An Unforeseen Journey

[Vlad]

I like your static lines Bill. Are they stock for the 10 or your idea?

[Bill Boyd]

I'll have to check the plans and see. They came to me already in place. I too like the robustness of the execution

[Bill Boyd]

Unable to insert the control sticks any further than this into the weldments. The powder coat is way back from this line. Plans say to insert "as far as it will go" before match-drilling.

Far enough?

[Mike S]

Have you picked out the control grips you plan to use already?

I had to cut off an inch or more at the bottom of the stick in order for the top of the control grips to clear the panel.

I used Tosten grips, love them----- but they will hit the panel unless the stick is trimmed down.

You might wait to install the sticks until you have the panel in and the grip installed, just to insure clearance.

Due to the curved shape of the stick, and the short straight section on top, I had to trim both ends------unlike a straight stick where you can do all the needed trimming on the top.

[airguy]

I had a similar problem with the copilot side on my 9A during construction - the pilot side fit fine. I was really curious about that and found that the interior of the socket weldment had a very slight distortion caused by the weld bead on the exterior, and it was just enough to pinch down on the stick at that point and cause it to bind. One weldment was fine, the other had interference. I just took a dremel tool with a carbide grinding bit and removed a few thousandths right there at the weld point and it went in fine. That point is now on my annual inspection checklist to inspect for cracking as a result of my dremel work.

[RKellogg]

Bill,
In your tailcone photo, it looks like the static port plumbing will connect the line forward at the bottom of that tee on the right static port. If rain water or wash water gets in the right static port it will run forward and accumulate until problems are created, blocking BOTH static ports. Perhaps better to put that tee ABOVE the static port so that water is less likely to accumulate in the system and cannot block both ports. Simple is good, but in this case there may be value in adding one more fitting.

[rvbuilder2002]

Originally Posted by RKellogg

Bill,
Perhaps better to put that tee ABOVE the static port so that water is less likely to accumulate in the system and cannot block both ports.

As shown in the plans included with Van's static system kit.......

[Bill Boyd]

Originally Posted by airguy

.... That point is now on my annual inspection checklist to inspect for cracking as a result of my dremel work.

Exactly my concern about hogging the inside of the fitting too much to make it fit.

[Mike S]

Use a reamer.

[Bill Boyd]

Originally Posted by RKellogg

Bill,
In your tailcone photo, it looks like the static port plumbing will connect the line forward at the bottom of that tee on the right static port. If rain water or wash water gets in the right static port it will run forward and accumulate until problems are created, blocking BOTH static ports. Perhaps better to put that tee ABOVE the static port so that water is less likely to accumulate in the system and cannot block both ports. Simple is good, but in this case there may be value in adding one more fitting.

At work right now and unable to check, but IIRC there is a second tee at the top of the bow, and the one showing in the pic was intended as a drain or test port, to be capped in normal ops.