What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Fwd Baggage Door

Jaypratt

Jaypratt

Well Known Member
Mentor
I have had a hand on 8 RV 8/8As. This last one,,, I had had enough!
I challenged our on field Fiberglass goo-roo to make a door that would fit, be easer to install ect.
Well it looks wonderful. He made it out of carbon and it fits. He installed it in a couple of hours.
I am working my self out of a job here but this thing is really neet. He plans to sell these things to you RV 8 builders. You will want one.

Call me to find out why,,, Jay 817 271 0594
 
Last edited:
I was at Jay's shop when the door was being installed. It certainly looked "bullet proof :D" compared to the standard door. Where the standard door has a lot of extra stiffeners and gussets to keep it down in the slip stream, the carbon panel is a one-piece, hinged door that appears to be strong enough to stay put in the wind.

I didn't hear anyone mention the finished price, but I am definitely interested in this part when I get there next year.

Mike
 
baggage door

jay please...whats the price on the door, mine don't fit very well.thanks jerry d. 80485, aka blue streak, 32 hrs and counting
 
need not call - Charles will post!

I just got off the phone with Charles, who is experiencing a minor flood of interested calls. He asked me to tell y'all that he will be putting up a website for the door this weekend (1/29-30), and will post the link here when he's done. He indicated that if he doesn't have to answer the phone all evening, he can make some doors!

BTW: the door sounds great! Rather than repeat any details, though, I'll let him give 'em to us all at once rather than repeating stuff I heard over an intermittent cell phone in a traffic jam. Note for forum newbies like me: you can subscribe to a thread to be notified of new posts (s'what I did for this one).
 
Door Pic

do not call on this on product!!! OR!! VERY IMPORTANT!!!
ONLY,,, call me, Jay Pratt 817 271 0594
 
Last edited:
baggage door site

Has the baggage door been posted to a website yey? If so, show me the way!


Hwood
 
final mold being made

I just got a brief note from Charles: he's making a final mold tomorrow, so it's not quite ready yet -- but very soon! I haven't heard of a website yet.

When next I talk with him (though I don't plan to bug him for a week or so), I'll offer to post an update for him -- or convince him to join this most excellent forum!
 
FYI - I talked to him about his front baggage door a couple of weeks ago and he stated that the price would be just under $200, including a new latch system that utilizes the core of the lock you would use on the normal VAN's door. The latch would grab onto the longeron. The door should be easily retrofitted to existing planes with the VAN's door already installed.
 
sf3543 said:
FYI - I talked to him about his front baggage door a couple of weeks ago and he stated that the price would be just under $200, including a new latch system that utilizes the core of the lock you would use on the normal VAN's door. The latch would grab onto the longeron. The door should be easily retrofitted to existing planes with the VAN's door already installed.
Click to expand...

This sounds very interesting.

I was under the obviously wrong impression that everyone's door would be slightly different, due to differences in the way the F-821PP skin gets installed. As much as I've heard people complain about this door, I'll be very happy to cough up 200 bucks for one!
 
door status 3/28: nearing production

Thanks for the ping! I just called Charles, who has great news: he's worked out a great latch system and has incorporated it into the mold, and will be popping out the first production piece next week.

He'll give me a call as soon as he's got pictures and a final price and is ready to start taking orders, and I'll relay straight to you folks.
 
So does anyone have a follow up on this baggage door?
Can you mount a GPS antennae under it? Does it have a clear view for GPS?
I'm right at the 'start building the door stage'. :confused:
 
SHIPCHIEF said:
So does anyone have a follow up on this baggage door?
Can you mount a GPS antennae under it? Does it have a clear view for GPS?
I'm right at the 'start building the door stage'. :confused:
Click to expand...

As far as I know, they don't actually exist beyond a couple of prototypes....
 
SHIPCHIEF said:
So does anyone have a follow up on this baggage door?
Can you mount a GPS antennae under it? Does it have a clear view for GPS?
I'm right at the 'start building the door stage'. :confused:
Click to expand...

search under "gamut services" for some followup. I'm pretty sure this is no longer an option unless you wanted to roll your own.

FWIW a carbon fiber door would not provide a window for a GPS antenna, although one made of regular fiberglass would. Plain old e-glass would be more than sufficient for this application IMHO and would allow for placement of GPS and XM antennae in the door.

Also, FWIW I don't think the door is really that bad. Mine went together pretty easily and fits well. There are a dozens other things on the fuse that were more difficult.
 
flyeyes said:
......don't think the door is really that bad. Mine went together pretty easily and fits well........
Click to expand...
My experience too. I suspect some builders get into trouble with the overall fit of fwd baggage door because they attempt to do it before the engine in hung and the cowling pinned into place. With those two things installed, I found fitting the baggage door to be a pleasant, satisfying task. Other than the sheet that is finally pop riveted into place on the door back...the real key to proper alignment...I built up the whole thing including its hinge and lock mechanism early on as an easy bench project and then laid it aside until needed. The builder's manual provides helpful tips on how to finally fit the door to the aircraft structure and I heeded its advice.....worked for me.

25jujyf.jpg
 
Last edited:
I won one of the carbon fiber doors at Dana Overall's fly-in a few Februarys ago. Since I didn't have an RV-8 project (at the time), I gave it to Jon Thocker and he used it on his first RV-8. It fit perfectly and still does. The guy who bought that airplane is still on our field (HAO), and hasn't painted it yet. The lock mechanism is pretty nice.

Scott
 
Well;
The obvious thing to do....get started with what I have on hand.
With the words of encouragement following my question, I went back to the plans and drawing. It's a real head scratcher for me.
There are very few dimensions, but also only one way it will fit :eek:
I'm building hinge parts and it's starting to come to me one little clue at a time. :confused:
 
OK;
Thanks for the encouragement. I got the ribs straightened and riveted to the skin and lower doubler. Hinges are made and fitted to the fuse. upper angle and hinge assembly are fabricated. So far everything fits perfectly.
Here's the problem: My baggage compartment floor is in and my rudder pedals with brake assembly are all in and done. I'm not going to pull them out to drill the inner skin while the whole assembly is taped down to the fuse.
Has anyone got a suggestion?
Surely I'm not the first one to face this task?
 
Last edited:
SHIPCHIEF said:
Here's the problem: My baggage compartment floor is in and my rudder pedals with brake assembly are all in and done. I'm not going to pull them out to drill the inner skin while the whole assembly is taped down to the fuse.
Has anyone got a suggestion?
Surely I'm not the first one to face this task?
Click to expand...

No, you're not the first, and if you ever think you have something installed "permanently", you've made a mistake...:rolleyes: (sorry)

Pull the pedals and the floor - you're going to have them out again in the future, if for nothing else, a maintenance task once you're flying. It's cozy in thre with everything removed, lying on your back, hoping someone can pull you out if you get stuck....

Paul
 
Ironflight said:
No, you're not the first, and if you ever think you have something installed "permanently", you've made a mistake...:rolleyes: (sorry)

Pull the pedals and the floor - you're going to have them out again in the future, if for nothing else, a maintenance task once you're flying. It's cozy in thre with everything removed, lying on your back, hoping someone can pull you out if you get stuck....

Paul
Click to expand...

As Paul said, take them out and drill the inner skin with the door in place. I tried it the first time without following the instructions and it was warped and didn't fit. :mad: Scrap the whole thing, reorder parts and try again. Second time it worked because I followed the instructions.

I recommend you follow the instructions also...

Karl
 
Carbon Fiber Door

I gave Charles Wilhite a little over 200$ for the door a little over a year ago. I never got anything, he will not reply to email or answer his phone. Just my two cent worth.....
 
Just finished mine.

I just finished my baggage door. I pulled the pedals out and don't see how you could get in there to drill and rivet without removing them. The biggest headache I had was fitting the F-873M delrin blocks and getting the latch pins to fit into them. I actually broke one of my keys off in the lock before I got it to work.:eek: Luckily the needle nose pliers were able to pull the key out. Everything is done now and it fits well.
 
SHIPCHIEF said:
So does anyone have a follow up on this baggage door? Can you mount a GPS antennae under it? Does it have a clear view for GPS?.... :confused:
Click to expand...
I have to ask why you would want to install a GPS antenna in the fwd baggage compartment in the first place. Is it a type of GPS antenna that cannot tolerate heat? Lots of builders place a Garmin antenna under the cowl where FWF heat poses no problem and it easily receives satellite signals though the fiberglass cowl. Here is the Garmin 496 antenna installed in my -8. I mounted a Garmin 430 antenna in my -6A the same way. Something to consider.

Afterthought: Note how I snipped off that narrow piece of forward upper skin and riveted it to the firewall. Doing so allowed me to permanently attach the starboard upper cowl hinge section (per plans) and made it considerably easier (for me) to proceed through final assembly.

9st6ag.jpg
 
Last edited:
Rick;
That GPS mount looks very nice, just like all the rest of your plane.
I decided to build the "Vans door" and I'm going great guns. So far the skin took a nice roll over my knee, and with some help from the ol' edge roller, it fit within 1/16th". Then the ribs took some prep work and when primed and riveted to the skins, the fit held.
I just fitted the snap bushings and door lock assembly. I'm making the latch pins and starting to fit the bushing blocks. Those blocks need a lot of trimming.
I'm a little dubious about when to drill the upper angle/hinge, as it will effect how tight the inner skin will be. I know the big problem with the inner skin awaits, and I think I need to install it before I commit to trimming the top edge, then fit the F-873-F angle, and F-873-J hinge.
 
Just a follow up on this one:
I ended up checking out threads on this forum, and followed the Proseal method.
I had pre-bent the top skin to a natural fit, laying it on top of the fuselage F-821PP skin, then fluted and fit the ribs, riveting them on as per the instructions. The fit was still good.
Then I did not fit the hinge and upper angle pieces, instead, I drilled #40 and cleco'd the inner skin to the ribs by setting the assembly on the airframe between each set of clecoes that I added. When a slight twist started to show up, I just stood on one high corner while holding down the other, and drilled the next hole. I was able to press the twist out while drilling and cleco-ing, I did not have to lay down under the baggage compartment. The fit was nearly perfect. I used about 5 grams of proseal at the cleco joint after I deburred the ribs & inner skin. I used a cargo strap to hold the assembly in place while the proseal set (for a week) the removed the assembly from the fuse. I final drilled to #30 and set the pop rivets. Perfect fit. After that I fit & installed the upper angle and hinge.
It worked out well. I did this because I forgot to follow the construction sequence; I had installed the rudder pedals, brake cylinders, and baggage floor before I started the baggage door. :eek:
The penalty of not following Van's instructions? I have to carry around 5 grams of proseal that otherwise wouldn't be needed. :(
 
Last edited:
pre Punched

The Pre Punched / Mached Hole, kits have a door that is fool proof. Use it if you have that kit.
The older 'fix' is not necesary. Call Me if you have problems with the older door.

thanks
 
Curve fit

Jay,

When you say fool proof, do you still have to drill the inside holes from the bottom. My door fits fairly nice, but right at the sharpest part of the curve the door does not sit very flush, no quite the thickness of the skin high. I have not done any fitting of the lower side, I am not sure if this will make the door lay better or if I need to bend the strips of aluminum the door rests on.

Another question I have been thinking about, how do you fit the cowling on the door side, the part is very flimsy and does not hold in one place, do you make a support strip to span the opening of the baggage area?

Thanks for the help.
 
Mike, I never liked the floppy section so this is the second one with ribs added to the firewall face. They rivet through firewall angles at the mid and bottom. Builder preference.



The baggage door is not that hard to build. If it doesn't fit, make it fit. I'm so dumb I made mine from the skin cutout section, not realizing there was a pre-punched door skin in the bottom of the shipping box.

Yeah, we don't need no stinkin' instructions ;)
 
door

I made a jig, to hold the firewall in place. Simply use some 3/4" angle and drill to the fuselage across the baggege door BEFORE you remove the skin that you throw away. Two is enough.
The -1 ? match hole fuse doors work really good. I have only done one, and did not have to dril from the bottom.
 
Whoops

I already removed the cut out part in the forward top skin, if I recall that is the first thing the plans told me to do for fitting the top skin. I guess I will have to come up with another plan.

Jaypratt said:
I made a jig, to hold the firewall in place. Simply use some 3/4" angle and drill to the fuselage across the baggege door BEFORE you remove the skin that you throw away. Two is enough.
The -1 ? match hole fuse doors work really good. I have only done one, and did not have to dril from the bottom.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top