WingsOnWheels
Well Known Member
I am starting this thread for those that are currently (or soon to be) working on a more recent fuselage kit. I don't know exactly when the change occured, but the RV-6 fuselage kit comes with the RV-7 firewall and drawings.
The RV-7 firewall drawings include the mounting location for the fuel pump and various pass-through holes (throttle, mixture, ect). While most of these locations work well, some do not. Here is my list, please add any others you may think of.
1) Facet fuel pump mount. The location on the RV-7 firewall plans put one of the nutplates directly behind one of the engine mount crossmembers. Depending on your mount (mine is for an O-360) the nutplate will force the mount away from the firewall. The solution is to remove the nutplate and put the bolt in from the outside with a nut on the inside. Another solution would be to move the fuel pump up ~3/8". I would wait until you have your mount to drill the holes for the pump.
2) nose-gear mount bolt. There is a hole in the firewall to allow you to install the mounting bolt for the nose gear. Once again, depening on your mount the Vans callout for the RV-7 is about 1/8 - 3/16" too high. It makes it very difficult to remove the bolt. During fitting, put the bolt in from the top and then reverse it for final assembly.
3) Slider canopy forward deck ribs. The holes to attach these ribs are pre-punched in the RV-7 firewall. The flange on the rib is not long enough to have minimum edge distance for the bottom rivet. According to vans, just shoot the rivet and forget about it. Not my favorite solution.
4) The newer fuselage kit come with the "RV-6 additions" that are an option on the firewall-forward kit, so you don't have to order that.
The RV-7 firewall drawings include the mounting location for the fuel pump and various pass-through holes (throttle, mixture, ect). While most of these locations work well, some do not. Here is my list, please add any others you may think of.
1) Facet fuel pump mount. The location on the RV-7 firewall plans put one of the nutplates directly behind one of the engine mount crossmembers. Depending on your mount (mine is for an O-360) the nutplate will force the mount away from the firewall. The solution is to remove the nutplate and put the bolt in from the outside with a nut on the inside. Another solution would be to move the fuel pump up ~3/8". I would wait until you have your mount to drill the holes for the pump.
2) nose-gear mount bolt. There is a hole in the firewall to allow you to install the mounting bolt for the nose gear. Once again, depening on your mount the Vans callout for the RV-7 is about 1/8 - 3/16" too high. It makes it very difficult to remove the bolt. During fitting, put the bolt in from the top and then reverse it for final assembly.
3) Slider canopy forward deck ribs. The holes to attach these ribs are pre-punched in the RV-7 firewall. The flange on the rib is not long enough to have minimum edge distance for the bottom rivet. According to vans, just shoot the rivet and forget about it. Not my favorite solution.
4) The newer fuselage kit come with the "RV-6 additions" that are an option on the firewall-forward kit, so you don't have to order that.