Inatalling Vans Crotch Strap Brackets for Crow Harnesses

[Lemmingman]

Originally Posted by longranger

This whole exercise makes me glad I've spent the time I have in the build logs of those that have gone before me.

You were wise enough to know to ask the question. It never even crossed my mind to ask. Mine are in place using the Vans instructions. I'm in the middle of installing my flap actuator and don't feel like ripping the floors up again, just yet. When I get that done I'll measure and see where I am.

[longranger]

Originally Posted by Lemmingman

You were wise enough to know to ask the question. It never even crossed my mind to ask. Mine are in place using the Vans instructions. I'm in the middle of installing my flap actuator and don't feel like ripping the floors up again, just yet. When I get that done I'll measure and see where I am.

Thanks for the compliment Gil, but is wasn't so much wisdom as just reading ahead and learning from other builders.

As of this evening, my left set of brackets are drilled to the ribs and floors, using a screwed up aileron bracket and two thicknesses of the blue vinyl still on the strap brackets for spacing.

[Smilin' Jack]

Miles your correct a little bit larger spacing will work but not much as the screw holes in the floor panels still have to screw into the flanges on the bracket and it was this putting in the screws that tightened up the angles around bracket,
To the point that the straps don't wiggle at all.
Jack

[Dbro172]

http://www.mykitlog.com/users/displa...=159971&row=44

Where the straps double over the thickness of the bracket I planned that to fall within the open space so that I didn't have to change the spacing. As mentioned earlier there's plate nuts here that have to screw into the floor panels

[longranger]

Yes, Derek and Jack, the forward bracket isn't rigid until the screws through the floor go in, due to the fact that the top half of the forward bracket has no rivets in the side flanges. I didn't realize that until I was fitting everything together last night. Before drilling ANY holes, I clamped everything together and clecoed the floor on, then marked the top flanges of the strap brackets through the screw holes in the floor. Everything was where it should be. If you increased the spacing to 5/16 like others have done, you'd have to relocate the screw holes through the floor for the top flange of the forward bracket, or bend the top half of the forward bracket back the top.

This took way longer that it should have due to some overthinking on my part, but at least it's right... I think.

[Bernie RV7]

I'm building the fuselage centre section and want to install the crutch strap brackets, are they part of the fuselage kit or are they a separate order as I can't find them?

[Dbro172]

http://www.vansaircraft.com/cgi-bin/...uct=seat-belts

Look here for crotch strap kit

[RV7A Flyer]

Originally Posted by longranger

IHe also mic'ed the fitting, so I have the thickness. With measurements taken from the photo, I can see that the hole in the brackets need to be about 1/2" lower than the pre-punched pilot holes so the slot in the fitting will end up centered in the rectangular holes in the brackets. If you've already drilled the bolt hole in the stock location, re-drilling or replacing the belt fitting might be your best option.

You mean centered vertically, yes?

Because the pilot and co-pilot side holes are in different lateral locations to ensure the belts are centered horizontally on the seat (in line with the stick).

I assume you're just planning on drilling 1/2" *below* the appropriate holes...but just wanted to make sure you're not trying to center the fitting in both axes with the hole in the bracket...

[John Courte]

I installed mine per plans, and the fit was really tight. It was tight enough that I now have to screw in the floor pan at the crotch strap bracket flange first, then pull it into place to get the rest of the screws in. It's a little annoying, but not bad.

I used AN960 washers pressed into the Crow bracket holes to accommodate the bolts. I put a bunch of them on a bolt chucked into a drill pressed and filed off some of the metal so the press fit wasn't too tight. Seems to be working fine.

[longranger]

Originally Posted by RV7A Flyer

You mean centered vertically, yes?

Because the pilot and co-pilot side holes are in different lateral locations to ensure the belts are centered horizontally on the seat (in line with the stick).

I assume you're just planning on drilling 1/2" *below* the appropriate holes...but just wanted to make sure you're not trying to center the fitting in both axes with the hole in the bracket...

My post is a couple of months old, but yes, I did mean centering the loop in the belts vertically in the cutout in the brackets. Here's what I ended up with:

Right:


Left: