Flew 20 minutes Saturday, then spent all of Sunday at the part time sim supporting clients on their cold Wx hops. Almost 5 hrs on motion - I'm shaken and stirred. 
Added link to ‘The VAF News’, the RV community daily newsletter, to ‘Links’ in the menu up top.
v/r,dr
VAF POSTS & RV NEWS THAT CAUGHT MY EYE.....dr:
—————————————————————————
Hartzell Hub and Blade Proxies ...from Trevor Parker (works at Hartzell - a VAF advertiser)
(posted in the VAF 3D Printing subforum)
In an effort to make things easier where I can, I've developed a set of 3D printed files that can be used to make proxies for Hartzell hubs and blades. I think this would allow the actual bulkhead to be mocked up to the cowling and also make spinner cutouts easier. I've got hubs for the most common Hartzell props sold through Vans, and blade stubs for the 7497 and 8068, the most common blades where builders are using the kit spinner. The only critical hardware is the spinner mounting kit (spacers and washers) where you need to ensure the same dimensions between the real hardware and the stand ins or use the real spacers/washers. Otherwise, whatever hardware is handy suffices.
vansairforce.net
RV 10 Valve Stem Interference with wheel nut
This is the tubes Vans sent with my finish kit. There is no way to service air pressure without removing the wheel pants and the wheel nut. Actually I had to bend the head of the pin 90 degrees for the cap to clear during rotation and it's still to close for comfort.
vansairforce.net
Old farts forming up for another season
vansairforce.net
RV-14 Simply Will Not Hot Start (and x-ed out fuel pressure sensor)
I have a 14 with the IO-390 and an unusual problem. After a flight, we cannot get this thing to start. We’ve tried a variety of hot start procedures to no avail.
Cold starts work great every time. Hot start procedure #1 is to keep boost pump on with mixture lean and slowly bring it to full as the engine starts to turn over. Procedure #2 is to set full throttle, boost pump on, mixture forward until stable fuel flow, then back to lean, engage starter, and finally reduce throttle and increase mixture as engine turns over.
Perhaps you have an idea for a different hot start procedure, but I can assure you both of the above worked great for a long time. If #1 didn’t work, #2 always worked. Then they both suddenly stopped working.
Some notes….
vansairforce.net
Possible Serious Fuel Fire Averted
I am about 1/2 of the way into my phase 1 flight testing. I routinely inspected the engine compartment for anything that could cause problems. After doing about 5 hours of flight testing, I thought I smell fuel. I tracked down the tanks and found nothing. Today, I removed the upper cowl and discovered the fuel had leaked through the fuel sensor at the firewall. I had thought I torque the fuel sensor but I didn't torque it enough. It took almost 20 hours for the problem to reveal itself. Chalk it up for luck that I found it. This is the picture with the blue fuel stain.
vansairforce.net
Cowl to nose cone alignmen
I've just completed fitting the cowl to my -6A and the plans call for the cowl top to be 1/8" below the spinner, per the attached pic.
vansairforce.net
More "Ergonomic" Tungsten Bucking Bar
Here are a couple of pics of a universal tungsten "palm" bucking bar that, ergonomically is much more "user friendly" than what is currently available. I had a couple of these made by Midwest Tungsten Service many years ago; and, at that time offered the design to them for their product line - no joy on their part. Oh well ...
vansairforce.net
Chafing/rubbing on aileron push rod of RV-10 due to aileron trim springs
During the condition inspection of my (bought) RV-10, my A&P noticed that there was a fair amount of chafing on the aileron push rods in the area of the aileron trim and our conclusion is that it is due to the springs (see attached photos).
We're assuming that this is not a good situation. For now, we have removed the springs (and deactivated the aileron trim).
vansairforce.net
OFF TOPIC:
PS: Older issues of the ‘VAF News’ can be found at:
www.vansairforce.net
Added link to ‘The VAF News’, the RV community daily newsletter, to ‘Links’ in the menu up top.v/r,dr
VAF POSTS & RV NEWS THAT CAUGHT MY EYE.....dr:
—————————————————————————
Hartzell Hub and Blade Proxies ...from Trevor Parker (works at Hartzell - a VAF advertiser)
(posted in the VAF 3D Printing subforum)
In an effort to make things easier where I can, I've developed a set of 3D printed files that can be used to make proxies for Hartzell hubs and blades. I think this would allow the actual bulkhead to be mocked up to the cowling and also make spinner cutouts easier. I've got hubs for the most common Hartzell props sold through Vans, and blade stubs for the 7497 and 8068, the most common blades where builders are using the kit spinner. The only critical hardware is the spinner mounting kit (spacers and washers) where you need to ensure the same dimensions between the real hardware and the stand ins or use the real spacers/washers. Otherwise, whatever hardware is handy suffices.
Hartzell Hub and Blade Proxies
In an effort to make things easier where I can, I've developed a set of 3D printed files that can be used to make proxies for Hartzell hubs and blades. I think this would allow the actual bulkhead to be mocked up to the cowling and also make spinner cutouts easier. I've got hubs for the most...
vansairforce.net
RV 10 Valve Stem Interference with wheel nut
This is the tubes Vans sent with my finish kit. There is no way to service air pressure without removing the wheel pants and the wheel nut. Actually I had to bend the head of the pin 90 degrees for the cap to clear during rotation and it's still to close for comfort.
RV 10 Valve Stem Interference with wheel nut
This is the tubes Vans sent with my finish kit. There is no way to service air pressure without removing the wheel pants and the wheel nut. Actually I had to bend the head of the pin 90 degrees for the cap to clear during rotation and it's still to close for comfort. I called tech support and...
vansairforce.net
Old farts forming up for another season
old farts forming up for another season
Old Farts Winter Haven KGIF Recap From Thursday, April 20th, 2023 https://us18.campaign-archive.com/?e=985d565717&u=c4993321b97ea47e644911b20&id=f0e335a3f4
vansairforce.net
RV-14 Simply Will Not Hot Start (and x-ed out fuel pressure sensor)
I have a 14 with the IO-390 and an unusual problem. After a flight, we cannot get this thing to start. We’ve tried a variety of hot start procedures to no avail.
Cold starts work great every time. Hot start procedure #1 is to keep boost pump on with mixture lean and slowly bring it to full as the engine starts to turn over. Procedure #2 is to set full throttle, boost pump on, mixture forward until stable fuel flow, then back to lean, engage starter, and finally reduce throttle and increase mixture as engine turns over.
Perhaps you have an idea for a different hot start procedure, but I can assure you both of the above worked great for a long time. If #1 didn’t work, #2 always worked. Then they both suddenly stopped working.
Some notes….
RV-14 Simply Will Not Hot Start (and x-ed out fuel pressure sensor)
I have a 14 with the IO-390 and an unusual problem. After a flight, we cannot get this thing to start. We’ve tried a variety of hot start procedures to no avail. Cold starts work great every time. Hot start procedure #1 is to keep boost pump on with mixture lean and slowly bring it to full as...
vansairforce.net
Possible Serious Fuel Fire Averted
I am about 1/2 of the way into my phase 1 flight testing. I routinely inspected the engine compartment for anything that could cause problems. After doing about 5 hours of flight testing, I thought I smell fuel. I tracked down the tanks and found nothing. Today, I removed the upper cowl and discovered the fuel had leaked through the fuel sensor at the firewall. I had thought I torque the fuel sensor but I didn't torque it enough. It took almost 20 hours for the problem to reveal itself. Chalk it up for luck that I found it. This is the picture with the blue fuel stain.
Possible Serious Fuel Fire Averted
I am about 1/2 of the way into my phase 1 flight testing. I routinely inspected the engine compartment for anything that could cause problems. After doing about 5 hours of flight testing, I thought I smell fuel. I tracked down the tanks and found nothing. Today, I removed the upper cowl and...
vansairforce.net
Cowl to nose cone alignmen
I've just completed fitting the cowl to my -6A and the plans call for the cowl top to be 1/8" below the spinner, per the attached pic.
Cowl to nose cone alignment
For context, I’m the second owner of a RV-8 and haven’t built an RV. I’m getting ready to do some fiberglass work on my cowl to clean up some lines and design a better cowl hinge pin cover. In the process of looking the project over I noticed the cowl doesn’t align with the nose cone. I’m...
vansairforce.net
More "Ergonomic" Tungsten Bucking Bar
Here are a couple of pics of a universal tungsten "palm" bucking bar that, ergonomically is much more "user friendly" than what is currently available. I had a couple of these made by Midwest Tungsten Service many years ago; and, at that time offered the design to them for their product line - no joy on their part. Oh well ...
More "Ergonomic" Tungsten Bucking Bar
Here are a couple of pics of a universal tungsten "palm" bucking bar that, ergonomically is much more "user friendly" than what is currently available. I had a couple of these made by Midwest Tungsten Service many years ago; and, at that time offered the design to them for their product line -...
vansairforce.net
Chafing/rubbing on aileron push rod of RV-10 due to aileron trim springs
During the condition inspection of my (bought) RV-10, my A&P noticed that there was a fair amount of chafing on the aileron push rods in the area of the aileron trim and our conclusion is that it is due to the springs (see attached photos).
We're assuming that this is not a good situation. For now, we have removed the springs (and deactivated the aileron trim).
Chafing/rubbing on aileron push rod of RV-10 due to aileron trim springs
During the condition inspection of my (bought) RV-10, my A&P noticed that there was a fair amount of chafing on the aileron push rods in the area of the aileron trim and our conclusion is that it is due to the springs (see attached photos). We're assuming that this is not a good situation. For...
vansairforce.net
OFF TOPIC:
PS: Older issues of the ‘VAF News’ can be found at:
Van's Air Force
Doug Reeves Vans Aircraft Kit Forum Official Build Experimental RV
www.vansairforce.net
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