Looks like the clamp that secures the sender had shifted and worn out so the fitting on the opposite end of the line was vibrating against the motor mount.

Thats enough excitement for me for a while. I'll go ahead fix this line and ensure everything else is neatly secured in the engine compartment. Might look at installing a fresh air vent on canopy skirt...

Fresno controllers and firefighters were extremely helpful!

N713DR 1st Flight ...Dennis Roberts

I Finally finished my 2nd RV build! RV-14A N713DR made it 1st flight on March 21, 2023. Flight was perfect. ZERO squaks! New Lycoming IO 390 EXP 215 HP
Hartzell Constant Speed Prop. Dual Dynon Skyview HDX 10" Screens. Dynon Dual Axis Auto Pilot. Dual Dynon Coms. AV-30 Backup. Classic Aero Interior.

Kickback

Today I started my plane and just before it started I released the starter too soon and the engine almost started but then the prop turned in the opposite direction for 2-3 rotations but didn't start. Is the only problem with kickback the starter gear pin can shear on a kickback or are there other problems that can happen?

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (4/15-16/2023)

...more submits.

Tidying Things Up ...PilotjohnS 9A

I am putting the wingtips on. i used a piece of foam stuck in the end to temporarily give it some shape to line everything up.

I also installed the clear brake fluid reservoir from Matco. i used a street elbow in the bottom and a custom sheet metal mount to put it in the stock location. Should work out well and now there is never any guess during pre-flight.

I still need to add some extra wires for future taxi light in the cowl. and redo some safety wire (wow it looks ugly in the light) And then I will seal up the firewall.

Apr 18, 2023  Issue #5,800. (previous day's news).

Twelve years ago today.
He graduates college next month....dr

How Much Oil Pressure when Windmilling?

For those with old school oil pressure annunciator lights, what PSI switch should be used to reliably indicate an engine that is no longer running? How many PSI does a typical 320/360/375 produce with a windmilling prop?

I've ordered a "Smart Glide" switch with a backlit LED annunciation. In a perfect world, it would be configured to illuminate "Smart Glide" when the engine is no longer running. The switch LED illumination would function no differently than a typical low oil pressure annunciator light.

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (4/15-16/2023)

...more entries added.

J-channel aft fuselage fit ...-7

In the area around F-710 bulkhead, the F-779 skin overlaps the F-773 skins (F-779 inside of F-773). There is no way to make the F-786C J-channel flush with the skins in this area (particularly about 1 rivet forward) as it bends inward. Am I missing something?

Others have said that the J-channel does not get sandwiched between the 2 skins, but that is the only way I can see that it would be flush with the side skin. But the the bulkhead would not be flush in the j-channel cutout.

Brantel Status ...-12

Built this creature this weekend.  Definitely the most complicated assembly yet for the build.  I should have a finished stabilator sometime this week.

Advice on Rebuilding Matco Master Cylinder?

Any advice on rebuilding these things? A couple in my 7A are oozing fluid from the top, giving the insides that manly 5606 odor.

I downloaded a TSB from Matco for the MCMC-4 series which will be helpful but curious about what pitfalls await me while rebuilding.

VNAV Path

I have a small G3X mounted in portrait in my RV-8, and a Garmin autopilot. the magic all works great! I am trying to figure out how to program and fly a VNAV path. I do get the message "Approaching VNAV Path", but for some reason when I try to select VNAV on the autopilot, it doesn't light up, and there is no VNAV path in white (armed) on the scoreboard. I either have a programming error, or VNAV is not possible with the combination I have. Any thoughts out there?

Apr 17, 2023  Issue #5,799. (previous day's news).

-12 Milestone: RayMc

After 9 months, 9 days, from flat metal to becoming an aircraft. It's Airworthiness inspection day!

Name & Source of black plastic "cooling tube"?

As a new RV6-A owner I'm still getting up to speed on part names/terminology. I've noticed that several of the flexible black plastic tubes used to direct airflow to various components behind the engine baffle/wall are brittle and one has even cracked.
I'll try to attach a picture with one of the tubes circled in blue. The tubes are about 5/8" ID and 7/8" OD. They resemble the tubes used to bundle up power/monitor cords to keep a desk looking neat but are not slit and seem to be thicker. I'm calling them cooling tubes, however I can't find anything like them on Aircraft Spruce or elsewhere.
Does anyone know the proper name and/or a source?

Demo Rides? how many of you did it before ordering?

How many of you had some sort of demo ride before buying your kits?

I've been daydreaming about a retirement project, started focused on an RV-14.... spent a few minutes in the cockpit at sun n fun 2022 and mostly liked it.
Later I've been considering the RV-12 more....
and I keep thinking that since cross country is a big part of my mission
and I've even wondering about other branded options, but mostly keep coming back to daydreaming about the RV's. I guess because they seem to be more popular and I'm becoming more familiar with them

Anyway, There are some fundamental things about the designs I'm not excited about but, they seem to work well for so many folks I realize these are probably no big deal...

Anyway, I'm not super close to handing over a credit card yet, but still I keep wondering how to choose which one. The performance and spec sheets only answer so much
Great if you have a friend or some other hands on experience
and no doubt there might be folks in the area that might be willing but that's the sort of thing that might get familiar with one model, not to compare multiple models more or less side....

but otherwise, I recon you're left with travelling for a factory demo ride...which I'm starting to think about doing more and more.

Do they typically set up a ride in only one type, or do they commonly let folks compare multiple models?

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (4/15-16/2023)

Steel Swivel AN fittings

Q: Playing 3D Tetris assembling fuel and oil and sensor hoses now. Can anyone explain why some of the fittings on the engine are direct AN fittings, and some have a swivel so that they can be oriented in any direction and still tightened? My humble pilot brain wonders why they all aren't swivel fittings? I suspect there is an additional risk factor and failure mode to include the swivel. A bit more weight and more money, no doubt.

It would certainly assist in hose routing if I could change out some of the simple fittings for ones that included swivels. Any reason not to?

A: (Tom) I think youre refering to hose ends and not AN adapters. While having a swivel stem hose end can solve a 'few' issues with wither install or orientation with another angled hose end, you have to understand what makes it swivel to begin with. The stem of the hose end is attached to the hose, via a crimp collar or a reusable collar. The body of the fitting, where the bend and the flare head is, connects to the stem. That is generally via a lock wire pressed into grooves machined into the stem and the body. There is a short, inserted section of the body that fits inside the stem, and is normally sealed by a single o'ring. The body, now sealed by the oring, and secured by the lock pin, is now free to rotate.

While this seemingly is fabulous, especially for those hose assemblies that have 2 angled hose ends that need orientation, there is a trade off. That trade off is the sealing of the body insert to the stem. Its generally great at working pressure due to some expansion. The issue is a very low, or no pressure, you can get some seepage. Fuels in particular, especially IF the internal oring is not necessarily fuel compatible.

In addition to potential seepage, you can get air leaks. The big disadvantage is that over time, the oring looses its pliablity or deteriorates, and the joint gets alot of movement in it. Movement mean lack of sealing, which in the wrong place could be catastrophic.

Here is an excellent example of a live swivel. Stem/body rotates on ball or needle bearings (ball in this pic), sealed by a fluid compatible oring backed up by a teflon seal, similar to what you might see in a hydraulic cylinder. Components are stainless,or titanium, very precision built, and expensive. I guess if we were to have live swivel stems, they would be like this, but you guys would cringe at the costs. Another drawback of 'industrial live swivels' are the bodies are generally large, and heavy.

So---'probably' the best solution is to use solid stem/body hose ends and orient them correctly as the hose will be installed.

My Plan for Sikaflex Bonding of Canopy

So, I plan to glue the canopy of my -14A to the canopy frame with Sikaflex.

The plan is:

1. Get all surfaces that will see the Sika scuffed good and cleaned
2. Mask the canopy so only areas that will see Sika are exposed.
3. Prepare all the surfaces with Sika Primer and Aktivator
4. Squirt Sika into cavity created by side rails and frame and along frame parallel to rollbar
5. Slip the canopy into position
6. Clamp canopy around the frame forward of the rollbar
7. Cleco the side frame rails tight
8. Allow to set
9. Trim excess that oozes out

Will this work?

Supporting the wing substructure for top wing skin install

I'm at the point of installing the top skins on my -10 wings. Looking for tips or techniques on how other builders accurately true up the spar and ribs substructure for the prep and riveting of the top wing skins.

I don't want to introduce any twist or bend in the finished product and trying to figure out how accurate I need to be in truing up the spar before putting the skins on?

Using a digital protractor (I have a Wixey), it's easy to make sure there is no twist in the spar, but how straight does it need to be along the length (bow)? Right now there is a small amount of bow between the sawhorses.

Is it essentially self-jigging or do I need to put additional supports and shims in the middle of the span?

Thanks for sharing your experience and how you approached it.

Welcome 360 Avionics (ad in the Previous Day's News section)

"360 Avionics is a family-run business based in Vancouver, BC (Canada). We design and manufacture our avionic products for experimental airplanes in Canada. Our vision is to increase the safety of general aviation by making high performance flight instruments more accessible to owners of experimental airplanes worldwide. Our products include: back-up and primary instruments, such as EFISes, engine monitors, compasses and more. For more information visit www.360avionics.com"

Panel replacement

Q: I'm helping my friend replace the three pieces of the instrument panel in his early model -8. The side panels are attached to the mounting flange with rivets. We want to paint the panel before installing it so my thought was to drill out the rivets holding the original panels and install nut plates in the mounting flange so that we can mount the new panel with flush mount screws.

Any reason that this won't work or isn't advisable? Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

A: In general a screw can't replace a rivet. You can rivet after paint if you are careful.

Apr 14, 2023  Issue #5,798. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

20th dog flown for Pilots n Paws

I reached my 20th dog milestone for Pilots n Paws rescue missions in my RV-10 on Tuesday with a flight of 3 dogs from a kill shelter in NC. Flew them from Winston-Salem NC (KINT) to Lebanon Municipal Airport in NH (KLEB) to drop off 1 dog and then flew the remaining two dogs (in attached photo), #19 and #20, to Morrisville-Stowe State Airport in VT (KMVL). If you haven't flown a rescue mission for PnP in your RV you should give it a try. Very rewarding.

Wingtips with hinge in the stand

When I did my -14 wingtips I did them with hinge in the wing stand and they came out great. I'll do hinge again on the -8. Before I did it on the 14 a ton of advice said to not do the tips in the stand. Has anyone done the -8 tips in the stand?

Dynon GPS puck

Those of you who mounted the Dynon GPS puck to a shelf on the firewall.  Is this too close to the firewall for the GPS to "see"?

Lycoming flywheel balance weight limit?

As the title suggests, does anyone know if there is a limit to how much weight you can add on a Lycoming flywheel? I can't find any documentation from Lycoming.

In the pic I ended up with 51 grams. Anyone see any problems with this? I didn't have any AN970 washers somehow so this is what ended up working. Got her down from .47 to to .01 IPS

Thanks in advance!

Question on Lower Wheel Fairing

All,

I'm in the process of wrapping up my build and I'd like to:

1) Make the lower wheel fairing and wheel pant one piece.
2) Then, split the assembly into fore and aft parts (a total of two pieces per pant).

I've seen this done on multiple RVs, but not on the RV-14 (taildragger)

With the current assembly, I'll have to remove 14 screws just to check the air or to put air in the tire. Additionally, I'll like the look of the single piece with the spit in the middle.

At issue is the screws for the inside bracket are under the the lower fairing. (see picture below).

Note: The RV-14 has a different set-up than the RV-14A and apparently other RVs.

Questions:
Is there something simple I'm missing here?
Has anybody done this?
If so, would you mind sharing some pictures or insights?

I would rather not spend $400 on Airstop tubs with 90 degree stems. Also, had the tires balance by Antisplat, would need that done again if I sprung for the tubes.

Picture below:

Belcrank Shielding Structure ...Toobuilder -8 mod

I also relocated my battery and in the search for more space I removed the rear shelf completely. Added a small structure to keep the belcrank safe, but overall a worthwhile mod. Also dumped most of the baggage floor and sidewalls for a bit more room.

Twisted aileron after one skin is riveted

Building my -10 with riveted TE and it is really warped after riveting the top skin and counter balance. Bottom skin and TE are not riveted in place yet so I'm looking for opinions and suggestions on how to proceed. I'll break down my steps and attach a picture of the 7/16 inch difference in height of the TE.

I was able to get the TE to lay flat when I had weight on the bottom (laying on top side) and removing half the clecos on bottom skin and cleco the TE to the wedge. But it reverts back to the twist after removing the TE and weight so I don't think i can rivet the bottom skin?

Steps I did:
- didn't final drill anything since the holes were final size from factory.
-dimpled all my skins including the nose skin which shouldn't have been, so I had to countersink the counterbalance.
-riveted the counterbalance to the nose ribs and spar assembly before riveting my top skin (plans call for counter balance riveting after top and bottom skins are riveted)

My thoughts on fixing:
Drill out counter balance rivets and all the top skin rivets and restart riveting the top skin. I'm not sure how to keep things flat as I rivet though. One thing I read on the forum was to rivet randomly on the top skin versus what I did which was start and one end and work toward the other.

Apr 13, 2023  Issue #5,797. (previous day's news).
 

An "All RV" Pilots N Paws Mission

Roxie is a 9 year old Airedale Terrier who is headed to her forever home down in Ocala, FL. The rescue brought her to me at my home field (3M5) in Huntsville, AL and I flew her to Macon, GA (KMCN) to meet the second leg pilot going the rest of the way to Ocala. Turns out, the next pilot was flying an RV-8A making this an all RV transport!

Just placed oder for RV-12is

Well, after a lot of thought, I finally did it. Ordered the empennage kit on 4-8-2023.

Now get the garage together and buy necessary bench power tools. Will be ordering the RV-12 tool kit from Aircraft Spruce.

Any suggestions on the Milwaukee rivet gun vs air powered gun? Only have a 1 gal California air compressor which I don't think is powerful enough for rivet air tool.
1.60 CFM @ 40 PSI
1.20 CFM @ 90 PSI

Thanks,

How to remove cylinder hold down socket nuts

These nuts would seem impossible to remove. They are 12 point socket nuts, not the hex nuts I have always seen and for which I have the offset wrenches. I have shown a conventional 5/8 wrench in one pic to show relative distance from the head of the socket nut to the fins. No way to get any tool I have in there.

SB00058 - replacing HIC module - AV-60009 ...-12

I am working on SB 00058 to install AV-60009-2 on HIC module. I need a confirmation for identifying the PIN numbers on the 8-pin molex connector. The pin 1 and 8 are identified on the connector but rest of it can go either way. Please look into the picture and confirm which one is correct identification.

RV-7, Elevator alignment bust with HS replacement

Will try to keep this short as possible.

Replaced the HS due to SB-00036 crack. (I had a spare HS from insurance from a bullet hole. Another story) Installed the SB-00036 kit onto the new HS just because. Rigged the new HS to fuse, installed right elevator as is. Elevator horn hole lined up well with the HS center hinge bearing. Left elevator was off a little, say 1/16+/-"). Solved by turning the two elevator rod-end bearing out one full turn. (Cant explain why the new misalignment)
Finished connecting things up, including the elevator horns to the pushrod using existing holes.

NUTS! Now elevator trailing edges dont match. left elevator is about 3/16" down from right side. Not surprised since lengthening the left rod-end bearings.

What to do ???
Options . . .
- Drill new hole on elevator horns for pushrod bolt rearward with needed edge distance. (this would require lengthening pushrods via multiple rod-end bearings)
- Weld doubler onto left elevator horn and redrill; either at center hinge bearing or pushrod connect.
- Find a way to turn the elevator rod-end bearings back to original.
- Replace left elevator horn and redrill both the HS center hinge bearing and pushrod.

Not liking ANY of the options since replacing the HS has been a royal pain already. Thoughts appreciated. Will also be asking Vans.
And no, I will not "just fly it and find out how it trims" cuz I know a 3/16" elevator trailing edge distance will cause a roll that should not be 'trimmed out".
Thanks.

Storage mod RV-8

Since I'm not putting in smoke, I decided to use the lower forward baggage compartment for the battery, master contactor, and grounds for easy access.

To keep junk from falling on electrical contacts, a cover panel is needed and it seemed a shame to waste the space above the battery so I made a cover with a storage box.

Cam locks will hold it in place and it has a magnetic latch. The door is purposely smaller than the top so the flange helps contain the contents and not rely solely on the latch. Opens with about 5 pounds of tug.

11" X 8.75" X 3.75" so it's big enough to stow away tie down ropes, some tools, etc...

Apr 12, 2023  Issue #5,796. (previous day's news).
 

Mental Gyros Aligned ...RV does its magic again.

00000kts and a brochure Tuesday in Texas.

KAFW sounded busy on freq so I turned north instead of bugging them, just hanging out at 1,000' AGL w/the power pulled back to 7.5gph(ish).  Lazy lefts and rights enjoying the view with no particular plan.  Flew past a field of yellowbonnets, followed by the solarbonnets up near Ponder.  Coupla steep turns for grins then RTB.  Was talking to a Champ in the pattern as I returned, so I held off on the break and came around again after he had landed.  The day had peaked.

Human again thanks to the greatest hobby on Earth.
3 pics and one vid. 

Cylinder Compression 64/80

So after a 3.5 month long exhausting avionics install, it was also due for its annual condition inspection. Unfortunately cylinder #3 compression on the o320 fixed pitch was 64/80. Initially it was even lower until I ran the engine after sitting for 3 months. Unfortunately I'm not the builder or an A&P. I don't believe he will sign my annual off unless I'm over 70. The air is definitely coming from the oil filler tube so it's getting past the rings. Anyone have a good shop that does an exchange program or anything else I should look into or consider before pulling the jug? This is disheartening as I just spent a ton of $$ on the avionics and now this
__________________
RV9A - N130KW
O-320 160HP

From Last Weekend's 'What did you do w/your RV' thread ...planenutz in New Zealand

Easter Weekend 2023
It was Easter here in NZ and as such that gave us four days of freedom.

Day 1: Friday. Stunning day. No wind, see for miles. A great day to go exploring. Got some great video saved on the GoPro and now have to find time to edit it all. A total of 1.8 hours of selfish ME time in some of the best scenery in the world.

Day 2: Saturday. Stunning day. Again. See for miles. Thought I'd better take the wife for a fly to ensure a reliable flow of Avgas in future. Cromwell - Saint Bathans - Macraes Mine - Palmerston - Oamaru - Waitaki River - Omarama. Morning Tea time! The Pink Glider was closed so we walked into the village and enjoyed a brew (tea and coffee) at the Wrinkley Ram instead. Omarama - Ahuriri Valley - Hunter Valley - Wanaka - Cromwell. 1.7 hours.  --->

-12 Status: Brantel....Anti-Servo tabs

Finished up the anti-servo tabs last evening.

On to the stabilator!

Recent Issues filing IFR through Foreflight

Q: Anyone else having issues with IFR plans filed through Foreflight in the last few weeks? I get the "flight summary" E-mail from them immediately (always have), but the "Expected Route" E-mail has been getting really delayed, 12 HOURS in one case. On that one, I ended up filing on the fly with an Atlanta Center controller while idling on the ramp. One I filed this morning took over an hour. I suspect that it may be an issue with with the FAA rather than with Foreflight per se. Just wondering if its just me or a broader issue.
I contacted Foreflight support about this - I will report back.

A: The ForeFlight expected route emails are generated via a connection to the FAA SWIM feed. So, ForeFlight passes on whatever it gets back from the FAA through the SWIM feed. In some cases, there will not be an expected route issued at all. In others, the expected route won't be issued until just prior to departure. But in many cases, the SWIM feed immediately provides an expected route, because the HOST computer is able to issue one.

Update Later: Shout out to Foreflight Support +
So - it seems as though I somehow fat fingered my flight plan and entered it for a day later than I had thought. Foreflight support explained to me that flight plans filed more than 22 hours in advance are "held" and not processed until they hit the 22 hour mark. Based on my error, Foreflight's system responded just as it was supposed to. Guess you can't fix (my) stupid . . . .

Just wanted to give a shout out to Foreflight's support folks. I received a very prompt response to my questions through the normal Foreflight support process as well as some very prompt help right here on VAF from Josh (SPX). Thanks!

Apr 11, 2023  Issue #5,796. (previous day's news).
  A busy sched has kept me out of the RV seat for a bit - hoping to fix that in the next 24 hours.  Looking fwd to a flight.
 

SuperCubDriver RV-8 Terminal Block PIREP

I put some terminal blocks on the right side below the floor boards. My floor boards are screwed on so removable. The terminal blocks connect the wing and tail wiring with the switches in the cockpit and also the AP servo wires with the EFIS. Note the passthrough for the scat tubing received some grommet edging to protect the tubing.

No Electrical Power

RV-12, Serial Number 120445, with 912ULS Rotax engine; Dynon: with D1000 EFIS, A/P, ADSB In/Out, GPS2020, Transponder, Pitch and Roll Servos; and, Garmin: SL40 Radio.

Engine starts and runs fine. Dynon EFIS comes alive.

There appears to be no power to the A/P, ADSB In/Out; Dynon GPS2020; Dynon Transponder; Dynon Pitch and Roll Servos; and, Garmin SL40 Radio;and, all the switches from the Trim Switch thru the AutoPilot. All the fuses are good. Engine battery is two years old, appears to be holding a charge and turns the prop easily.

Looked under the cowling and in the avionics bay, and, found no mice or bird's nest. Looked for loose connections and abraded wiring, found none.

Plane was last flown in late November and was flying properly at that time. It has sat in a hangar from December thru March because of the snow and cold weather. Now, a bunch of stuff is not working. I am not an electronics wizard. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
__________________
Chuck Carlson
120445

Heated Pitot Mast PIREP ...Pilot135pd

I used that blue mast with a Dynon heated pitot on my RV8 and it worked perfectly. If I can't get an Alpha Systems unheated pitot (got the WTB ad in the classifieds here), I'll buy another Dynon and install it with the blue mast too.

Forward Canopy D-seal

My RV-14 has about about 55 hours now. I am having trouble keeping the factory supplied D-shaped gasket/seal for the forward canopy in place. It wants to protrude along the top intersection, become displaced and eventually come loose. I have removed it, cleaned the surfaces, and re-installed it with Permatex automotive RTV, but that did not hold.

The way the canopy hinges down seems to squeeze it out the front along the top. I am wondering if there is a better choice of gasket material? Is this D-molding too large for the gap?

Would be interested in hearing if others have experienced this and come up with a better gasket part, or other clever ideas.
__________________
Jonathan Sisk
2022 RV-14 N214RV

Painting Checkers ...andoman PIREP

I started my checks at the leading edge with the goal of having 1/2 of the check visible with the rudder fared. The color wraps around the LE.
Extra care was taken to make the partial checks meet at the TE.
I used vinyl though I painted checks on a previous plane's rudder. I prefer the vinyl for all my trim graphics. I'm the painter, so it's the easiest route

-14 Snorkel Update ...asw20c

Thought I would offer a follow-up on my original post. Based on the helpful feedback from others on their similar experience, and on my specific fitment, I chose to modify the snorkel rather than bend/replace the oil return line. I ended up having to cut clearance slots out of the snorkel where it conflicted with the oil return line and the starter solenoid. From there, I applied shims and mold release to both the oil return line and the starter solenoid, fit the snorkel in proper position, then applied 3 plys of bias-cut fiberglass on the interior of the snorkel using the oil return line and the solenoid as their own molds. This way I have minimal disruption to the air flow in the snorkel and a now it fits perfectly too.

I'm just frustrated that almost every time I get to a fiberglass part that it doesn't fit and ends up taking orders of magnitude more time than I expected. On the bright side, I'm learning new skills though.

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (4/8 - 4/9, 2023)

...more entries added.

So SO Close! ...-12

It has been a LONG 9 months since the arrival of my first Kit from Van's. It was the Avionics kit, which was the last kit needed by the way. But, I have the documents all submitted for the airworthiness inspection, so if I didn't screw up something and the DAR can push the FSDO a little I have an inspection scheduled this Friday, Apr 14th, 2023.

Fired up the Dual G3X's and the 650Xi a few days ago... looks so cool. Everything now works. Initially the Pitch servo couldn't be found, a pin not fully inserted by Stein was the culprit, pushed in all the way and all's well.

Yesterday The engine was fired up for the first run. Coolant temp got close to red line. Shut it down and popped a couple hoses thinking it might let some air out, added more coolant and restarted. Second run the temps came up to a much lower number and stabilized... Success!

The hard part is that I am going out of town the following day for nearly a month! so the first flight/Flt testing will have to wait!

Apr 10, 2023  Issue #5,795. (previous day's news).
  I hope you, your family and friends had a wonderful Easter holiday weekend.  A nice edition today me thinks, chock-full of RV awesomeness and vitamins. 
  Have a great Monday.
 

Quality Father/Son Time...Jvon811

I have had my -4 for 6 years now. Many changes and building experiences with Dad's help. Dad's had his -7 for 9 years.

I've since moved away from Michigan to Georgia, and it's very nice when Mom and Dad fly down to visit. We get to to do a little aerial bonding time which is always special.

Preflight Save ...Scorch RV-6

Maybe under the heading of why we do preflights.   Noticed the fluid on the wheel fairing before flying.  Turned out that after 23 years and 1700 hours of flying, the flare on the aluminum brake line was cracked.  Easy fix for the great Randy Richmond and Danny.

Protecting Cockpit Rails

I'm sure this has been mentioned before ... but, if not - here is an easy way to protect cockpit rails when performing "heavy" maintenance that might tend to scratch them up.

A piece of pipe insulating foam.

Status: Panel Test Fitted ...ShawnR RV-4 Rebuild

Test fitted the instruments in the panel. It is still a work in progress but good to see the instruments fit. I placed some a little too close, which made bracket installation tough, but it worked out ok. The one remaining spot is for a clock on order from Aircraft Spruce.

As mentioned earlier, the right spot was intentionally left clear so that occasional and temporary use of an ipad, phone, etc will not interfere with instruments. I am considering putting my fuse panel behind it and installing an access door in that spot.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to 12,000' ...Kyle RV-10

The RV-10 remains a work in progress. It is fully functional, but there are probably 20 things I'd like to do to refine/optimize the airplane and I've been picking those off one at a time.

Anyway, on a trip to Florida about 6 weeks ago, a buddy and I identified several air leaks associated with the doors and cabin top. There were leaks into the cabin (from the NACA duct fed cabin top plenum) around the strut mounts. It was amazing how much (cold) air was flowing into the cabin through a couple of 1/2" square openings. That's an easy fix - I just need to pull the access panel and glue a little piece of baffle seal over each of the holes.

The other notable leaks were from air exiting the cabin at all 4 hinge pockets. My airplane has excellent door seals...except at the hinge pockets where I never addressed the issue. The exterior of the cabin is convex at that point, and there is almost certainly a low pressure area in the vicinity of the hinges, which creates a noticeable pressure delta.

So there I was the other day climbing up high to do some economy testing and I thought to cover 1 of the 4 hinge pocket openings with my hand. I was surprised at the apparent pressure delta - it really sucked my hand down (up?) firmly against the opening. But I was more surprised at the difference covering that one leak made in cabin noise. Wow. I'd have never guessed. So now, hinge pocket covers are much higher on my improvement list than before. This will be a multi-faceted improvement. When I eliminate the leaks, I'll get less noise, better heat in the winter and should see a modest performance improvement since I'll be eliminating excrescence drag, which is drag caused by air leaking out of the airplane into the slipstream. Excrescence. Say it. Spell it. Use it in a sentence. Oh, and here's a link to a 172 page paper on it:

If DanH sees this, he'll probably stay up all night reading

Some Mothership FF Reports Added

Welcome Salva from Switzerland...Salva starts his build log thread

I'm Salva, a Spanish living in Switzerland. I join this great community by building my dream RV8 (it will be my first plane).

Aft bottom skin frustration

I'm having issues getting the aft most bottom skin (F-828-1 for the RV-8, but I assume all models have a similar part) in place. So far I have spent about 8 hours messing with this thing. It's been the most frustrating part of the build for me so far.

Basically, if I cleco the two aft most bulkheads onto the bottom skin and then slide the skin/bulkhead assembly onto the lower longerons, as called for in the instructions, then I can't get the holes on the bottom skin to line up with the holes in the side skins and lower longerons. If I cleco in the bottom skin first, then I can't get the second aft most bulkhead in place without putting a lot of pressure on the longeron and bulkhead, which I'm really trying to avoid.

The problem is that the skin is made of pretty thick aluminum, so it doesn't want to be shaped. I already tried massaging it with my hands and rolling it like the leading edges of the elevators. The fit has improved but I still can't get it to fit right.

Did any of you have the same problem? What did you do to get these parts to fit without having to stress the parts?
__________________
Ben Ellis
RV-8 - working on fuselage

Milestone: Painted - Scott Hersha

Foam in the tunnel DWG 36A

Plans call for a piece of foam to separate brake lines and fuel line. I'm wondering what others have done.  Foam in the tunnel doesn't seem like a good idea.

Don't mix Garmin ESP and Aerobatics

About a year ago I completed a panel upgrade to a G3X system in my RV8. Since I occasionally do light aerobatics I added a switch on the panel to disable the Electronic Stability Protection (ESP) function.

Unfortunately, the best laid plans can go awry. Recently I forgot to disengage the ESP before doing a roll. Everything felt normal until I was about 135 degrees into a left roll when the roll rate slowed dramatically, at the same time I was pushing the stick to the left with a much higher level of force than normal. Even worse as I reached inverted the nose started to drop below the horizon even though I was forcefully pushing the stick forward to keep the nose above the horizon. I didn't realize it at the time, but the ESP had engaged and was actively fighting my control inputs in the worse possible way. (While I have had ESP engage many times in steep turns, it felt completely different when upside down, I really had no clue what was happening)

Luckily, I reacted properly by keeping the roll going, albeit at a much slower roll rate. I had difficulty overcoming the ESP pitch inputs and by the time the aircraft rolled upright it was pitched about 45 degrees nose down. I did a 3.5 G pullout and the airspeed indicated ~190 kts when the aircraft leveled out. Definitely the scariest few seconds of my flying career.

Afterwards I talked with Garmin about what happened. They confirmed my observations were generally in line with their expectation of how ESP would react in a roll and that they have been informed of other pilots doing the same thing. Somehow I felt better - guess stupidity loves company. My question to them was can they add an aural alert that ESP has engaged? That would have helped immensely as there is an autopilot disconnect on the stick that could have easily been used if only I knew that ESP was actively fighting me.

Going forward I have taken 2 actions. I reduced the autopilot servo torque settings. But more importantly I have prohibited aerobatics in my RV8. Since I forgot to disable ESP prior to aerobatics once, I am assuming it could happen again. For me that is an unacceptable risk.
__________________
Lyle McCarty

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (4/8 - 4/9, 2023)

Milestone: Brantel RV-12 Rudder Complete

And just like that I have a rudder. 6.8 man hours and that includes etching and priming.  The fit of these parts is nothing short of amazing!

Dye/Hose eXenos Flies

Not RV but pretty interesting.  Paul sent word over the weekend of the FF.

Apr 7, 2023  Issue #5,794. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

29-09: Radius Fuselage Side Skins ...-14

I was wondering why the plans ask to radius the fuselage side skins on page 29-09, then at a later stage (chapter 35) the 'canopy deck' parts are added over the longerons and side skins and align with the outside of the skin (with a fuel tank sealant fillet in between).

I feel like it would be better not to radius these now, but wait until the canopy deck parts are installed and file the 2 parts at the same time to give them a nice corner on the edge of the fuselage entry?

What have others done?

Piccolo PIREP ...Southern Pete

Please inspect your exhaust pipe very carefully.
I managed to nearly destroy my Vetterman exhaust in 40 hours of running with a pair of these "piccolo" pipes as the extensions put a lot of stress on the junctions further up the pipe.
Google something called a "Swiss" muffler, also referenced (I think) by Tony Bingelis.

Fluctuating Fuel Pressure on Hot Days ...Greg PIREP

After a recent flight in cool weather with cowl flaps closed and oil shutter partially closed to increase temperatures inside, I had no fuel pressure fluctuations when turning off the boost pump.

I also watched the pressure indicated on the Skyview after engine shutdown with throttle & mixture pulled out. It only lost a few #s of pressure after 30 minutes of post flight cleanup etc.

I then kept the throttle & mixture out or off, turned back on the boost pump, watched the pressure go back up to normal green range (Fuel injected engine 30 psi, if I recall). I used a strong light and looked all around for fuel leaking, particularly around the engine driven pump fittings. I was thinking that any suction leak there would also leak fuel with pressure supplied by the boost pump. After 5 minutes of running that pump, no leaks, no drips, no blue stains.

I'm still at a loss for the fluctuating fuel pressure on hot days. If it is localized fuel boiling, then my hopes of using non-ethanol MoGas aren't very good.

RV-8 Shelf ...Carlos151

I fabricated a shelf that's aft of the aft baggage compartment. Put a single brace in the middle fore and aft, brace/support on the front and back, some nutplates on the mid longerons for easy removal if needed (haven't yet). Mounted the strobe control box, flap and trim control boxes as well as the ELT. Out of the way, easy to get to when you do your annual condition inspection, no interference with any controls.

Monkworkz MZ-30L Review

Good morning,

We're under the weather here in Central TX so I thought I should share my recent experience installing and flying with the Monkworkz MZ-30L.

First off, I have an electrically dependent airplane (RV-7, Dual Plasma III Ignitions) and I never cared for the "Wait-for-things-to-happen, throw-switches-and-hope." method for ensuring continuation of flight in the case of an alternator failure. Then there was the issue of having a primary and/or secondary battery of questionable charge. Also, while I love the weight savings and power output linearity of the Earthx ETX battery, I am leery of the BMS and its failure modes. This is a whole other rabbit-hole that I'd be happy to go down, but only over a beer at Osh-Kosh, or PJ.

On to the MZ-30L; Installation of the generator was simple, just remove the vacuum pad cover, install the o-ring and the generator, and tighten the four nuts and voila! I mounted the regulator/controller on the firewall in a convenient spot, connected the 3 phase generator output, the thermistor wire, the "+" and "Gnd" wires, along with an enable switch. Also connected the status and shunt +/- wiring to my Garmin G3X Touch EFIS (GEA 24), so I can see the status and health of the system.  --->

Q: Am I night legal with the uAvionix tail beacon?

I was not fully aware of this, but once I read Vic's new book, it mentioned that since I have the uAvionix tail beacon replacing my rear strobe, I am actually not night legal. I went back and forth with the builder on this for a while, and in the end, he admitted maybe Vic's correct. I just called uAvionix to talk about an ECHO UAT retrofit into my aircraft, and the guy on the phone told me that's bogus. He said I don't need a strobe and my position lights count as anti-collision lights. He said the ECHO UAT would work, but I am night legal and I shouldn't worry about it.

I'm looking into regs and I can't seem to come to a valid conclusion on my own. What do you all think?

A: (Mel / DAR) Position lights do NOT count as anti-collision lights. If you have wingtip strobes/beacon that do not show from the rear, you need a tail strobe/beacon.

From Last Weekend ...some more entries

Apr 6, 2023  Issue #5,793. (previous day's news).
  Minor non-RV life milestone to report from the last 48 hours: 50 hours reached in type in the Phenom 300.  Also first left seat PIC with planeload of pax - 4.1 hour leg.  Landed gusting to 35 kts - 3,277 RV landings kinda made it a nothingburger ;^).

From Last Weekend ...Nova RV

Pilots N Paws mission on Sunday. 994 Nautical miles OKV-DMW-CUB-SPA-DMW-OKV. 2 pups down to South Carolina, pick up 3 more and bring them North. All possible with an RV's speed and efficiency

Unfortunately, there is a never ending supply of these poor animals that need help.

No clue why the thumbnail pics are rotated but if you click on them they are correct

Wings and flap ...PilotjohnS 9A

Below is the manometer setup to compare left and right wing incidence and flap setting. I think everything is within 0.2 degrees. Not bad for a airborne tractor.

Reversed Polarity - Need Help!

Morning All,

Have an RV-6A with a slider canopy finished in 2002. Like an idiot, when I was replacing the battery (different model) I hooked the positive to the negative and the negative to the positive. When I flipped the Master Switch, wires immediately started to smoke.

I traced the fried wire (only one) and it appears to be the ground wire that runs from the bottom of the right side of the Master Switch to a ground at the top of my panel behind my GPS.

I replaced the wire and flipped the Master (this time with battery correctly installed). Wire still smokes. Not nearly as hot or as quickly as when polarity was reversed, but still no good. And no power to instruments. Figure I must have a ground fault still in place, but not sure where.

Looking for some educated help as to what I should be looking for ... seems like no power is making it past the Master Relay, so I am assuming maybe that is the problem, but I'm not certain...nor am I sure how to test that. Or perhaps the Master Switch is the problem.

Any ideas you might have are welcomed. Also, I am in the San Diego area and have tried to find a good mobile avionics service to assist, but so far no luck. If you happen to know anyone good and available in the area, that would also be great.

Thanks in advance!

Frank McDonald ...

...gets his Airworthiness Documents from DAR Vern Darley for his new RV-7 in Cartersville, Ga

Possible pitch autotrim failure?

About 6 months ago while getting an IFR certification done I went to depart and noted increased friction on motion of the elevator during preflight prior to even turning on the master. We checked for anything involving the linkage to the elevator and it all looked fine. Removing the autopilot pushrod from the elevator bell crank resolved the friction as well. The owner of the avionics shop took a quick look at it and thought the servo motor was likely going bad. The friction seemed very "ratcheting" and slightly worse when power was turned on to the auto pilot, but would persist with all power off for several days; but once, when not flying for more than a week I did note it had resolved completely but still returned after power was turned on.

I was able to find an unused old servo and initially it seemed fine but after a few flights showed the same friction as the original servo. I also noted that just moving the old servo out of the airplane felt smooth but if I connected it back up to the autopilot cable it immediately developed the ratcheting friction again. I then also noticed immediately after removing the cable from the new installed servo it immediately felt normal, then re-attaching the cable caused the friction to return. It seemed like there was some voltage bleeding into the servo causing at least partial activation of the stepper motor.

Finally I removed the autotrim module from the circuit and plugged the cable coming from the autopilot control head to the servo directly and it remained smooth on elevator motion and the autopilot functioned normally in flight ( but obviously without autotrim control).

It seemed to me the autotrim is the issue and I was wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience or know of further tests to confirm that. Also is the autotrim unit repairable or do I just need to replace it? The unit is a TruTrak Sorcerer on an RV-10.

Ted lockard
RV-10 flying since 2009

14A Status ...MED

Installation of the RV-10 quadrant Van's sells is easy - I just installed nutplates in holes that mostly exist. I have an early Thunderbolt engine with an FM-150 fuel controller, which required installation of a plate under the engine to guide the throttle and mixture cables. Your installation may be different. I figured my cable lengths by running lengths of flexible tubing. I don't recall the exact lengths, but precision is not required - there is room to store a little excess under the panel. I used the 2 existing firewall penetrations to route the cables. Overall, not a difficult installation and it has worked flawlessly.

Apr 5, 2023  Issue #5,792. (previous day's news).
  Please excuse the early Wed push - extra paper route.  Click on previous day's news to read the Tue edition if you haven't seen it.
 

SnF'23 Pics and PIREPs

(dedicated thread created if you feel so inclined to post some)

RV-7 Longeron Bending Template - dwg 17

So, I am just about at the point of bending my longerons on my -7 fuse and cannot find dwg 17 which has the to scale longeron bending template. I am realizing that it is bigger then the other plans pages so when I did the inventory I didn't specifically look for it. And, I can't find it anywhere. Is it ok to just use the F721-B aft canopy deck to check my bend or should I definitely have the paper template as well? Thanks

Throttle Cable Heat Shield ...DanH PIREP

Vans or McFarland, put a heat shield in there.

I'm still running the original throttle and mixture cables, and they're just above a 4-into-1. This is the second heat shield. First one covered just the cables. This one was extended with some "wings" to also shield the paint on the cable bracket, which is bolted to the bottom of the sump.

Stainless or aluminum backed with 970 fiberfrax felt and wrapped in aluminum tape.

Valve Corrosion and guide wear

I boroscoped my engine for annual this weekend and it all looked fine except for one exhaust valve.

I like doing things myself. I have the cylinder wrenches, valve tools, and access to an arbor press, is this something I can do myself? Pull the jug, drop the valve, seat a new valve, and put it all back together?

Fuel Level Capacitance Senders

I purchased a project that has the subject units installed in the tanks. I am in the process of wiring these to a GRT Horizon 10.1 display and cannot find any information on them. All I found other then the probes, is a roll of shielded wire. Can someone give me some guidance on how to wire these or find the appropriate documentation. Appreciate the help. See attached.

What did you do with your RV this weekend?

(4/1-4/2, 2023) ...more entries

Apr 4, 2023  Issue #5,791. (previous day's news).
  Please excuse the early Tue push - extra paper route.  Click on previous day's news to read the Mon edition if you haven't seen it.
  Trivia: VAF became my full time, primary job on this day in 2007.  Sixteen years and counting of chaotic, medium grade small business anxiety <grin>.  Those that help keep it afloat, I thank you.  I'll keep trying my best. 
 

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (4/1-4/2, 2023)

How I accomplished SB-00036 (and didn't need to repaint the whole stabilizer)

Copied from my virtual hangar thread at Mike S's suggestion

Well, there they were. Cracks. Not very big, and only around four of the 16 rivets, but no more flying until this was addressed. A complicating factor is, of course, disturbing the paint. The design on my horizontal tail means a simple touch up and re-clear would be impossible if I were to remove all the rivets required to peel back the skin as outlined in the SB instruction: --->

Tailwheel grease zerk fitting size?

Does anyone here know what size zerk I would need to replace the zerk on an RV4 tailwheel assembly (pictured)? I need to replace the one shown as it has stopped accepting grease.

Beautiful Work

Can we just take a moment to enjoy how beautiful Bill E's (fixnflyguy) RV-4 throttle quad is?  Stunning.

NACA scoop for fuel vent

Q: Has anybody considered / modified the fuel vent to a NACA Scoop? There are other airframes that use it. I'm currently seeing some variation in pressures when the tanks are full (and possible fuel in the vent line) and wondering if this would add a little more head pressure to the pump (pump longevity?) Once I've burned off 20 min worth of fuel, fuel pressure stabilizes. Currently have the JD air vents.

I know we should never fly into icing conditions, but it would also help for the inadvertent encounters

A: (Terrye) I researched this pretty thoroughly and did make some "auxiliary" NACA vents in addition to the standard Vans 45* cut fitting vent. This was before the JD Air vents came out and I ended up replacing the Vans vents with the JD Air vents. I'm keeping the NACA vents which I've mounted just forward of the spar, so quite a ways back from the JD Air vents and I'll likely plumb them to a tee after first checking the head pressure of each. From my research it's unlikely you'll get a higher head pressure from the NACA vents than the JD Air vents, but if you're concerned about inadvertent icing it may be worth adding. I wouldn't replace the JD Air vents with the NACA vents without a lot of testing. Mine's not flying yet.

Old Farts April 6 Invite (X01) ...turbo extends the invite.

Apr 3, 2023  Issue #5,790. (previous day's news).
  Sunday the WX and scheduling gods aligned enough to get the RV-6 off the surface for the first time in 28 days. Mental gyros realigned. 39kts aloft at 1,000' w/TSRA in the TAF and a racing TFR two hours in the future, but got .5 in under the wire. All better. ;^)
  Saturday I finally got all my paper and electronic logbooks organized into a single electronic pile - an on/off multiple month project. Certainly glad that's over! As of today, 2,107.8 hours total time, not including 1,028.5 hours on motion in class D jet sims. 3,136.3 combined, includes ATP.  Here I come SWA (he says kidding, but sorta quietly thinking how cool it would actually be if the RV did lead to something like that at age 57).
  1,433.7 hours in my RV-6 (29.5 in the last 12 mo.).  Happy to finally have the totals all totaled nice and tight, mobile accessible, and searchable.
  Busy week w/lots of moving parts, so edition push times could possibly be several hours early/late.
  Hope you had a great weekend. 
 

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (4/1-4/2, 2023)

RV-8 and the Wings to Westport ...Steve Rush video

Saturday 3/18/23 was a fairly nice day in the Northwet. The sky was clear, the winds were light and a beach trip was in order. The haze was actually worse than it appears in the video. We could only see for about 30 miles or so.

We opted for Westport and that was definitely not an original idea. At the peak of our lunch, there were more pilots than normal people in the restaurant.

After we landed, a guy in a Cherokee showed up. He looked at us and somehow knew that we were the guys that arrived int he two RV-8's.

Shortly after he arrived, guy in a C-150 showed up. It turned out that he had flown over from Walla Walla. Now that's a long trip in a C-150.

It also turns out that the guy in the Cherokee was the Airport Director for the airport at Chehalis and he had seen our airplanes there frequently. Nice guy, very knowledgeable.

On the way home we decided to take a turn around Mt. Olympus.

If I had just managed at least one decent landing it would have been an ideal day.

Routing Wire PIREP ...Draker 7A

Here's what I did. Not sure if it will help your particular case, but...

I divided my circuits up into:

A) Wires going to the panel
B) Wires going to the panel-side of the subpanel (left)
C) Wires going to the panel-side of the subpanel (right)
D) Wires going to the area between the subpanel and the firewall
E) Wires going to the forrest of tabs on the firewall  --->

Ben's RV-8 (#84117) ...Update

So I've been working on the fuselage for about a month and a half now. I just got done clecoing the forward fuselage, the center section and the seat rib assembly together. Now I'm moving on to the tailcone bulkheads. It's really exciting to see it start looking like an airplane. This site has been an amazing resource during this time.

Even though I'm tall, it's hard to lean over the side of the fuselage to work inside. So for now I'm going to lower my bench down to about 2' and then work on building a rotisserie.  --->

Just bought an RV-6!!!

Hey everyone!

Been on the forum for about 8 or 9 months now, reading and learning. I finally found an RV-6 that met my requirements: 180 hp, CS prop, tail dragger, mid time airframe and engine, reasonable price (at least I thought so).

Next week I'm going to get the required 3 hours (or more) for insurance purposes with a great CFI. After that fly her home.

My question for anyone is, does anyone have an ECI Titan IO-360 that could share a manual or at least some charts. Specifically charts for setting cruise power. The POH made by the builder says 24 sq'd for the climb and 22 sq'd for cruise.... And that's it. I don't know what percent of power that is at different altitudes nor do I know what a higher or lower power setting would be and at what RPM's etc.

Way back when I was flying piston singles and twins the POH always had a chart you could reference. Unfortunately I'm in a different state than the airplane right now and I'm not sure if those charts even exist.

Thanks in advance,
Dan

Tail light replacement

Hello!
I'm in the process of upgrading all external lights on my RV9-A to LED. My current tail light is a TP20X connected as shown. I need to connect the wire for the position light and ground and leave the Sync and ACL wires alone. I don't think the polarity is marked on the bulb so just trial and error to determine the ground wire? I think I can just solder the connections since I don't have any slack to use any type of physical connector. I'm assuming heat shrink tubing and/or electrical tape will suffice?

Mar 31, 2023  Issue #5,789. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend. 

SnF'23 Pics and PIREPs

(dedicated thread created if you feel so inclined to post some)
 

Failing exhaust valve, I think

Thoughts?  Worth trying to lap in place? I've never lapped a valve but reading about it, doesn't seem like too big a deal.

Build Time PIREP ...G_JWTP (Kent, U.K.)

For me from opening the first crate to finished took 3 years. Now when you set aside 6 months waiting for stuff, 6 months when it was too cold in the workshop to do anything. 3 months for the UK LAA/CAA , our EAA/FAA, to process the paperwork and then another month for the general faffing about waiting for weather etc, to carry out test flying going to Oshkosh et cetera!! I got to a build time of around 20 months. Each section took roughly an equal amount of time,That was pretty much some work every or every other day. I also primed everything, everywhere, but left the external painting to a professional. Engine and avionics took no time at all to fit. Engine cowls were an absolute 'faff', don't even think about trying anything to do with them untill you have the engine mounted. Spend time on the fuel and brake lines to get them right!! Because getting back in there when you've finished it all is another 'faff', I know!! Don't attempt anything to do with the perspex/lexan parts until the temperature is above +25C preferably +30C. Fibreglass work to the canopy was easier than I thought just follow the instructions and temperature guidelines, 'peel ply' should be worshipped!!

If you want any other info just ask.

RV-9 Quick Build Questions

I am assembling an RV-9 QB and have a few questions that I can't find answered in the drawings or build manual. The questions might have been answered there and I overlooked them.

I have a few parts that I am unsure where they are used. I've searched the fuselage drawings and manuals but cannot find where they are called out. In the inventory they are listed

AN Spacer, 4D 4 ea
AN837-4D 45 degree Bulkhead Fitting 3 ea

Does anyone know where they are used? I repurposed two AN837s for the unions used for the fuselage fuel tank vents. My RV-6 uses AN833-4D for the vents and they look nice mounted without the expose wrench flats that the unions have. This would be a nice place to deploy the AN Spacer, 4D.

Also, there are a number of rivet locations that have temporary rivets or unriveted locations around F-718R longeron and F-709 channel. I want to paint the interior soon and wondering when is the right time to pound these rivets.

O320 Narrow Deck Solid Crank Seal Part Number

Having trouble locating a SOLID crank seal for my early Lycoming o320 Narrow deck . It has the 6 screws which secure the two oil seal retaining plates .

The split seal is part number is 76940.

Iam hoping to install a solid seal but I don't see a solid seal number for this "small - no lip" type crank seal.

Has any one been down this road on one of these narrow deck lycomings?

Thanks
Jeremy


The following which is an excerpt from the Lycoming Crank seal Service Instruction No. 1324 C helps with more details but doesn't seem to list an option for a (Small) Crankshaft Oil Seal (no molded lip on outside surface)

PARTS DATA:
LW-13792 (Small) Crankshaft Oil Seal (molded lip on outside surface - solid type - three
grooves for glue retention)
LW-13792-P50 (Small) Crankshaft Oil Seal (.050 oversize Outside Diameter (o/s O.D.) for small bore
crankcases - solid type - three grooves for glue retention)
LW-11997 (Small) Crankshaft Oil Seal (molded lip on outside surface - split type)
LW-11997-P50 (Small) Crankshaft Oil Seal (.050 o/s O.D. for small bore crankcases - split type)
78443 (Large) Crankshaft Oil Seal (molded lip on outside surface - split type)
78443-P50 (Large) Crankshaft Oil Seal (.050 o/s O.D. for large bore crankcases - split type)
LW-15628 (Large) Crankshaft Oil Seal (molded lip on outside surface - solid type - three
grooves for glue retention)
LW-15628-P50 (Large) Crankshaft Oil Seal (.050 o/s O.D. for large bore crankcases - solid type -
three grooves for glue retention)
76940 (Small) Crankshaft Oil Seal (no molded lip on outside surface - split type)
74305 Crankshaft Oil Seal (two grooves for glue retention - split type)

Van's Sun 'n Fun and AERO Show Specials through April

Van's is excited to announce air show special pricing to celebrate Sun 'n Fun and AERO Friedrichshafen 2023!

Below you'll find specials on Lycoming engines, Van's empennage and tail kits, Quick Build kit bundle discounts, and AeroLEDs lighting equipment!

Through April 2, all AeroLEDS products we sell are 10% off! Those discounts are applied on the AeroLED products in our online store.

Through April 30th, a number of show specials are available as well:
Lycoming engines - both standard Experimental and custom Thunderbolt versions - have significant discounts applied. You'll find the discounted prices when you view our online order forms, or you can read the brochure that includes the special prices here. Note that even with the discounted show special prices, you can still bundle a propeller order with your engine order and get $1000 off that bundle in addition to the discounted engine price!
All Van's empennage and tail kits are $100 off. Our online order forms include this price reduction already. Online order forms are located here.
Van's Quick Build kits - If you order both the QB wing and QB fuselage kits on the same order for your RV build, we will discount the combo package by $1000.00. This discount will be applied to your order after it is received with your deposit. Online order forms are located here.
Enjoy the shows!

Mar 30, 2023  Issue #5,788. (previous day's news). 

SnF Pics and PIREPs

(dedicated thread created if you feel so inclined)

"Good morning Aviators! Its a beeeaayootiful morning and we're ready for you."

IO360 one cylinder odd man out

I have an IO360M1B with standard compression, running the SDS electronic ignition and injection, coming up on 1300 hours mostly trouble free, running 93E10. For the last couple hundred hours my #3 cylinder has been slowly getting lower on CHT and higher on EGT, so that in cruise now (WOTLOP) it runs about 30-40 degrees cooler on CHT and about roughly 40 degrees hotter on EGT, which would normally indicate that the mixture is off or the exhaust valve is leaking. Trouble is, my GAMI spread on all 4 cylinders is 0.0 - with SDS injection I can individually trim them however I want, and they are bang on. The ignition is right, I've checked timing (29 degrees when at altitude WOTLOP, 25 degrees lower and richer), changed plugs, recently replaced the wires, the problem is still there, and only the #3 cylinder has changed - if it was the coil or the trigger, it would affect more than one cylinder. Borescope looks beautiful, no sign of a burned exhaust valve, I recently lapped the exhaust valve in-situ, no change. Compression on that cylinder is 78/80 just like it always has been.

I'm running out of things to look for. I can swap the CHT/EGT with another cylinder and check for instrumentation problems, though it's unlikely to have two sensors vary like that at the same time. It's almost like the exhaust valve is fine but opening too soon - could this be a pushrod issue?

Attached are two pics of the exhaust valve.

Van's Sun 'n Fun and AERO Show Specials through April

Van's is excited to announce air show special pricing to celebrate Sun 'n Fun and AERO Friedrichshafen 2023!

Below you'll find specials on Lycoming engines, Van's empennage and tail kits, Quick Build kit bundle discounts, and AeroLEDs lighting equipment!

Through April 2, all AeroLEDS products we sell are 10% off! Those discounts are applied on the AeroLED products in our online store.

Through April 30th, a number of show specials are available as well:
Lycoming engines - both standard Experimental and custom Thunderbolt versions - have significant discounts applied. You'll find the discounted prices when you view our online order forms, or you can read the brochure that includes the special prices here. Note that even with the discounted show special prices, you can still bundle a propeller order with your engine order and get $1000 off that bundle in addition to the discounted engine price!
All Van's empennage and tail kits are $100 off. Our online order forms include this price reduction already. Online order forms are located here.
Van's Quick Build kits - If you order both the QB wing and QB fuselage kits on the same order for your RV build, we will discount the combo package by $1000.00. This discount will be applied to your order after it is received with your deposit. Online order forms are located here.
Enjoy the shows!

What did you do with your RV this weekend ...more entries.

(March 25, 2023 through March 26, 2023)

(newt in Australia)
I took Friday off so I could do a long weekend of airshow practice in the RV-6 with the largest civilian formation display team in the southern hemisphere.

I'm paired up with another RV-6 as a synchro pair. Let's just say that opposing passes are a lot of fun when they're briefed, risk-managed, and properly timed.

I got to try out my shiny new instrument rating on the way home. It was surprisingly enjoyable to be insufferably smug in a room full of VFR pilots on the last day, all staring at their iPads wondering if they'll get home or have to spend the night in a country town, while I'm projecting a cheshire-cat grin and filing.

(they all found appropriately sized holes and got home in due course. You can only begin to imagine how tedious I'd have been if they'd had to deck it somewhere and wait )

Pic: Arriving over the Sydney Basin at 7000' without a problem in the world <g>

Mar 29, 2023  Issue #5,787. (previous day's news). 

SnF Pics and PIREPs

(dedicated thread created if you feel so inclined)
 

First Flight for N526RM RV-7 ...Michael Fleming

Six years and four month and N526RM has taken flight. My highly capable friend Barney Locke made the first flight on March 27, 2023. My fun started the next day when I flew 6RM for its second flight...now I'm really smiling.

sbalmos Pic from SnF

"I had to file IFR just to go to the shower trailer."

What did you do with your RV this weekend ...more entries.

(March 25, 2023 through March 26, 2023)

On Mothership

In Kitplanes (3/27)

Logitech K780 Multi Device Bluetooth Keyboard

Nerds of the world unite!

When out (for me it's at the sim 2nd job) you occasionally get unexpected down time (sim down or something causes a two hour delay).  I picked this keyboard up at Best Buy for $59.  It talks to three different devices (the white keys upper left).  I leave it in my backpack, and if I have to answer some emails with lengthy text, or compose or edit a forum reply that is more than a sentence, this thing is a lifesaver.

You can dictate a long piece, then use this full size keyboard to clean up the errors.  Lighter than lugging around a laptop and charger.

You may think it's dumb, but I'm using the crap out of this rig.  It really does turn my phone into mostly-a-laptop.

Some pics from out in the field Tuesday:

(enlarge)

(enlarge)  David Lee photo

Related: Video on it from Logitech

Mothership at SnF

"Come see us in Lakeland, Florida at the Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo, which runs from March 28th to April 2nd.

We plan to have the RV-10 and RV-14A at the show for you to see and sit in. Additional/other aircraft are currently being planned and we will update this announcement when we have the details.

Our staff will be on-hand to talk about RVs and to help answer your questions. You'll find us in the Northeast outdoor exhibits, at booth 12.

Due to stringent flight test schedule requirements, we won't be able to take the RV-15 prototype to Sun 'n Fun this year, but we will be glad to answer questions and talk about the new airplane, of course!

See you there!"

Mar 28, 2023  Issue #5,786. (previous day's news). 

Close to ATP Milestone: AV8ER RV-10

Crossed 1400 hours.
Flew 51 hours last week to include 4.5 IMC, 6 approaches (KLEE, 79J, KNEW and X04). That takes me to 1,410.5 hours! Instead of counting the hours up, I'm counting the hours down. T-minus 89.5 hours.

GAP 26 Control Box Mount PIREP ...mburch -7

I was able to mount the GAP 26 control box to the rib nearest the pitot tube, all done through the inspection plate in a finished wing. A little tight but not a big deal. You can see from the wire bundle in this photo approximately where it is:

Brantel Has Started his VS Rear Spar Prep

...new RV-12iS Project

What did you do with your RV this weekend ...more entries.

(March 25, 2023 through March 26, 2023)

Prop cycle

I'm within a few months of taking first flight in my -7. I have a zero time (well, an hour on the test stand, and maybe one taxiing) AeroSport Power IO-375 with tapered fin ECI cylinders (low compression), and a new Hartzell CS prop. I've started the engine and taxied a few times, while keeping rpm less than 1200 and CHTs less than 320. Watching to not glaze the cylinders.

How much rpm does in take to cycle the prop? I'm thinking I should run the engine, briefly, at full power before first flight. Test the prop cycling at this point? Want to make sure all is working, while not glazing the cylinders.

Mar 27, 2023  Issue #5,785. (previous day's news). 

David Paule's Updated Photo on his Storage Rig

...at least 8 years of evolution (original post was in '15). 

"The rivets are in empty plastic water bottles, and the nuts and bolts and that sort of hardware are in labeled bins. White on clear works best for the labels.

This was worked so well.....

If I drop a rivet bottle nothing happens. No lost rivets. Thanks to whomever suggested it."

Scott Flandermeyer RV-10 Milestone

Not a big one for most of you, but it was for me.

Scott McDaniels added to the DAR page.

....let's leave it at 'he's qualified'.

What did you do with your RV this weekend (March 25, 2023 through March 26, 2023)

Pitot control box in wing tip?

Has anyone installed a pitot heater control box on the outboard side of the last wing rib? I'm thinking about installing mine there but I'm worried about water damaging the controller if/when any leaks in through the wing tip seam. Garmin confirmed that they don't use sealed connectors and that water could damage it if it gets in. However, I know a lot of people install magnetometers in their wing tips and I haven't seen anything that says those are built for water exposure so maybe it's not as big of an issue as I'm imagining?

If I hadn't already cut the hole in the skin for the pitot tube I would probably just move it one bay inboard so that I could install the control box next to the aileron bellcrank inspection panel but the opening I've already cut is too far away for that.

Rear Seat Headphone Jacks ...RV-8

Gear width on an RV6

Q: I just bought an RV6 with the engine disassembled and was just delivered yesterday. The gear looks a little narrow. The seller bought it from the insurance company and had it transported to his home airport. I'm wondering if the shipping ratcheted the gear together and bent the gear.

The engine is off the plane and the measurement from outside to outside of the wheels is 82". I'm not sure how much the gear will spread out with the engine mounted. I'm thinking maybe a 3-5". What's the measurement of your gear width

A: According to the RV6 plans 3-view, the distance is 6'8" or 80 inches.

First Flights Added to Mothership Page

Mar 24, 2023  Issue #5,784. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend. 
 

Milestone: WINGS ON ...PilotjohnS 9A

...w/ temporary bolts.  But ON nonetheless.

How do I prime the Inside of Tubes Page 40-4 ...Timinfla2 RV-10

Hi folks - on page 40-4 it mentions that I will need to disassemble, deburr and prime the inside of all of the tubes for the flap torque tubes.

How did you guys accomplish the priming of the interior of a tube? Just cap off one end and slosh primer around hoping it covers everything? Get an extra long straw for the end of the rattle can nozzle?

Any tips would be appreciated, thank you :-)

ELT Antenna Placement Consideratins

...FireMedic 2009 RV-3B PIREP

I really don't think the position of the antenna within 30 deg of vertical matters. This is the reason why I say this. I have an Artex345 and Acrartex has a $40 subscription that lasts for 4-6 months where when you do self tests on the unit. The subscription will text and email you if the signal was received by the satellite. The only other way to easily test the unit without the subscription is to trigger the unit and see if the Air Force calls you which is illegal/frowned upon.

I mounted my antenna horizontally under my canopy to protect it from a crash. Most people don't realize that when the 406 ELT is triggered, it takes 50-60 seconds before the 406 to send a burst signal. So if you forget to activate the ELT in flight, which is a possibility during an emergency, and you crash through trees and your antenna gets sheared off or if the plane flips over and snaps the antenna, you're screwed. The subscription verified the signal was received by the satellite with how I mounted my antenna. And by the way I tested it with the canopy closed

When you are operating at such high frequencies, metal near the antenna affects the output on the antenna by reflecting the power back. So mounting the antenna under the tail fairing most likely will possibly reduce the signal output to where the signal won't reach the satellite.

You can get a handheld network analyzer for about $80 to check the output of the antenna after you mount it.

Z-13 with SD-8 electrical diagram review

Good day,

Attached is my modified Z-13 diagram, my knowledge of electrics being quite weak, I would really appreciate any inputs, correction and review of my modification.

RV-10 Z-13 architecture with a single battery, 2 alternators. 2 good old magnetos, no EI. Electrical and avionic redundancy to aim for IFR authorization/operation (quite uncommon and difficult here in Europe). Philosophy is to keep it as simple as possible and goal is to have a failure of the main alternator, main bus, battery contactor covered and to keep for an extended period of time only the necessary instruments to fly the right way up, navigate and shoot an ILS through an independent essential bus.

One question (in green) is about wire size with aft battery, the remark is misleading. Shall I go back to 2AWG ISO 4AWG for the wires in and out of the battery contactor ?

Is the Crowbar OVM module and grounding in the DC Power Master switch necessary (the plane power main alternator has already an overvoltage protection but not sure there is a link between the 2 ?

In general, where should the S704-1 relay be positioned in relation to the switch (doesn't matter, within 6 inches...)

Thanks in advance and enjoy your day !

Mar 23, 2023  Issue #5,783. (previous day's news). 
 

Milestone: Keith Ward (RV-10) Gets his IFR Rating

Red Cube Placement Options and Discussion

...a lot more variety than I would have thought.

Convoluted PTFE SS braided hose

Q: I'm adding a gascolator to my plane and have to make a few fuel lines. The PTFE (Teflon) come in either smooth or convoluted. The convoluted has a much tighter bend radius than the smooth therefore I would like to go with a convoluted. The firewall on the RV3 is narrow.

My question is will the convoluted inner liner create tiny air bubbles affecting the accuracy of of the fuel flow sensor?

Also it seems pretty difficult to find metal AN6 hose fittings. I've found a steel straight fitting but no 90 or 45 fittings. All of them are aluminum. I could have the hoses made but to try to get an accurate length can sometimes be difficult especially with way the hose bends, so I rather make them on site.

A: (TS Flightlines) "...typically convoluted teflon has a true bore ID--meaning a -6 hose is actually .375 ID and not .320 which is the smooth bore standard. Most all readily available hose ends for teflon are for smooth bore. Convoluted teflon has its own fittings. Also be advised against mixing hose and fittings manufactures. They match their products.

To answer your question, a FULL convoluted hose, on both the OD and ID, can potentially have some turbulence. Not so much in larger IDs---above .750.
A smooth bore/convoluted hose has the flexibilty of the convoluted hose, and the smooth bore flow of a standard teflon hose."

POH Central

Shout out to the 15+ or so folks who have uploaded their PDF POH to the new POH section of the forums.

Trying to track down a fuel leak.

For the past 6 or 7 months I've noticed blue fuel streaks going across the fuselage coming from the left wing root. I've taken the access panel off several times and everything seems dry, except that the ledge that the access panel is screwed to is soaked in fuel. I've wrapped white rags around every fitting and port that could leak and still can't identify the source. I've also searched around the cockpit area and can't find any leakage coming from there.

It only happens while flying. I almost always keep my plane at least 80% full of fuel and nothing is leaking while sitting in the hangar, it's only after coming back from a flight that I notice this. Apart from that I can't find any other place on the plane that appears to be leaking.

The only thing I can think of is that it's leaking directly from the tank, on the back side that's up against the wing spar. The last time I took it up (yesterday) I deliberately let that tank run to below 50% capacity, figuring the next step was puling the tank, and when I landed there was very little evidence of leakage - which tells me the tank was below the level that it's leaking from.

But it doesn't leak when the plane is static, regardless of how full the tanks are. Do the tanks somehow become pressurized in flight? I'm really hoping I can track down this leak without having to pull that tank, but I'm running out of places to look.

from a reply

Mar 22, 2023  Issue #5,782. (previous day's news). 

3/21 Update ...Timinfla2 RV-10

It's been a month now! Man how time flies.

Liz and I have been spending a lot of time at the hangar, mostly figuring out where the project left off and where we go next. Oh and tons of time organizing, reorganizing, buying tools and then yes some more organizing.
I was VERY hung up trying to fabricate the four F-10104 rudder cable links because the material was so unbelievably hard to cut - 0.050 4130 steel.

The FBO has a jump shear that didn't even put a dent in it. The local legend here at the airport happens to be only a few hangars down from me and it took him about 5 minutes to whip up links for me that would have taken me 5 weeks. Thank God for Wes - Liz and I have said that about a hundred times already and we've barely started building.
--->

Flying for food ...Roy Thoma this past weekend

Saturday I flew solo to Cleveland TN (KRZR) for the $10/plate CAP breakfast. Nice conversations with several folks.About 120nm each way from Hensley.
Sunday my neighbor Pat joined me and we flew to Columbia, SC (KCAE) for our first meeting of the South Carolina Breakfast Club. Another $10/plate breakfast prepared by EAA Chapter 242. 30 airplanes and about 80-90 attendees.

About the South Carolina Breakfast Club: "It's a home cooked southern breakfast, great fellowship and flying! Every other Sunday since 1938, pilots & aviation enthusiasts in and near South Carolina have meet for breakfast. That's it! No dues, no meeting requirements!" The SCBC missed a few meetings during WWII and more because of COVID. Pat and are now lifetime members!

Today (Monday) Capt Sandy and I flew to Elizabethton (0A9), borrowed the courtesy car, had a nice lunch at The Southern Restaurant, then shopped "antique" stores for an end table before returning to the airport, filled the fuel tanks and had a nice short flight home.

Under wing antenna location?

The image is from Stein Air FAQ webpage. I only have a single comm antenna under the pilot seat, but if I needed a second would put it under the passenger seat. Contrary to Stein, put my ADSB antenna on the bottom behind the baggage bulkhead.

Part 3 Now Online ...Kitplanes

Finally Getting Around to Building the Tail ...cgeyman 9A

"I want to be back in phase 1. the fun part.  finally getting around to building the tail. on right elevator now. ?engine in December if Lycoming can come through."

Vic's New Maintenance Handbook for RVs is Out

Mar 21, 2023  Issue #5,781. (previous day's news). 
 

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (3/18 thru 3/19, 2023)

...more entries.

Project Status Report ...KazooRV-9A

Working on the windscreen installation. Lots of trimming of the plexi from the Big Cut, but eventually it was ready to install. After lots of review, I decided to use Sikaflex. My opinion is that it's not very difficult to use the materials. Just takes some care to place and hold the windscreen while setting up, and to be neat with the application. Thanks to the builders that have made video's and written posts on how to do this, it sure helps to have them for review! Next step is to create the windscreen frame.  --->

Priming PIREP ...Roadjunkie1

I worked as an aircraft mechanic in Montana for years and we saw many aircraft (factory-made) with the "snow" of corrosion. Montana is also arid and corrosion not much of a problem there. Most of the aircraft we saw with problems were from humid states. I had seen enough that it prompted me to prime the interior of SuzieQ with no regrets. I am also in Colorado where she lives in an unheated hangar. It is refreshing to look inside her and see primer. It doesn't need to be a thick coat. I am +1 for priming the interior..... I guess I would say: "why not?"

Photo: interior of SuzieQ (where I recently have spent some time working....this is a picture of my Feline Assistant!). This is an 'RV Grin' of another kind <g>

Spliced repair on the outboard end of spar?

I came across an interesting bit of damage history on an RV6. What would you think about a wing spar that had 1.5 feet of damage removed from the outboard end and repaired with an equivalent spliced section? Various wing skins were replaced per plans. The plane has been flying for 1400hrs since the incident caused the wing damage and repairs.
Should this plane be limited to non-acrobatic flight modes only?

Welcome Mountain Ride Aviation

...ad lives in the Previous Day's News section. 

Mar 20, 2023  Issue #5,780. (previous day's news). 
  A nice weekend in N.TX.  A good edition today, chocked full of RV building and enjoying goodness.  Hope you got to spend some quality time with your RV and/or RV project, and have a great Monday.
 

David w/a Solid Observation!

(RE: mark@topogen's 8yo nephew's first RV flight)
The only thing better than a "RV Grin" is the RV Grin on your grandsons first ride. He looks like he had a great time with Grandpa. I added a screen shot of the fun.

Control Column VA-146...-14

Does anyone know why only the FORWARD LEFT VA-146 bearing is trimmed on the control column? (and not both the forward bearings?)

Page 29-05 refers

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (3/18 thru 3/19, 2023)

Red Cube Placement Opinions

I am installing a fairly traditional fuel system in the RV-10 and need to emplace my Red Cube FT-60. Of course the manual shows it after the electric boost pump and before the engine driven boost pump in the center console. The Red Cube manuals states it must be installed after all boost pumps to prevent vapor lock.

Installing in the center console per the Van's manual is of course the easiest and probably best for the red cube as it doesn't expose the transducer to the heat and vibration of the engine compartment.
--->

AOG-in my hangar!

Yup, pulled the plane out for breakfast run this morning, hit the starter and it did it's usual thing where it couldn't get past the compression stroke of the first cyl. I released the starter then hit it again. Same thing so I released it and hit it one more time - Everything, including the fuel pump shut off. Dead, nada nothing.

Talked to 2 A&P friends and the builder and they all said "Dead Battery".

It just didn't feel like a dead battery to me, but I had kept my old battery and it was on an approved maintainer so I swapped it out. Same thing, nothing. Got my VOM out and checked the volts, 13V+. Then I put the lead on the positive terminal and the ground on the airframe. Read 13V+ but when I hit the master the voltage dropped to zero.

Hmmm. good voltage on the battery terminals but nothing when using the airframe. I've got and open ground.

Started tracing the #2 welding cable all the way to the panel and then I saw it: a shunt mounted to the cabin side of the firewall that let the smoke out.

I had never seen a shunt on a negative cable but hey, at least it happened at home! I'll upgrade the 60 to a 100 amp when I can get one next week.

Can you evaluate my boroscope pics?

First annual and I'm questioning one of my exhaust valves. Any input would be appreciated. 175 tach hours on the motor, compressions came back 79/78/78/77 on a cold motor.

How to form sharp the radius in fwd fuse side skins

I need everyone's tips on how to form the sharp radius at the aft end of the F-1069 side skins. I can't seem to get a nice round bend when it gets to the point of twisting the skin with the aft vice grip and hitting the roll construction angles with a rubber mallet (29-11 step 5). Based on what is shown in the picture I've attached of one of my attempts, I'd say I'm probably hitting the construction angles too hard with the mallet which is causing the indentation in the skin but anything less doesn't seem to do anything. Also in that picture the bending block has slid a little bit but I can fix that with more clamps

The third picture is what my best attempt so far looks like when it is attached to the fuselage.

Concrete dust on my parts!

Howdy y'all! Long story short, I'm having some yard work done and after breaking up a concrete slab, the dust made it into the garage via a vent and put a good size layer of concrete dust on everything including finished pieces (VS, HS, Rudder), and parts to be primed.

Question: Is it corrosive? What's the best strategy for removing it, or should I just leave it for now?

I'm worried about scratching if I'm wiping it off dry with a microfiber, and blowing it off, I imagine, would just lift it only to return.

Also, I left it on a rack, uncovered because I've heard of stories where plastic trapped humidity, as well as blankets, leading to corrosion.

Very open to ideas. Thanks everyone!

Label text at bottom vs top

Normal panel labeling has the text of the switch on top. As seen by the photo, my update from the flat 10" touch to the new angled HDX now blocks the top text from view. Is there a reg that I cannot place the labels at the bottom so I can read them?

Cracked dimple - now what?

Found this cracked dimple today on one of the baggage rib to floor rivets. I think I previously replaced this rivet with an oops rivet and I suspect it got cracked when I drilled out the previous rivet.

What's the preferred way to deal with this? I'm thinking drill it out , file it smooth on the flange side and install a doubler riveted on either side?

Mar 17, 2023  Issue #5,779. (previous day's news). 
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.

Teen Aircraft Factory ...sent to me by Matt Hood

On a recent visit to SRQ with the CAF, I met Gary Stevens and Ute Kegel. They were very excited to share Teen Aircraft Factory with me.  The more I learned, the more I became excited, too. Here is a quick rundown.  --->

2 Quick Links RE: Teen Aircraft Factory

- Background article on this group
- How to donate

Upcoming Events from the VAF Calendar

Flap Motor Rebuild Pics ...raabs RV-10

The FPS is built into the new motor. No ray Allen or other external FPS needed. The three wires from the old external FPS are on the motor in addition to the power wires. The flap switch controls the position.

Here are a few pics. Remove rivets that hold the old bracket, drill four new holes each side of tunnel, rivet in new bracket in new location, install motor. Of course, a bit of prepping and priming... Took about 3.5 hours on a not yet flying -10 that was already accessible. As previously mentioned, no big reason to change an already flying -10.

Holly Escude Receives her Airworthiness Papers...

...from DAR Vern Darley upon completion of her Thunderbolt powered RV-10 with Garmin avionics. Holly is upgrading from her Bonanza.

Cowl Cut ...SeanB

Hello,
I am performing the final tasks on my RV-7 engine cowl. I noticed the below drawing that instructs to cut the scalloped area behind the spinner plate at an angle. Van's Tech Support said this helps provide clearance when installing/removing the bottom cowl. I have never seen a plane with this cut in place.

Has anyone made this cut?
Did it help?

Houston area RV-8 builders? Help!

It's a long shot, I know, but I gotta try; are there any RV-8 builders in the Houston area that can spare a canopy part? More specifically, the plastic (UHMW) rear canopy slider block.

Mine broke this evening after 16+ years and 1975 hours... cheap piece of junk! Kidding, but... I was planning on a good bit of flying this weekend, and I don't want to drive. I'll be ordering a new part in the morning from Vans, and if I can get a "loaner", the new part is yours...

Thanks!
John B

Panel ...Draker

About 10 hours into Phase 1, no urge to change anything yet!

"Macro Stop" - Slightly Off Topic

If you need to work on a B-747 or an AB-380 anytime soon, I have just the "micro" stop you need.

A local A&P had them and, literally, made me take them to save them from his dumpster!

Mar 16, 2023  Issue #5,778. (previous day's news). 

How to rivet F-7106?

My skin just doesn't seem to want to line up on the very front corner rivet. If I start with this one and then work my way to the other side, it's short. If I start in the middle, I still can't get that one rivet close to lined up. The others are tight but I can make them. Any suggestions?

Fire indicator?

I seem to remember a discussion on here about different ways to alarm about a FWF fire, and one of those was the use of a low-temperature melting wire (or similar) that had to be intact to conduct a signal, and when it melted from heat the signal dropped and set off a "Fire Indicator".

I'm looking for that type of Fire Wire system - can anyone give me a pointer?

Empennage extra parts? ...-12

I hate to be that guy with "extra parts" but does anybody know where in the plans this black case goes? I completed the empennage kit and find no mention of this in the electric trim installation. Thanks!

Sealant recommendations for windshield fairing

When exiting my RV9A my knee with an upward motion accidentally hit the fairing that is bonded over the top of the windscreen. The fairing didn't suffer any damage but the bond with the windscreen broke free over about a 10inch length. Now my question is what sealant or caulking material to use to seal the tiny gap or crack in the paint between the plexiglass and the fiberglass fairing.
I tried just painting over it but the crack bled through. My concern isn't structural but rather to primarily to keep out moisture and secondarily aesthetics. I plan to repaint over the sealer/caulk.

Recommendations?

Baggage door on tip up 7

Someone has sent me these pictures and asked if I have more information on it. Leaning on the power of VAF again

Dog-made Patina ...DennisRhodes

Mar 15, 2023  Issue #5,777. (previous day's news).
  Shout out to the POA and volunteers at 52F (my home field) as they doctor some areas of the runway needing attention.  Three full size pics starting HERE.  

New Zealand Entry from the 'What did you do this weekend' thread

(planenutz in New Zealand)  Saturday saw us flying over to Taieri in our RV-6 to catch up with our daughter who is learning to fly over there. Its only about 70 nm each way so normally about 30 mins flying time however we had a nice tailwind going over and with 182 kts GS the flight only took about 20 minutes. Naturally the trip home was a little slower!

I took advantage of some "local knowledge" and got my daughter to give me a scenic tour of the coast since she's been training in that area recently. She has also been hinting strongly (with puppy-dog eyes) about getting rated in the RV-6 but we both know that ain't gonna happen anytime soon.

Is it okay for plane to sit for a few weeks?

Due to weather and travel, I don't think I'll be able to fly my new to me 7a for about 3 weeks total (one week in now). I know planes sit for months to years sometimes and their motor is fine, while others in similar conditions will develop problems.

I could go over to the hangar and ground taxi it for some minutes to get everything flowing, but I've heard this doesn't do much to help the motor. What are your opinions? Should I let it sit or go taxi it for a bit?

24 year gestation for RV-4.

Vern Darley (DAR) hands off papers to builder Ross Scroggs in Locust Grove, GA

Low Fuel Pressure Warning

I was test flying my 7a -180 Lycoming, injected, CSP- at 12.5k ft. in prep for a cross country in June (Cleveland Ohio-Eastern Oregon) and my Dynon eng computer flashed a "Low Fuel Pressure" warning banner. It dropped from the usual 25ish range down to 5ish. The performance seemed to be ok; man pressure, airspeed, rpm all seemed stable, but I'm not positive as I was being more attentive to the fuel pressure issue. I opened and closed the mixture a bit, it didn't seem to have much effect. Lastly, I turned my Booster pump on and the pressure number immediately returned to normal. I left the Boost on about a minute and then turned it off. Everything was fine/normal for a few minutes and I got another Low Fuel Pressure warning. I descended and everything again returned to normal. So, any thoughts on cause and or arguments for/against using the Booster for extended periods in higher alts?

F-1065 thread engagement ...-10

Hi there folks, we are installing the F -1065 push rod today and we noticed that we have about 3/8 of an inch of threads engaged into the hex rod. Is this enough? We are concerned that we might not have enough threaded material inside the hex rod to make it structurally sufficient, and the instructions don't seem to see a lot on the topic unless we overlooked them.

Cowl Hinge Pin Tab Hole Offset

I've ignored airframe details in preparation for paint and now I'm in a bind. Van's tabbed cowl hinge pins will not arrive in time for me to install nutplates in time for paint next week.

Can someone who has these...

...please pass on the dimension from pin centerline to center of hole in tab?

Nose Wheel Fairing

Q: Hey - does anyone have a great method for making sure that the nose wheel fairing is straight along it's whole length before you drill the mounting holes?

I've thought about suspending a weight in a couple of different places and then measuring to make sure the distance from the string is the same on both sides.

Did anyone use a different method that worked well?

I am working on the gear leg fairing... the nose wheel pant is already in place.

Mar 14, 2023  Issue #5,776. (previous day's news). 

RV-7 N526RM is now an Airplane ...mfleming

6 years and 4 months and now it's officially an airplane instead of a project.

Received Airworthiness Cert!! ...Chipper G

We received our Certificate today and I could not be prouder. Thanks for all the help.

$50 borescope

I already have the vividia 400 borescope but decided to try the Nidage wireless endoscope available on Amazon for $50. Bottom line: great value.
The unit has a super small diameter so perfect for checking those horizontal stabilizer bracket rivets. Two cameras, one on the end of the semi-flexible line and a second side camera. Adjustable LED lighting, zoom in and out. Photo quality is better than what I get with the Vividia and it seems to focus over a greater range. You can't bend the end camera back in a sharp 180 so it's difficult to get a straight on view of valves, but with a bit of tweaking you can see everything you need. Best of all, it readily connects wirelessly by Wi-Fi with my iPhone and iPad. Great for the budget conscious builder/mechanic.

Rivets Expanding Between Sheets

I'm working on the Emp kit for the 10, I'm attaching the bottom rib to the rear spar on my vertical stab. For some reason the top of the rib sits flush after riveting but the bottom doesn't, and it appears the rivet may have expanded between the rib and spar. My first attempt I used the squeezer, I drilled it out and on my second attempt I used the river gun and clamps for a tighter hold, but I ended up with similar results.

Any ideas/ suggestions on what I'm doing wrong?

Need an extra hole in the firewall - but what for?

I have a brand new spot on the firewall which could do with a 1/4" or larger hole.

Any ideas what could mount here? [sad face]

TLDR: I had the firewall assembly firewall down to rivet the cover ribs to the bottom skins and dropped the f*$@ing bucking bar. I should know better by now.

I'm 50/50 on whether trying to tap the dint out, or massage it out with a spoon etc is a good idea. Or if I'm better to just leave it.

Fuel selector o-ring

Q: I'm at the hangar with my fuel selector valve apart. It is one of the older 3 port with a brass cone.

I cleaned, lubed and reassembled but it only had a single o-ring to replace. It appears the at some point an aluminum washer was used as a gasket for the cap.

Should I leave that or replace with an o-ring?

A: I believe the o ring is a -11 and yes the aluminum washer is correct. What are you lubricating it with? I used fuel lube but when it gets cold, it's almost impossible to move. Imagine the surprise when I was at 15,500, I drained a tank and went to change tanks and the selector wouldn't move! I'm going to wash that out and use kryox grease that someone recommended.

What did you do with your RV this weekend?

(March 11 and 12th 2023) ...more entries coming in.

After a 2 months flying break ...riseric (from the weekend thread)

A beautiful day here so I went out with a buddy to get the winter kinks out.
Since we're both studying to get our IFR ticket, we simulated a couple of RNAV approaches at nearby fields. Needless to say maintaining VFR at all times.

My ride isn't yet equipped with a IFR navigator so I manually entered all approach waypoints and let the Dynon Autopilot do its thing. I only managed engine power during climbs and descents.
Amazing machine and equipment.
Now, I have to get out once more to really get the winter kinks out by manually flying the whole time <g>

Identity this blade pitot tube

Does anyone know what brand pitot tube this is? I'm trying to get some info on it.

Mar 13, 2023  Issue #5,775. (previous day's news). 

What did you do with your RV this weekend?

(March 11 and 12th 2023)

2022 RV12 Factory Built Pics

I'd like to add to Bob's recent post of factory 12 engine pics with a bunch of ones I took. I've found it very helpful durning my build to have a reference of what it should look like.

Rub Marks on Rudder. An issue?

Ladies and Gents of the Forum, I am an experienced pilot but brand new to the RV world. I need the benefit of your wisdom and experience. I was recently looking at an RV-6A which I'm considering purchasing. There are distinct rub marks on both sides of the rudder, at the top, partly on the fiberglass and partly on the metal, where it has rubbed the edge of the vertical stabilizer. The rub marks are visible on both sides of the rudder but are more pronounced on the right. I will attempt to upload of a couple of photos.

Any idea why this is happening? Can it be fixed? How much of a deterrent should that be to purchase on an otherwise really nice airplane?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Roughing in the Panel ...cgeyman

"...much easier before riveting it all in. Using ipad for my moving map/foreflight.  funny how my delicate garmin radio package was delivered by UPS."

Wing Skin Damage

Hi Folks, I had my garage door up last week during high winds, and the price for being stupid was that my wing stand got blown over. The right wing, which has only the top skins on, received damaged to the aft, inboard corner of the top wing skin. I was able to bend the skin back to a very acceptable condition, however, the most inboard rivet hole dimple, which attaches to the upper flange of the aft spar, has 2 small cracks. (the spar hole is not cracked, only the skin hole) Drilling up to a -4 (oops) rivet will not remove the cracks. I'm inclined to just drill out the rivets and replace the top inboard skin, but before I do so, thought I'd check here for alternative ideas. Thanks, Greg

I did reach out to Van's with my plan of replacing the top skin and Tony's quick response (which I appreciate) was, "that's probably what I would do too." So that's one solid vote.

Van's at SnF

FYI for folks, the RV-15 will not be at Sun n Fun because it will be actively flying back at the factory, undergoing further tests and refined design modifications. We do plan, of course, to have it at OSH!

But, Van's will of course be at SnF with the RV-10 and RV-14A, as well as the Bronze Lindy award-winning RV-7 that one of our employees, Tony Kirk, built. Plus, John Stahr - airplane artist extraordinaire - will have an airplane on display as well.

Cracked valve?

My compression is 75/80 in all 4 cylinders. I stuck a borascope in and saw this on one valve. Is this just the edge of the a led oxide deposit? I have a hard time believing the cylinder would test 75/80 if this were an actual crack. - Thoughts?

Mar 10, 2023  Issue #5,774. (previous day's news).
  Looking for a dentist within an hour's RV flight of DFW.  Let's be friends.  Take my money - I can make it a travel story and business expense the sh*t out of it <g>.
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend. 
 

Upload your POH

I created a dedicated subforum with a thread for each model.  You can use the attach button to upload your own POH (PDF format).  Because you created the reply, you can edit it later with an updated version.  Have at it - let's see if it works.

Panel Evolution ...bspellerin

After 4 years of ownership, finally have the panel just the way I want it, thru 3 steps. Original, 2 AV-30's, Dynon Skyview HDX and finally new radio stack.

Upcoming Events from the VAF Calendar

RE: Firewall Routing

Most common sin, in my opinion? Poor hose routing. Trouble is, installations vary so much there is no way to tell anyone what is good or bad.

The RV-7 in my shop right now had a hose routed against motor mount tubes, in close proximity to an exhaust pipe. Over time, it exhaust heat baked the rubber core to rock hard brittleness. It caught fire on the runup pad.

SB 00036 (cracked horiz stab spar) Installation Notes

As the service bulletin kits are arriving in the field and installations occur there may be information that is useful for those contemplating or planning the repair. Please post any details you encounter with the installation that need to be shared.

Double Check the Cherry Max Rivets!
As is customary for Vans, all the rivets for the SB00036 kit are shipped in one little bag. Included are the driven rivets for reattaching the skin.....and TWO sizes of Cherry Max rivets.

A...uhh....friend was installing the kit on his non-cracked pre-punched RV-6 stab and failed to take note of the two sizes of pulled rivets (even though this detail is in the documentation....). A quick check with the borescope after riveting the hinges on one side of the stab revealed a major uh-oh. Three of the pulled ends looked good but five were atrocious.

It then dawned on my sometimes dense friend that the longer rivets intended for use with the doubler on the forward side of cracked spars had been used with the non-cracked and undoubled spar. So I, uh, my friend got to drill out the Cherrys with a #40 bit so the heads could be knocked off.

Separate the Cherry Max rivets when you receive your kit and put the ones you don't need in an unsafe place

Loose Adjustment Flap in Eyeball Vent

Has anyone come up with a good fix for the adjustment flap in the plastic eyeball vents? It is difficult to get the darn thing to stay in one place.

What is so special about the LP24693C296 Screw

The LP24693C296 screw is a SS countersunk screw that is used to capture the main wheel pants into the wheel axles. Those little screws have a slot cut into the threads and some sort of blueish green material in that slot. On my plans they are shown on page 48-7. For a picture of the screw please visit Vans Store and enter the part number

Vans charges almost $ 4.00 per screw. Technically an MS24693C-296 will fit, I am guessing that is the screw they use and then cut and fill that slot.

What is so special about that screw ad the slot. Is this screw re-usable?

Can I use a MS24693-296 with a type of Loctite? I also have the Berringer wheel and brake package with custom axle extenders from a Vans Airforce advertiser. Does this make a difference.

Tail Dragger Spring Mount

Any reason not to use permanent Loctite on these bolts? The spring mount is riveted to F-01412 so I see no way that this will ever be removed.

Page 10-18 for a RV-14.

How much of a service loop is too much/unsupported wire?

Doing the final wiring on the panel, I've got an area under the radio that has a lot of wiring going into it, and for repair access I've made it into a removable subpanel. But in order to give enough slack to make the panel removable I've ended up with a considerable amount of extra slack/service loop.

I'm in the process of neatening it up, and I'm sure I'll have one more brace in there somehow, but wanted to throw it out for thoughts/criticism/suggestions, (maybe even an attaboy?), how much wire would you allow unsupported behind a panel like this? What do you do with the service loops?


Thanks for your time, see you at Sun n' Fun.

Mar 9, 2023  Issue #5,773. (previous day's news).
  Any dentists reading this?  Let's talk.
 

How much forward rudder pedal deflection do I need?

I am trying to guesstimate the foremost position for the rudder pedals.

The pedals are Control Approach ones so I don't know how much the guidance given in the instructions apply. I placed them such that their bar is where the center between two bars of the original rudder pedals would be.

This is the most extreme deflections both forward and back (the left pedal hits the firewall and the right one is at the maximum difference between the pedals).

Cowling melted from leaning during taxi

Just so people are aware of potential issue.  I have an RV9, that I didn't build. I bought it with 183 hours, and have put another 150 on since purchase.  The builder did not put any heat shielding on the lower cowl.

I flew it with just the smallest dark spot on the left lower cowl for most of the 150 Hours. The cowling was fine at annual 2 months ago.  I had an issue with fouling spark plugs during taxi, delayed take offs (busy airport).  After reading a bit, there seemed to be consensus that you can lean quite a bit at idle without problem. I did this for the next several flights.

I recently installed all of my egt and cht gauges, and when I went to put the cowl back on I saw these two huge bubbles where the inner fiberglass layers swelled up like balloons from the honeycomb structure underneath.  After some help from my hangar mate, I removed the old fiberglass and repaired the cowling as best we could. Needless to say heat shield was added.

Looking at it, there seem to be two small areas where the exhaust actually contacts the cowling. Huh!  Just posting this so people are aware what can happen with leaning (apparently too much) at idle.

Mod - Fold away footwell heel rest for RV8

My friends 8 had these and it makes using the button rudder pedals so much easier. So I copied what he did.

When not in use, the support flips underneath and the rest folds up. To pull out, stick your finger in the hole.

A nonslip will be added which also protects the paint.

ShawnR: Update and question ...-4

It has been quite a while since I updated. Progress has been slower than expected, which seems the norm.

I did up the switch panel and covers on the right side. I went with 2 rockers for Master and Alternator, but toggles for the other switches. One is avionics and the other three are just lights. I decided to put the fuel pump switch next to the fuel pump valve. This seems to make sense to me versus mixed in the light switches. Not much else in the aircraft. Pretty basic.

I did more or less finish the quadrant area but need to reposition the trim cable to allow for the rear rudder pedals install. I bogged down on this. The trim cable was replaced by the seller. Not sure what the builder had in there. I see the routing is anything but straight and some bulkhead holes are in less than ideal locations. I am not sure if I should make new, central holes in an attempt to align and reposition the cable for my mod, or just leave the ones that I do not need to move as is. The damage is done, in my opinion so to make another hole in a bulkhead just so it looks better, in an area that is not at all visible..... Some holes do not have grommets so I will want to pull the cable out, enlarge the hole slightly and install a grommet. One in particular though is particularly close to the skin. That one might make more sense to either make a new hole, or use a clamp and go beside the bulkhead. I know not the norm, but save another hole in a bulkhead that already has a poorly located holes.

Running out the door but thought I would throw this out there to get the think tank going...<g>

Mar 8, 2023  Issue #5,772. (previous day's news).

Milestone: Engine Hung and Canopy Glued to Frame ...Ken in Australia

Hung the engine last weekend  Glued the canopy to the frame this weekend  On both occasions invaluable help from my friends Brady and Cameron  Making real progress now.

False alarm. Looked like a crack but was just dirty

After scoping my rv 6 it appeared to have a crack running from one of the bracket rivets. I had many eyes on it and all agreed it was a crack. So I removed the skin and the hinge bracket only to find that it was just dirt. It was strange that it was a straight line, but with the skin off it is easy to tell that it wasn't a crack. Maybe should have tried some brake clean or something like that to clean it up and verify that it was a crack before repairing. Never thought of it because everyone agreed it was a crack. I'm going to install the repair it anyways. Anyone else run into something similar?

Follow Up on Gov Install ...Freemasm

I respect Czech engineering but can't follow the organizational logic sometimes. Found the pertinent paragraph but not where you'd (or at least me) would expect.

The "Install and Operation" section is as follows:

Installation
Static Run-up
Flight test
General
Calibration (inside of here. Pic attached).

Not sure how you're supposed to do the previous tasks before getting the control kinematics done; but, it's in there. Still my fault for forgetting to print out the related doc before I went to the airport. Again, thanks for the help.

RV6A Carbon Monoxide mystery

We installed both the old fashioned black dot card CO detector and (this past week) a digital detector with visual and audio alarm on our recently acquired RV6A. Interestingly, this past Sunday the digital detector rose from 0 to 15ppm after about a 10 minute take-off/climb. Both the heat vent and fresh air vent (nearest the detector) were partially open (I was a bit warm - son was a bit cool) during this time. After seeing the 15ppm reading I then closed both vents and the detector dropped back down to zero within a few minutes. I then experimented by turning the heat fully back on in cruise flight for about 15 minutes and the detector remained at 0. I then turned off the heat and opened the fresh air vent - same story - detector remained at 0. Stayed at 0 for the remainder of 90 minute flight with heat on and outside air occasionally partially open. This has us scratching our head and wondering if the dynamics of our taxi/take-off/climb somehow caused some CO to get drawn in the fresh air intakes - but subsided in cruise flight. Anyone have any thoughts/insights?

Scott Hersha Panel

Basic simple VFR glass on my newest RV6 for this senior citizen. Upgradable, but not intending to do that. Just coming out of the paint shop this week, hopefully.

Pittman Flap Motor

Q: I am going to replace my flap motor with a new Pittman motor model #92345004. Does anyone know where I can buy a worm gear for this motor or how to remove and replace the old worm gear.

A: One at a time, disassemble both the new motor and the old motor by removing the two long screws from each motor's "non-gear" end (where the wires attach). Pay attention to the washer stackup on the armature shaft and how the brush assembly is put together.

IIRC at this point the armature can be pulled out of the motor. As I mentioned in my original post, I burnished the flap motor's commutator ring. In any case, swap out the armature in the new motor with the one with the gear-equipped one from the old motor and reassemble.

I have a number of pictures but the one (below) is representative of the task.

Kyle Boatright's Moving PIREP

I moved my project (or pieces of it) back and forth to the airport multiple times to make working room in the shop. I think you can move the entire project minus maybe a piece or two in the 26' truck. The three pieces I'm not sure about are the compressor (how big is it?) and the two benches.

What I would do if I was you would be use your wing stand to move the wings. I'd attach the ailerons and flaps and maybe cleco on the tips. In addition, I would scab on a fixture to hold the HS to the wing stand and would mount the HS and elevators to that stand. I'd load that entire assembly first and put it front right in the box truck. I'd secure everything well, and make sure there were cushions to keep parts from touching and stiffeners/tape/spacers/whatever to keep the control surfaces from moving.

In the left hand side nose of the trailer, I'd store all of the tools. Maybe you can get moving boxes or whatever to secure them. Next, I'd insert the fuselage, tail first on the left side of the trailer, in a cradle of some sort, using the spar carry-through as the main tie-down point. You can run bolts through the holes in the carry through and hook to those. I'm not sure what you meant by securing the fuse using the holes in the fuselage, but the carry-through is a much better place to attach. Then, pad/secure the aft fuselage to keep it from moving around. Finally, I'd pile everything else (rudder, vertical stab, seats, etc) in the fuselage using appropriate padding. The only thing left at that point is maybe the compressor and the EAA tables, which may fit towards the back of the trailer, adjacent to the fuselage. If the project is near-complete, the EAA tables are handy, but if they don't fit in the truck, well, you don't need them badly at this point anyway... Alternately, you can make new ones if you need.

Here are some pictures that might give you ideas around the wing and fuselage stands. These are kind of in "storage mode" so all of the padding and straps are not in the picture...

Mar 7, 2023  Issue #5,771. (previous day's news).

What did you do w/your RV this weekend?

...(3/4/2023 - 3/5/2023).  More entries coming in.

Intake Pressures Update ...rvmills

"...we're still collecting data to analyze my MP results, and the possible impacts of my intake plenum and servo.

I did one flight to take delta P measurements requested by Dan and Steve, and to run a test for Dave Anders to compare our MP at 17,500' MSL.

I ran a prelim series of delta P tests, but didn't do it at WOT, so the conditions aren't really what they are looking for. This run did show an increase in pressure from the intake manifold to the MP line that goes to my JPI. It may show the Sky Dynamics plenum and intake runners are providing a benefit there. Dan and Steve want to see some WOT runs before any further analysis or conclusions. A drop was shown between the inlet to the FM-300 and the intake plenum, due to the partially closed throttle, as expected...but this skewed the rest of the tests, so I'll be doing them again. When I do, we'll post all the locations of the pressure taps and what is being compared.

After that test, I climbed up to 17.5K and tried to match speed with a recent test Dave had run on a X-C flight. He sent me a photo (pasted below) of his -4 making 142 MIAS/ 192 MTAS, at 5.7 GPH. That's 33.7 mpg, at nearly 200 mph...wow!!"  --->

Fuel Tank Update ...crabandy

Flop tube removed and basic pickup tube made, I still need to pinch the end of the tube and cut some slots but this is what I'm thinking.
Also I don't see a need for any sort of anti-rotation bracket, with the An fitting loose It has very little movement and the fact I can proseal it and verify with the access plate off.

'Old Farts' Change of Destination ...Turbo

"Indiantown is Scrubbed, Going To Sebring Instead Thursday, March 9th, 2023"

Status Report: cgeyman -9A

"... more fun as you get more systems in.  one air vent done (other is on order). got aux fuel pump/ boost in. still deciding on simple panel layout."

Automatic Soldering Gun

Anybody using one of these - comments? There seem to be a million or so of them out there - this just happens to be the one I chose. It has a continuous trigger feed, where a lot of the other ones require pulling the trigger to advance the solder each time it's needed. Not very expensive either ~$30-50 including a roll of solder.

2 Landing Lights in Each Wing - How to wire it?

I will be having 2 landing lights in each wing. How should this be wired? Should each light be on its own circuit back to the switch or can one circuit be used for each wing? Is the wire provided in the harness (I believe it is 16 ga.) sufficient to carry both loads? It looks like the current draw for the lights I'm using is 3.2a+4.0a=7.2a in each wing.

ROTAX releases Updated 912 Series Operator's Manual

Mar 6, 2023  Issue #5,770. (previous day's news).

What did you do w/your RV this weekend?

...(3/4/2023 - 3/5/2023)

Messed up the holes to attach the floor stiffeners to the F-704

So I messed up the two holes that attach the two central floor stiffeners to the F-704 bulkhead: I clecoed the bottom skin to the aft part of the F-704 only so the front part of the F-704 bulkhead was not positioned properly.

I upsized the holes to #30, which fully cleaned it.

Now the question is, what do I do next? These two holes are special in that I am supposed to countersink the F-776 central skin and the F-704 flange, dimple the F-772 bottom skin and leave the floor stiffener "flat".

However, with the AN426AD4 rivet, I am concerned that the thickness of the F-776 plus the F-704 won't be enough for it. Seems risky to me.

So, that leaves me the following options:

1. I can use "oops" NAS1097AD3 rivet. It's head is about the same as the AD3 rivet, so I can follow the original plan of dimpling the outer skin and countersinking the other skin and the flange.
2. I can dimple the both skins and the flange, then countersink the stiffener, hoping that somehow I will be able to fit it, contrary to what instructions say. The angle, however, doesn't have much thickness for the AD4-sized countersink either (but it is probably easier to fix the angle -- do a fabricated joggle, for example).
3. I can put a universal rivet there. Leave these joints alone, don't dimple nor countersink anything, just put a domed head. Will probably loose one or two knots of the cruise speed

I am leaning towards #1 or #3, with a slight preference towards #1. What do you think?

Electric trim

Q: I know electric trim has been used on an RV3, but do not know where the trim motor was placed.

Any help?

A:

Motivation

I too, was hesitant...
I could not get started out of concern that I did not have acceptable aluminum working skills. I decided to build practice kits until, like the evolution of man, I was walking upright. I think I did 7 before I felt I was ready. (Vans: RV TRAINING PROJECT-1)

Six years later...

Re-sealing the tanks ...PaulvS in Australia

Both tanks have finally been internally re-sealed, after cleaning out all of the old failed sealant, which I really never want to do again. I applied polysulfide CS3204 B2 to all of the internal seams in the tank. The final step this week will be to re-install the rear baffles.

The re-sealing process that I followed was to force new sealant into all of the internal seams in the tanks. This was a little different to initial assembly, since the faying surfaces were already riveted. I trialled several tools for applying the sealant and the most effective was a length of bent rod, similar to what my old dentist used when making amalgum fillings. That 's a spin-off benefit from seeing the dentist! The small jewellers scale is graduated in 0.1g increments, which makes it easy to mix small batches when working slowly.

The smell of polysulfide sealant is unique and I'd forgotten all about it, however the memory came back instantly after 20 years.

I also fitted the Vans anti-rotation bracket on the fuel pickup tubes, this was actually the reason for opening the tanks several months ago, which then led to the whole unexpected repair job detour.

Scott McDaniels fuel tank construction videos on Youtube have been very helpful indeed.

Update: RV-12iS Boulder High School, Colorado

The vertical stabilizer is now finished, as are the anti-servo tabs. That team, Elizabeth, Emma and Karla, are now working on the stabiliator. The team headed by Mack is working on the rudder.

The morning class is building the wings. I think they are working on the spar assembly.

The finish kit has arrived and inventory is nearly complete - Elizabeth's team is working on that along with some other students, on the days when I'm not at class

Axle orientation

I need help identifying the orientation of my axles on my -14.(tail dragger) If someone is building the 14 and have the installed wheels onthe main gear could take a picture of the right gear i would appreciate it. I have talked to Vans and they can't tell me if I install the axels correctly. I think I reversed them putting the right if the left and vice vesra. A simple picture will belay my fears. Attached is a pic of my right wheel, it has a red arrow pointing to a rounded area of the axle attachment U-01421. My rounded area faces rear. If I Reversed it on the left it would face forward. I need to know if this is correct. I'm ready for my first engine start.

Central High School STEM Aviation Program sweepstakes offers chance to win big and fly high

Mar 3, 2023  Issue #5,769. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

2nd Annual Paul Canton Fly-In @ KOBI - Woodbine, NJ April 15 2023

...[ed. Added to the VAF Calendar.  v/r,dr]

Paul Canton was a B17 pilot in WW2, and has been a fixture in South Jersey Aviation for over 60 years. Please join us in celebrating, with this hero, his 101st birthday. Food and refreshments are free, and feel free to bring your own.

We've also got some of the cheapest avgas in the area.

Event is April 15th, 2023 11am-6pm.

If you are planning to stop by, or need more details, please rsvp Moe (moespeeds at gmail dot com) so we have an idea of how much food to get. You can also PM me here.

Would love to get some RVs out for this, Paul has built 2 RV 6's.

Upcoming Events from the VAF Calendar

Current replacement for the blue "Slo-Syn" stepper AP servos?

Hi guys,

My 8 has the older blue "Slo-Syn" stepper motors. I've been having trouble with my AP holding wings level in any kind of turbulence or gusts. I changed out my old Tru-Trak for a new Xcruze 100 to no avail.

At Oshkosh last week I spoke in person to Stephan, the brain behind the Xcruze system, and in describing my problem he pointed out that my servo is most likely shot.

I have a whole new Garmin panel, AP, and servos on order, but who knows how many months that will take. Garmin is projecting 6-8 months. In the interim, I'd like to get this servo swapped out so I have a reliable AP. So what do I replace this thing with?

Couple of FWF wiring questions ...Desert Rat PIREP

Larry- after giving this quite a bit of thought, here's what I did;

I routed all the starter/alt wires together down the r/h side of the sump. I sleeved the B lead in nomex and the field wire in fiberglass anti-chafe just because thats what I had in my stash. For good measure, I sleeved the small wire to the starter in fiberglass as well just because I had enough sleeve to do that one too.

The field wire is run separately from the B lead under the sump with about 1/2" gap between. The one place where they would have come together was at a stand off from the sump so there I used 2 adels butterflied together.

Electrically, the only place they have a chance to get together is where the field wire is routed up the firewall and through the passthrough with the rest of the power wires. Since that isn't a vibration prone area I chose to route it outside the Nomex sheath everything else resides in, but run them all together. I figure that the chances of it shorting to a power wire through all that insulation areas remote as to be almost non-existent.

it the first picture, the two wires hanging down are the B-lead and the field wire.

hope that's helpful!

A Dream Becomes Reality ...Kitplanes

Like a lot of kids, I dreamed of flying. I used to ask for a flying car for Christmas every year. As an adult, that dream didn't fade away. Now I'm a 23-year-old private pilot with my own airplane - a Van's RV-6. After a lot of work, I made my dream a reality.  --->

Oil door done ...PilotjohnS 9A

Oil door is done. I might add a strip of stainless steel as a strike plate; we will have to watch the wear during flight testing. I used the trimmed piece off the cowl as a reinforcement, as others have suggested. I had the hinge backwards, couldn't figure out why it wouldn't open..... :-)

More Opinions, Please!

I am trying to provide slack in connections between the engine (moving about) and the engine mount (not moving about). Usually this is easy enough. But, the starter cable is 2AWG and plenty stout. Is the connection I am showing below going to cause trouble down the line as the Adel clamp on the engine vibrates with the engine and the clamp on the engine mount does not, as much?

If so, do I just try to provide more of a loop in the 2AWG between the Adels?

RV 8 AFT Battery Cable Routing ...Lkitson PIREP

Here are some photos of how I routed the cables in my 8. Note: I had to fabricate a spacer to move the contractor outboard to line the stud up with the cable.

Baggage Door Switch...-10

(rongawer PIREP)  I used the same reed switch van's provides for the main doors. I used cushion clamps and mounted the magnet in the door, and then the switch in the frame and wired it to the G3X to alert me when it's open.

And just because I could, I have it activate the baggage and interior lights when I open it through a cube relay. It was pretty easy in implementation that's pretty clean when done.

These are the only photos I could find, but hopefully you get the idea.

"Pardon the dust"

Engine Dehydrator--what I decided on

Thanks to all for thoughts and suggestions. Two pics attached to show what I ended up doing - one that shows components, a second showing the assembled apparatus.
- Aquarium pump
- 2 x 1/4" barb pass-through connectors (supplied as a pkg of 5, with washers and hose clamps)
- Air filter (for the intake side, supplied as a pkg of 2)
- 1 1/2" (i.d.) table leg protector (rubber, supplied as a pkg of 2)
- PE tubing

Per my initial post, I didn't think I needed a closed system with dessicant. Dewpoints here are almost always WAY below ambient temps here - typically 40-ish degrees F, so all I'm trying to do is get rid of residual water from combustion. The plan is to plug it into a timer, and run it for an hour or so after each flight.

The pump specs at 317 gph, or just over 5 gpm. Actual output may be lower given tubing resistance, etc..., but even if it's half of spec I would think it should be more than adequate. The intake port is a bit too large for 1/4" i.d. tubing, so I just a short piece of larger tubing to neck it down. An adapter would be a more elegant approach, but this seems to work well. The air filter (it's dusty in the desert and I didn't want to add a bunch of silicon grit to the oil, creating a new issue in the process...) looks to be for a snowmobile. Nothing magic about the model, I just picked a shape that looked like it would work. One end is solid and used for the pass through, the other is "open", and needs to be sealed with duck tape or other means. Both the air filter and the output end will be stored in a Ziploc bag when not in use. Special thanks to Finley Atherton - I would not have thought of using a table leg protector, but a rubber one fits perfectly!

Mar 2, 2023  Issue #5,768. (previous day's news).
 

Status: nohoflyer 7A

Finally flipped the canoe with the help of two others. Again, getting a riveting partner took some time so I could finish the side and bottom skins. Turns out that not everyone loves building an airplane as much as me.

I am building in a wood shop and sawdust is an issue. Now that the fuse is basically a big bowl I needed to cover it thus the tarp.

Also I lowered my forward stand to about 22 inches and it's about right.

RV 8 AFT Battery Cable Routing

Q: Perhaps a stupid/unnecessary question as I'm still figuring out some basics with QB FUSELAGE, but I was hoping to get pictures of the routing of the battery cables (both + and ground) for an AFT mounted battery on an RV8. Seems like its going to be a problem up through spar. Just trying to plan ahead.

Was thinking I should run ground cable up to firewall and both should by 02.

Any advice gladly taken...Newbie here.

Note: I will likely fly solo a lot, so prefer to have some weight aft.

A: You should obtain Van's OP10 and OP11. They provide suggested wire routing for the fuselage. This is how I grounded the battery to the airframe. I ran the no. 2 battery cable along the fuselage bottom on the left side to the firewall.
Although I show an Odyssey battery, I am going with a Concorde RG-25 for extra weight to help counter a IO-390.

Higher pressure electric fuel pump cause carb leak?

My original electric fuel pump died, ES40105. Contact with Van's gave me the impression that I had no choice but to replace it with the 1.5 psi higher pressure ES40135, so I did (Van's no longer stocks ES40105). I installed it and immediately had the right carb overflow during pump testing. 861189 floats are not heavy despite 3+ years in service.

I had a certified Rotax technician inspect both carbs and replace floats, needle valves, and float bowl gaskets. He reinstalled the carbs today and during carb sync both carbs overflowed out the float bowl vents. Fuel pressure was around 7 psi, which is in the green in the revised range markings that go with the higher pressure pump. Clearly, my carbs will not tolerate the higher fuel pressure. Builder support suggested going back to the 40105 pump which is readily available, just not from Van's.

Has anyone else had similar experience and have insight into how to fix it?

Old Eyes Digital Torque Wrench PIREP ...Steve

As a FOG, I could not accurately read manual dials so I wanted a digital wrench, after a lot of research I got this one with an articulating head, does several different measurements. 3/8" socket.

Throttle Creep PIREP / Solution

I have this issue with the prop control creeping forward unless the friction knob is cranked down, which makes formation throttle control a problem.
After ponding ways to fix it for a few days, I emailed DJM, who promptly called me on a Sunday!
Turns out, he has a "formation" version of his quadrant with individual tension knobs for the throttle, and another for prop/mixture!

He also mentioned the prop gov spring being too strong, which makes sense.

Anyway, I promptly ordered one of the formation quadrants. Guaranteed to make my formation performance 20% better!

The formation quadrants do no show up in the product page on the DJM website, but if you use the search function, you get them. Oh, and the prices are out of date.

8A main wheel bearing part number/ brake liners

Q: Anyone happen to know what brake linings and wheel bearings are in a 03 8A, on the road and trying to get parts ordered

A: If they are Cleveland 500x5 wheels, the brake linings should be 66-106 and the bearings are Timkin 08125 and the races are Timkin 08231.

Mar 1, 2023  Issue #5,767. (previous day's news).
 

What did you do with your RV this weekend?

(2/24/2023 thru 2/26/2023)...more entries.

Mothership News

Congrats to Kimmy Cobb, who celebrates 15 years working at Van's Aircraft today! Kim deals with all the freight shipping of our kits and more. And, she's a heckuva (anniversary) party animal!!

Oil on top of Airbox

Friends,

I am trying to chase down a leak and wonder if any of you have ever seen a simliar oil trace.

I am getting oil on my airbox and it appears to be leaking from the throttle body. The interesting thing is the oil almost has a greenish tint.

Engine: IO540 C4B5~ 500hrs - but I believe the leak has been there since day one.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Keith B Buys Bedroom and Living Room Sets

My worst/best injury was to my SO and build partner. We were dimpling fuel tank skins using a C-dimpler. About 200 dimples in (tired) and working near the leading edge bend (opening the bend, holding down against the die), the hammer-wielder (me) struck a glancing blow that crushed a wayward finger of the holder (her). No pictures here to protect the squeamish. It required an ER visit, an ambulance transfer, an overnight in a Covid-swamped trauma center, and months of recovery. In addition to losing assistance for months, the hammer still induces PTSD responses with the SO, and it cost me a new bedroom set and a living room sofa.

Be safe out there.

(and then there's Laird)

March Wallpaper Calendar ...Aric Kraus photo

SB-00036 REV 2 published (and new SB kits)

Van's has published SB-00036 REV 2, which requires inspection of the horizontal stabilizer rear spar on RV-3/4/6/7/8/9/10/14 aircraft, as well as new parts and steps necessary to comply with the bulletin should a repair or retrofit need to be performed on RV-3/4/6/7/8 models.  --->

Feb 28, 2023  Issue #5,766. (previous day's news).
 

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (2/24/2023 thru 2/26/2023)

...more entries.

Need Engine repair advice

Doing my 9th annual inspection and looks like I have a burnt exhaust valve on Cylinder 6.
Lycoming YIO-540-D4A5 purchased through VANS. Has about 900 hr on it.

Last condition inspection #6 compression was 76/80, (all cylinders were 76-78)

Current compression all except #6 still in 76-78 range. #6 was 25.  --->

Calling All "Brainiacs" - Wire Marking

Any (affordable) ideas on how to mark electrical wires on an interval basis, like the "Big Boys" do?

Old style thermal markers are too cumbersome & newer lasar types are too costly.

Any ideas? I'd really like to be able to i.d. my wires intermediate to the ends if needed.

Thx - as always, now in the hands of the "braintrust".

Premade hole in baffling? keep or seal? ...-10

I bought my RV used, a Super-8 with an IO-540 C4B5 that was modified from fuel injection to a carburetor. I post here for the O/IO-540 input.
My metal baffling on the bottom of the cylinders has a round, obviously-deliberately-made hole in the baffling between cylinders 2 and 4, right up next to the casing. It's about 1 1/4 inch diameter. There is not a similar hole on the other side between 1 and 3. It seems like an obvious problem in terms of cooling air not being forced over the cylinder fins, but before I seal it I would like to throw it out there for comment. Has anyone seen this? Is there some reason why it should be there? And my #2 cylinder is my hottest CHT. Pictures from top and bottom attached. Thanks for the help.

Anyone recognize these tailcone fasteners?

Another detail I noticed on the Van's built 12iS I saw last week was the fasteners holding the top portion of the tailcone fairings. The screws that pass through the fiberglass into the nutplates underneath appear to have a washer under them. It seems like this might help to protect the fiberglass over time - and also help protect the paint.

Anyone know what's being used here?

Yuck, Blood!

...the thread gets some new blood entries.

Feb 27, 2023  Issue #5,765. (previous day's news).
  A rare sim-free weekend, but IFR conditions kept the RV grounded here in N.TX.  Sunday around 5pm it was VFR, but was already on the computer stuck.  Saturday worked on replacing the oil filter housing on my 3.6 Pentastar-equipped Jeep (a known defect which finally got me at 99,934 miles and 6 years).  Got the intake manifold off Saturday (pic).  All aluminum replacement part arrives Tuesday.  A kind gent on the interweb strapped a camera to his head while he replaced his - my new hero.  $200 me fix vs $1600 dealership.
  Hoping to make a fuel run in the RV sometime this week if the calendar and Wx allow. 
  Hope you had a nice weekend and got to spend some time with your flying RV or project.
 

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (2/24/2023 thru 2/26/2023)

Cal's RV-9A (#2) ...Status Report

...indoor plumbing, a little tricky at first

RV-3 Fuselage Tank Mod ...navy06

With leaking wing tanks slowly getting worse I have designed and installed a 18 gal fuselage tank. This is enough volume for my 0235 108hp powered RV3. By being smaller than Vans 24 gallon it doesn't take up every inch of available space. My tank is round 20 inch diameter 12 inches deep. I added two 1/2 inch OD 1/4 inch ID aluminum thru tubes for anti-rotation support and as a back up support for the two stainless steel straps per vans drawing. It required minor adjustments to brake petals to clear and it would have been better to make tank 19 by 13 or 14.

Engine compartment pictures of a Van's built RV-12iS ...subpar_bucker

I was in Sebring FL this week attending some Rotax maintenance courses at Lockwood. On Friday I was lucky enough to catch their RV-12iS during an oil change. I grabbed a bunch of photos and put them in a google photos album. There were a couple of things I thought worth noting: there's a piece of tubing attached to the throttle cable a few inches prior to where it attaches to the throttle body. I know of at least one person who has detected a location where their throttle cable was rubbing its way through the powder coating on their plane. I also noticed some RVT on the pitot tubing just aft of the plastic block the rigid portions passed through right behind the propeller hub.

I've also attached a photo of the beautiful layout of the wiring around the fuse box. Mine isn't nearly as pretty as this one!

I'm 2 for 2! Cracking Fuselage Side Skin Bend

Welp, I managed to create cracks while making the curve in the -9A fuselage side skins (where the side skins bend to match the center section bottom skin and tail cone). I think I just overworked the aluminum while I was trying to get the curves right. One side has a 1/16" crack and the other side has a 1/4" crack. I know this is an all too common occurrence based on what I've read. My question - do I just stop drill the cracks and leave them as-is, or is it better to actually file away the entire crack by making a much larger cutout? What is the proper size hole for stop drilling?

(The pictures make the relief hole look rougher than it actually was - it was deburred and smooth prior to the bend. This is as I was starting to clean things up with a file.)

-12 Glare Shield and Canopy Trim ...Bob_Y PIREP

I have the side moldings but not the glare shield. I contacted Van's adding the glare shield and they weren't aware of anyone that had installed both. They said the side moldings aren't a very popular option, so maybe you and I are the only ones who have or have considered them :-). Anyway, they sent me the attached photo of the anchor point for the glare shield. I've also attached the photo from the KAI showing the side molding. You'd either have to rivet the glare shield through the side molding, or cut the side molding around the glare shield. If I did install the glare shield, I think I'd rivet through the side molding. Anyway, that's what my research revealed on this topic. Send photos if you opt to install both. Curious to see how it would look.

Chopslapped at 9500 ft

We've all been there, I imagine: that out-of-the-blue headwhack against the canopy during an otherwise routine flight - similar to driving placidly along the interstate only to be jarred out of our reverie by an unseen, Texas-sized pothole.

I was recently flying in light chop at 9500 ft with my RV-14A when - BAM! - the airplane dropped from under me and my head hit the canopy with a force that would have had me seeing stars had it not been for my trusty flight helmet. The bottom edge of the instrument panel hit my left shin hard enough to skin it through the pant leg.

Call me conservative, but I've gotten into the habit of throttling back even in light chop to keep IAS well within the green just in case something like this happens. I doubt this was anywhere near the -14's +6/-3g limit, but the hit was enough to make me glad I was far, far away from the yellow arc.

Can any WX buffs explain the phenomenon here? It's almost like colliding with a random invisible object, only the impact is vertical not horizontal.

AC 90-89C is Now Current ...issued 2/14/23

Belly damage.

Looking at a bit of a project 6. At some point in its life it had an excursion over.. a low t-post I believe.. not 100% what the object was.

It's been flying for a while like this, and is not thought to be a structural issue, but before I sunk some money into it, I thought I'd see what the VAF consensus was and how, barring deformed fuselage bulkheads, a repair of this skin could be carried out.

What says VAF?

Fuselage stand too tall?

I built this. I think it might be too tall and make it difficult once I flip the canoe. Is there a standard height which these things are usually built?

Feb 24, 2023  Issue #5,764. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend. 
 

What is "normal" tailwheel wear?

The Condor pneumatic tailwheel has been one of my favorite RV-8 upgrades. Solid traction on landing and no more clattering along the taxiway.

That said, I examined the tire today and it seems pretty worn since it was installed about 40 landings ago. Hub spins nicely on the axle, but center treads are totally gone and tire looks like it's 10 years old compared to my new (spare) tailwheel tire.

I'm not used to this fast a wear on a tire with no brake. Is this normal or should I be looking for some kind of issue?

Float fuel senders

Hi folks, I'm having issues calibrating my fuel tanks with float sensors and a G3X touch. I've determined that the resistance option (as opposed to voltage) is the correct option, but when I generate the calibration curve, the difference between empty and full is only about 34 millivolts. Garmin says it should be volts. When I save and re-boot the G3X, it shows my tanks are empty. My understanding of the Stewart Warner senders is that empty should give 240 ohms, and full around 30 ohms. I'm going to drain the tanks and check that I'm seeing those numbers (I think I can push them up thru the tank drain hole).

Anything else I should check?

Flap trailing edge ...-10

I just finished clecoing together my right flap (RV10) for match drilling. I am concerned about the vedge piece at the trailing edge sticking past the skin edge. Is this normal, or is it a problem that I should address? Does anyone have the same experience?
I have posted the questions with Van's tech support and waiting to hear from them.

Calling all electrical "experts" please.

I have a semi-unique situation/question. I'd appreciate any input (especially from Dan (Horton) that all know about as I have done so many of his recommendations). I designed my electrical system about 15yrs ago using Bob's Z-13 wiring diagram (with some changes) for my 8. Please see attachment. Was basically running a 680 battery, SD-8 backup and dual Plasma I (like Plasma III) electronic ignitions. One of the major changes I did was connected the ignition wires directly to/from the battery (with fuselink to the breakers) without going through any buses as I wanted the most direct simple path for the ignition in the event of any electrical problems.

Fast forward to about five years ago when I replaced the 680 with a lithium battery from Aerovoltz (love their batteries). I used that battery for 4 1/2 years with no problems; but that was when they first came out and didn't have all of the internal protections that they have now. About 7 months ago I switched to their updated/upgraded battery (AVAI-480), which has all the bells and whistles as far as protection goes. I thought that would be better than having no protection and thought, though nothing wrong with the old battery, probably time for a change.  --->

Are switches required to have an "Off" label?

Might be urban legend, but I heard about a builder being denied a sign-off because they had labeled the switches for function, knew that Up was ON and Down was OFF, but the examiner made them go back and add OFF labels before they'd sign it off. Or, another instance, UP and DOWN for pitch trim.

Thoughts?

Repairing Bubbled Paint ...Saville pics

Ok so I managed to get some photos of the paint bubbles. I didn't clean the area beforehand so as to not remove any evidence.

The first photo is a close up of a bubble. The blistered portion of the paint is at the 6 o'clock to 9 o'clock position in the picture.

I then flaked off some of the bubble and the next two pictures show both sides of the flake.

(Dan Horton asked to see " a detailed photo of the underside of the paint bubble". the above-mentioned photos attempt to satisfy that request - if I understand the request correctly)

The next two photos show how the bubbles seem to start. It looks to me as if there's thin paint around the periphery of the rivet and that the dimple isn't fully covered by the rivet. Don't know if the alodining (if it was done) got into that crevice nor if the primer (if there was primer) got in there as well.

Feb 23, 2023  Issue #5,763. (previous day's news). 
  Pls excuse the late push time - couple of late afternoon checkrides at the side hustle.

Rest in Peace Mr. Randy King

(Mike W) Randy King passed away on January 9, 2023 after a brief, but hard fought battle against aggressive brain cancer.

Randy flew formation with the Venice gang in his 4 and 8, before getting the aero bug bad and competing in his 8. He moved to a Pitts a few years back.

Others here may know more about Randy, but I know he was an F-14 driver and flew A320's for Jet Blue before retiring during Covid. He then went back to flying 320's before getting the diagnosis.

Tina, his wife, let me know that they are having a Celebration of Life for Randy on April 29 at the Community Hall 1910 S Pebble Beach Blvd Sun City Center, FL 33573 (map), noon to 5pm, do not have to stay the whole time, casual dress, Randy wanted a party!

Great guy and a great stick. Every time we did tail chase and ACM, he waxed my a$$!

Tailwinds brother.

Mysterious fuel leak ...-14

I'm having a hard time to find a root cause of leak from injector on cyl 2 on my IO-390 EXP 119. I'm pretty sure the injector is installed and torqued properly. The A letter mark is on the bottom side.
Did a quick test: removed the cowling and covered the injector with a piece of cloth, then run the engine for a few minutes. The cloth was dry, which would suggest that on the ground the injector doesn't leak. Nevertheless after a few hours of flight traces of fuel indicate that something is seriously wrong.
Is it possible that somehow fuel is sucked out of the injector's screen?
thanks in advance for any help

Paint Strip PIREP ...Dean Pichon RV-4

My -4 was stripped a couple of weeks ago in preparation for new paint. Only the control surfaces, cowling, etc. were removed. Here are some photos.

High CHT, low oil temps

My new to me RV7a seems to have a cooling issue during climb. O-360-A1A With a CS prop both 280TTSN Hobbs. After takeoff, I rapidly hit 400+ and have to nose down to keep it right around 425 degrees, which is quite consistent across all cylinders and persists until backing off the MP. This is immediately after takeoff, on the first take off of the day, hot or cold out. Weirdly enough, I notice that if I go into the pattern for touch and goes, my temps will stay in the 390s even with a much steeper climb? It is immensely annoying doing a 500-800 fpm climb in my performance loaded airplane. Once I'm in cruise everything settles down to around 350-380 across all cylinders even at high performance cruise.

On a separate note, my oil temps are always quite cool, rarely over 170 and usually 150-160 lately in the cooler temps we've been seeing in California the past couple of months. I am more or less not burning any oil and the oil looks like a nice amber color on the dipstick even after 30 hours flying time.

Any ideas? Mag timing was checked about 10 hours ago but everything else is fair game.

NTSB has a new accident dashboard for 2012-2021

Feb 22, 2023  Issue #5,762. (previous day's news). 

Engine out! ...Randall Henderson RV-6

So I was tooling along the other day and pulled up into a simple positive-G aileron roll, and 90 degrees over, the engine quit. At the same time my cell phone fell off its magnetic mount onto the floor which of course I ignored since I had other things to worry about like getting right side up and the whole engine not running thing.

So: fuel selector, switches - huh why are both mag switches off? Well there you go, the phone was above the switches and when it came off its mount it flicked them both off. Flipped 'em back on and it fired right up. No appreciable loss of altitude and no time to even get perturbed, back and running in 8 seconds according to the EFIS log.

Two takeaways:

1) The obvious: Don't have un-secured stuff on / around the panel or controls. A lot of us use IPADs - no doubt more secure with ball mounts and such but still, if that isn't tight I can imagine similar things happening, like interference with the stick.
2) Practice actual engine out procedures. I do that now and then (as in, intentionally letting a tank run dry up high over an airport or dry lake bed). I believe that served me well - muscle memory kicked in with no panic, diagnosed / resolved in a few seconds. We all know this stuff in our heads, but practicing it for real makes it automatic.

But yeah, DUH on the whole phone magnetic mount thing!

Steel Cable to Replace Chains - tailwheel steering

Q: Has anybody used a steel cable to replace chains for the tailwheel steering.

I see old threads where some people mentioned a plan to use a 1/16 cable to replace chains.

I am curious if somebody did it and what were the results?

What cable, sleeves and tool was used would be helpful to know?

Chains seem to work okay but I am putting some eye bolts etc to clean things up and curious if I should also replace chains. It should theoretically be stronger as well.

A: What I did on my RV3B

Radial RV-8 First Flight ...VA_Maule

Big BIG news today!!!
First flight was accomplished today. I'm pleased and exhilarated to report that she tracked straight down the runway for takeoff with just a little right rudder, climbed out straight and true, flew around the patch for a little while just as steady as a rock with the ball centered hands free no heavy wing issue ( really relieved about this considering the troubles others have reported) . Did some slow flight and then couple of non-event stalls , breaks were preceded by a slight but quite attention getting buffet and a straight forward nose drop without any wing dropping , lightly relaxing the back pressure and she was right back to flying, adding little bit of power right back to straight and level . Coming in to land pulled power little too much and that big 84" prop was like a "drag chute" putting the breaks on had to put a good bit of the power back in to arrest the surprising distant rate after this dose of self inflicted excessive excitement, she rolled right on the grass with just a little bounce and only one, rolled out nice and straight to a no breaks needed stop in about 450-500'

Very happy guy here!

During construction

How Larry Made his Carbon Fiber Plenum

...w/suggestions on how to do a cowl.

Buy a Vans Cowl to fit your need. Fit everything the way you want it. Sand it with random orbital and 80 grit. Apply a layer of carbon fiber. It only noticeable from the inside. The outside looks like carbon fiber. This plenum is fiberglass with one layer of carbon fiber.

Impact Pressure

Enclosed is an airspeed impact pressure diagram.
It is correct at sea level and standard temp.
It can be used when working with ASI.
This impact pressure is available for the engine air inlet and
may increase HP and speed at altitude.

More from Last Weekend

Feb 21, 2023  Issue #5,761. (previous day's news). 

MILESTONE: Instrument Checkride Passed ...newt RV-6

I passed my instrument checkride in my RV-6.

Departed Bankstown on the SID on runway 11C, received vectors for the ILS at Richmond Air Force Base, penetrated the overcast layer on the missed approach and broke out into sunshine and fluffy undercast on the way to Bathurst, flew a couple of laps around the hold at BTHSG before shooting the RNP into a circling approach (dodging gliders and tugs), climb back to MSA and track SC2WC for the RNP-W into Camden through 1000' of proper IMC on the way down the ramp, published missed approach, cancelled IFR and went home.  --->

Motorcycle lift entire plane ...rockwoodrv9

This isnt a wing jack but worked great for me when I was working on my brakes and wheel pants. It is a HF motorcycle life with a wood box. It lifts all 3 wheels off the ground if you get it balanced properly. It is not stable enough to get in the plane but plenty to work on the wheels.

Mconner7 Cowl Flap PIREP

I didn't have the heart to cut the side of my cowl so I replaced the louvers on one side with the cowl flap. I can see almost no difference with it open or closed which seems odd. My only guess is that I am limited on cool air in, not warm air out.

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (2/18/2023 - 2/19/2023)

...more entries from this past weekend being added.

1-page Summary for my RV? 

Background. I'm ramping up for a King Air 350 type rating to *hopefully* earn some local contract money on the side over the next few years. I've done enough seat support sessions at the sim side hustle in the last year to turn my green stamp book into a type.

So I'm studying limitations.

I took all the flash cards and made it fit on one page in a picture. Done using iPad with Apple Pencil using Edit and Markup in the plain 'ol Photo app. What I created below, and I'm wondering if I (or passengers) would benefit from something like this for our RV-6.

Gotta Love Lasers ...Dirk

At least, a quite inexpensive laser from a special offer at the local grocery store produces a scenic light show when attaching the elevators to the horizontal stabilizer.

Had to darken the garage quite a bit but along with an electronic bevel metering box, it was a great help after all.

Feb 20, 2023  Issue #5,760. (previous day's news).
  At the sim side job Sunday 0700.  Ran into an RV-8 builder in the room next to me.  Small world <g>.  Had a nice visit.
  Pushing the Monday edition out early - off to WalMart for replacement jeans (the current set experienced a failure mode at a spot that would get me arrested for indecent exposure). ;^) 
 

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (2/18/2023 - 2/19/2023)

2nd flight with my grandson ...Dvalcik

My kids and grandchildren (6 and 3) came to visit for my birthday. My oldest grandson talks about flying when we FaceTime. Unfortunately we live in the northeast and they are in the south so don't see them as often as we would like.

He went out with me for about 30 mins. His younger brother took a 10 taxi tour around the airport.

I attached a 4 min youtube link that Link helped edit and picked the music (his choice). Love seeing the freedom of flight through the eyes of a 6 year old.

Update from Greg at mothership on SB-00036

"...this is what matters most: Eventually, whether it happens in 100 hours or 100,000 hours, all of the RV-3/4/6/7/8 models can and quite possibly will develop cracks if they are flown/operated enough hours/cycles. There will be some significant number of airplanes that won't develop cracks within the lifetime of the airframe - but when it does happen, it matters. Regardless, the necessary fix is essentially the same.

A few key points...

1. Inspection per the SB is necessary, annually, regardless of any airplane-specific configuration or feature. For example, the location/orientation of the shop/manufactured heads does not modify the need or requirement to comply and is not statistically relevant based on our engineering assessment.

2. The fix, when needed due to an inspection that reveals cracks, is the only approved/supported fix. Do not fly with cracks present.

3. Even after implementing the fix, it is prudent and smart to inspect the areas described in the SB as part of routine condition inspections. To extend that point to the whole airplane, any area where forces are concentrated is worth closely inspecting routinely. For some people that might mean a deeper inspection than they have conducted in the past. In that case, this is a great opportunity to step up their inspection game to where it needs to be.

Model-by-model update and availability of parts:
- RV-9/10/14 models remain inspect-only, and report to Van's support team should you find something.

- RV-8/7/6-prepunched (very late RV-6 empennages only) will see parts shipping this week. Inspect annually. Install SB parts per the (soon-to-be released) revised SB. There will be two "flavors" of installing the revised parts: one for airplanes where cracks were found and strop-drilled, and another for those without any cracks present. The details of this will be described in the revised SB doc when it is published this week.

- RV-6 (non-pre-punched)/4/3 will also have revised parts available soon, potentially as early as this week but timing of availability is still TBD pending manufacturing completion and validation."

SB-00036 Inspection Results

RV horizontal stab crack reporting thread.  Where you post whether or not you see cracks.

How to dimple holes in the oil cooler mount?

The oil cooler mount has 4 rivets on each side that join the two flanges together. I'm not sure how to get them apart to deburr and dimple them so I'm curious what others have done. Can the two flanges be dimpled at the same time or do I need to bend them away from each other and then hope I can get them back to the proper spot afterwards without distorting the mount?

Switch Hunt

I am trying to find a couple replacement switches like the blue ones indicated in the photo. I have no idea where to find them, but thought I might see if anybody does.

Cracked Dimple

I'm getting better, but I'm still not a big fan of riveting on rounded surfaces. I managed to get through most of the rounded bottom portion of my 9A tailcone without incident. I did have one rivet that gave me fits though. I drilled it out and decided to upsize it and use an oops rivet (upsized the hole to #30 with a reamer). The result was another terrible rivet, but more troubling than that, a dimple that looked like it exploded. The bad rivet is in one of the flange tabs of a tailcone bulkhead. While the other rivets in the rounded portion aren't exactly runway model status, they're passable, and all of the other rivets in the bulkhead are fine. I'm trying to figure out what, if anything, I should do with that cracked dimple. Upsizing it again wouldn't really do much because of the extent of it all. Do I just leave it? Thoughts?

From Rich at www.AircraftExtras.com (advertiser)

Prop Swap! ...Paul D.

So our RV-3 ("Tsamsiyu") has been flying since day one with a Whirlwind 151 three-blade prop (the one with the yellow tips). Fabulous propeller - light weight, constant speed, great aerodynamics - that gave us tremendous performance, both in cruise and climb. The airplane will climb 3,000 fpm at sea level, or run down the ocean beach flat out faster than the airframe was designed to go (if you let it). But...nothing lasts forever.

The 151 was one of Jim Rust's early designs, and he has learned a lot in more than a decade, refining both aerodynamics and mechanics to the point where the 151 has been discontinued in favor of the newer 300 Series (the one with the white tips). And since the 151 was discontinued, he doesn't have any parts for routine servicing or overhaul. So...it was only matter of time before it became an expensive paperweight, and since I've been very happy with the 300 on our RV-8 for a year, Jim made us a good deal on a new prop for the RV-3.

I flew the airplane down to El Cajon (just east of San Diego) yesterday in cold temperatures (and great tailwinds), arriving about 10:30. By 12:30, the airplane was ready to fly with the new nose! Kudos to Jim and his team, as well as to painter/artist extraordinaire John Stahr who pre-painted the spinner to match the rest of the airplane before the prop was ready. I flew the airplane back to Big Bear for the night, and headed home this morning. Got lucky with tailwinds both ways...

I didn't take any solid flight test data, but based on knowing the airplane, I think it is a couple, maybe three knots faster at normal cruise settings in the low teens. We balanced it before leaving El Cajon, and the installation is wonderfully smooth. Climb with this airplane is always outstanding, so I'll have to do some careful measurements on a calm day to se what kind of improvement we got, but based on previous testing with the -300, I expect to see an extra 10% or so.

The prop certainly looks bigger (it is 70" while the old one was 68"), with a bit broader chord, and Jim said that watching it as I taxied away, it looks powerfully big. And the carbon fiber look is stunning up close.

We'll see how the 6 lbs extra on the nose feels for aerobatics once it warms up around here!

Update ...KazooRV-9A

Got the point where I couldn't go any further with the build until the front top skin was riveted on. I had completed all gauge panel and under front wiring, and tested everything that I could for function, so it became time to rivet the top skin on and begin the work on the fiberglass cowls.
I had a friend helping with the under panel bucking bar work, so tried to make it as comfortable as possible being under there. I had riveted all that I could by reaching under the panel from the front, but you get to a point where you have be underneath. I had also installed the Van's avionics access panels, having only realized recently that the kit existed. Will be great if we ever have to get back in for any wiring work. It was one of the tougher skins to rivet in place, both because of crawling underneath and having to remove some things to get at all the rivets. We roll formed the skin abit, but it still required some of the higher force "Wing Nut" Cleco's to pull it to the main stringer. I did use a couple of pull rivets where it was impossible to get a bucking bar behind.
I've also started the work on the fiberglass cowls. I have a set of the older "Green" cowlings, as the FF kit is from around 2005 by the records. I bought the project from a previous builder's estate. I studied numerous on-line builder logs, the Van's instructions, and anything else I could find, and dove in. I decided on the Skybolt fasteners and am progressing with them. The cowls have had the first trimming done to the firewall, will continue from here!  many pics

Canopy crack, dang it!

So I'm enroute to AOPA's Buckeye, AZ Fly-in in my RV-8 when at 12,500 and -7* F over the Rockies I hear a muffled "pop" that was loud enough to break intercom squelch.

Boyle's Law potato chip bag burst, maybe? Nothing so simple, unfortunately.

I looked things over on the ground and to my great disappointment found a crack nearly halfway across the aft portion of my beautiful Todd's tinted canopy. This RV-8 only has about 120 hours and everything's been great; I can only imagine that the canopy was already stressed and extreme temperatures may have pushed something over its limit. I now join the crestfallen cadre of cracked canopy connoisseurs and am wondering how best to repair it.

Some fellow fly-in campers in an RV-10 helped me stop-drill the crack (thanks Don and Jerry!) and I've applied Gorilla tape to the inner and outer surface (also covered by aluminum tape offset .25" forward to taper the duct tape's leading edge). There's at least a .015" gap at the crack's origin, tapering down to nothing as it propagates about 14 inches to the stop hole. The good news is the crack is very linear and doesn't block either pilot or passenger view, so after repair I could cover it with a colored vinyl stripe that would almost look like part of the plane.

I know there are a few threads on plexiglass, but each case seems different and I'd appreciate any tips on new materials, techniques, and other advice to help save this treasured Todd's Canopy. Any trusted plexiglass repairmen in the Palm Springs, CA area? I'm headed there next for a few days.

Scratches/marks on center section bulkheads

The preassembled center section bulkheads I received from Vans came with some scratches and marks, mostly on the center section bars. I have attached pictures. It reminds me of the rough condition of the horizontal stabilizer rear spar reinforcement bars as received, which required a lot of work to smooth out. I was surprised Vans shipped these in this condition, given the admonition in Section 5 to sand out all scratches, no matter how small, and the critical importance of these parts. Given that these are already riveted, I think it would be a real pain to smooth out. Also, if I were to smooth them out, I would have to remove the anodization in those areas. I wrote into Vans to get their opinion, but haven't heard back yet. What do you guys think I should do?

Feb 17, 2023  Issue #5,759. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend. 
 

Near Miss.  Why we fly a standard pattern, or maybe should.

I thought I would share an experience I had with a Near Miss a couple of weeks ago. I normally don't start many threads, but was encouraged to do so in this case.
I fly out of Tillamook Oregon, a WWII Naval Air Station and Blimp Base. It is very typical of the WWII airports that where built after Pearl Harbor up and down the West Coast. Large fields with very good runways oriented for our coastal conditions. One Blimp Hangar is still there, largest free span structure in the world, and a couple of the round launch pads. It is a great place for people to train, and only a 20 minute or so flight for a 150 to get from our busiest training airport in Hillsboro Or.
The airport has been getting busier over the past few years as folks have discovered the relatively un-congested airspace, cheap fuel. Just yesterday I flew with my wife and upon our return, there where five aircraft working the area. I would still say this is unusual, but becoming more frequent.
My story:  --->

Fine Windshield Mist Update ...Bill.H

Pulled cowl and spinner. Initial impressions:
Exterior front lip of cowl (face of the cowl facing the back of the bulkhead) has slight residue on it, light caramel color like engine oil.
Back of the pulley is dry - can't see any oil spatter or feel any either.
Inside of cowl doesn't have any new grease or oil stains.
Prop hub - one of the flat "faces" of the hub has a sticky oil residue - same color as the spatter on the outside of the cowl and the windscreen. No other hub surfaces are wet or sticky, just the one side.
There is similar oil residue on the bulkhead surface where the spinner screws attach, oriented in the same place as the sticky spot on the hub.

My mechanic is going to meet with me tomorrow and give me his thoughts. It's also worth noting that the Zirk fittings have all of their covers on them.

If it turns out that I need a prop overhaul, this is going to be problematic. As I understand it, the A-hubs cannot be overhauled. The cost of a B-hub plus overhaul cost comes to around $8500-$9000. That about right?

Further impressions...

It appears there is a glob of grease inside the spinner (picture attached) that I didn't notice at first when I pulled it.

I went to the local mech's shop on the field and asked him if I could get a tiny sample of aeroshell 5 and 6...it's the same light caramel color as what's on the airplane, and it's stickier than engine oil, too.

This makes me think that it's prop grease, and evidence seems to be mounting that it was over-serviced by a tech. The glob of grease in the spinner is in a position that aligns with the sticky face on the prop hub.

I'm ALSO thinking (and tell me if I'm wrong here) that this is more likely over-servicing because if there were blown seals in the hub, it would be flinging some grease onto the blades, and the blades appear to be completely dry.

Wiring Diagram Update ...Mudfly

I'm attaching the latest drawings for my Primary Power System and Stby Batteries for review and suggestions. Nothing at this point has been mounted and no wires have been run so I can easily change plans if needed.
Here's some details for what prompted the changes shown in these updated drawings. This mostly deals with Stby Batt 2 interconnects with the GTN650. This GTN is GPS/Nav/Com.

The GTN650 does not have provisions/pins for a b/u power source like the garmin devices on Stby Batt 1. Garmin advised the GTN would need to be on its own bus with the Stby batt powering only that bus. My first drawings showed the GTN650 on its own bus with Stby Batt 2 powering that bus as Garmin recommend. However, after consulting with TCW I was told my plan would not work due to the setup of the IBBS Batt. I would need to use the "pass-thru" power connections [pins 6,7, 8] to allow the stby batt to operate properly.
I realize with this setup, the GTN is powered solely by the pass-thru and output wiring of the IBBS (three 20awg wires in parallel). The output wires are protected by a single 10amp mini fuse located on the enclosure of the stby battery (not accessible during flight).

The power draw (total all connectors) of the GTN650Xi published by Garmin is 2.65A Typical, 7.72A max. I placed the pass thru wires on a 7.5 cb off the Avionics/Essential Bus. My thought was I would prefer this CB to open before the 10A mini fuse located on the stby battery. That would allow possible reset if the 650 was absolutely needed and I felt the popped CB was a result of radio transmission. I could use com 2 for the remainder of that flight. The max current of 7.72A (probably during radio transmission) would possibly exceed the 7.5 cb, but maybe not enough to pop the CB. I may not find out for sure until test flights. If it does pop, and I would obviously need to re-think this configuration.

Attached, black boxes below, are the latest revisions of the Primary Power System and Stby Batteries drawings.

-10 Fuel Vent Fitting ...David W.

Was worried about that too.
I just finished my tanks. After torquing that fitting inside the tank, I asked myself how can I keep that fitting from ever backing off? Slathered it with proseal to eliminate the potential for leaking or it ever coming free.

Feb 16, 2023  Issue #5,758. (previous day's news).
  Gentle reminder: If you're a shop that (for example) sells/installs avionics, and you are wanting to use these classifieds to move equipment, you need to be an advertiser.  Rule #1.
  We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming. ;^) 
 

David Paule -3B Status Report

After sanding down the exhaust fairing foam, I taped it using packing tape so the fairing itself would release. The tape was placed in a way that bridged some of the poorly-sanded areas.

Can anyone identify these aerospace fasteners?

Anyone know what fasteners these are? These are located in aft section of a turbofan. Clearly high temperature fasteners, but the heads look like rivets whereas the opposite sides are threaded with nuts. I've never seen anything like this before.

Rivet Mil-Spec, or is it?!?!

I riveted my left leading edge over the past couple of days. I ended up drilling out about 10 rivets overall that I wasn't happy with. I also used 4 oops rivets as some of the holes got a little big.

So this led me to an interesting observation. I was looking at the mil-spec for a 3/32 rivet. The max hole tolerance is .103. I measured my untouched dimpled holes and they were literally already at the max tolerance. I reamed them with a #40 reamer and dimpled with a standard cleaveland dimple die on a c-frame. So since they're already starting at max tolerance, anytime I drill out a 3/32 AN426 rivet, the hole is going to be out of spec.

What I typically do is just use a longer rivet, plump it a bit with a squeezer, and then set it with a bigger shop head. I'm wondering if I should start match drilling with a #41 bit and see if that helps.

Baffle Cracks

Up at the front - discovered during the oil change.  Things to address and no worries.  Pics start here:

Front seat back materials

I bought an F1 rocket that was built with race car seats and they are uncomfortable as can be. I want to put in traditional seat cushions but need to find out what materials, (part numbers if possible) are used to construct the seat back. Any chance anyone has that info from their 4 build? The seat back is the same in a rocket and RV4. If you happen to have the page out of your manual you would share that would be awesome.

Pants Mod

Mine was painted as well. I probably should start a new thread, but I made 2 of these out of stainless steel for the nose wheel and no scratches or dinging the fiberglass in that areas with the tow bar. I made an inside aluminum backing plate with nut plates.

Erratic Fuel Pressure on GRT EIS 4000

After 1.5 years of operation (150 hrs) on my RV6A, 0360A1A, second owner, I am experiencing Erratic Fuel Pressure into my GRT EIS 4000. The sender is VDO 360 043, this is a 0-30 psi unit that is sold and not for fuel use according to some websites that sell it? So I've just learned.
But I have installed a direct pressure gauge and ran statically putting out 5.5 psi and 6.0 with electric fuel pump on.

My inflight erratic readings only last a few seconds measuring "(0)", or zero pressure. The most it ever reads is 3.6 psi.

I have read numerous times the documentation GRT supplies and it is just as clear as mud. I understand very little on how to change the unit and to further my knowledge I would like to have someone mentor me into understanding more about this unit. If anyone can help just reach out in a Private message with phone number and time to call.

I have ordered a new VDO pressure sensor and will replace it in a few days upon arrival.

I have accomplished several tasks to keep heat away from fuel lines, and replacing baffle material for better sealed enclosure directing air across the cylinders.

I have not taken the plunge to purchase a EFIS unit.

I would like to keep the aircraft panel "as is".

Fine Oil mist on 1/2 of Windscreen (RV-6A)

I'll be digging into this tomorrow morning, but figured some of the collective wisdom here could help point me in the right direction.  --->

Tool Mod ...N16KY

I did this with a leather punch to make it "softer".

Feb 15, 2023  Issue #5,757. (previous day's news). 

Mental Rest

Working on our RV-6 has, over the years, turned into sort of a relaxation appointment for me.  Just the simple act of adding air to tires and starting an oil change can really clear the cobwebs out of my head.  Lately I've been brain deep in creating/studying handwritten notes on the King Air 350 limitations - turning this into this (work in progress).  I do this to help me memorize the numbers.  Here's the Phenom pic I use for recurrent.  Works better for me than flash cards.

Three hours of RV work lets my noodle rest, then I'm all good again and ready for more studying.

Pro Tip:  Yoga mats make sitting on a concrete floor more enjoyable.  Don't tell your wife that you're doing this (you were supposed to be storing them out at the hangar.  Well, they are technically being stored....)

A-1204 outboard nose rib sticks out beyond the flaperon skin ...-12

On Page 18-03, Step 1 has you cleco together the A-1203 spar, A-1204 nose rib, A-909 counterbalance and A-1201-C outboard nose skin.

As you can see in the first photo, with the end of the counterbalance flush with the edge of the skin, my A-1204 nose rib sticks out about 1/8 inch beyond the edge of the skin (see second photo). That doesn't seem right!

I'm pretty sure I fluted the ribs correctly per Page 18-02, Step 3 (see third photo).

My thought is to push the A-1204 nose rib in slightly, as you can see in the fourth photo. With the forward part ofs the rib flush with the skin, the skin extends slightly beyond the aft part of the A-1204. The predrilled hole in the flange no longer lines up with the predrilled hole in the skin, but that seems better than having the rib stick out where it could possibly interfere with the the wing tip when the flaperon moves up and down.

Anybody else have this problem? Any suggestions?

Mothership -14 S.L.

Spider Web!...rumors of it being a crack were wrong <g>

Thanks all for the suggestions. I did a swab with a pipe cleaner, then took some more pics. Sure enough, it was a piece of web--can still see a portion stuck to the rivet. I used a 12" long 1/4" drill bit to slightly enlarge the tooling hole. The small Teslong camera fits nicely thru the hole. Attached are before and after pics. To reiterate, 220 hours, no acro, no rough field landings, and no cracks.

Update: GMU22 intermittent "AHRS magnetic anomaly"

I finally had time to take another look at the installation, and it isn't as great as I thought - a bunch of ferrous hardware around the magnetometer. Here is a picture of the worst offender (could also explain why this was transient since this connector wasn't properly secured).

Thanks everyone for the explanation!

What is P/N for brake flange mounting screws?

Can anyone tell me the NAS and/or Van's P/N's of these RV-9 main gear brake flange mount, 5/16-20 X 1-1/2 screws and nuts?
Or maybe have 2 ea. you can part with

Feb 14, 2023  Issue #5,756. (previous day's news).
  Wx crumping over the area the next two days.  I need to add air in the tires and do an oil change.  If the part time box in the dark on shaking poles doesn't call, I'll probably work on that - should find out in a few hours if the client got recommended for his checkride.  Different client today after sim, "Tell me all about your RV!".  These planes sell themselves <g>. 
 

Intake Pressures: RV-8 Intake Design

...RayJ first post.

This is the RV-8 I built way back in 2000 -2002, here in Australia.

I too am a dedicated "Total Performance" kinda guy so was motivated to gain some free HP all for the sake of research and putting that into practise to enhance the power output. My research focused around the P51 (why not) as we all know the success of Edgar Schmued's design. For his day he was quite innovative and thought well outside the square. For me I was a professional aviator, not an aeronautical engineer, however this is all there for the want of research.  --->

RV-10 Progress Update ...RheinRivets

Tailcone and Empennage.  A somewhat older impression of the horizontal stabilizer plus some very recent progress, the tailcone is almost finished. The day to put everything together seems not too far away.

Pitot/AoA Mast Location ...stigaro PIREP

I've got the Garmin pitot, but that doesn't matter. I spent a while thinking about this and this is what I came up with. The pitot tubes have an AN to push fitting on them followed by a short air line then a 90 degree push fitting. Allows me to remove the pitot with everything in place. The 90 degree AN to push fittings won't fit through the mast (or at least they wouldn't when the AoA and Pitot are the same length) and this allows me to connect the air lines without needing to get everything tightened through the one small access panel.

Enlarged Universal Rivet Hole

I was riveting the front spar and middle ribs on the VS together. There was a rather large gap between the front middle rib and the front spar on one of the holes (about .012). I thought maybe I missed deburring or something, so I drilled out all 3 holes and deburred again, but now the hole is so large that clecos won't even stay in. If they were 426 rivets, I'd use an oops rivet, but they don't seem to make those for 470 rivets. Any ideas?

Hartzell Propeller Testing ...Laird

Recently spied at an open hangar in Socal.

Great example of strain gauging a propeller to do vibe testing. Note the large black hub forward of the propeller. It's the data collection and transmitter unit. Transmits sensor data to a laptop in the passenger seat.

Great to see Hartzell go to this level of testing.

Revision to SB-00036 document and replacement parts ...Greg from Van's Update

"As of today, TBD: Our ongoing analysis of the RV-9/10/14 HS rear spars will be completed after we finish the revision work we're doing right now for the 6/7/8 parts. Our priority is driven on the fact that we've not seen any field reports of issues on the 9/10/14 models to-date, but we also know that people are trying to plan their builds/downtimes/etc. As soon as we determine if there are any necessary changes (or lack thereof) we will communicate such. Ultimately (pun fully intended for all the engineers out there), our detailed fatigue/stress analysis will be the main factor informing these decisions. That review process has been started, but is not yet finished.

So, it's hard to know exactly what to tell you until our analysis is complete. While we'd love to tell you something for certain today, what we can tell you is this: We will get it done and inform owners/builders as soon as possible. More info soon."

What did you do with your RV this past weekend? (2/11/2023 - 2/12/2023)

...more entries.

RV-8 W/FS20 Type 7 Fuel Selector ...NavyS3BNFO PIREP

Here's how I did mine. The line going to the left tank is the one that loops down then back up. Caveat: I'm not flying yet and if it isn't correct, I'm sure someone will comment.

Feb 13, 2023  Issue #5,755. (previous day's news).
  An absolutely beautiful weekend here in N.TX - hope same in your neck/woods. 
 

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (2/11/2023 - 2/12/2023)

Aileron Nose Skin, KAI 22-04 ...WayneJ -14

When this Nose Skin is clecoed to the A-1003-1L Spar on one edge the other edge needs to be flexed 3-1/2" to meet the spar. This can easily be done but requires significant force to do it. I don't know what this stress will do to the final assembled shape because this is as far as I have gone. Is this normal? What have others seen here?

Bend or Cut?

Ran into a question on page 10-8 on an RV-10. When I cleco the F-1012A and F-1012B assembly to the F-1079 skin I am left with an excessive gap between the flange tabs and the F-1079 skin. I'm not sure what the best fix here is. It seems I could remove some material from the flange tabs similar to the faceting of LE ribs, but it appears it would require an excessive amount of material to be removed. I suppose I could bend these as well, but it isn't exactly fluting that is required either. What have I missed that makes this fit together better?

-10 Tire PIREP...Jesse23

I have the Goodyear Flight II, 55 psi is perfect. Since I do not have 90 degree valve stem tubes, I enlarged the hole to 2" to get a tire/pressure gauge in the space. The cover is a plastic snap in sheet metal cover. Pack of 10 for a few bucks. Check the piece behind the passenger seat, the holes in that brace are 2". I keep the spare covers there. If your hole is too loose, and you keep losing the covers, use a few coats of clear nail polish around the hole.

Printed templates

Some of you may have seen my article "It's a Wrap". It details drawing and printing a vinyl wrap instrument panel skin.
I needed the switch keyway strips to keep the switches from rotating. Since everything is located using the cad and Adobe Illustrator drawings, I just printed sheets of the switch holes. Basically tape them to a piece of .032 and use an optical punch to precisely punch the switch holes and keyway lock holes. It worked like a charm. Switches slide right in and won't rotate. Love it when a plan comes together.

RV14 distance between seatframe and roll bar

Q: I'm starting the order process for my interior and I'm hoping someone can measure the distance between the top of the backrest seat frame and the roll bar. I'm debating whether or not to get the headrest option from Lemke and if it will interfere with baggage access. Thanks in advance!

A: Without being at the plane to measure accurately I think it's about 10". Even with my low back seats I frequently find it necessary to fold the seat forward to put items in the back. I would think with headrests, anything you need to put or retrieve from the area would require folding the seats forward.

Frying circuit smell!

Today was a perfectly normal, uneventful day of flying around at 165 knots in my wonderful RV7A, albeit with a lot of turbulence on the outgoing leg. While taxiing back to my hanger after landing at my home field (KLDJ), I became aware of a distinct and undeniable smell of a cooked transistor or circuit or something electronic. It is a very distinctive smell that I'm pretty sure all of you are familiar with.
I thought I might be on fire, but there were no other indications of anything amiss. I scanned the gauges, looked around and was priming myself to stop, pop the canopy and step out, as soon as I saw any smoke.
The smell soon faded, and I continued to taxi back to my hangar. After shut down, and before opening the canopy, I sniffed around for the source of the smell. I smelled Each instrument, the cig lighter chargers, the external GPS, the headphone power supplies, etc...but couldn't find it. Once in the hangar, I removed the top cowling and smelled the mags and the alternator. Nothing.
My airstrip is right next to huge tanks of oil storage, with a refinery not far away, and this part of NJ does sometimes have an industrial stink to it, but this was very specific, and quite alarming.
All systems seems to function normally on the taxi back. I wonder if I should pursue more diagnostic work, or if I should shrug it off and assume it was external. Kinda scary though. Any thoughts at all?

2nd Batt ...MacCool

Can't take credit...the mounting bracket was installed by the builder. He'd had a second battery in that tray but the second owner took it out for weight. I re-installed.

Firewall Matt PIREP ...DanH

I have not tested any Dynamat Extreme, but if you want to have some sent here, I'll be happy to run it on the burn rig.

Photos below, a rubber foam with an aluminum foil backing sold as firewall insulation. Aircraft Spruce still lists it as "flame certified for firewall", apparently based on the cabin wall and upholstery standards of 23.856 and 25.856. There is no such certification for a cabin firewall.

Yet another oil cooler thread ...Desert Rat

Hey Guys- I'm still noodling around with how to best route oil cooler lines. My firewall mounted oil cooler is about 1/2" too high for this to be easy. i.e. I've got an engine mount tube in the way of the outboard hose port.

I've talked with Tom at TS flightlines. While I'm sure he would build any contraption I come up with, he suggests that it really would be in my best interest to try to avoid having angled fittings on both ends of a hose both for better flow and to minimize manufacturing frustrations with trying to get the clocking right.

I've got a few options, but the cleanest by far would be to just flip the cooler upside down. I'm aware of the potential for trapped air and no way to purge it, but honestly is that really a thing?

I have yet to find anybody who can verify that air in an oil cooler has really ever been an issue. Furthermore, upside down is the standard orientation for the Showplanes remote cooler mount, and those seem to be working out ok for folks?

Option 2 is to run the cooler lines down and forward. I've got them mocked up that way right now and the outboard one comes across the face of the cooler at a distance varying between 1" at the top and 3" at the bottom for about the first 5" of its run.

I'm not worried about the air coming out of the cooler doing anything to a firesleeved hose, but I really don't have any idea of how hot it is there or how it might effect cooling.

Option 2

I've attached pix of the mockup for option #2. As always, comments and critiques are welcome.

Edit- Can someone please tell me why my pictures have started posting sideways and how I fix that?

How the coaxcable works

Transmitting on the COM-radio.

"Standard coaxial transmission lines. When this type of line is working without unwanted radiation, all currents are inside the line. The outside world is isolated from the inside of the cable by the skin depth of the shield. Voltage from the shield to "ground", or the environment around the line, ideally is zero."

Refering to the attachment, my understanding is:
This means that if the BNC connector (shield) at the back of the COM-radio, and the COM-antenna BNC connector (shield) has the same GND-potential, there will be no external radiation from the coaxial cable.
Think of it as a hose filled with water. If there is no flow of water, the water levels at the ends of the hose are equal. Lower one end of the hose and water will start to flow.
If there is a GND-potential (Voltage) difference between the BNC-connector (shield) at the COM-radio and the BNC (shield) at the antenna, a Current will
flow in the OUTSIDE of the coaxial shield.
The coaxial cable will now radiate a magnetic field and act as an antenna.
In modern aircraft there are lots of wires that are carrying 0,5-4,5 V.
If those sensitive wires are located close to a Coax cable that are carrying
a current on the outside of the shield, there will be erronous readings
on the affected instruments.
One would think that there would be no Voltage differences in a metal aircraft. There are good reasons to have only one GND-bus and have it connected to the aircraft skin.
Ideally all GND-wires use this GND-bus. (not intercom or headset GND).
If for some reason it's disired to have more than one GND-bus, it's important
to have a well sized GND-wire between the GND-buses.
Do I have to rebuild all my wiring ? No, just be aware that there may be a radiating field of some proportion arround a COM Coax cable.
Then this can be corrected or canceled with a metal braid that is grounded.

Feb 10, 2023  Issue #5,754. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

9A Status Update ...PilotjohnS

Exhaust install complete. This was not hard, but took a while to figure out the support positions to clear the newer version of the nose gear, get the pipes to clear the cowl, and allow for engine "wet dog" shakes. It seemed flimsy until all the screws were tight.
I had to modify the exhaust pipe brackets because they stuck inboard too far and hit the new nose gear mount. I just found some stainless strap and made two more angle clips that brought the vertical supports outboard more.

FAILED AVIONIC MASTER SWITCH

My combination switch/CB failed in flight. Lost both radios, TXP and Audio panel.

I believe the failure is due to fatigue. You can spot the broken wire in the pic. I estimate that the switch has had a min. of 2000 cycles. Fortunetly, I had a spare and the replacement took 45 min.

Perhaps a parallel master switch is in order.

Update:  The switch/CB has been in service for 14 years. I estimated the cycles based on 1700 flight hours. Thank you all for advice and shared experiences.

18mm Spark Plug Washer/Gasket Reuse

This topic has come up in a few threads over the years (per a site search) and this post is to add to the knowledge.

Champion has a Technical Bulletin 95-11 that says a new copper gasket should always be used any time a plug is reinstalled.

Per a Tempest engineer (thanks Vlad) -they say the same thing.

Current specifications for the washers is hard to find, but the previous MS17840B showed the thickness as .081" + .004" , i.e. 0.077" minimum.

I have collected gaskets for a while as it seemed inefficient to process 8 in the middle of inspection. They were annealed, tumbled in a small rock tumbler and washed in a brightening solution. This removed all the scale, therefore clean and soft.

All 24 were measured for thickness, the Champion publication mentioned reuse could be "out of spec", so thought I would check.

They sorted to two clear batches. The 16 group measured .0791" (OK), the 8 pieces measured .0755 - clearly below spec.

The conclusion partly supports Champion and Tempest guidance - don't reuse them. But, it is clear that they can be reused once and remain within the MS17840B specification.

Record keeping would have to be good, or just put new in the later check them with a micrometer when a viable batch has been accumulated.

He's Back <g> ...Brantel begins a -12IS

 Fire Containment Bags

Last week's laptop fire onboard a United flight got me thinking what I would do in the slim chance of having a lithium battery fire on board. With cell phones, tablets, laptops, and other device batteries in the cockpit if one were to combust I'm not sure it would be possible to pick it up and get it out the canopy. I figure most don't worry about it but wondering for those who have planned for such an event what do you propose? Fire containment bags are pretty pricey. Fire gloves in the hopes you can get it out the canopy? Any other alternatives?
__________________
RV14A #140083

Oil Pan Seam Leak ...-10

Hi All - My RV-10 with a Lycoming IO-540 has been a dependable steed for a number of years, acing most of her condition inspections with only minor squawks. I recently noticed a small oil puddle that would form behind the nose wheel fairing after flights. I do my own oil changes, but I definitely need an A&P to look at and fix this. The diagnosis was that the leak was coming from a seam of the oil pan. The recommendation is to tighten the through bolts and apply epoxy. My understanding is that epoxy was applied to this location previously and presumably wore out (or the seam gap is getting larger). The alternative fix is to remove the engine, put it on the bench, and do a more permanent fix. Have folks seen this issue before with Lycomings? Does this sound like a good course of action? This is a new maintenance shop that I'm using, so I was interested in the perspectives of Vans builders. Thanks for any information you can provide.

Annual inspection - is the oil change required?

I believe I'm fully aware of the answer to this, but I'm hoping for a unicorn. Poor planning on my part, but we changed the oil about 5 tach hours ago. Now it's time for the annual. Part 43 requires an oil change and an inspection of the filter media. Any chance it's possible to skip this step since we just changed the oil and cut the filter apart?

Tailwheel Axle Bolt Specs ...-6

Q: Non-builder question. Does anyone know where the specs can be found for the tailwheel axle bolt and associated hardware (washers, nut, cotter pin)? I'm looking to extend the bolt length for better tow bar usage, but I cannot find size information in my Vans RV-6 flash drive with all the drawings.

A: Here's what I wound up doing.

Feb 9, 2023  Issue #5,753. (previous day's news).

Newest rv-14a yesterday ...Blake

Received my airworthiness certificate yesterday from Gary Brown yesterday afternoon for my rv-14a. Hopefully do my first flight in less than a week. Looking forward to flying this bird.

Section 29 - Lower gear brace covering lower skin rivets ...-14A

I might be overthinking this, but when attaching the forward and mid fuselage on the -14A, page 29-03 has us install the U-01402 lower gear brace and F-01442 lower drag fitting. Step 7 has us firmly tightening the bolts. Does this imply torquing them to spec? At this point, there are clecos holding the forward and middle bottom skins together and the rivets don't get set until Step 8 on page 29-04.

Since the gear brace is rather difficult to install, I'm concerned about having to remove it to get to these rivets. So when should I be riveting the skins under the gear brace?

Status: RV-10 ...AlpineYoda

Waiting on the DAR to come out again tomorrow or Friday and let me fly

AN3 bolt inboard part ailerons...-12

The instructions ask for an AN 3 bolt. In the inventory list I can find an AN3-3A.  That is not the good one. Can anyone tell me where I can find the correct one?

Personal experience: Please don't move your RV project to airport hangar too quickly

Hello all !

With this post, I'd like to share my personal experience of moving my RV-8 project to the airport hangar, and wonder if other builders have had similar experiences.

I do not have a garage at home. Therefore, back in summer of 2015, I started my project in the garden shed behind my house. Quickly space became limited, and Quebec winter made it impractical to build there. I was lucky to find very affordable rental workspace in a closed Ford dealership garage 5 minutes from home. This is where I built most of my RV in between 2015 and 2021. Early 2021, the building landlord announced his intentions to tear down the former car dealership to replace it with a housing project. In panic mode, I started looking for another nearby affordable location to continue my project.  --->

Feb 8, 2023  Issue #5,752. (previous day's news).

Fuel Tank Update ...crabandy

The leaks on the tanks seem to be in the same area I placed the pad of my aircraft jacks (boat jacks.) I tried 2 different spots along the main spar/tanks for jacking the airplane off the ground, I centered the pad on the spar but I'm guessing there was enough pressure on the rear tank baffle to create a leak. DOH!
If that's the case my other tank is most likely leaking or about to start leaking as well.

$19 Interior lighting system

Until now the only light-producing sources in my RV-10 were the two Dynon HDX displays and the Garmin 175. When I flew at night I kept my flashlight (or Iphone) nearby in case i needed to illuminate the panel to locate a switch. I could operate almost everything at night from the Dynon displays, except for landing light switches, etc.

After some thought I've decided to forgo any permanently mounted instrument panel lighting, and will go with this. I've tested it and it works great.

Reminds me of some of the older GA aircraft that had lights on flexible shafts. I clip this to the panel edge, or center post. Just whip it out from the seat back when needed and voila. Fantastic. So glad that I did not install permanent panel lighting.

David

PMAG 3-way switch OFF-ON-(TEST) ...George Fahmy's -7 Wiring

I have my PMAGs wired to receive power with main switch on, with the PMAG switches in the "Off" position. the ignition "On" position maintains 12v, but un-kills the PMAGs. then the Test position removes 12v but keeps the ignition un-killed.

I've attached my wiring diagram to show switch positions to show how things are connected. The "Test" position is a momentary position and the switch will return to center.

SB-00036 Progress Update ...Greg at Mothership

Our team's made substantial progress on the final design and testing of the replacement SB parts for the elevator hinge brackets. We have scheduled manufacturing time, and we will be able to update further in the next couple of days, at which time I expect to be able to share a more specific timeline.

A few people have inquired whether they should expect parts in the next couple/few weeks, vs. multiple weeks or months. We are striving to get parts out the door as soon as possible. Assuming no major roadblocks between now and then (and roadblocks do sometimes happen), our target timeline is within the next couple of weeks. (Please don't quote me or tell anyone I told you that, though. It's just between us.)

Note that we will probably provide the parts - at least initially - without powder coat applied, which will allow us to get them out the door and in your hands as soon as possible. The owner/builder will just need to clean the steel parts and apply a coat of self-etching primer before installation.

We will post additional info soon. Thank you again to everyone for your understanding and patience.

First Priming

Just took my first shot at priming some vertical stab parts with P60G2. First thought was the primer takes forever to mix to get the dark swirls out, which i'm not 100 percent sure I did ever after 10 minutes of stirring. Lots of advice here saying to spray until you just notice a color change which I did. Still seems a bit light, but maybe it will darken up by tomorrow. Or this is the way it's supposed to look.

Elevator misalignment repair...-4

"...My RV4's elevators are not in alignment. When the left side is even with the horizontal ( by even I mean the counter weight section ), the right side counter weight is higher than the horizontal by a good bit.

I tried using two different " angle finders " on the elevator today, measuring the angle of one side with it held flush with the horizontal, then holding the elevator there, measured the other side.... just to see if it is the counter balance weights might be out of whack or if the tail was actually out of alignment. Measured in multiple places on the tail, I found that one elevator is roughly 2-3 degrees higher ( or lower depending on which side is centered with the horizontal ) than the other.

What research I've done this appears to be a common problem, builder of the plane likely did not hold the drill level when drilling through the control horns.

I am trying to fix this now. Plane fly's decent, but does have a tendency to roll off to the left, I have to use full right aileron trim and burn off the left tank to keep the wing level hands off. And I have to hold a touch of right rudder always to keep the ball centered. I am hoping getting the elevators even will fix most of that.

Plan of action is to have the bolt hole in the right elevators control horn welded up, and using more care and some sort of jig between the two horns, re drill a new hole that is hopefully straight and true.

I am NOT a welder by any means but I do have a 110 volt mig wire welder. It is a cheap unit, but I have done plenty of welds on things over the years and can do a decent job. Not really sure I want to tackle this, as I really want a perfect job done, but short of trying to find someone to Tig or Gas weld it, this would be something I could do myself. I already removed the elevator and have it here at home where my welder is.

Looking for pros and cons to this method of fixing my issue and pros and cons to trying to weld up the hole myself or getting a pro to do it.

Thanks Ron"

Feb 7, 2023  Issue #5,751. (previous day's news).

Open Positions at the Mothership

• SLSA Sales and Customer Relationship Coordinator
• Builder Technical Support Specialist
• TIG Welder
• CNC Punch Press Operator
• CNC Machinery Operator
• Hardware Coordinator/Puller

New at Kitplanes ...Paul D

"Sunrise on the Gulf Coast. No matter the time of year, the critical hour as the sun breaks the horizon is always interesting. In aviation, "interesting" usually means challenging. Moisture is the dominant feature of the air down there and as the temperature drops in the early morning, the dewpoint remains the same so the spread becomes razor thin. All it takes to fall over the edge is a minor change--the flap of a butterfly's wing, perhaps--and the day is either instantly clear or solidly overcast (at least for a little while). Understanding the subtleties of the region is part of the art of making good weather decisions. Like anywhere, it takes a while to learn to read the signs. I had been doing it for more than 30 years and, some days, I could still get surprised."  --->

AWC ...Vbug

AWC completed!! Thanks to Vern Darley for the inspection and the words of wisdom. Going to train with Bruce Bohannon the end of the month.

Position counter balance ailerons ...12

As is evident in the pictures there is a difference in the position of the counter balance. Not easy to correct. Would it be a problem to leave it as it is?

Panel upgrade Help/Suggestions

Hello all!

I am acquiring a new to me Mustang II and looking to make it IFR and update the panel and am looking for thoughts, suggestions, or advice.

Currently installed on the panel: (see pictures)
-Dynon FlightDEK-D180
-Garmin 296
-Comm Radio
-Mode C transponder
-Steam Gauge Airspeed, Altimeter, Turn Gauge, VSI, RPM

I have ordered an HS34 for the D180 (essentially replaces the need for a CDI/HSI and allows VHF/GPS Nav to run through the D-180 screen)

My initial thought is to purchase and install:
-uAvionix echoUAT/GRT Safe-fly GPS Package to pair with Mode C transponder
-N16 VHF NAV Radio Package (Razor control head) with Bob Archer Wing antenna
-Garmin 175 GPS (replace 296)

Open to suggestions or thoughts relating to my current plan!!! I have talked to other owners who have very similar setups and they have gotten everything to work together and also have an autopilot installed that will fly ILS and LPV approaches down to mins with this same setup or very similar.

I believe this would be the simplest and most cost-effective way to become IFR with a little redundancy.

SB 00067 Complete, Some Notes ...-12

1. I completed the mod solo with no problems. Just took time.
2. Be sure to tape the fuselage in the vicinity of the stabilator leading edge to avoid scratches.
3. I used two adjustable sawhorses and some closed cell flexible packing foam pieces to support the stabilator and to shim the stabilator to precisely align the mounting brackets and bearings.
4. A couple of sacrificial AN4 bolts with the threads removed and shaped into a bullet are helpful when reinstalling and to temporally mount the stabilator for balancing.
5. Remove the trim motor tray and apparatus. I just let mine hang on the cable off to the side. You might be able to work around it if left attached to the bulkhead, but why suffer the aggravation.
6. Upon initial removal, note the position of the PITA (MIL SPEC term) washers you used in original assembly. These are the glued washers, thick and thin, used to space the stabilator and ensure no end play. They will fall off! Fortunately, I also wrote a note in the plans as to which ones I used and where.  --->

Fiberglass Repair PIREP ...MacCool

I had a hole in the nose cone too, as well as a couple of matching cracks at the wheel well. I glassed in some thin fiberglass on the back side, sanded off the gelcoat on the outside with a 2" random orbital with fiber surface prep discs as well as an oscillating saw with sanding pad. Then 2 or 3 layers of 7781 fiberglass on the outside of each repair, each layer a little larger. After filling/finishing I took them into the local body shop to get painted. I also did repairs to the main gear pants. It was a PITA but the end result was fine.

Visitors during maintenance, and the things that can happen

So this afternoon I was in the middle of my annual inspection, and I was changing out the brake pads and tires. This year I needed to replace my worn tires with a new set of Monster Retreads, and I always wear a set of brake pads down to near nothing during a years flying anyway. I had the right main off, fixed, and reinstalled, and had just jacked up the left main and pulled the tire when I heard some aircraft on low flyovers overhead. We had visitors.

That's not unusual - we get a few of the low-and-slow crowd coming to land in our wheat field just to BS and say hi occasionally, it's part of the fun. I stopped what I was doing and went out to visit. The barbeque pit was already hot and ribs were on, this promised to be a good visit.

Long story short - three airplanes, one was being brought in from Kansas by a ferry pilot (former RV9 owner, most of you would recognize the name if I dropped it) for a sale to a guy in Midland. During the subsequent show-and-tell of all the airplanes that flew in, and were based at, our little private airport, the ferry pilot absent-mindedly grabbed the jack handle that was holding up my left main, and it slipped off the jack.

I have (had?) the FlyBoy accessories jack point on there, that has the little wishbone-style aluminum piece bolted to the brake assembly. The wishbone itself was fine, but it broke off the flange that it bolts into for lifting on the brake assembly, very briefly slowing the airplanes descent. When the rest of the airplane then continued onto the concrete it bent the Cleveland brake torque plate (thankfully I already had the caliper out of it) and the Vans axle mounting piece that bolts it all up.

Thankfully the gear leg itself stopped just short of the concrete and the threads were undamaged. I was able to find replacement parts for $600 for the damage done. No comma's or stitches were involved, so all in all it's a very good day for an aircraft incident.

Lessons learned:
1) for visitors - if you can't write a check for it, don't touch it!!!
2) for maintenance in progress - if there is a chance that visitors might come "look-see", even visitors that in theory should know better, remove items at risk like an airplane on jacks. I should have dropped it onto 2x4's before leaving the hangar. I will next time.

The ribs were still good.

Ya'll be careful out there...

Feb 6, 2023  Issue #5,750. (previous day's news).

100 Dogs and Cats ...Dan Langhout

Pete, a 7 year old American Brittany, was traveling to Wauchula, FL on Saturday to act as a seeing eye companion for another American Brittany who is blind. I picked Pete up from his foster at the Shelby County, AL airport (KEET) and flew him to meet the second leg pilot in Perry, FL (KFPY).

Just so happened that Pete was my 100th animal flown on these rescue flights - 98 dogs and 2 cats over 35 flights.